Culture
>>
Best band
1. Rubberman
2. godspeed you black emperor!
3. Bran Van 3000
4. The Dears
5. Bitter Rind
6. Moist
Although not yet booked to play with Elastica, the very flexible Rubberman seem well on their way to the proverbial Big Time. On the other hand, godspeed! have established a solid rep for not only churning out great music but also shunning the Big Time at all costs. Our number 3, BV3, have topped this list in previous years and might have done so again if their new album was on the racks now rather than expected at the end of May.
Honourable mentions: Agent Cooper * Bagg Street Klezmer Band * Beauty Dropout * Bionic* Bloodshot Bill & The Hubcaps * Bullfrog * Caféïne * Cowboys Fringants * Crazy Rhythm Daddies * Da Bloody Gashes * Delta 666 * Denny Christensen's Big Band Sound * Detention * Dibondoko * Dr. Noh * Drugstore Cowboys * Fonderie Darling * Freddie James * General Rudie * Jai Guru * Jamal's Cool Head * Jazz Pharmacy * Kiss Me Deadly * Kobayashi * Liam Callaghan * Lullaby Baxter Trio * Mahogany Rush * Mishima * Modern Stories * Molasses * Monstre * Montreal Funk Orchestra * Noma * Nuclear Ramjet * Obliveon * One-976 * Oukumé * The Paddingtons * Parkside Jones * Pigeon-Hole * The Planet Smashers * Quick Sound * Reset * Rhythm Mercenaries * Ripcordz * Les Sexareenos * Shalabi Effect * Shirtless Weenie Guys * Sky * Slaves on Dope * Steve Hill * Stomp All-Stars * Subb * The Capones * The Datsons * The Vendettas * The Wells * Vaginal Croutons * Violent Marv * Voodoo Jazz * Vulgar Deli * Yelo Molo
>>
Best electronic act
1. Bran Van 3000
2. Fly Pan Am
3. Fonderie Darling
4. The Unireverse
5. Freeworm
This one confused some folks, who voted for their fave DJs (Ram's got a band, so he makes it in). The term's actually quite flexible, representing solo actuellistas and studio introverts, revolving-door collectives and trad-style bands incorporating electronics. Maintaining the highest profile, BV3 aced this slot, if not the "Best Band" category.
Honourable mentions: Christoff Migone * David Kristian * dB * The User * DJ Ram * Dr. Noh * Freeworm * Jerôme Minière * Kano * Mike Penning with Scott Russell the bucket man * Nuclear Ramjet * Pheek * Shalabi Effect
>>
Best hip hop act
1. Shades of Culture
2. Muzion
3. Loco Locass
4. Sugar Sammy
Proving that Montreal has a good sense of continuity, the venerable Shades once again take top honours. The classy Muzion snag the silver, while the bronze goes to relative newcomers Loco Locass, the most politically charged and language-conscious of the bunch.
Honourable mentions: Bless * B-U the Knowledgist * CatBurglaz * ChanceWon * DJ Killah Jewel * Dubmatique * ESP * Kid Koala * Obscure Disorder * Offsides * Ricky J * Sans Pression * Shadowboxerz * So-Called
|
Best club DJ
|
|---|
1. Iznogood
2. Misstress Barbara/Maues (tie)
3. Tiga
4. Krista
5. Ram
6. DR. 0ne
Honourable mentions: Amyl Nitrate * Andy Couchman * Bat Bitch * Blaze * Bobzilla * Brass Knuckles Crew * Christian Pronovost * Density * Dirt * Pocket * X. Caféïne * Elie Khoury * Fred Everything * Future Lad * Gamma * Jojoflores * Joubin * Kid Koala * Killah Jewel * Kurtis C * Laflèche * Luc Raymond * Mado Lamotte * Marcus Desade * Marty Lamar * MC Mario * Nivoc * Rev * Robert de la Gaultier * Skeptik * Stylez * The jukebox at Cock 'n' Bull * Toddy Flores * XL
>>
He is what he Iz
>>
If DJ Iznogood is no good, how come he's our favourite DJ?
by RUPERT BOTTENBERG
Groggy and half-awake as he is, local DJ Iznogood is pretty confused about the numbah-1 spot he's been voted into. Then again, the guy lives in a permanent state of semi-wakefulness--something that probably helped when he worked the decks for three days straight at last summer's Arrival party, setting him up for a Guinness World Record. They'll give it to him, too, just as soon as one of their auditors is hardy enough to sit through the 20 videotapes documenting the episode.
But setting records isn't what wins the hearts of punters, it's spinning them, something Iznogood does with an amazing balance of skill, creativity and devil-may-care panache. "I play stupid music just to make people dance," he laughs. "So many of my records I can't even identify. They're white labels, everything from '60s ad jingles to new techno. The guy who made it could be right next to me and I wouldn't know it."
Furthermore, he never prepares a set but rather wings it when he gets there. An in-depth knowledge of everything from punk and industrial to techno, drum & bass, electro and weird kitsch is the groundwork, but the will to establish a genuine connection with partygoers is his trump card. "I choose individual dancers in front of me and follow them for 15 minutes, watching their hands and feet before I move on to another one. This way you can go into their head, make them feel like the music is part of them. They'll come up to me after and say, 'I felt like you were messing around inside my brain!' I'll say, 'Yeah, it was on purpose.'"
Currently compiling a number of mix CDs for NYC hardcore labels Things To Come and Industrial Strength (the latter run by the legendary Lenny Dee), Iznogood is also moving toward productions of his own. "I won't release anything of my own," he notes, "before I'm ready to really drop the bomb." In the meantime, he's playing parties all over, but has cut down his club slots--"I'm leaving them because there you play songs. At raves and parties, you really work with the sound itself."
You can still catch him Tuesdays at Foufounes Électriques' Mainframe. "I play trance, hardcore, industrial--people come and say that nowhere else in North America can you hear a mix like this." For now--if his local rep can be replicated across the continent, that's sure to change. *
|
>>
Best busker
1. Spoonman
2. Peruvian band
3. The stilts guy
"You know, that guy there, buddy with the thing, there, that he plays." The ubiquity and anonimity of the street musician leads to a plethora of funny "(item)-guy" tags to attach to these colourful characters--strangers who everyone know. The Harmonica Lady of Prince-Arthur, for instance. Before she was slapped with like, a court order or something, chasing her away from her longtime haunt, did anyone think to stop her and inquire what her name was? If only just to shut her up for a minute?
Honourable mentions: Bagpipe guy * Bucket Man * Chrstina SciaScia * Clarinet woman on Ste-Catherine * French accordionist on Ste-Catherine * Guitar player at Berri * Harmonica Lady * Inuit guy who sings oldies in the Bonaventure metro * Manon, the girl in Laurier metro with the bongos * Minimalist-Miles-Davis-Cool-Jazz-Trumpet Guy * No-legged man on the yellow metro line * Piccolo player (Laurier metro) * Sophie, the punk who tap-dances on Ste-Catherine E. * The blind white guy in Guy-Concordia metro who sings like a black female gospel vocalist
>>
Most outrageous musical act
1. One-976
2. Da Bloody Gashes
3. Vaginal Croutons
Cheers to Montreal's musicians for, as often as possible, refusing to let nonsense like good taste and dignified conduct interfere with putting on a fucked-up, entertaining show. While not particularly edifying or intellectually engaging, the shock-rock routine continues to surprise and please everyone except whoever has to mop the stage after.
Honourable mentions: Bagpiper at Lionel-Groulx * Bitter Rind * Bloodshot Bill & The Hubcaps * Cryptopsy * Daylight Lovers * Doctor Kissinger's Homemade Chocolate Penises * Five-Line Legacy * Fonderie Darling * Jean Derome * Karaoke night at the Airport Inn * Los Troubadores * Lullaby Baxter Trio * Mononc' Serge * Monstre * Rufus Wainwright * Bucket Man * Spoonman * Sule Heitner * The Fez-Tones * Violent Marv
>>
Wickedest guitar player
Wooooo-hoo! Aaaaaw-riiiight! Check out these crazy licks! Dig the hammer-ons! Man, these local axe-meisters are all so totally excellent, so equally blessed with lightning-fast fingers and exquisite technique that selecting the best would be just plain wrong. Unless Steve Vai moves here. Then all the poseurs listed below would have to go home and weep in lonliness, because nobody rules the guitar nation like Vai. Except Satriani. And Randy Rhoads, but he's dead.
Honourable mentions: Mark Markoway (Moist) * Sean Arsenian (Violent Marv) * René Lussier * Pat Lesyk * Willem Bagchus * Sam Shalabi * Mick Wulf * Andrew Loyd * Benoît Charest * Bobby Beaton * Brendan Griffin * Xavier Caféïne * Cecile Doo-Kingué * Cozmos Quazar * Crazy Lenny * Daryl Deskin * David Bettan * Dwayne Mariseen * Eric Westergard (Playhouse) * Eva Stone * Gary Davis * Geoff Gales * Gerry McDonough * Hadley Myers * Harry Sacks * I hate wankers * Jack de Paola (Five-Line Legacy) * Jet Phil * Jimmy James * Jon (Bordello) * Jonathan Cohen (The Dears) * Jonathan Cummins * Jordan Officer * Kim Ho * Mark (Bullfrog) * Michael Jerome Browne * Mick O'Grady * Naji (Odeh) * Ollie (Men of Steel) * Paul Caragnello (Vendettas) * Rob Breger * Rob MacDonald * Ryan Shering * Scott Macleod * Seb (Modern Stories) * Shawn McDonald * Six Finger Tim * Steve Hill * The Warden * Tom Morello
>>
Best actor
1. Danny Smith
2. William Shatner
3. Matt Courtemanche
4. Lothaire Bluteau
5. Luc Picard
Honourable mentions: Adina Hecht * Alan Legros * Alexis Martin * Bill Luxton * Corey Haim * Daniel Brochu * Daniel Giverin * David Lahaye * Dugmor * Guy A. Lepage * Jacob Tierney * James Hyndman * Jamie Elman * Joe Cobden * Mark Camacho * Maurice Terrazano * Michel Cote * Michel Dumont * Patrick Goddard * Patrick Labbe * Scott Owen * Shawn Baichoo * Sondip Cha- tergee * Willem Brand * Youppi
>>
Best actress
1. Jessica Paré
2. Sylvie Drapeau
3. Karine Vanasse
4. Macha Grenon
5. Paulina Abarca
Jessica Paré clearly made a strong impression as the nubile young starlet in Denys Arcand's Stardom. The film had its premiere a year ago this month at the Cannes Film Fest, where Paré was showered with adulation for her turn. Look for Paré in Lost and Delirious, a film by another Quebec auteur, Léa Pool, which had its premiere at Sundance. In this entry, Paré stars with Piper Parabo (Coyote Ugly) and Mischa Barton (The Sixth Sense) in a love story about lesbian relations in a strict girls school.
Honourable mentions: Aimée Castle * Annie Dufresne * Carly Stern * Carol Cox * Elenor Hewlkings * Elenor Milkman * Elsa Bangz * Emma Campbell * Jessica Black * Jo Jo Savard * Joelle Morin * Laura Teasdale * Leslie Roberts * Marie-Chantale Paquette * Melissa Galionos * Michelle Hisler * Pascale Bussières * Pascale Montpetite * Rochelle Glait
>>
Best local filmmaker
1. Pierre Falardeau
2. Robert Lepage
3. Denis Villeneuve
4. Denys Arcand
Not surprising are Lepage, Villeneuve and Arcand, but the fact that so many Mirror readers voted for Quebec's quintessential separatist crank Pierre Falardeau may surprise some. His latest, 15 Février 1839, shocked virtually no one with its intensely political vision of history, nor with its critical response: anglo critics didn't like a movie that made anglos look nasty, while French critics loved a film that made the French look like noble martyrs. Quel surprise!
Honourable mentions: Alan Handel * Alanis Obomsawin * Allan Moyle * Anyone with a handicam * Automatic Vaudeville Studios * Catherine Bainbridge * Charles Binamé * Denis Chouinard * Dugmor * Harold Arsenault * Jean-Claude Lauzon * Karim Hussain * Kevin Tierney * Léa Pool * Michel Brault * Mitch Davis * Robert Morin * Rory Kenny * SALT girls * Seth Mendelson * Ziad Touma
>>
Best play
1. Boys' Life
2. Mambo Italiano
3. Girls! Girls! Girls!
4. Wit
5. Abracadaver
Honourable mentions: After Juliet * Beyond Mozambique * Broue * Clue * Dead Dolls Cabaret * Faded Glory * Faust * First * La Nuit avant le forêt * Les Belle Soeurs * Les Filles de Sélène * Les Voisins * L'Odyssée * Mourning Becomes Elektra * Oliver! * Rhapsody in Paris * Sex Toys! * The Mary Project * The Weir * Vagina Monologues * Very Heaven
>>
Best dance company/choreographer
1. La La La Human Steps
2. Tammy Forsythe
3. Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal
4. Izabella Marengo
5. Solid State
Honourable mentions: Cat Scorner * Dale King * Danielle * Fatima Robinson * House of Pride * Jean-Pierre Perreault * Jean-Pierre Perusse * Radical 5 * Les Grands Ballets * Margie Gillis * Montreal danse * Pigeons International * Pont Fleurs * Sa Geste * Tactical Crew * Taps * UBU
>>
Best museum
1. Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
2. Canadian Centre for Architecture
3. Musée d'art Contemporain
4. McCord Museum
5. Redpath Museum
Honourable mentions: Canadian Railway Museum * Decorative Arts Museum * Maisons de la culture * Montreal Beer Museum * Musée d'histoire * Pointe-à-Callière
>>
Best gallery
1. arteVISTA
2. Oboro
3. Quartier Éphemere
4. Belgo
5. Foufones Électriques
Honourable mentions: Arts Club of Montreal * Bellefeuille * Blue Dog * Circa * Clark * Eric Devlin * Freitag * Galerie Shiva * Isart (RIP) * Krieghoff * Leonard & Bina Ellen * Mabro * Noize * Pare Pare * Pepin * Quartier Ephémère * René Blouin * Samuel Lallowiz * Shayne Gallery * VAV * Zeke's
>>
Best art exhibit
1. Fatal Coincidences: Hitchock and Art (MMFA)
2. arteVISTA
3. Piplotti Rist
4. Palindrome, by Yvette Poorter and Donna Akrey
The late great master of suspense probably hasn't left such an impression on Quebec since he actually shot a film in Quebec City in '53 (I Confess with Montgomery Clift). Fatal Coincidences: Hitchcock and Art received rave reviews across the board and drew international attention for its exhaustive parallels between Hitch's movies and classic and contemporary art.
Honourable mentions: Montreal Biennale * Billy Mavreas * Chearney exhibit * Cities in Motion * From Renoir to Picasso * Lee Plotek * Marina Popova * SHOT * Under Pressure * VA Art Gallery * Yo bro (Oboro)
>>
Best cartoonist
1. Aislin
2. Billy Mavreas
3. Julie Doucet
4. Serge Chapleau
Honourable mentions: Rupert Bottenberg * Dstrbo * Dirty Donny * Geoff Isherwood * Howard Chackowicz * Marc Bell * Rick Trembles * Salgood Sam * Siris * Valium * Zïlon
>>
Best local author
1. Mordecai Richler
2. Lance Blomgren
3. Jeff Moore
Honourable mentions: Bill Brownstein * Carmine Starnino * Charles Taylor * Craig Morrison * Dany Laferière * Fabienne Larouche * Faith Tait * Heather O'Neill * Izabella Marengo * Jacob Richmond * Jason Gallagher * Jennifer McMorran * Leonard Cohen * Marianne Ackerman * Marla Becking * Maxime Olivier Mouthier * Michel Tremblay * Pan Bouyoucas * Sheilah Arnopolous * Steve Galliciano * Taras Grescoe * Will Aiken * Yann Martel
>>
Best local fashion designer
1. Philippe Dubuc (DUBUC)
2. François Beauregard (Space FB)
3. Rebecca Ford (Luscious)
4. Yso
Honourable mentions: Body Bag * Chantal Levesque * Cruella * Ethikal * Fidel * Fly * Jean-Claude Poitras * Jessica MacKenzie * Kitchen Orange * Leslie Siu * Lydia Lukidis (Cosmic Angels) * Lyne Lortie * Marie St-Pierre * Mariouche Gagne * Maryanne * Nevik * No company that thinks size 6 is a large * Pao Lim * Redeye * Rudsack
>>
Best local scenester
1. Plastik Patrik
2. Neil Drabkin
3. Rufus Wainwright
Honourable mentions: Alexis O'Hara * Big Bob * Carlos Correal * Dom Castelli * Fluffy * Jacklyn Jet * John Jordan * Liz Folley * Mike Cohen * Murad Meshgini * Peggy, that slut * Rick Trembles * Robert Vezina * Scott C * Sean Hicks
>>
Best zine
1. Vice
2. Fish Piss
3. Street Eaters
4. Sophie Punt (by Julie Doucet)
5. The New Irregular
Honourable mentions: Big Brother * Blacklist * Budding at our fingertips * Charade * Emorage * Filles d'aujourd'hui * FM * Frontstreet * Dittys * Nightlife * On the Main * Punching the Clown * Sang frais * Trucker * What?
|
Best spoken word act
|
|---|
1. Corey Frost
2. Alexis O'Hara
3. Jake Brown
Honourable mentions: Anyone who can check their ego before performing * Fnacked * Fortner Anderson * Ian Ferrier * Janis Kirshner * Kurt Nugent * Mahalia (Café Coco) * Norman Nawrocki * Paula Belina * Slap-Happy Game Show * Whiskey Child
>>
Smokin' spoken
>>
Corey Frost tops this year's list
by MARK SLUTSKY
"For me, the performance is an essential part of writing, whether it takes place in front of an audience or in a book," says Corey Frost, writer and fixture on Montreal's much-discussed spoken-word scene.
Frost has laid it down most recently at occasional gigs at the Casa del Popolo, in an accessible atmosphere appropriate to his kind of act. "The reason that international spoken-word celebrities are rare is that it's such an intimate form. It's the community talking to itself," he explains. Frost has continued that dialogue with his writing (his chapbook I Feel Perfectly Fine is available at The Word bookstore) and a CD-ROM he's working on, Bits World: Exciting Version, featuring an "imaginary performance ensemble whose mascot is a tunafish serving sushi."
And to the charges that spoken-word lacks a sense of humour? Frost has an interesting take on humour's place in his chosen art: "Writers are basically comedians who somehow fail to be funny. It's that failure that makes writing so engaging. All the same, if people laugh then I know they're listening." *
Corey Frost performs at Words and Music at the Casa del Popolo (4873 St-Laurent) on May 20 with Ian Ferrier and Sheri D. Wilson.
|
