by SCOTT C

After leisurely gallivanting around Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières with his buddy Sam Roberts this week, the ever-insightful Buck 65 returns to Montreal this Friday, Feb. 6, for a show at Club Soda. Definitely worth checking out, especially if you've had your doubts about Buck and the Talking Honky Blues record. Call him what you want, but it's his unique, personal take on hip hop that only matters in the end, and I think that and the many influences that inform his music come through in the live show.

I'm also a little excited this week because my absolute favourite Montreal vocalist is set to do a show at Petit Medley (6202 St-Hubert) this Friday as well. Peep the pipes on Dessy Di Lauro when she mixes it up with pianist/composer Ric'key Pageot and some soulful, Latin vibes. You may remember Dessy because she sang with Dubmatique, la Gamic, Shades of Culture, Bullfrog, CoSoul, Absolute Jonz and a gang of other Montreal groups, but I remember Dessy from Wednesday nights at Voltaire on Prince-Arthur, c. '96-'97. This girl gave me goosebumps, made me tear up and shit my pants all in the same night. What a voice. Tix are $10 and worth every penny.

Get set for On the Mix 13: Fight Club at Quai des Brumes on Saturday, Feb. 7. Guests include les Chiefs, Young Lionz, DJ Mini Rodz, Naes, Nasty Wong and Ker, and it's the launch of the new single "Comme tout t'es rien" by Monk-e and Maybe Watson. Man-with-the-plan Classic Pesci also contributed a remix and production on the B-side cut "Ma Frustration." Also on Feb. 7, local producer/DJ Don-Ray busts a fundraiser for his upcoming album at B'Bops. On the bill are DJs Andy Williams and Dubline playing hip hop, reggae and broken beat. Five bucks gets you in, 10 bucks gets you in and a mixed CD.

With Black History Month in full swing, McGill's Caribbean Students Society present Islands in the Sun, focusing on the various aspects of Caribbean culture represented here in Montreal. Get your fill of food, music, dancing and performance on Saturday, Feb. 14, at the FACE Auditorium (3449 University). Doors open at 6 p.m., tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door.

Lastly, if you're a scratch DJ who thinks he or she could hold it down on a new kids' TV show called Edible Incredible, shoot me an e-mail and I'll point you in the right direction. Described as an "Iron Chef for kids," they're looking hard for somebody with skills who likes to eat. Quickly, if any heads out there are interested in bringing the Cunninglynguists to town in the near future, lemme know.

Seven reasons Claudio didn't quite cut it:
1. Roy Ayers Virgin Ubiquity (BBE/Fusion III)
2. Butta Babees Urban Elo (Bandit/Dusty Tracks)
3. Specifics "Patience" (LP Music)
4. Sol Uprising "Sol Power" (Shaman Work/Groove Attack)
5. The Strange Fruit Project "All the Way" (Kajmere)
6. The Wah Wah Collective "Everytime" (Greasy Geezers)
7. Thurstin Howl III Licensed to Skill (Skillionaire/Fusion III)

And I am the iconoclast (again)… fathead@videotron.ca

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