MUSIC:
Solar sonics

The hottest sounds for the hottest months

by RUPERT BOTTENBERG

Better late than never - summer may have been behind schedule in arriving this year, but it's here with a vengeance, and with it the busiest festival season yet. We're already knee-deep in the fests, with the recent MUTEK and Reggae Fest, and Suoni Per Il Popolo's assembly of weird and wonderful sounds in full swing in the "golden triangle" of Casa/Sala/Salon. Suoni highlights this week include GaPa, Sixtoo and the free Popolo in the Parc festivities, this Saturday afternoon at Parc Lahaie (corner St-Joseph and St-Laurent) - Jordi Rosen, Sam Shalabi, Pipo Fiasco, the Heavyweight guys, CKUT DJs, a "Sun Ra kids' parade" and more are expected.

More music in the sun's available at the noontime Midis du Monde events on the Esplanade of Place des Arts. Friday sees Desi line-crossers Galitcha bringing the catchy numbers in Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi, while Wednesday, June 16, offers Marco Calliari's Italian folk music. Equally worldly is the new Rhythms of the World fest at St-Henri's le Va-et-Vient, kicking off on Saturday with Portugual's Carla Marques. Music (and food!) from Spain, Ireland, Cuba, Haiti and elsewhere follows to June 19, while Sunday, June 29, see the fest's closer at the gorgeous Théâtre Corona (acts include NDNBOY, the new deal from Mack MacKenzie).

Even the theatre-oriented Fringe has tunes to spare, now that they've hooked up with the folks from the fall's Pop Montreal fest. From June 11 to 19, the Fringe Pop stage at St-Laurent and Rachel sports sets from Eye 2 Eye, Pony Up!, Ele_K, ?Alice! and other spellcheck-busting acts. Also watch for the hilarious lip-synch hijinx of Never Surrender's Greatest Adventure from the Lipsinc. troupe. Divers-Cité's got the tunes too - watch for a showcase at le Swimming July 29 with Poxy and lesbian C&W outfit the Jayne Waynes.

Then come the biggies - the Montreal Jazz Festival (celebrating a full quarter century this year) opens on June 30, laying out a spread that includes not only noted jazzbos like Chick Corea, Charlie Haden and George Benson, but k.d. lang, Burning Spear, the Roots, Manitoba and John Cale to boot. Nuits d'Afrique follows, kicking off June 13 - Alpha Blondy, Antibalas and more are expected. Later (July 29, precisely) comes les FrancoFolies with gigs from M, Stefie Shock, Alain Bashung and more, and then August 12, the Vans Warped Tour is at Parc Jean-Drapeau with Tiger Army, Anti-Flag, Good Charlotte and - dig this - Juliette & the Licks, the sweat-rock diversion of noted thespian Juliette Lewis. Who said a Friday the 13th had to be unlucky?

The camp with the amps

Speaking of rawk, let's look at some of the non-fest shows on that tip. This Tuesday, the almighty Slayer descend on Metropolis - a bit east of St-Laurent, a whole lot south of heaven. Primus are at CEPSUM on June 20, Hoobastank at Club Soda the night after, and the night after that, the Darkness and guests the Wildhearts bring a pure arena-rock overload to the Verdun Auditorium. Oh, and of course there's Rush at the Bell Centre August 21. Catch the mist, catch the myth, catch the mystery - catch my drift?

Want more heavy? Try Death From Above at El Salon on June 30, or Alabama Thunderpussy at Foufounes Électriques on July 6 - same place Cannibal Corpe destroy some eardrums July 9 and fucking W.A.S.P. rip it up August 8. Also on the '80s hair-metal tip are Pretty Boy Floyd, looking just lovely at Café Campus on July 10.

At a more reasonable volume, Jonathan Richman gets all naïve and wimpy at Cabaret June 17, while West Coast maidens of mope the Organ are at Café Campus the night after. Icelandic imps Mùm are at Cabaret June 24, while Atomic 7, the new surf project of Shadowy Man Brian Connelly, is at le Swimming July 2. Beatlemaniacs, take heed - original drummer Pete Best brings his band to Foufs July 5. Sting and Annie Lennox sweat to their own oldies at the Bell Centre July 13, while Evanescence bring their teen-angst metaphysics to Parc Jean-Drapeau July 20 and Norah Jones wows the Bell Centre August 28. The Dirtbombs (who fucking kick ass), hit town July 17 - ground zero as yet unknown. And watch for Sonic Youth, Le Tigre and Montreal's own weirdoes les Georges Leningrad at Metropolis August 4.

Specs on decks to check

Hip hop heads have busy nights ahead. The DMC turntable-tourney eliminations are going down tomorrow, June 11, at le Medley, with special guest I-Emerge, last year's American champ. A week later, June 18, sees a sweet double bill of local rap with Butta Babees and Shades of Culture at le Swimming. For rap with a funny accent, get thee to Club Soda June 26 for the long-awaited Montreal debut of the Streets, aka Mike Skinner, the post-garage poet laureate of drunk London ne'er-do-wells (infuriatingly, his tour mate Dizzee Rascal, crown prince of the new U.K. grime sound, won't be with him here). Afro-beat freaks will flip over Miles Cleret's return - the compiler of the Ghana Soundz comps and the new Afro Baby Nigerian anthology spins at Salon Daomé June 18.

This Sunday, get down for a good cause as Sky hosts the Everyday Is Like Sunday party (6 p.m., $15). It's a benefit for Action-Suicide Montreal with a zillion DJs including Big Al, Maüs, Rob Brown, XL, Yaz and John Creamer. Superstar DJs Tiësto and Misstress Barbara are at Aria this Friday for the Grand Prix weekend, while June 24 has Tiga joing DJ Mini at her Overdose night at le Parking. For darker, harder DJ action, check the second We Are Slaves party June 18, which features NYC's Alan Sax and Nikadeemas and from France, Torgull, Kraft and the ferocious Manu le Malin (info at 440-5143).

With her new solo album I Com to purr about, Miss Kittin sashays into the Rialto on July 24, in the company of Output artists Dead Combo and our own DJ Frigid. Down the road in late summer, Aria awaits visits from the incomparable Green Velvet on August 24 and, on August 28, DJ Dan.

Over at Stereo, meanwhile, major upgrades are afoot. Serious renovations, an evolved membership system and a general pushing of the spiritual refresh button have the space shut down through part of July - that's a reopening that should rock. Speaking of spaces, check out the new Mile End Cultural Centre (5390 St-Laurent), opening this week. The downstairs Green Room bar has been making noise for a while, what with the Hump soirées on Wednesdays and such. The new, larger upstairs promises to be a substantial addition to the city's showbar scene.