This past weekend was like one of those dreams in which you wake up and you’re still inside but it’s different etc etc, it’s wonderful and horrible and surreal and there are always stairs with no walls and no infrastructure and broken elevators and smells from when you were 2. much of this had to do with still being in another time zone spiritually and also physically, some drugs, and being very busy to the point of upsetting others with blatant flakiness and write-off attitude (mine, i mean, not theirs). and my version of the story is trivial as compared to the people who put on the “real” shows, the logistics experts, social handlers and also somehow finding time to come and get lifted with plebs, who are mostly plebs in some capacity themselves, the Pop Montreal staff.

these people give away a piece of their body each year to this shit, selflessly. i myself had done it several years in a row before i realized it conflicted with my plan A;  12-16 hour days of delivering really heavy shit/screaming/being screamed at/bartering/peeing in alleys/borrowing traffic signs/trying to please everybody/saving someone’s day with a fucking capo/and so on, for enough money to buy the amount of food you need to stay functional. the kind of things that would stall you in your tracks if you envisioned explaining to someone that at 25, this is why you were raised. finding stools for burt bacharach’s band that are ‘classy’ but ‘not antique’, djing from 1-6am five successive nights on a ‘borrowed’ sound system for 400 out-of-towners seeking the ‘montreal feeling’ via shitty, fatty, sugar foods and complex chemical drugs, sleeping for an hour and a half before ‘reporting in’ at the Pop office only to be told that all the times you thought you were getting away with looking the way you do have been obliterated by this one instance of you looking like you just got off a plane that came from where your friends force at you crushed up orange and white things and little tiny pieces of blotter (“its cool it’s super weak bro dont get mad…”) and then play remixes of popcorn/yingyang and genesis at halfspeed before someone throws an (actual) flaming pumpkin into the dancefloor and punches a volunteer lady-bouncer (hi didi) in the jaw.

HIGHLITES OF THIS YEAR are almost n/a because i almost saw nothing. Postcards and Tonetta got jammed by the cops halfway into the headliner’s 2nd song. I made selections on the thursday night with Cadence Weapon (roughshape) at the Eastern Bloc and we confirmed that 25 years later, nabisco still sucks. GRIMES pushed herself further up the echelons of distinction at the Arbutus Showcase, which was ‘classy’ but not ‘antique’, unless you count the fucking waterfall coming down at the back of the stage which sent the techs scrambling to put all the high-voltage lighting on chairs and other innovative life-saving non-show-stopping solutions. One of them told me “the roof is leaking”. I was accused of being unprofessional and banned from the soundboard.

Here is a new single from Sean Nicholas Savage’s new record, which has got some of the tightest musicans in the neighbourhood (think nyc 1978 fusion), two of the most sincere producers (dv carrier of silly kissers/s cowan), and a team of generally weird youngsters who are all committed to doing things from time to time. It’ll be out November – his homecoming show (dudes been awol for months, rumoured to be in europe somewhere, not alone) is at Club Lambi w/Silly Kissers & D’eon on Nov. 5th. So start saving your tips, my bro.

karn

Sean Nicholas Savage – Misery Mountain

Tonetta – 777 – My Bro

I’ve been slacking with my Pop Montreal update. In all honesty it got way to hard to keep up with while trying to keep up with the festival and shoot as much footage as I could. I also stuck with a handicapped macbook (the generation) where Apple decided to not include a firewire and I havn’t been able to load any of the glorious footage we shot. Not to fret it will come.

One of my fave bands we met were the Silly Kissers. We posted a song of by them and were contacted by GOBBLE GOBBLE of Alberta who sent these amazing tunes over! The first is a remix of Silly Kisser bff Sean Nicholas Savage (oh my).

Sean Nicholas Savage – Baby It’s You (GOBBLE GOBBLE’s Pop Manslaughter)

GOBBLE GOBBLE – Meteor Eschat

And this is the original version of the first song.

Sean Nicholas Savage – Baby It’s You

Matt and Kim was sold out! Someone wasn’t fast enough on their media rsvping.  Went down the street to check out The Montreal Nintendo Orchestra an experimental act that makes music with two Nintendo DS units and a wack of pedals. It was interesting but def no Matt and Kim.  Made me feel like I had drank some of the magic koolaid, which I’m sure is the intention.

Montreal Nintendo orchestra video.

We then hit up Jay Reatard who I didn’t know much about.  I was very impressed, just the right mix of metal, punk and pop.  The venue, La Sala Rosa was pretty awesome, It didn’t look like a venue from the outside and there’s a Mexican restaurant that we had some pops at below it on the second floor. The kids were going nuts.

Jay Reatard – See Saw

We then headed back to Matt and Kim and managed to walk in and catch the last half of their set! I had a hard time keeping my lens from fogging up, people were losing it and Matt & Kim were cute in their own genuine Matt and Kim way.

Ended up at a reggae night and managed to clear the dance floor.  then went for pooh-teen. Awesome!

We interviewed the D’Urbervilles today a very very wicked Toronto band.  I managed not to throw up or sweat too much as the hangover was in effect.

Fever Ray, tonight.

Fever Ray – If I Had A Heart (Fuck Buttons Remix)

PS, how rad are these guys and this Joy Division inspired video. Very stoked to see them tomorrow!

I slept alright, a little tired but nothing a couple of vino can’t fix.  Made our schedule today, so exciting.  Just about to go to Matt & Kim and Ninjasonic.

Matt & Kim – Daylight (Ninjasonik Remix)

day 2 Fever Ray. what? Maybe an interview in masks, or on the phone… so excited

I <3 Mtl

Follow the stupidity on my twitter.  I prrromise to follow you bk.

Video updates to follow.  We promise douchery on a level that only winniecooper could deliver on.

xo

We are very excited to be heading over to Montreal next week to cover Pop Montreal.

One of the acts we’re looking foreward to seeing, other than Fever Ray and about 30-100 others is these guysss, Montreal resi’s, Silly Kissers

Were are going to be doing some live blogging ( I don’t now what that is) and shooting some videos with bands and some of the general chaos.  If you’re in Montreal, holler.  Let’s pAArty.

This is from the Silly Kissers new ep!

Silly Kissers – I Won’t Let You Go