DJ Danielle's Pop Montreal Diary (part 1)

Photo by Alex Menjivar

PopMontreal turned 10 years old this year, and they brought an extremely packed roster of both well-known and more obscure acts for their audiences. With big names like Arcade Fire and Chromeo taking the stage, it was fantastic to see lesser-known cult favourites like R. Stevie Moore and The Raincoats included on the bill. Wednesday night was the opening night of the festival, and was sure not to disappoint.

I began my adventure into the music-riddled Plateau, which was the centre for most of the acts, by heading down to Radio Canada to check out Duchess Says in a rare Montreal appearance on Bande a Part. Due either to my own confused brain or to the lack of organization on the Pop Montreal website, I missed out on the fact that you needed to RSVP the event, and wasn’t allowed in. It was a disappointing start to the festival, but I was determined to persevere. So I hopped on my trusty turquoise bike and headed all the way up to Il Motore to catch local CJLO faves Aim Low. Even though these guys regularly practice at the station, I admit I have not seem them live until now. Made up of CJLO volunteers, their set, though sadly under-attended, gave me major shivers up and down my spine. They mixed a blend of drone and shoegaze with gorgeous harmonies and mind-blowingly loud noise effects. The use of vocal filters was masterful, to say the least. Aim Low plays frequently in town, so if ever you get the opportunity, I would recommend them highly.

Next I sped down to O Patro Vys to see local up-and-comers Reversing Falls play for an enthusiastic fan base. Jesse Ash, Tyler Crawford, and Charlie Neufeld recently released a music video for their song “Doom Beach” and it was obvious to me that the audience was familiar with their work. Their stage banter was amusing to the guys standing beside me, who knew several obscure facts about the band. Reversing Falls played tracks off of their “Little Goodbye/Doom Beach” release, and one new track to be released on their new album. Their sound is 90’s inspired Sloan-like straight up rock, with the odd foray into jam land in the middles of their songs. They also play regularly around the city, so if you’re jonesing for some nostalgia, check these guys out.

-Danielle J hosts Runny Noise every Thursday from 10pm-12am