Bad luck doesn’t begin to describe what hit the organizers of the Palomosa Festival.

First the emails to ticket holders telling then they could bring a +1 for free. Then the wave of discount ticket prices in bulk for McGill students. And finally the forecast of heavy rain for the second of the festival’s two days.

But worst of all, Kali Uchis, the coup of a headliner Palomosa got for its second day, pulled out only a few days before the festival commenced, with little to suggest that it was due to anything other than low ticket sales.

The last day of August, Saturday, August 31st, was rainy. The perfect weather for a Cigarettes After Sex concert, especially one that will start off the American pop band’s X’s World Tour. The Centre Bell was filled with smog. Thick clouds billowed in every staircase. Perhaps it was the mist rising from the audiences’ wet clothes, or the workers were testing the smoke machines before the show, but it turned the arena into the setting of a gothic novel. 

Montreal music has recently been granted the fresh release of Clay Pigeon’s latest LP, The Aching Taste of Blue

Matt Shultz's broken leg didn’t stop Cage the Elephant from rocking out. 

The American rock band stopped in Montreal on August 26th for their Neon Pill tour, dedicated to their sixth studio album which was released in May of this year.

There was a diverse mix of opening acts. Starting the night with Willow Avalon self-described through her music and merch as a “Southern belle raising hell”. Her set brought me closer to becoming a country music fan. She sang many unreleased songs, like “Homewrecker”, which I’ll definitely download once released. 

Here in Quebec, there is an annual phenomenon that takes place right around this time of year.  As the summer begins to wind down there is a parallel excitement that begins to build, because for those in the know, it means that it is almost time for the Festival De Musique Émergente en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, more commonly referred to by melomaniacs as FME. Tucked away in the quiet mining town of Rouyn-Noranda - located roughly seven hours north of Montréal, close to the Ontario border - this festival has been going strong for over two decades, shining a light on emerging artists and building a beautiful network of exchange between artists and music enthusiasts.