Pop Montreal wrapped up Sunday night, and among all the international headliners, the real heroes may have been the Canadian bands at the smaller clubs. Here are a look at some of the highlights.
HUMANS
Not to be confused with the Toyah Willcox band that puts a ‘The’ before the same moniker, this electronic duo from Vancouver sounds like a cross between LMFAO and LCD Soundsystem.
They bring the party rock with a song you shall know by Avec Mes Mecs, (in English, that’s With My Bros), but unlike LMFAO here’s a heavy indie dance pulse that’s a little bit more sophisticated than yelling ‘shots!’ 40 times in the chorus.
No, HUMANS say: “Who knew that all we had to do was party?”
And when Robbie Slade sings that line it’s like he’s stumbled upon a truth of human nature.
His partner in synth, Peter Ricq, then layers thick textures of fuzz on top of the proceedings.
Random Recipe
This Montreal four piece also live up to their name. It’s almost as if the two front women took the Eminem/Dido collaboration and said, “Let’s make music like that.” Incorporating instrumentation like the nylon-stringed guitar, glockenspiel, kazoo and good old fashioned beat boxing, Frannie Holder and Fab harmonize with one another and rap funny and salty rhymes.
Purity Ring
Listening to this Edmonton duo, you might think that your computer is misreading a CD by pop divas of bygone days like Nu Shooz or Exposé.
The melodies and vocal effects are so 1980s top 40, but there’s something sick going on underneath the surface, like dubstep sub-bass booms and fat hip-hop beats. But when you see them live you’ll feel like you’re the one whose system is having difficulty processing the music.
As Megan James sings her sweet rhymes, Corin Riddick plays an instrument that looks like it’s a row of repurposed draft beer taps, as the pipes illuminate and the computer sensors within spit out different notes.
The lighting is a key element with this performance as James intermittently wails on a huge elevated bass drum that is lit up from within.
