Tag Archives: 2016

CKUT’s Guide to POP Montreal 2016

THE TIME IS NOW. The 15th installation of POP Montreal kicks off with a bang next Wednesday, September 21st and runs until Sunday, September 25th. Being your ~numero uno~ advisor and advocate for all things artsy and Montréalais, the CKUT Music Dept. is proud to present our very own guide to the festivities going on all over the city. Allons-y!

MUSIC
With over 400 artists to choose from in a five-day period, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. We’ve selected a handful of shows for each day that might be worth checking out! You can also find the full list of acts here. The blurbs have been taken from the bands’ five-word descriptions of themselves, courtesy of the POP Montreal mag.

September 21, 2016:
-The Kills (8pm @ Metropolis): “girl, boy, garage rock, hot.”
-Allah-Las (8pm @ La Tulipe): “California, the sands, the seas, the streets.”
-Smileswithteeth (9:15pm @ Balattou): “dreamy, upbeat, warm, rhythmic, melodic”

September 22, 2016:
-Groenland + Lowlands (8pm @ Club Soda): “Indie pop orchestral”
-Jesse Mac Cormack (8:30pm @ Rialto Hall): “Music for the soul”
-Manners (8:45pm @ Cagibi): “POP, ROCK, INDIE, MONTREAL, SUD OUEST”

September 23, 2016:
–Beca (9pm @ Studio Rialto): “Spacey electro-disco with girly vocals”
-Let’s Eat Grandma + Caveboy (9pm @ Bar Le Ritz PDB): “hypnotic vocals from UK sisters”
-Angel Olsen (9pm @ Theatre Rialto): “mesmerizing folk country pop”
-Lungbutter (9:30pm @ Theatre Fairmount): “Noisy, fierce, experimental art rock”
– Shinehead (11:59pm @ Piccolo Little Burgundy Late Night): “MTV Raps Alumni KING”

September 24, 2016:
-Pop vs. Jock IV (1pm @ McGill Sports Centre): Win Butler’s charity basketball game (our description)
-Emilie & Ogden (8:30pm @ La Chapelle Saint-Louis): “The most beautiful harp music”
-Chairs (9:30pm @ Barfly): “quasi-chamber psych-pop”
-Ryley Walker (10pm @ Rialto Hall): “Chicago folk god. Is funny”

September 25, 2016:
-Wolves in the Throne Room (8:30pm @ La Sala Rossa): “deafening metal for a sunday night”
-CopCar Bonfire (9pm @ Brasserie Beaubien): “experimental beats for any occasion”
-Joe Grass (9pm @ Divan Orange): “folk soul blue elephant thrash”

ART
POP Montreal has many artists working with all types of media displaying their installations all over the city; here are a few that we think are worth the trek.

-Kalup Linzy (9/24 6-8pm @ Pop Box 2): a multimedia performance rooted around live singing and video; incorporates themes of the 80’s soap operas and domestic life.
-Feelings Film Festival (9/22 9pm @ Cinema du Parc Theatre #3): emerging video art talent working with the theme of Sex.
–Adam Basanta (9/21-25 @ Quartier Pop, 2nd floor): a Montreal-based sound artist who will be showcasing his sound installation, dissecting this year’s POP Montreal festival sounds!
-Mitch Dixon (9/21-25 @ Quartier Pop, 3rd floor): a multimedia artist who has created a life-sized installation of a studio shared by two artists. The title of the piece is “Two Male Artists’ Passive-Aggressively Compete for Supremacy in a Shared Studio Space Situation, Both Believing in Their ‘Unique’ Views” so you know you gotta be there.

FILM
There are a bunch of independent and international films being showcased at this year’s POP Montreal: read up on which ones we think are especially noteworthy.

–Fonko (9/21, 7pm @ Cinema du Parc Theatre #3): discusses the subject of new Pan-African music through a collage-style approach; uses interviews, archived material, and music videos to give the viewer a tour of Africa’s upcoming musical talent.
–True Stories (9/23, 7pm @ Cinema du Parc Theatre #3) and Contemporary Color (9/23, 9pm @ Cinema du Parc Theatre #3): DAVID. BYRNE. FILMS. Or, in other words, True Stories is a satirical take on a classic Hollywood flick and Contemporary Color is a wild version of a concert film.
–I Called Him Morgan (9/24, 1pm @ Cinema du Parc Theatre #3): a stunning film based on the relationship between jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan and his wife Helen, who murdered him unexpectedly during one of his gigs.
–Space Jam (20TH ANNIVERSARY!!) (9/24, 5pm @ Cinema du Parc Theatre #3): NEED WE SAY MORE. Just go. Your nostalgic childhood self will thank us later.

~FREE SHIT~
Bet that got your attention. There are a ton of free events that POP Montreal has to offer, so make sure you mark your calendars.

-POP Montreal Opening Party (9/21, 5-8 pm @ Quartier Pop): self-explanatory. Come celebrate the start of what will be a WICKED GOOD TIME.
–Symposium (9/21-9/25, all day @ Quartier Pop)
-POP Montreal BBQs (9/21, 2-7pm and 9/22-9/25, 2-6pm @ Quartier Pop): Food?? Free music?? Please tell us we’re dreaming…
-Divan Orange (9/21-9/25, afternoons @ Divan Orange): showcases up-and-coming Canadian musicians! For FREE.
-Record Fair (9/24-25, 11-6pm @ St-Michel Church)
–Fashion Pop (9/21, 7pm @ Theatre Rialto)

Feel free to check out the POP Montreal website for more information on various events. Hope to see you all there!!

Lots of luv,

The CKUT Music Department

Oonga hosts If You Got Ears June 2016

If you haven’t heard already, Montreal DJ/producer Oonga (aka Eli Levinson) is hosting the June edition of If You Got Ears! A creator of house/techno dubstep and tropical-influenced music, he has been transporting CKUT’s listeners far beyond their musical expectations and around the world.

Since If You Got Ears is CKUT’s exploration of sonic delights, Oonga has been experimenting with the music he is playing during his residency. He taps into unique sounds of the world to “get out of the [world music] narrative” and challenges listeners’ expectations by blending international music with electronic ideas. On his most recent show (June 15th), he played a phenomenal selection of tropical bass and featured fellow artists including global bass producer Munchi and trans-national bass music (Borneo bass!) producer Jet Airess.

Tuning into Oonga’s show is a trip far beyond Montreal’s city limits to destinations such as Haiti (think voodoo drums), Turtle Island (pow wow music), and Indonesia (minimalistic gamelan), as well as a chance to explore electronic from its roots (i.e. Brazilian funk, Angolan kuduro, South African Gqom, etc.)

Join Oonga on his journeys every Wednesday in June (12-14h EST), or listen to past episodes in the CKUT archives! & Also check out his mixcloud (which has mixes uploaded from his shows) and his soundcloud!

Howl! Arts Collective Hosts the Montreal Sessions, April 2016

The end of the month is a very emotionally confusing time for us. On one hand, a residency of the Montreal Session ends and we must say farewell to yet another amazing guest. But on the other, we’re super stoked to welcome another host to the station. This April, we are lucky enough to have Howl! Arts showing us what they got and more, with Stefan Christoff on the mic. Howl! Arts is an incredible collective that focuses on both local and international talent. They aim to creatively use their voice to combine arts and social justice, which we are definitely excited to hear. You can also check em out on their website to learn more.

Listen in to CKUT on Tuesdays 3-5pm to catch the show~

Jam for Justice: Spring Benefit Concert Review

Jam for Justice is a non-profit organization that seeks to support local organizations by showcasing up-and-coming bands in front of eager audiences with all profits going to charity. This Friday, the stage was set for their sold out spring concert with Dans la Rue, a local homeless charity, receiving the fundraising. Every set bled youthful passion as guitar solos and bountiful energy constantly inhabited the stage. The setting was viciously positive with nearly every song from each band generating roaring cheers from the crowd. In general the bands were unpolished and seemed to still be refining their songwriting, however, the platform provided by Jam for Justice was ideal for young musicians to explore their potential. Continue reading →

FONT Music Canada 2016: Three Great Sets

(Photo Credit: Haleh Fotowat)

Montreal’s surplus of hidden gems was on display this weekend at the third annual FONT Music Canada (Festival of New Trumpet Music Canada). Ranging from 1960s rooted hard bop to modern experiments in electronic and world music, the four days of music were packed with days of trumpet’s past and sketches of trumpet’s future. Perhaps the most striking quality of the weekend was the diversity. Although every set was generally centered on one instrument, each ensemble encompassed a unique sound that made for collection of music that could not possibly be categorized as bland or one dimensional. In the two nights I witnessed, everyone involved truly pulled out all the stops, however, these were the sets that I found the most striking. Continue reading →

Concert Review: Ty Segall

The only piece of music from the the garage lo-fi rocker known as Ty Segall that I have become familiar with is his latest release from the new year entitled Emotional Mugger. I have dabbled in his 2014 release Manipulator and thoroughly enjoyed parts of the project that I had time to listen to. I watched his performance at the Seattle KEXP radio station on youtube just to get some sort of an idea of what I would be witnessing within the few days leading up to the concert. I’ve also been told by various people that have seen the outlandish artist live that he puts on quite the memorable performance. Going into the Rialto Theatre I had little expectations of what I should experience. I’m more than pleased to say that those who told me that it would be an unforgettable show were absolutely on the ball; it was one of the most insane performances I have experienced to date. Continue reading →

Matt & Tim – If You Got Ears March 2016

This March, Matt and Tim will be hosting CKUT’s artist-in-residence program If You Got ears. Matt and Tim are musical collaborators, working together in Montreal art punk band Ought (signed to noteworthy experimental label Constellation Records). Their adventures apart include Matt’s ambient project Welter & Associates and Tim’s emo/hardcore trio Mands. For now, they expect to host a relatively free-form show, drawing inspiration from experimental music found all over the world, hosting a few guests here and there, and playing plenty of local jams. Tune in each Wednesday from 12-2pm on CKUT 90.3 fm and online at CKUT.ca to open your mind and ears with Matt and Tim.

TOTAL ECLIPSE

The CKUT 90.3 FM Music Department Blog