Tag Archives: festival

slut island

July Montreal Sessions: Slut Island

slut island

For the entire month of July, Slut Island will be the host of Montréal sessions here at CKUT 90.3fm! Every Tuesday starting tomorrow July 5th from 3-5pm Slut Island will provide programming that will be focused from the perspective of those who see themselves as queer, female identifying/gender fluid people. They aim to change the music industry that is typical dominated by cisgendered white males and introduce a safer space for marginalized people that look for an outlet to showcase their talents on.

For the first two weeks on Montréal sessions the emphasis of the show will solely focus on Slut Island’s Festival activities! You can expect to hear more information about the festival which will be taking place at venues all over Montréal such as Casa Del Popolo, Bar le Ritz and 820 Plaza. Along with what you can expect to hear about Slut Island Festival, you can tune in tomorrow July 5th from 3-5pm for a live performance from local pop-punk band Chipped Nails! Keep it locked for tomorrows programming, brought to you by Ethel Eugene and Frankie Teardrop, to hear some wicked tunes and information on what to look forward to at the festival!

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Suoni Per Il Popolo: Local Heroes

After writing a review of the fantastic Suoni Per Il Popolo Festival opening concert featuring the likes of Wadada Leo Smith and Kai Kellough, I was graced with the opportunity to witness a slew of Suoni festival concerts throughout their two week line-up.  As usual, Suoni delivered a mind bending take on music.  From spoken word to art-punk to free jazz, all things underground seemed to be represented in one way or another.  Through and through Montreal was well represented.  At the end of the day, the festival is really about this beautiful city we live in so, I thought it would be best to spend some time writing about some of my favorite local acts.  Check it out:

Jean Derome and Joane Hétu @ Sala Rossa

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Jean Derome has been an important figure in Quebec’s Musique Actuelle scene for 45 years.  For this year’s festival, Derome put on a career spanning concert event featuring various ensembles and musicians from different eras in his life.  From beginning to end the audience witnessed extraordinary feats as each and every musician tested the capabilities of their selected musical instruments.  The set that I remember most fondly was Derome’s first with alto saxophone player and vocalist Joane Hétu.  Although Derome has an impressive arsenal of instruments including Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Alto Flute, Soprano Flute as well as various extended wind instruments, Hétu still matched Derome’s level of contrast with her outstanding ability to use everything at her disposal.  From screeching high notes and intense vocal clicking to airy sax playing, Hétu successfully held her ground when faced with the spectrum of noise of Derome.  The set began with textural devices.  Puffs of air and rhythmic scratching evolved into huge walls of sound as Hétu and Derome developed extensive motivic ideas side by side.  The quick-hitting contrast and shocking sound effects maintained excitement throughout, truly epitomizing the wonder of live improvised music. Continue reading →

POP Office Call + Shlonk!

pop talk

Today on New Shit (3-5pm) we’ll be making a call to the frenzied offices of Pop Montreal.  Hear the festival organizers talk about what they’re up to, which shows they’re most excited about, how many cups of coffee they’ve had today.

 

Plus a festival preview and the Music Dept’s highlights of the fest.

More info/full lineup here, this year with more amazing local/canadiana than ever.

 

We’ll also be airing CKUT-programmer Tim Keen’s interview with 90s MTL all-girl punk legends Shlonk! at the end of the program (more on that below).  Not to be missed!

check that here, if you can’t get with us live.

90.3fm / ckut.ca / archives

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passovah fest

Passovah Festival // Underground Sounds

passovah fest

 

 

 

Conflux with us, Underground Sounds and guest-host Noah Bick (Passovah) for two hours of Montreal music, tonight 8 to 10pm. The second edition of Passovah Summer Music Festival has more than 50 local bands scheduled over three days with proceeds (by way of PWYC donations) going to the Immigrant Workers Center. Additional voices of MORI, Asmtha Camp, Holyaok and more are planning to join the conversation. Be with us.

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Psych Rock in the Southwest: Austin Psych Fest 2013

CKUT’s own Tram Nghiem went to Austin Psych Fest this year and thought it was pretty rad. Listen to her APF Campus Mixtape and check out her review of the festival below!

Austin Psych Fest is quite the young festival. Since its inception in 2008, the top names in psych rock have flocked to the Texas to play three days of experimental and psychedelic jams. Psych giants like Brian Jamestown Massacre headlined last year’s festival– at this year’s fest, huge artists like Joel Gion, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Black Angels, Clinic and The Moving Sidewalks all moseyed down to Austin to play music and enjoy the Texas heat.

Each April, this festival showcases the diversity of psychedelic music and aims to bring together bands that represent the genre’s transformations through the last century. The Black Angels and Reverberation Appreciation Society have come together to present a festival that represents psychedelic music in all its forms, and that’s what makes Austin Psych Fest so unique. Nowhere else will you find Boris— a Japanese experimental rock band– playing alongside Tinariwen (a group of Tuareg musicians from Mali that have been together since 1979) and Alabaman surf rockers Man or Astro-Man? in the same weekend.

Roky Erickson’s set was a special moment that stood apart from the rest of the weekend’s sets. Erikson is one of founding members of 13th Floor Elevators, a massively influential psych rock band from Austin. Although he’s such a musical success, he’s dealt with many challenges throughout his career including forced electro-shock therapy in the 1970s and several mental illnesses. Roky Erickson really commanded the crowd’s attention with his soft on-stage presence but wicked musical performance.

I have been to quite a few music festivals, but Austin Psych Fest 2013 has to be one of my favourites. I met some really cool people and had conversations with them about a wide array of subjects, ranging from enchanted rocks to sitar-playing instructions. 2013 was the first year that Austin Psych Fest sold camping passes in addition to festival tickets. This addition really enhanced the experience of festival-goers. The bands that played, the people who attended, and even the staff who served really reinforced my faith in music as a form of connection among people. If you love psych music and are thinking about heading down next year… DOOO IITTT!

Check out Black Rebel Motorcycle Club performing live at Austin Psych Fest 2013 here.

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Suoni Per Il Popolo preview on Jazz Amuck!

William Parker of the William Parker Orchestra

Tune into Jazz Amuck tomorrow morning between 9-11am for a preview of this year’s Suoni Per Il Popolo festival! Host John B will be in conversation with the festival’s creative director Steve Guimond to discuss festival highlights and will be giving away tickets to some of the shows. Tune in on-line or by dialing into 90.3FM in Montreal.