Mind blown at Brasserie Beaubien again

I am so hungover right now, it actually hurts to type, and trying to gather my thoughts and throw it up on this computer screen is nothing short of a Herculean feat. The den of inequity that is responsible for my seasick queasiness and crushing migraine today would be Brasserie Beaubien and the sassy lass and suds slinger Annie. Damn you Annie! The real reason I darkened B.B.’s door this week was not for the cheap and plentiful Laurentide (never again btw) but to check out a night of pounding d-beat punk, minimalist post-punk and sublime drone.

First off, kudos to the two promoters who combined bills here, as this eclectic collection was a recipe for a perfect night that never lulled and constantly lifted. First up was Philly’s Alement, who combined Tragedy d beat with crust sludge à la Cursed. Just as things would start getting a little too familiar this trio from the city of brotherly love would pepper their ballast with some nice half-time post hardcore passages that kept things interesting.

Next up, gears wound down but didn’t grind with the Nausea. This violin-driven, loops-and-drone solo act was sublime, with a near perfect arc that started with a bowed and John Cale-approved single note before finally collapsing in a dense cacophony of looped white noise.

Changing speeds again was the confrontational minimal post-punk of locals Effet Werther. With the singer writhing on the floor as a lo-fi drum machine kept things on track, you couldn’t help but think of NYC proto-punks Suicide and unsung L.A. band the Screamers. Highlight was the singer announcing through the cheap and crackling P.A. “This audience hates each other. We all hate each other. Fuck life!” Hotcha! Thanks for the spit-take, Poindexter.

B.C. duo Ashes combined improv with composition and looped and crooned up a storm to the now fairly soused crowd. Hypnosis was their aim and they sent it home like a diamond shot through your forehead. Finally Fredericton’s Hard Charger kept things dumb as a bag of hammers and just smashed and bashed with a blackened rawk/d-beat/sludge that just pulverized and was the perfect capper to a great night.

It seems that Montreal is definitely also in a hungover state and has called in sick for work this week, but there are of course a bunch of things happening around town to get you out again. Here are a few:

Friday: The second anniversary of Queer Ass Punk is rolling at Playhouse with the poppy post punk of Loosestrife and the post-punk garage of les Zerreurs, plus Nao Nao, Heathers with DJ Velvet Underpants keeping everything spinning. 5656 Parc, 10 p.m., $10 suggested donation

As already reported in Cult MTL, Il Motore is indeed closing, so head over one last time and let your backbone slide to the sweet beats of DJs Noah Bick, Pas Cha, Brant Boshart and Cadence Weapon. Don’t fret though — the bar will be resurrected from the drywall dust, reopening as a revamped, renamed space in mid-September. Blue Skies Turn Black co-owner Meyer Billurcu will keep his name on the lease as godspeed/Silver Mt. Zion members Efrim Menuck and Thierry Amar slide in as co-owners. I always thought Il Motore had the ambiance of a parking garage, so this can only be an improvement. And yes — it will remain a venue! 179 Jean-Talon W., 10 p.m.

Monday: Woah, Monday already! My big pick of the week would be the poppy sounds of Facials with the dark punk of Dekoder and extra help from My Parade and Hot Tears at la Vitrola. 4602 St-Laurent, 9:30 p.m., PWYC

Giving the Facials show a bit of competition will be Motor City’s Frustrations with the psyched-out cult punk of Vomit Squad and Baked Goods at l’Esco. 4467 St-Denis, 9 p.m.

 

Current obsession: Swervedriver, Mescal Head

jonathan.cummins@gmail.com