POP till you puke

Well the elephant in the room is obviously POP Montreal, which officially got underway yesterday, but as of tonight it really starts to pick up some steam. POP is a mangy beast, if you’re willing to try and saddle it up, so be prepared to be exhausted throughout. Start taking copious amounts of vitamin C right now, trust me. Record nerds and crate diggers should also take note that POP will be hosting a record fair on Saturday and Sunday in the basement of Ukrainian Federation (5213 Hutchison) from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with a team of DJs keeping things spinning. Buckle up, buckos.

Thursday: You can start off your POP extended weekend in mere minutes if you can pry yourself away from your ‘pooter and make it down to SAT for 12:30 p.m. to catch Shellac/Big Black’s Steve Albini discuss his passion for, uh, food. There is a hefty $25 ticket for this one but also includes your meal. (Who the fug came up with the idea for this winner?) 1201 St-Laurent, 12:30–2:30 p.m., $25

With your belly full (and your wallet empty) you may want to dash down to Divan Orange for the debut of ex-Trigger Effect/Priestess/Stills members’ new joint, Beat Cops, happening at the very un-rawk hour of (gulp) 4 p.m. The Bandcamp tunes hold great promise, with a merging of popified psych and PBR punk. 4234 St-Laurent, 4 p.m., free

Once the streetlights come on, you can catch a night of fucked up punk courtesy of the fine folks behind the Ottawa Explosion, with Monomyth, Nap Eyes, the Yips, Boyhood, Strange Attractor and Hag Face at the very apt punk confines of l’Esco. 4467 St-Denis, 8:30 p.m.

Off the POP path, check out the hardcore of Sale Gauloise with the blackened punk of Putamen Insula and Nightmare Collective at a location in the East End. 8 p.m.

If you’re going to be darting from club to club tonight, don’t miss a chance to catch Toronto’s Teenanger (11 p.m.) and Ottawa’s Holy Cobras (9 p.m.) at Club Lambi. 4465 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $10

This is sure to be a packed affair: Wand (signed to Ty Segall’s label, don’tchaknow) with Special Noise and the Famines at Casa. 4873 St-Laurent, 8:30 p.m., $12

I have nothing but love for earnest Montreal punks Ought but they better be on their game when they follow one of the best performers I’ve ever seen, ex-Geraldine Fibber Carla Bozulich at Piccolo Rialto. Bozulich could very well be the best pick of the fest, so don’t sleep on this one. 5723 Parc, 9:30 p.m., $12

For a night of glorious screech and squelch, you can catch Hiroshima Shadows with Sacral Nerves, Harsh Reality and Shitsu at TRH-Bar. 3699 St-Laurent, 9:30 p.m., $10

Friday: POP always attracts a few living legends and this year is no different. O.G. Ronette Ronnie Spector will be in conversation and performance at the Rialto with Bloodshot Bill and the fine DJ team behind the best soul night in town, Mess Around. 5723 Parc, 8 p.m., $30/$35

Local favourite Solids secure a fine spot at Pop this year at the new Il Motore, le Ritz PDB with help from Whirr, Cloakroom and shoegazers Kestrels. 179 Jean-Talon W., 9 p.m., $13/$15

One of my personal faves, Maica Mia, will lull and comfort at la Vitrola (as part of this show). 4602 St-Laurent, 10:45 p.m., $10

Saturday: If you missed Maica Mia on Friday night, you can let them put the Baileys in your mug o’ joe when they let their slow jams ooze at the ungodly hour of 2 p.m. at Divan Orange. They’re totally hangover-friendly, so don’t be shy. 4234 St-Laurent, 2 p.m., free

In “how do you like me now” news: None other than yours truly will be taking my podcast Psi Factor and the Cougar’s Straightalk live with esteemed guests Mikey Heppner (ex-Priestess, now with Beat Cops) and Ty Segall at Quartiers POP. Uh, don’t get your hopes up for this one. It’s sure to be about as much as fun as a middle-aged slumber party, but whatever. Still probably better than Albini yammering on about zucchini. Did I mention it’s also $25 cheaper than the Albini food fest? C’mon down! (Our subject is food, btw.) 3450 St-Urbain, 6 p.m., free

Now this could very well be the best POP show this year: the shoegazy black metal goodness of Deafheaven, who’ll pulverize le Ritz PDB with local shoegazers No Joy and Indian Handcrafts. If you can only make three shows this POP, make it this, Bozulich and Segall. 179 Jean-Talon W., 9 p.m., $20

One of the most anticipated shows of POP is Ty Segall, who will prove why he is one of the best living, working songwriters at Club Soda with la Luz and Montreal potty-mouthed punks the Nymphets — don’t be tardy, show up early to catch the Nymphets, because they just plain rule. 1225 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $18/$22

Sunday: POP finally winds down and heaves its final breath for the year with a night Weird Canada have put together featuring Nothinge, the droney drones of Aim Low, Cosi e Cosi, Mon Frère est Mort and Portable Cosmo Shrine. 3655 St-Laurent (basement), 9 p.m., PWYC

O.G. J-pop trio Shonen Knife will be cuter than two kittens licking a panda bear at Divan Orange, with a return of Sacral Nerves and Habibi. 4234 St-Laurent, 8:30 p.m., $16/$20

Pavement cover band the Unicorns will be hanging out with Arcade Fire at Metropolis with Light Fires and Each Other…all for the princely admittance sum of $30!!! Outside of the people who paid for that Albini food thingy, who the fug would pay to see these guys struggle to stay in tune and sweat it out to the oldies for $30…at the cavernous Metropolis, no less? Maybe the same people who show up to see Win Butler make a three pointer? FML. 59 Ste-Catherine E., 8:30 p.m., $27/$30

Monday: If you have any shred of your being left after POP, you can have the remainder blown to smithereens with the hardcore ballast of Old Wounds, Exalt, Lay Waste and Ordeal at le Ritz PDB. 179 Jean-Talon W., 8 p.m., $10

Tuesday: With Stiff Little Fingers having delivered a scorching performance last Monday at Café Campus, join the exact same crowd bobbing to the Geritol-fuelled punk of GBH at Underworld. 1403 Ste-Elisabeth, 8 p.m., $20
 
Current Obsession: Pink Floyd, Obscured by Clouds
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