8 mind-melting Montreal shows this week

Hopefully all of you had your heads caved in at last night’s Swans show. Although I am tapping this out mere hours before the show is starting, I’m sure it will stick in your cranium as the show of the year. Swans are just simply untouchable now and there is no other living band that can follow them. Although the week to come doesn’t include a show that can compare to the pummelling that is a live Swans show, there are still plenty of gigs to help relieve the chill in yer bones.

Friday: The second round of the Wacken Battle happens tonight at Katacombes. The ultimate winner will get stacked on the famous German metal festival and this year the competition is fierce: you can root for Rusted, Requiomed, Mercury Blast and personal Hammer favourites Mad Parish. 1635 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $10

Cinemathèque québécoise’s Nuit des Rendez-vous (in conjunction with the RVCQ film fest) continues with the fugged up psych/punk of PyPy and the proggy know-how of Avec le soleil sortant de sa bouche. 335 de Maisonneuve E. (Bistro SAQ), 11 p.m., free

One of the scene’s stalwarts Skip Jensen will howl and twang with Light Bulb Alley and Thee Sin Caves at Casa. 4873 St-Laurent, 9:30 p.m., $7

For anybody digging on the new psych/pop thingy you can catch Ariel Pink with Jack Name at le National. 1220 Ste-Catherine E., 8 p.m., $22/$25

Saturday: This is easily the best local show of the week: the expert psych leanings of Elephant Stone PLUS the punk power of Yardlets and Wizaard at le Ritz. 179 Jean-Talon W., 9:30 p.m., $12

The Pouzza people keep their regular Saturday nights at TRH Bar chugging along with Warm Needles, Trophy Lungs and Greg Caraigne. 3699 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $5

Tuesday: Oddly enough, the show of the week is after the weekend at the soon to be closing Turbo Haus. You can catch one of the last shows (before they unveil their new digs) with ex-the Locust act Retox, as well as Whores, Hashed Out and the debut of ex-Trigger Effect band Fashion Police. This will get packed to the tits, so show up early if you want to get in. 1180 St-Antoine W. #408, 8:30 p.m., $15

Wednesday: The Mighty Ffud will launch their eponymously titled release with the expert backing of power pop rockers Dany Laj and the Looks. Congrats to Laj and co for inking a deal with Squirtgun Records. Laj’s new jammer is due out in May. Petit Campus (57 Prince-Arthur E.), 8 p.m., $5/$10 w/ CD

Current Obsession: Negative Approach, Ready to Fight; demos, live and unreleased 1981–1983

Jonathan.cummins@gmail.com