Beat Cops. Photo by Vitor Munhoz

This is where the heaviosity’s at

Johnson’s concert picks for the week feat. the Suoni per il Popolo festival, Montreal bands launching records and more important gigs to pummel your eardrums with.

facebookWell, the second week of the best festival in our fair burg, Suoni per il Popolo, is already underway, and this week is utterly slammin’ so buckle up pudz and see ya at the bar.

Thursday: Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld finish their two-night stint at Suoni with Ryan Sawyer. Even if you saw Stetson and Neufeld last night, tonight should offer a whole new cornucopia of earthly delights. (See Cult MTL‘s interview with the duo here.) 4848 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $15

Off the Suoni beaten path is Grounders, Moss Lime and the return of Hand Cream at le Ritz. 179 Jean-Talon W., 9:30 p.m., $10

Friday: Easily one of the best shows on the Suoni calender is Fred and Toody (Fred being Fred Cole of Dead Moon and Pierced Arrows) with Cheena and No Negative at Sala. Methinks that this might be Suoni organizer Mauro Pezzente’s personal highpoint of the fest. Fred and Toody may be hanging up their touring hat so don’t miss what could be their last Montreal performance. 4848 St-Laurent, 9:30 p.m., $13

Saturday: Montreal favourite Wrekmeister Harmonies returns to town at Casa. In case you’re L7 here, Wrekmeister Harmonies is composer J.R. Robinson who will once again have three members of godspeed you! black emperor in tow. Opening is Montreal’s king of drone thisquitearmy with godspeed’s Herz starting off the night. 4873 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $10

My big pick of the week would go to Japan’s post-rock Gods Mono, who will tremolo-pick their way into your heart at le Ritz with Holly Hunt. 179 Jean-Talon W., 9:30 p.m., $15/$18

Suoni goes crusty at la Vitrola with the d-beat of Beantown’s Aspects of War with Calgary’s Desgraciados, les Temps Liquides, Parasytes, Silent Order and Drip. 4602 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $8

You can help celebrate Ruel from Squalor‘s big 5–0 when his band devastates Barfly with Ashtray Heart. 4062 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $5

Psych tinged power poppers Dead Messenger will play their sole show this summer (while waiting to launch their newly completed record) at l’Esco with their T.O. buds the ’92 Blue Jays and the Spare Me’s. 4467 St-Denis, 10 p.m.

For a night of glorious fuckery you can catch Toronto’s Antibody, St. Catharines’ Vile Creature, Mands and Spectral Wound. Brasserie Beaubien (73 Beaubien E.), 8 p.m.

Beat Cops. Photo by Vitor Munhoz
Beat Cops. Photo by Vitor Munhoz

Monday: Ex-Ecstastic Peace signee Tam will launch her new jammer Him/Her at Barfly, with projections by Ben J Riepe. 4062 St-Laurent, 8:30 p.m., $5

Tuesday: One of Montreal’s best new bands, Beat Cops, release their debut record Mean Streets at the brand spankin’ new Turbohaus. 5011 Notre-Dame W., 10 p.m.

Easily a Suoni highlight will be the ethereal vocals of Zola Jesus with Ames Sanglantes at Sala. 4848 St-Laurent, 8:30 p.m., $20

Wednesday: This should be a hard pick for the heaviosity heads. First up is legends Coliseum — who will devastate Sala — with Obliterations and Fakes. 4848 St-Laurent, 8:30 p.m., $8

This will indeed be the tits, but down at Turbohaus is Canada’s heaviest band KEN Mode with Fight Amp, Montreal’s heaviest band the Great Sabatini and Dickbird’s favourite band Fashion Police. Choose wisely, my angst-ridden friends. 5011 Notre-Dame W., 9 p.m.

 

Current Obsession: Spiritualized, Let It Come Down

jonathan.cummins@gmail.com