The complete POP Montreal 2016 line-up

The full list of bands, art events, artisans, films and speakers at the festival this year + our picks for the best of fest.

HolyFuck_2_1290_1316
Holy Fuck

It’s nearly that time.

The 15th annual POP Montreal festival is coming to take over dozens of this city’s venues (traditional and otherwise) with five days of fun, bold programming from Sept. 21 to 25. There are, as usual, a multitude of concerts, screenings, art happenings, parties and other types of events to explore. While the majority of POP events are ticketed, prices don’t tend to be exorbitant, and if you register to volunteer, you will have access to a number of shows free of charge.

You can scroll down for the complete line-up of bands — plus Film POP, Art POP, Puces POP and the POP Symposium series — as well as POP’s “This is not a press conference video,” released today, but first, here are some of the 2016 festival shows we’re most excited about:

Legends

Psychic TV
Psychic TV

POP isn’t the kind of festival that rides on big names, but they always book a handful of bona fide music legends and lesser known but no less fascinating figures from the music history books.

In the former category, Welsh singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and composer John Cale is one of the biggest legends there is, having co-founded alt/art-rock grandaddies the Velvet Underground.

Brooklyn-born composer and early synth adopter Annette Peacock is a major figure in the realms of jazz-fusion, electronic and avant-garde music.

British art punks Psychic TV — featuring Genesis P-Orridge, previously of 1970s proto-industrial band Throbbing Gristle — give Montrealers a rare glimpse of their classic experimental music/video act.

Synth specialist, studio whiz, musician and home-studio innovator Wally Badarou is known for his solo material and for producing and playing with a long list of great musicians, including Fela Kuti, Grace Jones, Talking Heads and Sly & Robbie.

England-born, NYC-raised Shinehead is a renowned singer, rapper and toaster, and he’ll be playing with old-school Kingston deejay Brigadier Jerry, laying a Hi Fi Jamaican soundsystem on what’s sure to be a serious dance party.

And finally, great American filmmaker and raconteur John Waters — whose delightfully perverse, profane and sacrilegious films from the 1970s and early 1980s are as shocking now as they were then — will treat local audiences to a one-man show featuring some of the most entertaining anecdotes and observations you’re likely to hear from anyone in show business.

Critical faves

With such a concentration of talent coming to town for five days, POP offers a great opportunity to see some of the bands you love — or have heard great things about — but haven’t had a chance to see live. Among the critics’ picks are L.A. noise band Health, Toronto “doom soul” singer Cold Specks, Toronto electronic shit-disturbers Holy Fuck, London DJ, producer and Hyperdub label head Kode9 and Montrealers Little Scream (art rock), Jerusalem in My Heart (experimental compositions with film accompaniment), minimalist composer and pianist Jean-Michel Blais and composer and saxophonist Colin Stetson (playing his latest record Sorrow: A Reimagining of Gorecki’s 3rd Symphony).

Discoveries

Princess Vitarah
Princess Vitarah

Part of POP Montreal’s mandate is to showcase fresh talent and under the radar gems. This is your chance to see British protest singer and sonic adventurer Babyfather, Toronto post-punks Century Palm, Chicago electronic artist/singer-songwriter Circuit des Yeux (aka Haley Fohr), Orlando bass/hip hop trio 69Boyz, Toronto stoner punks Acid Priest, Peterborough garage rock trio Lonely Parade, frantic Toronto post-punks New Fries, Nigerian rapper (and viral sensation) Princess Vitarah as well as a slew of great local acts: neo-new wave act CO/NTRY, singer/songwriter Devon Welsh (of Majical Cloudz), “haze-folk” act Wishkaah, old-school country crooner Li’l Andy, electro-R&B artist Jef Elise Barbara, neo-trip hop artist Kroy (launching her debut LP at POP) and lo-fi synth balladeer Tess Roby, among others.

Parties and other events

Based on lots of previous experience, I can attest that POP Montreal’s late shows and parties are a blast — see the festival’s website for the breakdown of late-night events, opening and closing parties as well as afternoon BBQs and showcases (which tend to be free).

And this year sees the return of a POP tradition after a year’s hiatus: Music fans and sports fans will unite in the stands on the McGill campus for POP vs. Jock, a charity basketball game that pits stars of the music world (including Arcade Fire singer Win Butler, the ringleader and enfant terrible of the court) against the university’s team.

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Now here’s the full line-up:

2016 POP Montreal Artists
69BOYZ – A Fellow Ship – AIDA – Alex Cameron – Alexia Avina – Allah-Las – Ambition – American Lips – Andy Williams – Angel Olsen – Annette Peacock – Antoine93 – Athena – Athensz – Automatisme – Baberaham Lincoln – Babyfather – Bankruptcy – Bateau Noir – Beatrice Deer – Beca – Belave – Belle Game – Bellows – Best Fern – Beyries – Bile Sister – BIRDS OF PARADISE – bizZarh – Black Le Gary – Blanka – Blood and Glass – Blue Cheese – blue odeur – Bodywash – BOIDS – BORAJ – Boy Friends – Brave Radar – Brigadier Jerry – Brother May – Brown – Bud Rice – Bueller – Cam Maclean – Camille Delean – Carla Sagan – Caroline Gélinas – Catriona Sturton – Caveboy – Century Palm – Chairs – Chalks – CHANDRA – Charm Taylor – Chatham Rise – Chersea – Chevalier Avant Garde – Chixdiggit – Chris Velan – Circuit des Yeux – Cloud Rat – CO/NTRY – Cold Specks – Colin Stetson’s SORROW – A Reimagining of Gorecki’s 3rd Symphony – Colour Wheel – Common Holly – Consilience – Construction & Destruction – Copcar Bonfire – Corridor – Craig Cardiff – Creep Wave – Crystal Eyes – D Holloway – D R E S D E N – D.R.A.M – Dany Laj – Dark Circles – Daybi – Deeshorty – Devon Welsh – DIANA – Diet Cig – DirtyOrgans – DJ Grey – dj. flugvél og geimskip – Donzelle – Dories – Dorothea Paas – Drones Club – Drowzy – Dynesti Williams – Eamon McGrath – Emilie & Ogden – EquallyOpposite – Erla Axelsdóttir – Eskimeaux – Esmerine – Everett – Exit Someone – Fake Palms – Fake Tears – Fantôme de Rockland – Featurette – Femme Accident – Feral Love – FINN – Fleece – FOG – For Esmé – Forest Frontier – Forever – Fragile Feet – Fred Fortin – free cake for every creature – Freelove – Fenner – Gabrielle Shonk – GG Love – Ghost Twin – Ghostly Kisses – GIRL ARM – Girlfriends and Boyfriends – Giselle Numba One – Goodbye Honolulu – Groenland – Guy Madonna – Hand Cream – Hayden – A 20th Anniversary Celebration of ‘Everything I Long For’ – Hazy Montagne Mystique Ensemble – HEALTH – Heathers – Helena Deland – Hellenica – His Clancyness – Hobo Lord – Holding Hands – Hologramme – Holy Data – Holy Fuck – How Sad – Hraïr Hratchian – Hua Li – HWYS – I Shot Samo – Ibrahim Maalouf – Ice Cream – James Irwin – Jason Shay – Jean-Michel Blais – Jef Elise Barbara’s Black Space – Jeremy Dutcher – Jerusalem In My Heart – Jesse Mac Cormack – Jessica Moss – Joanne Pollock – Joe Grass – John Cale – John Waters – Joyce N’sana – Julie Doiron – Julien Sagot – Kandle & the Krooks – Keith Kouna – Képa – Kestrels – Kiwi Jr. – KLONDIKE – Kode9 – KROY – Ky∆zMa – L.A. FOSTER – La Fièvre – Lakes of Canada – LAPS – Laureate – Leif Vollebekk – Les Hôtesses D’Hilaire – Let’s Eat Grandma – Lexis – Li’l Andy – Little Scream – Little You, Little Me – Living Hour – Lonely Parade – Look Vibrant – Loon – Lost Creatures – Lou Canon – Louise Burns – Lowlands – Luisa Maita – Lungbutter – LVL UP – Manners – Martin Dubé – Matt Holubowski – mavo – Maybe Greys – Men I Trust – MERMAIDS – Mich Cota – Michael Angelo – Millimetrik – Mind Bath – Momo – Mon Doux Saigneur – Mono No Aware – Mossman – Motherhood  – Mundy’s Bay – Nancy Pants – NANIMAL – Neil Holyoak – Nennen – Never More Than Less – New Fries – New Media Serious Interesting Band – Nicolet – Nighttime – Nightwitches – No Aloha – NOBRO – NONI WO – NŌVA – NWI – Okapi – Ol’ Savannah – ONFIILM – Orkestar Kriminal – Owen Meany’s Batting Stance – Papalotl – Parallels – Partner – Pat Jordache – Patrik – Pharaon – PHERN – Phoenix Pagliacci – Pins & Needles – Pippa – Po Lazarus – Pollyester – Princess Vitarah – PRIORS – protruders – Psychic TV – Quaker Parents – Radiant Baby – RAKAM – REPARTEE – respectfulchild – Rodrigo Amarante – Ropoporose – Rosie Valland – Ryley Walker – Sam Coffey + The Iron Lungs – Sara Diamond – Saxsyndrum – Sc Mira – Scott Hardware – Sebastien Grainger – Several Futures – She-Devils – Shinehead – Silver Dapple – Slight – Slow Down Molasses – Slow Mass – Smileswithteeth – Smokes – SNFU – Socalled – Soft Opening – Solids – Sonic Avenues – Sound of the Mountain – sour C.R.E.A.M. – Ssurfacing – St. Lawrence Warehouse – Company – Stefana Fratila – Steve Adamyk Band – Strange Froots – Strangerfamiliar – SWEAT – Syngja – T R A C E S – Tamara Sandor – Tasseomancy – Taylor Knox – Technical Kidman – TENDERIZER – Tess Roby – Thanya Iyer – The Audible Doctor – The Ballantynes – The Famines – The Hazytones – The Kills – The Luyas – The Painters – The Past – The Rising Few – The Sadies – The Seth Bogart Show – The Submissives – The Yips – Tim Darcy – Told Slant – TOPS – Tor Miller – Towanda – Trixie Whitley – Un Blonde – Uniiqu3 – Uwe Schnappsbein – Vallens – Vesuvio Solo – Vikki Gilmore – Wake Island – Wally Badarou – Weird Star – Whitney K – WHOOP-Szo – Wider Smile – Wiklow – Will   Mclelland – Wishkaah – Wolf Saga – Wolves in the Throne Room – Woodpigeon – Wreckless Eric – Year of Glad – yoo doo right – Young Satan in Love – Channel No One – David Simard – Zen Bamboo – Harris Shper – Bebe Buckskin – Maude Audet – L.A. Witch – Feral Island – Dresden – Oonga – Moonshine Tex Buckeye – Katie Moore – Notre Dame de Grass – All-Star Jam – Philémon Cimon – La Bronze – Shauit – Karneef – OHARA – Morthouse – Yohuna – Fuudge – Cindy Lee – Not You – The Prince Special w/ FREDY V. – Nailbiter – DJ VNCE (Dead Obies)

2016 Art POP Artists

KALUP LINZY – JAYSON MUSSON – SETH BOGART – CHLOE WISE  – ADAM LEVETT – CHRIS LEVETT – MAYA FUHR – JASON HARVEY – TARA SINN – BRAD PHILLIPS – COLE KUSH – JIMMY TAGLIAFERRI – LOGAN JACKSON – JOSH PAULINS – KRISTIE MULLER – SEAN FRANK – BAILEY SCIESZKA – WHITNEY MALLETT – CHAD MOORE – ZACH SKY – ANN HIRSCH – CARLY MARK – JACQUELINE ASHTON – JORLAN CHARLTON – LUNA KHODS – COREY OLSEN – EBBA PERO – JON SHERMAN – MARK SOMMERFELD – REBECCA STORM – MARIE TOMANOVA – ERIC T. WHITE – ADAM BASANTA – HUGO DUFOUR-BOUCHARD – MITCH DIXON – JIM HOLYOAK – NEIL HOLYOAK – NICK KUEPFER – MILES PETRELLA – KATHERINE LEWIS – BRENT MORELY SMITH – ALEXANDRE PÉPIN – CINDY PHENIX – LAURENCE PHILOMENE – MONICA REKAS – KARA STERNE – JOE NAMY – DAN BRAULT – PATRICK CRUZ

2016 Film POP Programming

CONTEMPORARY COLOR (Bill Ross IV & Turner Ross | United States, 2016 | 107 min) – FEELINGS FILM FESTIVAL (Artistes divers | United States, Canada et al., 2016 | 20 videos, 90 min) – FONKO (Göran Hugo Olsson, Daniel Jadama & Lars Lovén | Sweden, 2016 | 87 min) – FRANK AND THE WONDERCAT (Tony Massil & Pablo Alvarez-Mesa | Canada, 2015 | 67 min) – I CALLED HIM MORGAN (Kasper Collin | Sweden/United States, 2016 | 97 min) – KIKI (Sara Jordenö | Sweden/United States, 2016 | 94 min) – LIVE READS: OCEANS 11 – MULTIPLE MANIACS (John Waters | United States, 1970 | 82 min) – SPACE JAM (Joe Pytka | United States, 1996 | 88 min) – TRUE STORIES (David Byrne | United States, 1986 | 90 min)

2016 Record Fair Vendors
Arbutus – Art Not Love Records – Babzil – BBAM! Gallery – CJLO – CKUT – Discophilesound – Drew Duncan – Dylan Gagné – Explosive Groove – Fixture Records – Frank Manley – Forward Music Group – Found Sound – Howl! Arts – La Vieille Picouille, disquaire – Le Pick Up – LIBRAIRIE LAFORCE – L’Oblique – Oh Hi – Phonopolis – Slam Disques – Serge Bellerose – So Sorry Records – Sonorama – Sonowax – The Suite Delight – Tir Groupé – Mucho Gusto-Select – Vinyle Nostalgia – Western Desert Aboriginal Art Pty ltd. – Wham Bam Boo – Zorgal Musique

2016 POP Symposium Participants
John Cale – Genesis Breyer P-Orridge – Annette Peacock – Susan Rogers – High Klassified – Wally Badarou – Geoff Travis – Danny Holloway – Shinehead – The Combat Jack Show – Vish Khanna – Jef Ellise Barbara – Socalled – Howard Bilerman – Andy Williams – Jayson Musson – Kalup Linzy – Alexis O’Hara – Joe Namy – Sundus Abdul Hadi – Foxtrott – Nantali Indongo – Michael Angelo – dj flugvél og geimskip – Sol Guy – Amir Abbassy – Tamy Emma Pepin – Basem Boshra – Jared Leon – Reuven Ashtar – Ren Bucholz – Jennifer Dorner – Orion Szydel – Bettina Forget – Vic Galloway – Michael Venus – Bernadette Houde – Roxanne Arsenault – Amber Carew – Doug Croy – Joe Parry – Matt Langille – Evan Dubinsky – Guillaume Moffet – Stefan Christoff – Louis Coupal

2016 Puces POP Artisans
Accessories
Catfight Designs – Dans le sac – Deborah Adams – genreDenis – KAZAK – Kinsu – Marc Simard – Petite Laine – PKYdesign –  Rachel F. – Sarah dans la lune – Sous-Bois – TANDEM & CO – Une Raton –
Arts & Prints
atelier rosepink – Boucane – Darveelicious – Deuxième date – DIONOSKI – Jackie Bassett – La Façade – Laucolo – le Bocal de Mag – MC Marquis – Nicole Aline Legault – On n’a rien volé – point de marge – Popolo Press – Raymond Biesinger Illustration – Toujours Correct
Babies & Kids
Berçante – Clair de prune – Ginko Organic Babywear – Hochet Gaga – Jules mon poisson bulle – La fée raille – Les Belles Combines – Mes amis imaginaires – Rousskine – Supayana – Velvet Moustache – Vic & Ted Atelier Urbain
Bodycare
BKIND entreprise – Cucamanga – Dot & Lil – Kiki – Les Pétards – Pépin – Savonnerie 2
Ceramic
Catherine De Abreu, céramiste – DOMPIERRE – Goye artiste céramiste – Julie Duguay, céramiste-designer – Marianne Chénard céramiste – Marie-France Labrosse – Marjorie Camiré Céramiste – Maxime Stéphanie Lemay
Clothing
Atelier aleur – atelier b – Beurd (pour Rapace S.E.N.C.) – BlackSnaps – Bonnetier – Bunny and Claude – by THOMAS
Mercedes Morin – Miyuki Crochet – Noémiah – Pony
Food
Bals Provisions – bar a beurre – DJINN SIROPS – Dumornay Delis Food Manufacturing Inc. – Gruo –
GuimOv – Entreprise de Gourmandises Artisanales – L’étagère Gourmande – La boîte à chocolat – Les Charlatans – Marie et Cie – Mark’s Hot Sauce – POPS ART – Preservation Society – Sinai Gourmet – Tout cru! Atelier de fermentation – U MAIN
Housewares
Atelier East End Mtl – Blisscraft&Brazen – BOHO MONTRÉAL – Fabrique B / B Factory – Filasse – Atelier textile – KOZOUF – La Reserve Design – Montréal Machin – Plants And Colors – Virginie Laliberté
Jewelry
Arc Jewellery – blessedpoppy – Brelokz – Chikiboom – darlings of denmark – Eugenie Bee – Femme Mécanique Designs – Garnotte de luxe – Isabelle Kapsaskis/joaillière – Le Cubicule – Louve Montréal – marmod8 – Nea – Nina.Nanas – Pilar Agueci Artist Goldsmith – Prysm – The angry weather – THIS ILK – YYY

Bon POP, everyone. ■

POP Montreal will take place from Sept. 2125. See the festival’s website for the complete schedule and ticket information.

The POP Montreal program launch, with DJs Coeur de Pirate, Mixed Reviews (members of Stars) and Andy Williams, is happening at the Rialto Theatre (5719 Parc) tonight, Thursday, Sept. 1,  511 p.m., free