Brace yourself for the best rawk show of the year

One of our columnist’s all-time faves plays Montreal, plus Psych Fest alert and more great shows to come.

hammerthumb Did you miss me? Ends up my ‘pooter finally shit the bed after a decade and change of faithful service and I was unable to get you this column last week. Well I’m back and just in time to hip you puds to what is guaranteed to be the best rawk show of the year. Also, before I start manhandling this new keyboard, I’d like to give much congrats to Cult MTL’s head honcho, who brought a bundle of joy into the world last week. Woo-hoo!

Thursday: The Distorsion Psych Fest gets underway on Wednesday but if you want to get an early start, you could do far worse than to check out local psych warlords UUBBUURRUU with Tonnes at the new, expanded l’Esco. 4467 St-Denis, 9 p.m., $10

The 11th edition of Riot Thursdays is putting the boot in at Katacombes with Reckless Upstarts, la Gachette and Action Sedition. 1635 St-Laurent, 8 p.m., $6

Friday: Do you believe in the majesty of rock ’n’ roll? Well lucky for you: the easy pick for gig of the week — and maybe even show of the year (uh, along with Nick Cave, which is later this month) would be one of my all-time faves: Redd Kross, playing le Ritz with one of my favourite new rockers, the Sick Things, as well as Los and DJ team the Punk Police. If you don’t know who Redd Kross is, know that they opened for Black Flag’s first show ever before quickly becoming a thorn in the side of most myopic punkers and turning into masterful power pop geniuses. The band is glimmering on records, but live is really where this band rule their roost. Fans of Melvins might also note that the one and only Dale Crover will be behind the tubs on this jaunt. See ya at the bar for this one!!!! 179 Jean-Talon W., 8:30 p.m., $17 advance/$20 door

If you think I’m blowin’ smoke on this Redd Kross thing, you can make tracks to l’Esco to catch Double Date with Death with extra help from Crazy Bones and the Shakewell Brothers. 4467 St-Denis, 9 p.m., $8

Turbo Haüs is hosting a couple of release parties over the weekend starting with Aberdeen who release the ep Endless Nights and Dreamlike Mornings while taking up the middle slot between Shana Falana and Femme Accident. 5011 Notre-Dame W., 9 p.m., $10

Saturday: If you love Steve Townsend as much as I do, use your Google skills to find out where Valoiz Loft is and help celebrate his B-day, and see live sets by Half Measures and Eagle Tears. This will get trippy and probably sloppy when Costa shows up. Secret location, time unlisted, price unlisted

Turbo Haüs keeps things cooking with another release party, this one for Ecclesiastes, the new record by Watch for Wolves. Opening this one are Eyes of Sinners and Juno. 5011 Notre-Dame W., 8 p.m., $10

If it weren’t already enough of a great week for psych heads, Kikagaku Moyo will massage your frontal lobes at le Ritz with Year of Glad and Whitney K. This show has an early start of 8 p.m., so dose accordingly. 179 Jean-Talon W., 7:30 p.m., $12 advance/$15 door

Casa should be packed to the tits when ’peggers Ghost Twin do battle with sonic enchantress Xarah Dion, Kindest Cuts and Hellenica. 4873 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $5/$7 after 10:30 p.m.

Sunday: Montreal’s most gigginest band — Pale Lips — rock the fug out on the Sabbath at l’Esco with Milwaukee’s Indonesian Junk (nice Cheap Trick grab there) and Sinkin’ Feelings. 4467 St-Denis, 9 p.m., price unlisted

Monday: Local promoters Analogue Addiction join forces with the tried and true Blue Skies Turn Black to help wear in the new l’Esco with T-Rextasy, Telegraph Jungle and Beloveds. 4467 St-Denis, 9 p.m., $8

On a totally different tip, you can burrow in the darkness of Shining at Théâtre Fairmount, with openers Revenge. 5240 Parc, 7:30 p.m., $22.50 advance/$25 door

Tuesday: One of Montreal’s most talented musicians, Jessica Moss, finally releases her debut record Pools of Light at Sala, with openers Fiver. This is guaranteed to be pure musical ascension. 4848 St-Laurent, 8:30 p.m., $8 advance/$10 door

For a night of PBR-fuelled tomfoolery, slosh around to the Black Lips at le National with Surfbort. 1220 Ste-Catherine E., 7:30 p.m., $25

Wednesday: Finally, Distorsion Psych Fest gets their four-night stint underway at l’Esco with a special screening of The Colossus of Destiny: A Melvins Tale, followed by a set from Crabe and DJ Conspiration Psychedelique keeping things wavy. 4467 St-Denis, 8 p.m., $5

Watch this space next week for more Distorsion Psych Fest announcements, and for fuck’s sake, go see Redd Kross on Friday night.

Current Obsession: Redd Kross, Teen Babes From Monsanto

jonathan.cummins@gmail.com