Montreal retail store

Soundcentral

Show some love for a record store in need

A benefit gig tonight demands your presence PLUS the rest of the best gigs of the week.

No matter what record store you have ever run into, the person behind the cash is always going to be one of the most passionate music fans you could ever meet. There is  a fuggin’ reason why these people choose to be surrounded by vinyl for at least eight hours a day. One of these dedicated music lovers is Shaun Central of Sound Central. Like most brick and mortar record shops in this age of music streaming services (don’t even get me started on that), Sound Central is going through dark times. If the Plateau shop goes tits up, we’ll lose a gathering place for music fans, and the likelihood of another heavy music outlet opening up in its absence are slim to none. If you’d like to keep this awesome wax shack standing strong, there is a gig happening tonight that demands your presence.

Thursday: The big gigger of the week is definitely the Sound Central benefit gig at Turbo Haüs. Not only would you be helping to keep brick and mortar record shops to in our cultural landscape, you would also be helping a life-long music fan (Shaun Central) away from the unemployment lines. Not only is this going to make your heart feel good, the line-up makes this a no-brainer. Check it out: Metalian, Fuck Toute and Hopeless Youth — eeyowza!!! Dig deep and bring lots of money, or just enjoy your shiddy streaming platforms forever. 2040 St-Denis, 8 p.m., price unlisted

Soundcentral

Friday: For a night of dark and heavy sounds, you will want to make it to Turbo Haüs for the Interzone night with live performances by NYC’s Dreamcatcher (not the local noise band from yesteryear), Death Kneel, Soeur Acephale and la Naegieria with DJ Cops keeping things dark and dangerous. 2040 St-Denis, 9 p.m., $20

Saturday: Turbo Haüs is a triple threat this week, with a true rock ‘n’ roll night with Po Lazarus, Frisky Kids and Light Bulb Alley. Expect extremely safe and lame “stage diving.” 2040 St-Denis, 8 p.m., $10/$12

Fuuugggg, who can say no to a night called An Evening of Trans-Universal Levitation? This should be hotsy-totsy, with Maggot Breeder, Azul, Sound of the Mountain and Frederico Balducci. This is gonna be rad but you will have to do a little work to try and find out where the venue is for this. (I can’t do everything for you, geez.) Secret Location, 9 p.m., $10/PWYC

New week, new Analogue Addiction gig. On Saturday they’ve at their favourite joint in town, l’Escogriffe, hosting Ex Disappears and Chicagoans Facs with Population II (who just played Turbo last week) and Ylang Ylang with DJ Flaneur. 4461 St-Denis, 9 p.m., $10/$12

For a night of serious down and dirty rawk, you will want to go to the proud eyesore of the gentrified Main, Barfly, to check out Death Drive, Dirtcake and O-town psych warriors the Deadseers. 4062A St-Laurent, 8 p.m., price unlisted

Tuesday: Music Blabber gets into its seventh edition with special guest Zac Decamp, at Barfly. For all of you L7’s that aren’t hip, this is where local musician and songwriter Mark Goodwin hosts a night of live music and uh, blabbering. This NEEDS to be a podcast! 4062A St-Laurent, 9 p.m., price unlisted

If you’re heading to the Music Blabber night, try and show up to Barfly a little earlier to catch the 33rd edition of the weekly experimental music series Eardrum Buzz. This week’s guest is Moshi Moshi. 4062A St-Laurent, 6:30 p.m., free

For a night of heaviosity, check out the doom of the Hammer’s Vile Creature with the black metal of Dawn Ray’d, Basalt and Detainee, at Turbo Haüs. 2040 St-Denis, 7:30 p.m., $10/$12

Wednesday: Greased-up twang addicts will want to check out the United Kingdom’s Johnny Gunner with amazing support from the Eddy Blake Trio at l’Esco. 4461 St-Denis, 8 p.m., $5

For something decidedly heavier you will want to check out the seething rage of Forced Impact with Gazm, Spacers and Cell, at la Vitrola. 4602 St-Laurent, 9:30 p.m., $10.50

Current Obsession: Alex Chilton, Live in Anvers

jonathan.cummins@gmail.com