Underground-music festivals take over the scene this week

Spring has sprung and that can only mean one thing, at least until the end of September: festivals!!!! In fact my favourite festival of all starts this Tuesday: Osheaga!!!! Just kidding, Poindexter, Osheaga is for pedestrian music fans and babysitters. My fave fest is Suoni per il Popolo, which continues to support underground and progressive minded music of all ilks. Expect to see my Suoni picks here over the next couple of weeks.

Not only is Suoni kicking off, but there is an aptly titled fest happening at Barfly on Monday and a noise/grindcore/power violence fest that continues to pick up steam with each edition — and it’s totally sold out. If that wasn’t enough to blow yer sox to kingdom come, check out the first announcement listed directly below:

Thursday: Holy fugnutz! We are starting off the week with a major rager, which easily clenches my big pick of the week: the bluesy punker himself Jon Spencer proves he hasn’t aged a year when he brings his Hit Makers to le Ritz with the ultimate ’90s T.O. garage troglodytes, the Leather Uppers. Opening this night of rock ’n’ roll shenanigans will be Whoresun, with the Punk Police DJs under major pressure to impress this fickle audience of record collectors. 179 Jean-Talon W., 9:30 p.m., $25

If you’re looking for a great night of punk rock and garage pop, make it down to indy rock’s favourite bar — Brasserie Beaubien — to check out Cell, the Thrill, New Vogue and more. 73 Beaubien E., 8:30 p.m., $10

The fourth edition of Earslaughter fest is underway, but if you didn’t grab tickets for one of the best grindcore/noise/power violence fests in the world — one that happens in our own backyard — you fugged up, because both nights at Katacombes are sold out.

Don’t fret though because the same people have cobbled together a night of noise terror at Turbo Haüs starting at the crazy hour of 6 p.m. You can catch Deche-Charge, Glutt, Grindcore Malade, Skumstrike, Gastronomic Error, Wellebong Gorgee, Fetus Deletus, Pink Eyed Jeff and Jte Chie Sul Torse with Turbo’s regular weekly metal night See You in Hell happening on the bar side at 10 p.m. Not to mention it’s only $10 to get into the gig. 2040 St-Denis 6 p.m., $10

Friday: In case you skipped the pearls I cast above, the fourth edition of Earslaughter at Katacombes is totally sold out so you won’t be able to see Fuck the Facts and Infest because you are a turd burglar and nobody likes you.

A show that is not sold out but is sure to pack up quick at la Plante would be Lungbutter who launch their new Constellation Records jammer Honey with Neighbour’s Guitar, Saint Louis and Miami Golem. 185 Van Horne, 8 p.m., $10

Saturday: If you dig your epic metal with a bit of fantasy folk and some tried and true gallop, you will not want to miss cult metal heroes Slough Feg with Sanhedrin at le Ritz. 179 Jean-Talon W., 7:30 p.m., $20

Those of you who were smart and bought advance tickets for Earslaughter will be getting crushed by Disharmonic Orchestra and legends Dropdead, and for those of you grindcore kids that weren’t too swift, you will most likely be crushing cans in the back alley wishing you didn’t fuck up.

For those of you who like to rock the rockity rock, you can make it Barfly for the ungoogleable band the Broken Hearted, with Barfly stalwarts Ashtray Heart. 4062A St-Laurent, 10 p.m., PWYC

Monday: Taking up the hump night between Earslaughter and Suoni is Shitfest, now in its second year of taking a typical three-band bill and putting it under a festival umbrella. The three bands playing in this illustriously titled fest is the doomy sludge of Scream for Morphine with the doom of Leadheads and the thrashy thrust of Syllo. This is all happening at Barfly with bartender Deadly Tedley playing all the right songs from behind the bar. 4062A St-Laurent, 8 p.m., $5

Tuesday: One of the city’s greatest treasures, the Suoni per il Popolo festival, kicks open its doors tonight with a great bill of Jack Marvel Parsons with Boar God and noisy punks Nuage Flou at Casa. 4873 St-Laurent, 8:30 p.m., $13

Wednesday: Suoni keeps things kicking off with a bang with Sam Shalabi’s solid jammer Dwarfs of East Agouza with support from Two or the Dragon at Sala. 4848 St-Laurent, 8:30 p.m., $18

Current Obsession: Heresi, Psalm II
jonathan.cummins@gmail.com