4 Montreal shows you need to see before office parties and holiday cheer kill your buzz

If there’s one record label that’s been a bastion of cool over the past decade, it would be Brooklyn-based Sacred Bones. These people are maintaining (and pushing the boundaries of) darkness in music, be it releases from esteemed film director and composer John Carpenter, the soft lilt of Townes Van Zant or the dark depths of classic goths Cult of Youth. 

Sacred Bones obviously cast a wide net when it comes to genres, but if the sound rages against the mainstream while going for the throat, it will find a home on this label. The reason I’m giving this label a reach-around is that one of the best bands in their ever expanding roster is playing Montreal this Friday! 

Friday, Dec. 6

One of the best aforementioned bands on the illustrious Sacred Bones label is the brutal blast and pummel of Uniform, who will be crushing the confines of Cabaret Foufs (which, is quite a quaint little venue, btw) with the heavy-handed support of Montreal faves Pharmakon and sweat-act True Body. If you dig the slow slugging of early Swans, the seething violence of Whitehouse, Darkthrone mid-tempo smashing and the hellacious guitar squeal of Flipper (or even the noisier side of Big Black), then Uniform is your new favourite noise rock band. If Metz fans are looking to take the next logical step into decibel propulsion, this is it. 87 Ste-Catherine E., doors 7 p.m., show 8 p.m., $30.20

Saturday, Dec. 7

Okay, let’s give the locals a little love here: The danceable post-punk of Perestroika lets you shake it like a bowl of soup at their favourite watering hole, Casa. If you caught the drum-machine drive of early Perestroika, you’ll marvel at the next level they’ve attained with the recent addition of a live drummer. I predict big things in 2025 for this group of stud muffins as their new sound is just too good to ignore. Am I blowing smoke here? Well, show up early and find out — and “show up early” is key here, as there’s killer support in the form of post-punkers Priors, White Knuckle and Tenaz. I guarantee this will fill up really fucking fast. 4873 St-Laurent, doors 8 p.m., show 9 p.m., $15

Thursday, Dec. 12

There are two shows to choose from as we near the Xmas office parties and all of the other bullshit that comes with mid-December. First off, people who are just now widow’s-peaking and starting to grey around the temples will want to relive their glory days when parent-punkers the Flatliners pack ‘em in at Club Soda. In case you’re feeling nostalgic enough, they will be performing the Destroy to Create record in all of its glory, in celebration of the album’s 20th anniversary. Opening is the Factor-fund-driven rockabilly of the Creepshow with Cat Bite. 1225 St-Laurent, doors 6:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m., $36.50

Now the Flatliners are all well and good, but if you really want to scratch your nostalgic itch, you’ll want to make it down Casa to catch the rock ‘n’ roll swagger of Dangereens, who are still soaring through the stratosphere of bellbottomed beauty. If you dig the the pub-friendly sounds of the Faces or the Black Crowes (before they utterly sucked), then Dangereens are guaranteed to thrill. If you thought Montreal were void of Grade A rock ‘n’ roll bands, you will want to make it down for this. Opening are Othello Tunnels and Martin Saint. Why isn’t Sick Things on the bill? 4873 St-Laurent, doors 7 p.m., show 8 p.m., $15

Current Obsession: Glenn Branca, The Ascension

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