Electronic / hip-hop abstrait / Post-Punk / Post-Rock

POP MTL | Fat Dog live is cocaine and velvety escapades

by Sami Rixhon

Some musicians are better listened to on albums. That makes sense, as some are more comfortable in the studio. Others, however, are better on stage. It is on stage that we discover them at their best. Fat Dog falls into the latter category.

A recently formed London-based band (formed during COVID, in fact), Fat Dog has clearly impressed everyone who has seen them live since the release of their debut album, WOOF., last year.

Comments found under this video by Anthony Fantano discussing the album (and giving it a 7/10 rating) confirmed the trend, as did the overall word of mouth on the Internet.

It’s intriguing, we must admit.

The English band took to the stage around 10:40 p.m., after two opening acts, even though the show was advertised as starting at 8 p.m. on the POP Montréal website. Sorry to sound like Patrick Lagacé, but when the wife is waiting patiently at home and the Canadiens game is over, it’s annoying to waste precious time on a Saturday night. Anyway. Fat Dog, now a six-piece, takes the stage at Toscadura, with the band’s keyboardist proudly displaying a large Canadian flag, which he will wave repeatedly towards the end of the show. Well, we would certainly have preferred a Quebec flag, as white goes much better with blue than red, but it’s not bad, and we applaud the effort.

Fat Dog plays a post-punk style that is much more focused on energy than anything else (à la Viagra Boys), with a certain amount of technical skill on the part of the instrumentalists and, surprisingly, occasional Middle Eastern influences that enrich music that is not necessarily the most eclectic.

Because let’s face it, Fat Dog isn’t exactly highbrow music. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel in any way, nor does it claim to be revolutionary. But my God, on the other hand, it’s devilishly enjoyable.

If you’re at the back of the room, you’ll find yourself constantly nodding your head, and if you’re at the front, you’ll be caught up in a never-ending mosh pit.

Fat Dog’s singer, Joe Love, looks like he’s completely wasted on every substance in the world at once. But even intoxicated and utterly nonchalant, he manages to get the crowd going. La Toscadura seems so rudimentary as a venue that you get the impression the floor is going to collapse under the enthusiasm of the audience. To be seen (again) when they next come to Montreal. Woof!

Montreal’s Fresh Wax kicked off the evening at around 8:30 p.m. The duo (a bassist and a drummer) handle the rhythmic, melodic and bass parts of their music, much like Royal Blood. Their songs, however, are heavier and more mathematical, reminiscent of the sounds of early 90s post-rock bands, sprinkled with a distant Robert Smith-style microphone mix.

It’s a decent start to the evening, but nothing more; the music is too disjointed to be truly enjoyable.

Next up, Godly the Ruler, a non-binary American musician, delivered an energetic set, but failed to create the same crazy atmosphere seen during Fat Dog’s performance.

The artist also bases almost their entire universe on energy, swearing by ‘blood, sweat and tears’, in their own words. But therein lies the risk: without a clear and enthusiastic response from the audience, Godly the Ruler’s performance is immediately tainted and fails to have the desired effect.

And yet, the music isn’t bad. Godwill Oke, his real name, reminded me of the fiery Tyler, the Creator at the beginning of his career, drawing on the most aggressive aspects of Goblin and the loudest aspects of Cherry Bomb.

Crédits photo de Fat Dog et Godly the Ruler : Pierre Langlois

Indie Pop / Indie Rock

POP MTL | U.S. Girls in all their glory

by Marilyn Bouchard

Meghan Remy, aka U.S. Girls, was back in Montreal in all her glory, surrounded by musicians and backing singers.

This Saturday, 27 September, at the Rialto, the Toronto musician and producer behind U.S. Girls was enthusiastic and filled with emotion to be back on a Montreal stage, which she told us she particularly enjoys.

For the occasion, she performed excerpts from In a Poem Unlimited and Bless This Mess, and the latest album, Scratch It, interspersing the show with passionate dance sequences and funny personal anecdotes, such as about her short-sightedness.

The artist, who enjoys collaborating with other artists on writing and production, revisited some of her more recent songs, including “State House (It’s a Man’s World),” “Rosebud,” “Dear Patti,” “L-Over,” and classics such as “Overtime,” “Bookends,” and “4 American Dollars,” much to the delight of fans swaying slowly in front of the stage. We were also treated to an original cover of Fiver’s “Rage of Plastics” with an experimental pop version.

All in all, despite a few minor sound issues (interference and a backing vocalist missing from the mix on one song), the energy was there and the audience was charmed.

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Arabic / Electro-Arabic / Hip Hop / Hip Hop / Middle East / Maghreb / Moyen-Orient / Levant / Maghreb

POP MTL | DAM, Palestinian Rap Pioneer on stage

by Simon Gervais

The quintessential Palestinian pioneer rap group, DAM (Da Arab MCs) electrified us on Saturday, the fourth night of POP Montreal.

Rapping mainly in Arabic, but also in English and Hebrew, Tamer Nafar, Mahmoud Jreri and Maysa Daw admitted to being affected by jet lag at the start of the show. That said, they had no shortage of energy on stage.

With one banger after another, the hip-hop group fired up an audience nearly two-thirds of whom were Arabic-speaking, many wearing keffiyehs as a symbol of resistance for the Palestinian cause. For one of their hits, “Emta Njawzak Yamma,” Maysa made surprising use of the microphone, creating a particularly amusing sound effect. Special mention goes to Maysa, who taught us how to shout the Arabic cry of celebration and took a moment to recite some of the lyrics translated into English, so that newcomers could understand their meaning.

I had tears in my eyes a few times, my mind naturally wandering to Gaza and all the suffering and injustice endured there. I was also touched by this cultural sharing that defies all barriers, even in a room adjacent to a Maxi kosher grocery store located on the edge of Outremont. This coexistence that endures beyond conflicts touches me deeply.

It was a show that was both moving and meaningful, but not without lightness and joy. It just goes to show that one does not preclude the other and that resilience will always prevail.

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Art Punk / Indie Rock / Pop-Punk / Post-Punk

POP MTL | Ribbon Skirt is magnetic & frenetic

by Simon Gervais

Shortlisted for the 2025 Polaris Prize for their album Bite Down, Montreal indie rock duo Ribbon Skirt delivered a magnetic and frenetic performance at La Sotterenea on 27 September.

Anishinaabe singer and guitarist Tashiina Buswa was charged with a chaotic, highly contagious energy. She ventured onto the sound system, into the crowd, then curled up or lay down on stage.

Her partner, multi-instrumentalist Billy Riley, the bassist and the drummer were just as energetic, resulting in a very embodied and flamboyant performance, full of movement.

Ribbon Skirt’s indie rock is charged with visceral emotions. This powerful charge carries influences from the garage and grunge of recent decades, post-punk from the 90s, and perhaps a little pop punk from the 2000s.

Their next EP, PENSACOLA, due out on 3 October 2025 on the Mint Records label, is intended as a kind of epilogue to Bite Down.

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Avant-Pop / Disco

POP MTL | Elle Barbara at Word On The Street

by Alain Brunet

It was with grace and pleasure that Montrealer Elle Barbara performed at the Rialto on Saturday, 27 September, opening for U.S. Girls, to present a bouquet of inspired compositions and covers.

The artist (formerly Jeff Barbara) and her musicians joined their fans for an uninhibited performance full of self-deprecating humour, at times bordering on burlesque.

Dressed in a tight-fitting pastel jumpsuit and sporting long brown hair, Elle revisited her disco-pop repertoire, sometimes psychedelic, with great humour. She placed particular emphasis on songs from her latest album, Word On The Street. In this context, Elle created a performance in which she marries herself!

Also a videographer, she accompanied the song “Hitler, Satan & Associates LLP” with images of her own creation. The songs “Justice Complice,” “Caramelized Onions,” “BBQ All-Dressed” and “Word on The Swing” were also combined with certain reinterpretations, including a very sensual version of “Beat It” that brought smiles to the audience’s faces. Finally, she gave a nod to Délice Créole remixed, for an evening full of rhythm and colour where the avant-garde took centre stage!

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Ambient Folk / Electronic / Experimental Folk

POP MTL | Jules Reidy, The Thread of A Mysterious Story

by Félicité Couëlle-Brunet

Friday evening at POP MTL, I happened to come across the world of Jules Reidy, an artist from Berlin, originally from Australia.

It all began almost incognito. After Una Rose’s concert, as the stage emptied amid a flurry of technicians, a discreet figure placed a classical guitar, then another electric one, followed by a computer and a few controllers on a small central table. With their modest appearance, you’d have sworn they were part of the technical team.

Then the lights go out. Silence. Jules returns, this time alone. Not a technician, but the artist himself. They delicately step forward, pick up their electric guitar, and position themselves in front of the microphone. Each gesture is measured, tender, almost timid. Little by little, a presence takes hold, subtle and magnetic.

The first note resonates. The voice unfolds, soft and narrative, like a thread guiding us through a mysterious story. Behind it, electroacoustic textures gradually build: strange, enveloping, constant layers, to which the guitar responds with striking precision and intention. The two worlds fit together perfectly, creating a hypnotic balance.

Autotuned vocal effects are added, recalling a hard and ethereal pop, in the continuity of the evening that heralded the next set, that of Chanel Beads. The loops accumulate, slowing down time, plunging the room into a gentle trance. We are no longer just listening to music: we are floating in a suspended space.

Jules puts down his electric guitar, patiently adjusts his electronic textures, before returning with the acoustic. Rawer, rougher, it shifts the atmosphere, adding an unexpected depth. Always graceful, always taking their time, they let each sound breathe, each silence count.

And the audience, captivated, lets itself be drawn into this slow construction, as if witnessing an intimate ceremony where everything unfolds with intention.

A rare moment. Hypnotic. Touching.

Jules Reily does not give a concert: he opens a passage, a space where time becomes emotion.

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latino / Reggaeton

POP MTL | Latin Night at Piccolo Rialto, Almost Hot

by Alain Brunet

We were expecting a torrid night at the Piccolo Rialto, lasting until the wee hours. It was less hellish than expected. The highlight of the night was Isabella Lovestory, who is said to have just crossed the wall in New York, where she is about to be propelled even higher.

A Montrealer originally from Honduras, she plays a more hardcore reggaeton style, often played much faster, with clearly atypical sound effects despite her pop inclinations. Isabella also plays heavily on Latin kitsch, given her sexy midinette look, wiggling around the four corners of the stage.

More rap than singing, her vocal delivery is certainly fiery, but a tad muddled, disheveled, a little lost in the maelstrom. Not bad, we agree, but we’re waiting for the special effects! With a budget that matches Miss Bombshell’s ambitions, we’ll replace the inflatable animals, the Valentine’s Day balloons, and this world of softcore doggies adorning the stage, including the main person concerned. Special mention to her excellent and very creative DJ, the New Yorker Ali RQ, to be watched closely.

An hour earlier, we had arrived in the basement of the Rialto for Jashim, who shines in the Montreal underground for his reggaeton deconstructions and his Afro-Colombian non-binary stance. However, his onstage offering was more conventional than his recordings, which are completely refreshing for their originality and aplomb. Barely half an hour on stage, Jashim left stage right, after a sexy guest provided a counterpoint with her much more neutral, decidedly gender-neutral look.

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Art Rock / expérimental / contemporain / J-Pop / noise / pop psychédélique

POP MTL | TEKE::TEKE Still And Always Unclassifiable

by Marilyn Bouchard

Montreal band TEKE::TEKE delivered a concert that lived up to the expectations of their ecstatic crowd this Friday, September 26th at the Rialto Theatre as part of their appearance at POP MTL. Presenting a collection of their inspired discography, they played through their albums Hagata, Shirushi, and even Jikaku (EP), not to mention the favorite Ezio’s Family, featured on the new Assassin’s Creed.

Flamboyant costumes, eccentric masks, projections of geometric or cloudy figures: we understand that the seven accomplices offered a crazy performance where the energy was at its maximum, both on stage and in the audience.

We were treated to original solos from Yuki Isami on the transverse flute, a complex score from Étienne Lebel on the trombone and some moments of raw power from Maya Kuroki on vocals, who was magnetic. Japanese inspiration… unclassifiable!

Inhabiting the stage like her home, sometimes dancing in a contemporary manner and sometimes shouting into the megaphone, she took us on a tour of the plays Meikyu, Setagaya Koya and Ai No Kozuna with passion.

In front of around a thousand people having a blast on the dance floor, the Rialto was transformed into a place of festive trance, worthy of the biggest festivals.

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Punk / Rock

POP MTL | Kasador Sets The Stage on Fire

by Marilyn Bouchard

The four friends from Kingston didn’t wait long to set the stage alight at the Hémisphère Gauche this Thursday, September 25th as part of POP MTL. It was in front of an audience of around thirty people and a black stage backdrop bearing their name that the gunners of Kasador, bearers of Ontario rock & roll, opened their late-night performance.

They immediately warmed up the atmosphere with Youth, immediately setting the crazy tone and the supercharged energy of their performance. They played excerpts from Broad & Bloom, Youth and their most recent EPs Kasador I and II with intensity, passing through Could’ve Loved You, Talk About It and Skeleton Park.

The fun and complicity between the members was palpable and Cameron, visibly amused, offered us some well-aimed kicks in the air to mark the accents of Stephen’s percussive playing. Halfway through, the crowd began to loosen up with them just in time for the most danceable, culminating with R.I.P Me Down for an anticipated finale. A short but electrifying concert, which made us forget the rain by offering us 45 minutes of raw emotion and gentle rock.

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Americana / Folk Rock

POP MTL | The Codas Make New Friends

by Marilyn Bouchard

The Codas, invited by POP Montreal as part of their Counterfeit Cowboy Tour, gently embarked on the Left Hemisphere stage this September 25. From Kingston, Ontario, just like their friends from Kasador, their relatively new appearance (2019) in no way takes away from the prominent place they have carved out for themselves on the Canadian independent scene.

They drew on material from their EPs Chasing Sun and Is This Us, leaving out none of the most popular: Habit, One Foot out the Door and Eyes Closed were on the list.

Through the unique folk-rock songs tinged with Americana, the initially shy audience grew closer, becoming captivated and attentive to their rich vocal harmonies and Braden’s charismatic sensibility.

The musicians also surprised us with two recent singles, Last Call and Poison, making this performance unique for early fans. We were treated to an inspired solo, surprise electric violin arrangements, as well as several beautiful three-part moments that were worth the detour. With this performance full of emotion and hypnotic melodies, The Codas did not fail to seduce new ears and rock Montreal.

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Folk Rock / Indie Pop / Pop-Rock

Pop MTL | Erika Hagen Incants Ghosts at Rialto

by Florence Cantin

As the opening act for Michel Pagliaro, I discovered Erika Hagen and her first solo album, Pouvoirs magiques, released last April. A lovely succession of firsts for a Wednesday evening—that’s what Pop Montréal is all about, basically.

Those who shun the first parts can go to hell.

In this new project, the ardor of punk meets the roughness of garage-folk, all carried by a rock and indie-pop base. Hagen’s poetry is particularly evident in the contrast between resistance and nostalgic tenderness. It’s a world where ghosts are friends, gently slipping between the walls of our apartments. Magical powers don’t exist, despite all our superstitions and good intentions. Women are free to scream, spit, break things, run, and much more.

The dreamlike riffs are completely magnified by Louis-Solem Pérot’s bass. He serves the songs with a rare pop agility, exploiting the simplicity of the notes to add a texture that adds richness to the whole. Then there’s a dazzling playfulness to Hagen’s playing. She surprises us with unexpected breaks in rhythm. Her unique way of addressing the audience keeps us on the edge of our seats.

I’m thinking in particular of Anita, a song dedicated to her late grandmother: “Anita, you won’t come back, you’ll drag your wool skirt through all the cities of Europe.” Beyond the music, her throat tight with emotion, she presents us with portraits and stories that enter through the ear, and soon, we find ourselves seeing them take shape before our eyes. The virtuosity of her writing has a lot to do with it. She is superb to see in concert.

Photo: Louis Longpré

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Darkwave / EDM / Electro-Punk

POP MTL: Slash Need: No stage, No Chairs, No Borders.

by Loic Minty

The crowd formed in a wide semi-circle around Slash Need, held at a distance by the volcanic presence of the singer Dusty Lee. They walked on hot coals at the edge of the periphery, holding with wide eyes the dumbfounded stare of the audience. Behind them, what looked like a mad scientist (Alex Low) with aviator glasses was turning the knobs on screeching filters, which turned acid basses into growling animals. It was a primordial whole, combining sensuality and anger not only through their music, but also in their daring attire and performance. One of the members walked through the crowd with flashlights and a stocking over their head, blinding the phone cameras and enclosing us in the moment. It was clear there was no escape. A sample rang out after their first song: “you came here to have fun, to dance? Well those were the last guys.”

It was a much-needed reminder that music doesn’t only serve to entertain or to sell. Slash Need is the opposite of an anesthetic; they are what they say. And in a world of aesthetics where identity is trivially displayed, they carry the torch of bands like Suicide or Pussy Riot, who turned their backs on likability to make something real. Just because, why not?

Despite being combatant, their performance was welcoming to the body’s physicality. Everyone was dancing, at least to some degree, over the contagious sequenced basslines and drum machine rhythms. Between this and the lyrics literally screaming to “feel your body”, the entire experience amounted to a grounding sense of self. In the end, the message was quite positive. Behind a violent delivery was a tender care for the audience, in the desire to remove them from the mind’s cage.