POP Montréal | Nabihah Iqbal, Authentic and Universal

by Alain Brunet

Nabihah Iqbal grew up with rock and metal, and her musical culture is clearly British, if not global. The London-born artist bears a Muslim name from southern Asia, and she tells us she doesn’t drink alcohol, preferring a drink made in Montreal. So what?

These are the only possible clues to her origins. I insist on this presentation, because what we love about Nabihah Iqbal has little or nothing to do with these considerations.

We listen to her music with consummate pleasure, and soon come to the conclusion that this gifted artist has everything it takes to be a citizen of the world, open, fulfilled and creative, while at the same time embracing her origins.

There was a time when Westerners of Caucasian origin expected their fellow citizens of non-Western origin to express their native culture through their actualizations in a Western context. Fortunately, this colonialist expectation of an ethno-cultural ornament no longer exists, or is steadily declining. This was clearly demonstrated on Saturday evening at the Rialto Hall, which was better packed than at any time during POP Montreal’s 23rd presentation.

The rhythms of this brilliant thirty-something’s music are binary or ternary, the harmonies tonal or modal, the lyrics universal. Her aesthetic draws on ethereal wave rock, the rock relative of ambient electronica. His work is somewhat reminiscent of that of the previous generation in the UK, such as Cocteau Twins, certain works by Massive Attack, My Bloody Valentine, Lush and other projects endorsed by the 4AD label in the 80s and 90s.

In fact, Nabihah Iqbal fuses the two and adapts them to her creative ambitions. As an orchestral designer and leader, and master of her own destiny, she has teamed up with her saxophonist and electro producer partner Aldous RH.

We were treated to a variety of rich proposals at different levels of intensity, sometimes heavier, sometimes more ethereal, all belonging to a coherent, fluid, accessible and, above all, highly inspired universe. That of Nabihah Iqbal, who certainly conquered the floor of the Rialto Hall. Will the hundreds of fans who turned out on Saturday spread the good news? To ask the question is to answer it: here’s a tangible buzz, for the best of reasons.

Photo Credit: Sarah ODriscoll

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Electronic / Hip Hop

POP Montréal | First of many Bastid BBQs in Montreal ?

by Eric Cohen

When Paul Murphy, aka Skratch Bastid – one of Canada’s premiere scratch DJs (nay – one of the world’s premiere scratch DJs) throws a party, it’s undoubtedly going to be a banger. When he throws a cookout – add burgers and beers to the banger and you’ve got Bastid’s BBQ!

Starting at 3 pm on a sunny Saturday afternoon in Montreal’s Mile End, the first ever Pop MTL edition of Bastid’s BBQ took over the Marche des Possibles space on September 28th – hopefully the first of many. The battle DJ from Halifax received all the accolades when he competed in worldwide competitions like DMC, ITF and Scribble Jam as a young DJ, earning a reputation as one of the most talented and creative turntablists in the world (anyone who has ever seen his Imperial March routine will know he is the GOAT)! His BBQ featured some high caliber local talent, as well as international guests, culminating in party rocking sets by Bastid himself, and one of LA’s most celebrated turntablists, DJ Nu-Mark (from Jurassic 5 fame).

After a day filled with burgers, beatboxing, and breakin’, Bastid came on at 8 pm – the crowd had already gathered and assembled into a high vibing community of hip hop heads reliving some of the glory days!

The celebrated DJ delivered a hype set of classic rap traxx, backpacker beats, house vibes, dancehall riddims and plenty of golden era hip hop anthems with ease. Sonically, everything was warm colours and deep bass when Bastid took over the 1’s and 2’s with his vintage selections mixed to perfection. The crowd was vibing hard to Bastid’s turntable acrobatics as he seemingly made entirely new beats from slivers of other songs and proving why he is one of the most people no active and creative forces in the scratch DJ world.

(check out out the video below for an example from the BBQ)

To finish off the night, California’s DJ Nu-Mark hit the stage, with an explosive right out the gate, seamlessly mixing some of the badassest beats from the hip hop history books, rocking the party right, while curating a perfect playlist, and cutting it up with sensational dexterity. Here is hoping this is the first of many Bastid BBQs in Montreal in the future!

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New Wave / Punk Rock / Rock

POP Montréal | Edith Nylon, Reappearance? Appearance!

by Alain Brunet

Édith Nylon and her pals from that era have a keen interest in making their presence last. The third card in the resurrection line-up at POP Montréal, the French singer was of interest only to collectors of memories.

Anyone interested in France’s punk rock and new wave scene 45 years ago would have listened to Edith Nylon, her cheapskate keyboards and razor-sharp guitars spread over four albums.

And then others took over, and Edith Nylon disappeared. It seems that the adventure continued elsewhere than in our ears, on the other side of the puddle, especially since Edith Nylon had never crossed it to perform in Montreal. So was this a reappearance or an outright apparition? More precisely, the band reformed in 2020, after a 37-year hiatus! One album was released in 2021, and it seems that others will follow La fin de la vie sauvage, and the newest one Echo, Bravo.

And so, the ageless punkette, Mylène Khaski, arrives after her colleagues have warmed up their instruments and started the groove. These cheerful, grizzled bards may be in the 55-65 bracket, but they haven’t lost their fire.

Yes, the drums are a little thin, but they hold the tempo well. Yes, the guitars are less razor-sharp than they used to be and dominate the keyboards. Yes, the soloist doesn’t have the voice of the century, but she’s got it. And yes, you can certainly feel the band’s esprit de corps. We feel their joy in playing, we appreciate their cohesion, and we observe their inclination more rock than punk, more classical than disheveled. All in all, it was a delight, even if the old hits weren’t as plentiful as nostalgic fans might have wished. Of course, in addition to “Avorton,” La Fin de la vie sauvage and Ne dis pas oui ne dis pas non, Khaski sang the essential “Edith Nylon.” It goes without saying that the audience reached a climax.

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Chamber Pop / Indie Pop / Indie Rock / indietronica / Pop / Rock

POP Montréal | We Were Stars

by Lyle Hendriks

It’s hard to place another band that has experienced the trajectory of Montreal-formed indie pop outfit Stars. Celebrating the 20-year anniversary of one of their most iconic albums, Set Yourself On Fire, we were treated to the LP in its entirety, with all the live refinements that come with playing with all original members of the band for more than two decades.

Stars have a reputation for their unique outlook on their fans, a deep and genuine gratitude that’s earned them a niche but truly hardcore following that hasn’t waned over the years. It was a pleasure to see this attitude firsthand when Stars took the stage in front of a sold-out house in the beautiful Rialto Theatre. Lead vocalist Torquil Campbell exudes a humble grace onstage, looking out upon hundreds of smiling faces with a warmth and kindness that’s hard to put into words. “We wrote these songs for you,” he said, “Because we knew you were out there.”

Stars bring stunning confidence to these old tracks, elevating them even further with the brilliantly placed additions of saxophone and violin, which add an elegant touch of nuance and orchestral beauty to their cavernous tracks. Vocalist and guitarist Amy Millan can hardly stop smiling long enough to deliver her delicate but delicious high-end vocals, while bassist Evan Cranley pounces across the stage with every note. Chris Seligman’s synthesizer work is beautifully moderated, deftly weaving in between hair-raising riffs from Chris McCarron on lead guitar. Millan and Campbell’s voices are true magic together, and when Cranley and Seligman hop on the mic to support, we’re treated to a harmonic feast for the ears.

Of course, it’s hard to compliment the vocals of Stars without mentioning the other guest performers: Nearly every member of the crowd. I found myself awe struck at the sheer dedication and love on display from the audience, who danced, cheered, and sang along in a way that I’ve scarcely seen, even from sold-out arena shows by world-famous musicians. It was so palpable that Stars let us sing the last song of the set, “Calendar Girl” from start to finish, word for word—a beautiful chorus of hundreds of voices coming together over their shared adoration of Stars.

Stars is a phenomenon in the truest sense of the word. What other artist commands such dedication from so many, with such effortless ease? What Canadian indie band boasts the longevity and endurance of this one? Who else rejects the idea of being an idol and instead reflects all the love and gratitude back at us without the slightest hint of irony or cynicism? Stars is a band unlike any other, and it was a pleasure to watch them take this well-deserved victory lap.

Photos by Stephan Boissonneault

Indie Pop / Indie Rock / Rock

POP Montréal I The Dears Bring Out the Big Guns

by Lyle Hendriks

It’s not every day you go to see a Canadian indie-rock band and see a whopping 14 people take the stage. But this was exactly the arrangement for The Dears at POP Montreal in the Mile End’s beautiful Rialto Theatre. The five-piece band led by Murray Lightburn and Natalia Yanchak was supported by an incredible nine-piece ensemble of strings, brass, woodwind, and even a conductor. Knowing next to nothing about The Dears and their storied, 24-year history of indie chamber pop, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this small orchestra.

Playing their 2003 album No Cities Left in its entirety, we were treated to a set of truly epic proportions. Nearly every song stretched on for a minimum of five minutes, with new sections and parts crashing in again and again like waves against the shore.

Lightburn, once dubbed ‘The Black Morrissey’ on account of his powerful, intricately melodic vocals, put on a rapturous display behind the mic, on guitar, and even for a few spirited melodica sections. Each ballad could easily serve as the climactic number in an indie sleaze musical, with his tenor tones piercing through the dense web of instrumentation provided by the huge ensemble on stage. Keyboard player and vocalist Natasha Yanchuk is an incredible performer, with meandering yet decisive piano melodies that never end up quite where you’d expect. When Yanchuk and Lightburn harmonize, it comes with the poise and grace that can only come with intense familiarity, which makes sense when you consider the pair have been married for the majority of their decades-long working relationship.

Off-kilter arrangements, perplexing, minimalist lead guitar, and immaculate drumming meant the core five-piece was a smash-hit success. While the supporting players certainly elevated these arrangements at times, I found myself wishing The Dears would do more with their fleet of musicians—particularly the brass, who seemed to stand there swaying for most of the set, getting one or two shoehorned phrases of playing time for every three songs The Dears played. This was my only real complaint for The Dears. While the strings add beautiful depth and texture to the orchestral pop effects of The Dears, to elevate this iconic album, I found myself wanting more space carved away for the horns and strings, incorporating them into the arrangements rather than relegating them to the sidelines.

With all that said, it was an invigorating show by The Dears, and Lightburn and his army of musicians left nothing behind on the stage. The crowd found their performance sensational—including Lightburn’s mom, who watched from the VIP balcony beaming and singing every word. The Dears might not be exactly to my taste, but their passion is undeniable and made them a pleasure to watch on the final evening of POP Montreal.

Photos by Stephan Boissonneault

Electro-Rock / Electronic / Glam Rock / punk hardcore / Punk Rock / Rock

POP Montréal | Alix Fernz’s Cutting Edge

by Alain Brunet

Alix Fernz aka Alexandre Fournier has been the talk of the town ever since the Mothland label put him on the map. And that’s only the beginning, as the Montreal artist travels the indie festival circuit, feeding a burgeoning myth. We could testify to this on Saturday at the Sala Rossa.

Alix Fernz and his band defended a small part of Bizou, an album released in April that certainly didn’t go unnoticed. Not very tall, not very well built, but nevertheless athletic, tattooed all over, hair peroxide. Clearly, the underwritten frontman is banking on a familiar rock star profile.

As he himself states when asked, Alix Fernz is in no way a fan of psychedelia, ambient or other placid frequencies he considers bland or downright brown. He clearly prefers more muscular, more square, more rock, more punk, more post-punk, more glam, more hardcore, more synthwave, more noise. He prefers to smell the polyethylene flowers, to borrow the title of a recent song of his. He’s prone to evocative tales of song, which he calls Muselière, Crack de dent, Cage en verre, L’étranglé, Défigurée and more.

The intense attitude and look of Fernz and his fearsome creatures draw on punk imagery, but the apparent roughness of the craftsmanship doesn’t exclude more complex rhythmic and harmonic structures.

There’s the rigor of prog and metal when these styles are well executed, but the shagginess of the interpretation camouflages the rigor, fortunately.

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Blues / Folk / Jazz / Reggae / Rock

POP Montréal | Yves Jarvis, The Power Trio Chapter

by Alain Brunet

Since he moved to Montreal a decade ago, I’ve been assiduously studying the work of Jean Sébastien Yves Audet under his aliases: Faux Fur, Un Blonde, and finally Yves Jarvis, for quite some time now.

The Anti- label even saw it in its soup, and we believed it would propel us into the first division. We’re still waiting, and yet the interest is still there.

Yves Jarvis and his predecessors have explored many musical territories, and they continue to do so.

On Friday at Casa del Popolo, we were packed in like pickles to enjoy Jarvis’ trip through the Hendrixian power trio, sometimes inclined towards Joni Mitchell harmonies, then roots reggae and more, as you’d expect. Blues, rock, funk, folk, reggae, jazz, and a picture of John Coltrane on his chest. Nothing to test this ever-young man, so gifted, so free.

Yves Jarvis may use familiar references, but he’s anything but a clone of a pop-rock classic.

This Friday, we saw and heard that the man has matured enormously, occupying space with such resources and taking so much time to tune his guitars.

Excellent guitar riff, excellent soloist, gifted singer, accompanied by bass and drums. Solid across the board, the power trio episode is thrilling and illustrates once again the total freedom of thought expressed by Yves Jarvis. As the embodiment of anti-strategy, will Yves Jarvis be able to keep on taking the back roads for much longer, and keep his character alive? Only time will tell.

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Garage Rock

POP Montréal | The Fleshtones, Another Rise in Coolness

by Alain Brunet

In addition to its role as a showcase for emerging culture, POP Montréal is also an occasion for resurrections and the revival of coolness. Beverly Glenn-Copeland was the big catch this year. The Fleshtones’ protopunk-infused garage rock was also a prime catch.

Since the 70s, these creatures from New York have been raking, ploughing and ruminating on a rock that’s still as wonderfully unfinished as ever.

This crookedness, a little soft and clumsy in execution, this groove a tad Stonian at times, could have produced a short-lived effect. And yet, 40 years on, The Fleshtones are still throwing us a good sludge! They themselves are part of the work, it has to be said. Their energy isn’t that of their 20s, but that of their 60s remains remarkable and inspiring for younger fans of the rock thing, who weren’t able to experience that rock effervescence in New York in the 70s and 80s.

In 2024, Peter Zaremba knows how to lead the slams, interspersing his introductions with charming phrases in French for the MTL audience, and quoting the feats of arms of the Fleshtones and colleagues of their era – Television, Stooges, Blondie, Ramones, etc. Fellow bassist Ken Fox can count on a screaming voice à la Brian Johnson (AC/DC), he contributes to Bill Milhizer’s groove on drums, while guitarist Keith Streng feeds them with gravelly riffs.

In short, Zaremba and his henchmen still know how to shake the cage, or more precisely, Pop Montreal’s marquee (Marché des Possibles). The set ended with an impromptu parade of Fox and Zambera around the sound console, after a series of joyful encores.

Nice!

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Alt Folk / alt-latino / Electronic / latino

POP MONTRÉAL | A Deep, Feminist Latina Evening

by Michel Labrecque

The Sala Rossa was packed for this triple concert of Spanish-speaking voices. They sang a lot, applauded a lot, shouted a lot. A mostly Latino audience, but not the only one. Because the musical creativity of this part of the world also attracts curious onlookers seduced by the genre.

The highlight of the evening was Mexican singer Silvana Estrada, who brought the evening to a close. What can I say? Her very special voice pierces us, bewitches us, captivates us, lulls us. Whether we understand the words or not, her vocal range and tremolos, inspired by both Western and indigenous music, plunge us into the depths of the Mexican soul. And we are transfixed by the journey.

Alone on stage, with guitar, ukulele and electric piano, Silvana Estrada says she’s delighted to be coming to Montreal this season. Her last show in the middle of winter traumatized her. She will also be part of the tribute to Lhasa De Sela, at Rialto on September 29 and 30.

Half the room knew the words to her songs. It was total communion between Silvana and her audience. A Mexican woman standing next to me was immersed in total ecstasy.

It was a moment of grace. Silvana’s solo performance enhanced her voice, which is still magnificent on the studio recordings, but a little more subdued due to the more sophisticated orchestrations.

In the second half, Colombian-born Montrealer Lapelúda presented the inner journey of an abused woman on the road to healing.

It’s an introspective alt-folk musical proposition, led by Lapelúda’s warm voice, with a tightly-knit quartet of musicians, including two percussionists. We journey with the artist on the road to recovery. The music becomes less sad and more soothing as the concert progresses. She tells us about a love song written in a state of traumatic shock.

Lapelúda sometimes speaks in Spanish, sometimes in English, sometimes in Quebecois French without a Spanish accent. In fact, her album Caidas (2022) includes songs in French. By the way, it’s a magnificent album.

Lapelúda (The Hairy) is definitely one to watch.

This Latin evening was kicked off by the Mexicoise Gabriella Olivo, who grew up in Quebec City, the daughter of a Mexican-Quebec couple. Along with Maritza and Noé Lira, this young woman is part of this trend of reappropriating their origins, despite having essentially grown up and lived in Quebec.

Gabriella composes in both French and Spanish, with a hint of English thrown in for good measure. Her music is largely indie-folk, which would benefit from being presented with a live band. Yesterday, there was only an accompanist, with instrumental samplings.

Gabriella Olivo will soon be releasing a new EP. She’s an emerging artist to watch, with undoubted talent and creativity.

In short, I spent a wonderful evening in the company of these ladies. It’s extremely interesting to see the nebula of new Latin music growing, both here and in the Americas. And the audience that follows.

Muy bien…No?

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Pop / Synth-Glam / Synth-Pop

POP Montréal | Faux Real… Real Madness!

by Marianne Collette

To say that Franco-American duo Faux Real have a good stage presence is a perfect understatement.

On Thursday evening at the Piccolo Rialto, the tandem spared no effort in delighting their audience, who gave it their all. Most of the tunes were taken from their debut album, Faux Maux, which is still in gestation and should be available in its entirety on October 11.

How to describe them? If you put an ’80s boy band, glam rock and a healthy dose of synth-pop in a blender, you’d probably get something like this.

With their boundless energy, brothers Virgil and Elliot Arndt performed a succession of classics (but can they really be called “classics”?), accompanied by synchronized dance moves to the delight of the audience, who were frequently invited to dance in turn.

And it was inspiring to see a band that manages to pull it off without a huge budget. Just give them a microphone and a soundtrack and off they go. Even the stage seems optional, as the duo leave it at every moment to join the crowd. The show even came to an intimate close, with the duo asking to be lit only by the light of the crowd’s cell phones. All in all, a great atmosphere was created for what was undoubtedly a perfectly successful party.

Photo Credit: Sarah Driscoll

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chanson keb franco / Drum & Bass / Électronique / Footwork / Ghettotech / jungle / Pop / Synth-Pop

POP Montreal | And God Created Virginie B

by Alain Brunet

Nearly an hour spent Thursday evening with Virginie B at the Belmont imposes this testimony of approval.

The singer attracts attention for her extravagant and (very) sexy outfits, her infectious lasciviousness and her ability to throw herself all over the place in front of an audience. Virginie B has the talent to surround herself with excellent musicians, and her artistic direction is fine, enlightened and visionary in a pop context.

A backdrop of a circular screen, highly competent musicians, a genuine stage beast, a talented frontwoman who soon made us forget the relative tenuity of her vocal organ, reminiscent of feminine French pop.

Their musical influences, however, have little to do with the pop of their cousins, drawing instead on Flying Lotus and all those LA jazz funksters converted to hip-hop à la J Dilla. Virginie B is also inspired by the frenetic grooves of footwork and ghettotech in the USA and (less) jungle/drum’n’bass in the UK.

His soul-pop tunes and penchant for easy-listening soften these pointed references, while the lyrics (mostly) written in good-natured Quebecois French create a certain familiarity and certainly raise the level of our local pop.

As we saw after the release of her album Insula (2022), Virginie B has great taste. Because she knows how to put her sharp sense of pop culture to good use. Because she also knows how to build her own whimsical, sensual persona, with just the right touch of self-mockery.

In short, she puts on quite a show!

The 100-euro question then comes to mind: will Virginie B break into the European market and increase her fan base tenfold? Let’s hope so, because the album Astral 2000, just released by Bonsound, is in no way inferior to any production of its kind beyond our borders… and extremely rare in the French pop world.

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Americana / classique / Gospel

POP Montréal | A Touching Evening With Beverly and Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland

by Alain Brunet

Beverly Glenn-Copeland enjoyed success in her twilight years. The major success of a documentary film, Keyboard Fantasies: The Beverly Glenn-Copeland Story, had the effect of inflating the coolness and propelling the career of this non-binary octogenarian, a trans man with no apparent gender, whose personality exudes grace and goodness.

Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s biographical profile indicates that her African-American father could play the great romantic works on the piano, and that her mother knew a vast repertoire of gospel songs.

This astonishing artist was one of the first Afro-descendant students to come from the USA to study music at McGill University, at the turn of the 60s.

What we heard at the Rialto on Thursday evening perfectly illustrates this balance between European classical heritage and Afro-American culture: her contralto or tenor voice bears witness to classical training, but is also imbued with gospel, reminiscent of Afro-descendant classical singers singing the sacred songs of American gospel.

Accompanied by his lifelong companion, singer-songwriter Elizabeth, Beverly performed to a packed house, featuring a seasoned choir, keyboards and light percussion.

In front of an attentive audience, admiring if not dazzled by this experience, the Glenn-Copeland couple offered a retrospective program based on beautiful folk or gospel melodies, songs arranged for several voices.

Beverly Glenn-Copeland was welcomed as a pioneer of his own composite identity, but also as a new-age composer before that label existed, an iconoclastic designer who even created constituent materials of techno, taken up by its founding fathers – Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May.

On Thursday evening at the Rialto, there was no question of this contribution, but rather a concert focusing on the choral repertoire of Beverly and Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland, with a few percussive returns to the African legacy.

Really nothing memorable compositionally, but a very touching, warm, comforting and hopeful evening for the humans of the LGBTQ+ community. And for all of us, too.

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