Immerse yourself in festive, summery Montreal at its best with the free outdoor frenzy of the FrancoFolies de Montréal, June 13-22, 2013. Just like the Montreal Jazz Fest will a bit later in the season, the Francos animate the whole Quartier des Spectacles with music and joy – the only difference is that the acts in this fest are in French. What better way than to experience la belle ville? Among the indoor paying shows this year there are at least seven umissably cool acts – do yourself a favour and check them out.

Marseilles’ Keny Arkana is a newbie at the Francos but an old hat at speaking her mind and dropping sick rhymes made en France. Catch her with Quebec’s own Souldia, from the FaceKché 187 collective, who opens. (June 14, 7 pm, at Club Soda)

There’s no hotter name in the French world than Karim Ouellett, a French Canadian prince of folk, pop, electro and soul. His opener is soulful blues funnyman Féfé – previously from the Saïan Supa Crew – on his first trip to Québec. (June 16, 7 pm, at Club Soda)

As the 1990s ambassadors of French rap, IAM shared the stage with Public Enemy, James Brown and Madonna. They’re back in Montreal with blamd new licks – and some old school hits too. The Québécois duo Taktika has the honour of opening. (June 18, 9 pm, at Metropolis)

Coeur de Pirate is one of Quebec’s sweetest superstars. She’s played huge venues with dozens of accompanying musicians over the last few years, but this show sees her play solo, in a warm, intimate space. Electro popper Fanny Bloom opens. (June 20, 8:30 pm, at Gésu centre de créativité)

He’s got am=n enchanting voice and sings sweetly about dark things. Peter Peter has a sound you’ll remember, situated somehwerre between electro and poetry. French band La Femme will kick the night off with some addictive electro punk. (June 20, 7 pm, at Club Soda)

Her accent is only half the ear candy – Lisa Leblanc, from Acadie, has guts and attitude and a killer smile too. She paints pictures of moments with each song and will have you signing along even if you’re just guessing the words. Switzerland’s answer to Cajun, Mama Rosin, open. (June 20, 9 pm, at Metropolis)

Oxmo Puccino is fierce and sharp and a hell of a lyricist – no wonder the French rapper has taken Quebec by storm. He’s back at the Metropolis, a venue that’s fast becoming his home away from home. The famous Disiz, previously from La Peste, will get the party started. (June 22, 9 pm, at Metropolis)

THE DETAILS

Les FrancoFolies de Montréal, June 13-22, 2013

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The festival, now in its 7th edition, puts together a mix of rock, folk and indie-eclectic shows paired with a music biz conference for musicians and industry professionals from the U.S., the U.K. and around the world.

This year, M for Montreal not only shines the spotlight on an Official Selection of 25 bands, but the weekend’s Le M Fest features 75 more performances at great venues around the city. The first night of the festival, November 14, pays homage to Austin’s sprawling South by Southwest music festival, with performances by Esmerine (featuring members of The Barr Brothers and GSYBE!), Eight and a Half (Broken Social Scene members meet members of The Stills), the synthy solo pop of Mozart’s Sister, and the indie-folk-rock sounds of Half Moon Run at La Sala Rossa.

Like any good festival, fans can show-hop every night to get their fill of bands. Among many great bands on November 15 see Honheehonhee, Kandle, PS I Love You, Young Galaxy, Plaster and No Joy, while on November 16, catch Montreal’s Plants and Animals, Leif Vollebekk, The Misstress Barbara Band, Yan Wagner, Suuns, Solids, Bran Van 3000, and French electronic music from Danger and Le Matos on November 16.

Among the international bands, seven-piece Icelandic folk-pop band Of Monsters and Men return after making a major impact at this summer’s Osheaga music festival, with sing-alongs and everything – they play Metropolis on November 17. That same night, on the lower-fi, higher-noise end, witness New York City’s A Place To Bury Strangers, Philadelphia band Bleeding Rainbow, and Montreal’s Yamantaka//Sonic Titan, whose pop-opera was a bizarroland vision at this year’s Pop Montreal, plus the excellent Ctznshp, all at La Sala Rossa. And California’s punk-rap Death Grips and multi-talented Mykki Blanco play the Corona Theatre.

For music fans who feel like rock n’ roll one night and Afro-dub beats the next, luck would have it that as a bonus this year, M for Montreal teams up with Mundial Montreal world music festival, November 13-16. Just like M for Montreal, Mundial has an professional conference as well as plenty of live shows, including a festival opener with Louisiana-based The Soul Rebels, Cedric Watson & Bijoux Creole and Montreal musicians Canaille, Marco Calliari and Cécile Doo-Kingué.

From there, go on to see showcases featuring Heavy Soundz, Delhi2Dublin, Harry Manx, Marco Calliari, Nomadic Massive, Boogat, Rômmel Ribeiro, Socalled and more. There are even three free afternoon showcases: November 14 at La Chapelle Historique, November 15 at at Petit Campus, and November 16 at the Savoy Metropolis.

THE DETAILS

M for Montreal, November 14-17, 2012

Mundial Montreal, November 13-16, 2012

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(film fest fun) The final weekend of the Festival du Nouveau Cinema has arrived, but there are still plenty of all-new feature films, shorts and documentaries to see, from closing film Camille Redouble by Noémie Lvovsky to an autobiography of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman to concert films about Peaches and The Chemical Brothers, plus a multimedia, multi-DJ “Suicide Hotel” party on Friday night and closing party on Saturday night with DJ Thomas von PARTY, at Quartier Général. Meanwhile, the 4th edition of the Montreal Stop Motion Film Festival, October 19-21, screens over 70 new stop-motion animation films from Montreal and around the world.

(intrigue on stage) Explore the Plateau and Mile End neighbourhoods via a true Montreal creation: The Phénomena Festival, to October 26. The festival of music, performance and art, is a reinvention of the 10-year-old Festival Voix d’Amériques, dedicated to showcasing the beautiful, strange and poetic artistic voices in this city and further afield. see artist and musician Genisis P-Orridge on stage with spoken-word group Thee Majesty on October 20 at Cabaret du Mile End, in film The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye at Excentris, and with art showing at La Centrale; as well, see Kobol’s marionette show Voodoo at Usine C, Kabin tells 15 stories via 15 small booths on October 20, duo 2boys.tv span the history of their performance career in Generation on October 21, plus free music and performances every evening at 5 p.m. at Divan Orange, featuring Teen Sleuth, Free Opera Ensemble, Jef Barbara and many more, as well as free open mic nights at 11 p.m. at Casa del Popolo.

(frightful & delightful) Halloween starts early this year in Montreal. If you’re downtown at Place des Arts in the Quartier des Spectacles on Saturday around noon, don’t panic: the zombie apocalypse is not upon us, it’s just people dressed up for the Montreal Zombie Walk – join in if you’re zombie-inclined. Freaks of a different sort sing and dance for our pleasure in The Rocky Horror Show, garnering some great  reviews at Mainline Theatre, to October 20. And there’s also something a little freaky – in the most awesome sense – about DJ Food’s The Search Engine, an all-encompassing audio-visual experience like no other, screening in the dome of the surround-sound Satosphere at the SAT, to October 26.

(sports fans) A pro first for Montreal this week: the NBA Canada series pits the New York Knicks against the Toronto Raptors, October 19 at the Bell Centre. And while the NHL season is sadly on hold due to labour talks among hockey players and the league, the spirit of hockey is still strong in Montreal with national women’s hockey champions The Stars, featuring Olympic national team players Kim St-Pierre, Meghan Agosta, Caroline Ouellette and more. The Stars play Boston on October 20 at 5 p.m. and October 21 at 1 p.m. at Étienne Desmarteau Arena.
(tragedy & comedy) An epic 10th-century Japanese folk tale comes to life in choreographer Jiří Kylián’s Kaguyahime, The Moon, produced beautifully by Les Grands Ballet Canadiens, October 11-27. Quebecois playwright Suzie Bastien probes the human psyche in the dramatic The Medea Effect, at Theatre La Chapelle, to October 20. Old Montreal’s Centaur Theatre features Scapegoat Theatre’s take on Euripedes’ tragedy The Bacchae, to October 20, as well as Quebecois playwright Jean Marc Dalpé’s family drama August, An Afternoon in the Country. Meanwhile, the Segal Centre lightens the mood with Broadway musical Guys and Dolls to October 31, and well-known and even well-loved Montreal comedian and Just For Laughs festival veteran Joey Elias brings his One Man Show at Club Soda on October 21.

(urban art) The Montréal/Brooklyn collaborative contemporary art project makes its mark on the city’s gallery scene this weekend, highlighting the artistic similarities and differences between the two urban centres. On Friday and Saturday, new shows open at Centre Clark and artist-run centre articule, as well at galleries in the Belgo building – Galerie SAS, Optica, Galerie Division and Les Territoires – and down the street at Galerie de l’UQAM, featuring multi-artist Vidéozones exhibition (above), and the Musée d’art contemporain, featuring work by Janet Biggs and Aude Moreau.

(live music) Friday night is indie-rock alright with Cat Power playing tunes from her new album Sun at Metropolis, The Sea & Cake at Il Motore, Dragonette at the Corona Theatre, and Brooklyn electro duo Blondes at Le Belmont. Pittsburg rapper Wiz Khalifa, rolls into town with Juicy J, Chevy Woods and many others at Uniprix Stadium on October 20. Monday night goes punk with Off!, The Spits and Double Negative at Foufounes Electriques. On October 23, Dan Mangan brings his folk-rock sensibility to Theatre Corona, San Francisco’s Sic Alps play Divan Orange. The Jezabels rock Cabaret Mile End and Social Distortion shake up Metropolis. Montreal’s Papagroove release their newest album on October 24 at Theatre Plaza – free! Akousma 9, a festival of digital music, brings its immersive audio-visual wonders to Usine C, October 24-27. And the ‘80s are back with Air Supply in an “intimate evening” on October 25 at Metropolis.

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The big deal in Montreal music this month is the always-incredible Pop Montreal. But since it doesn’t kick off until September 29, what are you and your ears to do until then? As always, the Montreal Buzz has you covered with a preview of some of the must-see shows this September.

Peelander-Z , September 4 @ Il Motore: Let’s start off the wonderfully bizarre and awesome Peelander-Z, a “Japanese Action Comic Punk band” who rock as cool a kid’s show as you’ll find anywhere. I mean, did Raffi ever play SXSW?

Kele, September 4 @ Sala Rossa: Kele Okereke, the lead singer of Bloc Party, took his solo debut in an electronic pop direction that manages to keep a healthy does of soul in the mix.

Vampire Weekend, September 8 @ Metropolis: Get tickets to this immediately, if not sooner. The African-influenced New York band Vampire Weekend have more than lived up to the considerable hype surrounding them at this point, while all openers Beach House did was release my favorite album of the last year.

Martha Wainwright, September 9 @ Theatre Outremont: As you can tell from the video below, we here at the Montreal Buzz love us some Martha. (PS- the beautiful Theatre Outremont is the perfect place to see her)

Billy Idol, September 12 @ Metropolis: Punk rock legend Billy Idol needs no more introduction than this song.

Jamie Lidell, September 13 @ Cabaret Juste Pour Rire : Jamie Lidell has explored soul, funk, electronica and more in his career. His latest album, Compass, features a huge range of collaborators including one of the members of Zeus, who are opening up the show.

Shakira, September 15 @ Bell Centre; Her hips don’t lie but her lyrics may sometimes confuse you.

Caribou, September 16 @ Le National : If you like a little brains with your electronic music, Caribou (aka Dan Snaith) is the man for you. Armed with a PhD in Mathmatics, a Polaris Music Prize win and another nomination this year, Caribou is also, it should be noted, a ton of fun live.

Gonzales, September 17 @ Cabaret du Mile End: If you’ve never seen Montreal ex-pat Gonzales in person, take this opportunity to do so. An incredibly engaging live performer.

M.I.A., September 21 @ Metropolis

If all the controversy and hype leading up to the release of M.I.A.’s latest album is any indication, this show will not go quietly into the night.

Polaris Music Prize, September 21^st: Yes, the gala for this event is being held in Toronto. But since I’m a member of the jury and nominees The Besnards Lakes, Karkwa and one half of Tegan and Sara hail from Montreal, we’ll make an exception. Plus you can listen to all of the performances award here and not even have to go to Toronto.

April Wine, September 25 @ Metropolis: I’m not including Canadian rock legends April Wine on here ironically; they’re awesome, full stop.

Best Coast, September 27 @ Sala Rossa: Call Best Coast surf pop, noise pop, chillwave or a 100 other names, they are as buzzy a band as there is out there right now.

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Montreal, July 28, 2010. A newly restored digital copy of the complete Metropolis has its Eastern Canadian premiere as a special gala of the Fantasia film festival in the 3000-seat Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at Place des arts, featuring a new score by Gabriel Thibaudeau of the Cinematheque Quebecoise, performed by a 13-piece orchestra.

Buzz caught up with Thibaudeau after his last rehearsal with the orchestra at the Conservatoire de Montreal. The composer was a tightly wound ball of nerves, nervous for the premiere today of his game-changing, historic new soundtrack to one of his favourite films. “There exists already a score for the film,  it’s really dated music from 1927. It is very operatic—like Wagner or something. But i wanted a much more contemporary approach instead of big swells, there’s more special effects mixed in with the music. I’ve been with the Cinemathèque working with silent films for 20 years, and Metropolis was one of the first films I played on, and I’ve played it many times,” says the composer, who took half a year to compose the new score for the restored version. “Except that I think it was a revelation to see the new version because suddenly, there are some explanations about what Lang meant, some insights into what is really going on in the film.” Thibeaudeau continues that his score is composed of musical fugues that “sometimes not really melodies, just one piece of a tune repeated, building on itself, rather than swelling, symphonic sound. It’s really closer to what we hear these days in the cinema. Especially because Metropolis is a science fiction film, people will think of it differently with this soundrack, they’ll think of it as contemporary…I really want people to feel like this is a film that was shot three weeks ago. These images are less time-stamped than the music. You can really feel the datedness of the film, and the new score freshens it.” His rebuffal to purists who would object to the new score and digital copy: “It’s like saying that you can only enjoy the Mona Lisa by candlelight. Even if it’s a digital copy, the copy is wonderful. And since it will be on a very huge screen, you’ll feel all the mass of the crowd, and the majesty of the images. It will be quite something. ”

July 28th, 7:30 PM, Salle Wilfrid Pelletier

Info here: www.fantasiafestival.com

Guest blogger: Melora Koepke

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