With Andrew Rose! Episode 50! A special extended 2008 year in review episode!

PopCast #50 - 2008 is Broken (for Henry)

Actually, I know that I've done way more than 50 of these things since I started this podcast back in 2005. Chalk it up to way too many "Side A"s and "Part 2s". It being a special end of year wrap-up, and twice as long as your standard episode, there was no way I was going to call it "Episode 47" or something lame like that. So here you have it, ten songs from ten great albums that came out this year, plus some extra nuggets.

Dedicated to Henry Benjamin Rose, born October 30th, 2008.

Dan on stage at Goiânia Noise Festival

The sun is warmer, the food tastes better, the women are more beautiful and people are just so damn nice. With a population of around 1.5 million there is no overwhelming urban pressure or tension like you find in a city like Sao Paolo and this creates the perfect backdrop for the Goiânia Noise Festival.

In its 14th year GNF has become a mainstay on the Brazilian Festival Circuit, and it provides a refreshing antidote to the corporate festivals that bring in bigger “indie” names to Sao Paolo or Rio. The aesthetic of GNF is rooted in Goiânia’s traditional slogan “Goiânia Rock City”. Garage Rock, Punk and Metal are what people live and breathe. The festival is run by the loveable Fabricio Nobre who is also one of the owners of local label Monstros Discos and lead singer of MQN, who in my mind put on the show of the festival (see attached photo of me moshing on stage with 100 other fans).

Other highlights included Marcello Carmello, Lucy and the Popsonics, The Black Lips, Holger, Helmet and Instituto. However, the real highlight is the vibe of the fest, the music is what brings people together but it is the spirit of the communal party that is the real magic.

So, basically there is lot’s hanging out and everything that you associate with this activity. Everyone from the volunteers to the vendors, to the fans, the production manager bands, and all the people involved come together and put on a super fun time. It’s a laid back atmosphere, everything is at least an hour late and no one seems to give a fuck because they are having so much fun!

Here's a must-see video from the 2008 Goiania festival:

Ascension @ Cool Fest 08

Slush, noise, darkness and 50. Colors, faces, thunderbolts and bangs. A wish to get it all together into an unifying tide, a dense and motionless sonic vision like a cauldron full of tar. Sighs like pieces of soul thrown at the face of boredom as a challenge. The sound of those who have seen and heard everything, swallowing and swallowing and spitting the beautiful and the ugly back in a black and chaotic form, without sensorship. A warm den, hardcore music and a really special night. Cool Fest 8 was an essential antidote for those who thought that the Montreal noise scene was over after the glory days of the Constellation label. Pictures and videos below!

Human Highway

Buy your tickets here!

Pop is almost inaugurating the mile-end crew's (Casa/Sala) new venue with Human Highway's first concert in Montreal on December 15. The duo of Jim Guthrie and Nick Thorburn plus a full band will unite in an effort to interpret the folk-pop songs from their new album Moody Motorcycle. The music could make you think about what a certain mister Beck Hansen was doing a while ago. Or even about the tamest Unicorns songs, back in the days when Pop Montreal was still in it's first years. Fans of Nick Thorburn's softer side (think "Don't call me Whitney, Bobby" or "Bucky Little Wing") will be ecstatic. The Magic and Archivist will be playing just before, and the venue is located at 179 Jean-Talon West.

An industrial loft located at #402 of 6545 Durocher will be taken over by weird sounds during the course of the 3-days long Cool Fest (December 12-13-14). This space is called La Brique, and will probably see a lot of people coming in and out during the next Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The people in there intend to "anticipate Winter Solstice, celebrating the darkest days of the year with creativity in music and fun." Over 30 bands will be there to make you wish you had a cool loft space of your own. Don't let the veggie cuisine and the smoke-free environment fool you though, this is a challenging festival. Who's playing? Panopticon Eyelids, Holy Cobras, Dreamcatcher, Metalux, Mouthus, Wax Attic, Exhaust and many more. It doesn't get more underground than this, folks. Get your festival pass for 15$ at the usual independant record stores or pay 10$ at the door every night!

More info and a free Cool Fest '07 compilation here!

Atelier Woodenapples

Pop Montreal wants to divert your attention for a few seconds. We just think you should know about four of the big arts & crafts sales that are going to be held very soon!

L'Atelier Circulaire presents Prêt à emporter III, their annual print sale. Last year, we could find over 300 different artworks, all of them sold at very low prices, never going over a hundred dollars. The sale will be taking place at 5445 de Gaspé (espace 101) from December 5 to 20. It's in the Mile-End area.

La Galerie + Boutique Headquarters is also organizing a sale that's called It's Probably Worth More Than That III. Once again, nothing will be sold over the price of a hundred dollars. A great collection of artworks from artists coming from all over the globe, at 1646 Amherst, in the Gay Village. It all starts on December 12!

Seripop, the famous poster makers, will be holding a sale too! Visit the Hundred Sided Die (5334 de Gaspé, #1202) on Saturday, December 21 to get new posters at discount prices and even slightly damaged ones for 5 bucks. If you just wish to learn about the wonders of printing, it is also a good way to make contact with some of the best in town.

Atelier Woodenapples sadly has to close its doors before the end of the year. There will be a huge closing sale at this little shop that's just next door to Phonopolis, at 5403 Parc. All the merch will be sold 20% off starting today. After boxing day, you will be able to get the object of your dreams at 40% off, if it's still there!!!

We wish to thank everyone who made it out to Saturday's artisan & craft fair at St. Michael's Church. You now have hopefully some nice gifts for your friends & lovers & family, or if anything, some great ideas to make your own crafts in the future.  BINGO was a riot, as usual, and we promise to perfect our skills to make future times even better.

In the meanwhile, as a little gift for your presence (even your virtual attendance by meaning to be there), here's Dan's rum punch recipe that helped keep the giddiness factor high that night.

It's December, and that can mean only one thing: retrspective qualitative & quantitative listmaking for music lovers!  The interweb will soon be awash with BEST OF '08 lists, from writers' picks to readers' choices, and it's a good time to see how off the mark or dead-on your favorite or most reviled source for music news actually is.

Pitchfork proposes its annual readers poll, and you only have until December 7th to cast your vote for your favorite albums of the year, which band you're stoked to have seen reunited, or who doesn't deserve all the press they've gotten over the past year.  The list is a little parochial and naturally pitchforky (pitchforchial?), but there are some worthy votes to be cast, especially if you care to underline the well-deserved success of our local friends, Plants & Animals (best album and best new artist), or to deflate some more questionable headliners (I will abstain from nay-saying here, in the spirit of giving and not taking). 

And if you do feel like sending us your opinions, feel free to list them here.  We will be posting soon some of the staff's picks of the year.  In the meanwhile, here is a clip of Fuck Buttons, whose album I enjoyed, but whose single 'Sweet Love for Planet Earth' ranks near the top on my list of Best Singles of what has been a pretty astounding year.