We're taking our show on the road for two swinging industry events coming up in March. CMW & SXSW, yup.

First up is our CMW showcase at thee Mighty Silver Dollar Room in Toronto on March 12th featuring an international line up of awesome talent. The show includes Brazilian dance rockers The Name, Toronto's Youtube sensation Diamond Rings, sexy Montrealers The Peelies, Britain's femme fatale of psych pop Gemma Ray and next big things from Montreal, Parlovr. The show is sure to be banging. Get there early and say hi to our host Dan Burke!

FULL LINEUP

Next up is our SXSW party on Saturday March 20th at Club Paradise in Austin. Austin is hot and our party, simply put, is gonna be a sweaty, funky good time. Highlighted artists include Toronto's diasporic dancehall sensations Bonjay, Montreal's global beat pioneer Poirier featuring MC ZULU, Acadian rap mavericks Radio Radio, and New York's tropical pop duo Tanlines. So come on out and let's get it on!

BONUS AWESOMENESS ---- Stay tuned for more info about the Nacho House parties in Austin

The self-hating youth: Upon the usage of the word ‘hipster’

I remember the first time I ever heard the word ‘hipster’.

We had just finished playing a show at Le Swimming, a now-vanished bar on the most repulsive section of St. Laurent Blvd. Alyssia—a young lady whom I was lucky to know—introduced me to her friend Joel. Clearly, Joel had only sat through the preceding two hours of country music because it gave him a chance to sit beside Alyssia. But now he had to stomach being introduced to the singer on top of it. Amongst men, that’s reason enough to hate the other guy.

“Andy, this is my friend Joel,” Alyssia said. “Joel, this is Li’l Andy.”

We nodded our heads at one another. After a beat, Joel asked, “So: Are you a real farm boy or just a St. Laurent hipster?” I wasn’t sure what to say. What was this ‘hipster’?

I had a vague impression, but nothing I could really pin down. But there was no mistaking Joel’s blunt challenge to my authenticity as a country singer. I played up the work I did around the family farm and claimed that I could drive my dad’s Massey-Harris tractor. Which wasn’t entirely true, but that didn’t matter: whatever a hipster was, I knew I sure didn’t want to be one.

by Anna Phelan

When Pop Montreal asked me to write a tribute to Kate McGarrigle, I immediately thought of the last time I saw Kate, in early December, by the bananas at the PA grocery. In her trademark army green cargo pants, with hair pulled elegantly into a loose bun, we talked about fruit—how bananas go from unripe to brown, how nectarines never seem to reach the desired plump, juicy stage. How things ain’t like they used to be.

I first met her about 10 years ago when I fell in with the next generation of McGarrigle siblings and cousins. I remember feeling nervous about being invited to her house for the first time by her niece one evening in the late fall of 2001. I had grown up listening to the McGarrigle sisters and would keep to myself the fact that I still had a childhood-era poster for Complainte pour Sainte Catherine hanging in my kitchen. We stayed up late that night drinking Jameson, while Kate asked me questions about my childhood, my parents and growing up. This trait of hers to probe, listen and learn was something that never ceased to amaze me; or the way she had of offering some knowledgeable snippet about almost any topic you could think of. She always seemed to understand exactly what you were talking about, and by extension, she had an uncanny talent for understanding exactly who you were. Her ability to synthesize everything you’d ever told her and feed it back to you in the form of considered empathy or confident disapproval, was astounding.

Much has been said about the in-fighting and professional competition between members of the McGarrigle clan, but what I remember is the framed pictures hanging on her walls of family members who routinely graced the covers of Montreal’s weekly newspapers. She never missed a local performance by her children or niece and nephew, and when she fell ill, she would turn up, proffering a gloved hand to friends and fans, accompanied by a joke, or some quip to put you at ease.

That same December day at the grocery store, we bumped carts again in another aisle, where Kate had been wandering aimlessly, agonizing over what to make for supper. I gave her a simple recipe for gnocchi with fresh herbs and sundried tomatoes that I use as my standby whenever I’m feeling unadventurous and hungry. “That sounds delicious,” she said, and with that, she trundled off in search of my list of ingredients. I never did find out how she liked my recipe, but I keep coming back to our shared lament about bananas. Since Kate passed away a week ago, I have returned to the grocery several times for the fruit. I reach for them and flinch, reflecting on just how raw and poignant our pronouncement would become in hindsight. I put the bananas into my cart and think, 'no, things will never be like they used to be.'

HAITI EARTHQUAKE RELIEF BENEFIT UPDATE

Frannie (Random Recipe) with Doody le Tigre

On behalf of POP Montreal, Club Lambi, McAuslan Brewery, the performers and all the people who came out on Sunday January 17th we are pleased to announce that we raised $10 157 for Partners in Health (ZANMI LASANTE). Thanks for all the support and show of solidarity, many spirits were lifted.

We want to continue helping the people of Haiti so please spread the word about the following initiatives that we are supporting in Montreal.

Thursday, January 21 at Club Lambi:

MAXIMUM DE SON POU HAITI - Fundraiser for Oxfam Québec & the Canadian Red Cross

Friday. January 29 at Club Lambi:

MASALA SONO: DJs Masala + Riddim Wise + Mr. OK + Lunice - Fundraiser for Kayfanm, an organization that extends help and shelter to abused women in PaP.

Monday, February 1 at Sala Rossa:

SOLID'AYITI | Artists for Haiti: Vox Sambou with Nomadic Massive, DJ Kobal, Narcicyst and more! - a fundraiser for the Lycée Jean-Baptiste Cinéas in Limbé, Haiti.

Pop Montreal & Club Lambi are pleased to announce a benefit concert to help raise funds and spirits for the Haitian earthquake relief effort.

This Sunday, at Club Lambi (4465 St-Laurent). Doors at 8pm.

With: Plants & Animals | Amy Millan | Jahnice | Random Recipe| Tony Ezzy | Doody Le Tigre | Shapes & Sizes | Vox Sambou

With dj sets by Martin Cesar (Think About Life) & Jeremy Gara + Tim Kingsbury (Arcade Fire) as well as a dance performance by Hanako Hoshimi-Caines.

Sliding scale donation from 10-20$

We are proud to be doing this event at Club Lambi, a venue that is home to the Haitian community and has always welcomed Montrealers with great heart and warmth! Let's come together and help !

All donations will go to the following:

PARTNERS IN HEALTH
Partners In Health isone of the largest non-governmental health care providers in Haiti. This organization is fantastic at utilizing funds efficiently and effectively.For more information about Partners In Health please visit: http://www.pih.org/

Partners In Health's work in Haiti is now more critical than ever. Once again, aid is needed immediately, so please consider donating to PIH or to other organizations providing relief.

To donate:
http://www.pih.org/

POP Montreal is very proud to present the return of the enchanting American songstress Joanna Newsom on Sunday March 14th as well as Monday, March 15  (SOLD OUT) at the Ukrainian Federation. Newsom who last performed to a sold out crowd of mesmerized onlookers at the 2006 festival will be joined by a 7 piece orchestra. We anticipate this show will sell very quickly so get your tickets before it's too late.

Tickets for the March 14th show are on sale online, as well as at your favorite neighborhood record store (L'Oblique, Atom Heart, Cheap Thrills, and Phonopolis).

To purchase your tickets online, please do so here.

Also, a few tickets just magically appeared for the 15th, and you can grab them here.

Following the Puces Pop Christmas Market that took place in the basement of the St-Michel Church (December 5-6 2009), KIDS POP is organizing a travelling photo exhibit of pictures taken during the workshops. Come check it out!

A big thanks to everybody who participated and congratulations to all the young artists!

The exhibit will be presented at:
EM Café (5718 Ave DuParc) from December 28 2009 to January 2 2010
Café Romolo (273 Bernard) from January 2 to 6th 2010
Soupe Soup (174 St-Viateur) from January 6th to 11 2010  

Soon this space will be too small
And I’ll go outside
To the huge hillside
Where the wild winds blow
And the cold stars shine

- Lhasa de Sela

We are saddened by the news of the passing of such a talented artist and kind person. Lhasa de Sela died after a 21 month struggle with breast cancer, on the night of January 1st. She leaves behind a community marked by her role as kind nieghbor, remarkable friend, and stellar collaborator.

Take a minute to get to know her music, and take a glimpse at some footage of an intimate concert recorded by Vincent Moon at Patrick Watson's loft last April on La Blogothèque.

We hope to not soon again experience such a devastating week for the Montreal music community as the one we've just known.

Vic Chesnutt's music was full of intimations of creeping mortality. He passed away last week on Chirstmas, leaving many friends and collaborators deeply saddened. Vic collabrated with many remarkable artists, including Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Guy Picciotto (Fugazi), Van Dyke Parks and Thee Silver Mt. Zion, and released his works on Montreal label Constellation Records. Do get to know his music here, and buy some of his music here.

#74.1 - Vic Chesnutt - Sponge
par lablogotheque

"In the few short years that we knew him personally, Vic transformed our sense of what true character, grace and determination are all about," said the founders of Constellation Records. "Our grief is inexpressible and Vic's absence unfathomable."