Tag: M for Montreal

Music Festivals by William Ruben Helms


Co-founded back in 2018 by three New York music industry vets and longtime friends, former Lorimer Beacon founder and head Mike Bell, Kanine Records‘ founder and label head Lio Kanine and Kepler Events‘ and Dedstrange Records co-founder Steven Matrick, The New Colossus Festival over the course of the past couple of years has featured several hundred handpicked, emerging indie bands and artists from Canada, the UK, the European Union, Singapore, Hong Kong and of course, the US. 

Since its founding, the festival has quickly established itself as the first stop in New York and in the US for a growing number of emerging and buzz worthy for a growing number of emerging and buzz worthy international artists. Notable festival alumni include a number of JOVM mainstays including GIFT, Penelope Isles, The Orielles, Thus Love, as well as Pom Poko, Pom Pom Squad, Sid Simons, Sobs, Water From Your Eyes, Peel Dream Magazine, Kiwi Jr., and a growing list of others. 

The festival’s fifth — er fourth? — edition will take place March 6, 2024 – March 10, 2024 in some of the Lower East Side’s best and renowned independent venues including Mercury Lounge, Berlin Under A, Arlene’s Grocery, Bowery Ballroom, The Bowery Electric, Heaven Can Wait, Pianos, and more.  

Over the past handful of months, the festival’s organizers have announced several waves of the artists playing this year’s edition. And much like previous editions, 2024 will feature an eclectic array of artists from across the US, Canada, the UK, the European Union and more. Just a little under a month out from the start of the fifth New Colossus Festival, its organizers have announced the festival’s final lineup and schedule. Parties will be presented by BandsdoBK, BrooklynVegan, Dedstrange Records, Exclaim!, FOCUS Wales, Groover, Joyzine, Maker Park Radio, M for Montréal, Planetary Group, Radio Free Brooklyn, The Spanish Wave and Tokyo Calling. You can check out the full lineup and official festival playlist below.

In addition to the festival schedule, New Colossus Festival’s organizers announced the return of their partnership with Ditto, who will present another series of music industry related panel discussions, which will feature representatives from Netflix, VEVO, Music Managers Forum, Chartmetric and more. And they’ll be a performance from Ditto artist min.a. More details on that will be coming soon.

Full 2024 Festival Lineup

  • airu (ES)
  • BackDrop Cinderella (JP)
  • BALACLAVA (US)
  • Bells Larsen (CA)
  • Big Bliss (US)
  • Bloody Knives (US)
  • Boy With Apple (SE)
  • Bruiser and Bicycle (US)
  • Canned Pineapple (UK)
  • Carinae (US)
  • CHAII (NZ)
  • Chavez Cartel (AU)
  • church crush (US)
  • Coral Moons (US)
  • Crystal Canyon (US)
  • Cucamaras (UK)
  • Currls (UK)
  • DD Island (US)
  • Diary (US)
  • Dirty Sound Magnet (CH)
  • Dream Nails (UK)
  • Dresser (CA)
  • Dropper (US)
  • Ducks Ltd. (CA)
  • Durian Silo (US)
  • DYE CRAP (FR)
  • Earth Dad (US)
  • Eclectic Charango Beats (US)
  • Empty Nesters (CA)
  • Factual Brains (US)
  • flirting. (UK)
  • Flowers for the Dead (US)
  • FRANKIIE (CA/US)
  • Friend of a Friend (US)
  • Georgie Boyd (UK)
  • GOKUMON (JP)
  • Hadda Be (UK)
  • Hause Plants (PT)
  • Head North (US)
  • Heffner (US)
  • Hiding Places (US)
  • High. (US)
  • Hippie Hourrah (CA)
  • Holiday Ghosts (UK)
  • Hollows (UK)
  • Hot Garbage (CA)
  • Hotel Lux (UK)
  • Hotel Mira (CA)
  • Housewife (CA)
  • HUGMYND (US)
  • Iceblynk (US)
  • Idle Hours (UK)
  • iskwē (CA)
  • Island Moons (US)
  • Jelly Kelly (US)
  • Keegan Powell (CA)
  • Keep (US)
  • King Bug (US)
  • Kingfisher (SE)
  • KT Laine (CA)
  • La Sécurité (CA)
  • Langkamer (UK)
  • Last Waltzon (CA)
  • Lavender Blush (US)
  • Los Premios (ES)
  • Love Language (CA)
  • Loveseat Pete (US)
  • LOW-RES (SE)
  • Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys (DE)
  • Luge (CA)
  • Mary Shelley (US)
  • Meagre Martin (DE)
  • Melody Fields (SE)
  • min.a (US)
  • MINAS (Wales)
  • Moon Walker (US) 
  • Mother Tongues (CA) 
  • Mr Floyd Larry (US)
  • MX Lonely (US) 
  • My Favorite (US)
  • Nara’s Room (US) 
  • Nicole Yun (US) 
  • Niño Disco (US) 
  • NOBRO (CA) 
  • O. Wake (US) 
  • Oceans (AU) 
  • Orange Doors (US) 
  • Orchestra Gold (US) 
  • OSKA (AT) Outer Shapes (US) 
  • P.H.0 (US) Palomino Blond (US) 
  • PANIK FLOWER (US) 
  • Paper Lady (US) 
  • PAPISA (BR)
  • partygirl (US) 
  • Petite League (US) 
  • Phantom Handshakes (US) 
  • Phantom Signals (US) Phantom Wave (US) 
  • poolblood (CA) 
  • Pop Music Fever Dream (US)
  • POSTDATA (CA) 
  • Prewn (US) 
  • Programmique (US) 
  • Radio Trapani (IT/NL) 
  • Reme (ES/UK) 
  • Retrofile (CA) 
  • RIP Dunes (US) 
  • Roost.World (US) 
  • Rosier (CA) 
  • Saloon Dion Sara Parigi (IT) 
  • Sarakiniko (FR) 
  • Sasha Cay (CA) 
  • Scrounge (UK) 
  • Sham Family (CA) 
  • Shelf Lives (UK) 
  • Shunk (CA) 
  • Sick Joy (UK) 
  • Silent Mass (US) 
  • Silver Liz (US) 
  • Slash Need (CA) 
  • Spyres (Scotland) 
  • Starcleaner Reunion (US) 
  • Stuck In The Sound (FR) 
  • Subsonic Eye (SG) 
  • Sugar For The Pill (GR) 
  • Sun Entire (CA) 
  • sunnsetter (CA) 
  • Swutscher (DE) 
  • Tagua Tagua (BR) 
  • Talking to Shadows (US) 
  • Teddy Hunter (Wales) 
  • Telula (US) 
  • Tennis Courts (US) 
  • The Band Cope (US) 
  • The Gulps (UK) 
  • The National Honor Society (US) 
  • The Wesleys (CA) 
  • Them Airs (US) 
  • Two-Man Giant Squid (US) 
  • Ultra Q (US) 
  • Vera Ellen (NZ) 
  • Vox Rea (CA) 
  • WAN (PE) 
  • William The Conqueror (UK) 
  • Wince (US) 
  • Winona Forever (CA) 
  • yael s. copeland (US) 
  • ZOLA (US)

Wednesday, March 6, 2024: https://www.newcolossusfestival.com/march-6th-schedule

Thursday, March 7, 2024: https://www.newcolossusfestival.com/march-7th-schedule

Friday, March 8, 2024: https://www.newcolossusfestival.com/march-8th-schedule

Saturday, March 9, 2024: https://www.newcolossusfestival.com/march-9th-schedule

Sunday, March 10, 2024: https://www.newcolossusfestival.com/copy-of-march-9th-schedule

You can purchase a festival badge here.

women who kick ass by William Ruben Helms
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Live Concert Photography: New Colossus Festival 2022: M for Montréal Party at Piano’s 3/11/22: Bodywash

Live concert photography of M for Montréal’s New Colossus Festival Party at Piano’s featuring Bodywash back in March 2022.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Led by singer/songwriter, creative mastermind, and producer, Chance Hutchinson, Montréal-based punk outfit PRIORS have been wildly prolific, dropping six releases, including three full-length albums since 2017. Each of those efforts have seen the Canadian punk outfit firmly cementing a melodic and dynamic punk sound. During that same period, PRIORS have developed a reputation for a wildly energetic live set that they’ve toured across Canada, the States and Europe, while sharing stages with The Mummies, Oblivians, Quintron, and Simply Saucer. 

Adding to a growing profile across the indie and punk scene, the members of PRIORS have made the rounds of the international festival circuit with stops at Goner Fest and M for Montréal. (Their M for Mothland showcase set at last year’s M for Montréal was a personal highlight of a week-long trip of highlights.) 

The Canadian outfit’s Max Deshernais co-produced Daffodil is slated for a June 2, 2023 release through Mothland. Serving as the band’s seventh release and fourth album overall, the album which features  Sonic Avenues‘ Sebastien Godin (guitar), The Famines‘ Andrew Demers (drums) and Tabarnak’s Alan Hildebrandt (bass) is reportedly one of their most hopeful and uplifting efforts to date. Sonically, incisive rhythms serve as the basis for clever arrangements centered around fuzzy guitars, propulsive bass lines and analog synths are paired with Hutchinson’s punchily delivered vocals fed through a bit of reverb, and occasional sax blasts from CIVIC’s and The Steve Adamyk Band‘s Dave Forcier. 

“I’d say Daffodil is a pop-heavy punk record with a lot of positive outlooks. I have spent the last six releases kicking the shit out of myself and it was time for a new vibe. A little sprinkle of positivity amongst the angst,” PRIORS’ Chance Hutchinson explains in press notes. 

Last month, I wrote about album title track “Daffodil,” a song built around a chugging and buzzing electric guitar, strummed acoustic guitar and blasts of wobbling Farfista paired with an insistent backbeat and Hutchinson’s reverb-soaked, punchily delivered vocal. Although it’s more of a bounce and shout-along with the band sort of song, “Daffodil” manages to retain a feral yet joyous mosh pit friendly energy that’s infectious. “’Daffodil’ is one of those songs that happened very quickly,” Hutchinson recalls. “All the parts just kind of wrote themselves including the vocal ideas. In the studio we opened it up a little more with the Vox Jaguar and acoustic guitar and Max added that wild ‘beach sound’ ending with the birds which I really feel pulls it all together.”

Daffodil‘s second and latest single “Optimizer” is a post punk anthem built around a propulsive bass line, relentless four-on-the-floor, angular and shimmering guitar bursts paired with Hutchinson’s reverb-soaked, punchy delivering and the Montréal-based outfit’s unerring knack for catchy hooks and shout-along worthy choruses. Sounding like a prototypical post punk song, “Optimizer” boldly eschews the genre’s common tropes, while being ambiguous” Is it a heart-wrenching cry for help? A sardonic take on peer pressure and confusion? A criticism of a seemingly never-drying and wistful fad? That’s up to you to decide. And I bet it’ll change depending on your mood.

“’Optimizer’ is a direct stab at post-punk because I wasn’t really impressed with a lot of the stuff I was hearing,” Priors’ Hutchinson explains. “We always dipped our toes in post-punk, but I felt it was necessary to dive in on this one. I hadn’t written a song around a bass line since /’Brew HA HA’ from the last record (My Punishment On Earth) and once I had the groove, it was really easy to see where it should go.

Photography by William Ruben Helms

Photography: Montreal Day 3 11/17/22: Basilique Notre Dame Exterior

Photography of Basilique Notre Dame’s exterior.

News/Announcements by William Ruben Helms

Just about 13 years ago, I started what has been for me, my life’s work — this site. And honestly, when I started this site, I couldn’t have imagined three-quarters of the things I’ve done and experienced over JOVM’s history to ever happen. 

  • I’ve covered roughly 1,100-1,200 shows in NYC, with a handful of shows in Chicago, Baltimore and Philadelphia. 
  • I’ve covered about a dozen or more festivals, including traveling to Montreal for M for Montreal in 2019 and again earlier this month.
  • I’ve been a panelist at Mondo.NYC Festival and at New Colossus Festival, speaking about PR, promotion and press for indie artists, giving my perspective as a indie blogger. 
  • A few years ago, I made a cameo in a JOVM mainstay’s music video. It’s a very noticeable spot towards the end of the video. It was a fun experience, but so far no one has called me about acting or dancing gigs. Maybe I need to stick to the writing and photography? 
  • I couldn’t have imagined photographing George Clinton, Patti LaBelle, Snoop Dogg, Blondie, Nile Rodgers, Roky Erickson, Philip Bailey, Blind Boys of Alabama and so many others, as well as this site’s countless mainstays.
  • I wouldn’t have met the countless colleagues and musicians, who have become supporters and friends.  

Now you’ll remember that during the very worst of the pandemic, things seemed — understandably — bleak. And although we’ve slowly managed to claw our way back to even greater degree of normalcy, being a working and touring musician has remained extremely bleak. Financially touring has always been a financial risk but rising inflation and COVID-19 has made touring much more daunting and complicated. 

We’re all trying to figure out how to maneuver in a new, confusing and uncertain landscape that may well be with us for an indefinite period of time. But with these past 12+ years under my belt, I have no intentions of going anywhere. 

I strongly believe that I’ve managed to carve out a unique spot in the blogosphere, a place that I feel is desperately necessary because both the music and media worlds are often so incredibly homogenous. Someone out there has to do something different. And representation in every aspect matters. So JOVM and my work with it has to continue. 

As I do every month, I want to thank the following folks and organizations. Without them this past few years — and especially this year — wouldn’t have been remotely possible: 

Sash

Alice Northover

Bella Fox

Jenny MacRostie

Janene Otten 

All of those folks have been generous Patreon patrons. Of course, feel free to check out the Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/TheJoyofViolentMovement. And if you’re able to support, your support will be greatly appreciated and continuously shouted out. Any amount really helps. 

I have to thank the folks at Creatives Rebuild New York. I’m relieved, proud and humbled to be included in their Guaranteed Income for Artists program. The money I’ll receive over the next 13 months or so will be put to good use — keeping this little dream of mine going. I don’t think there’s enough words to thank them — or to show how grateful I am. (I’ll keep trying, of course!) 

There are other ways you can support. 

You can also support by checking the JOVM shop: https://www.joyofviolentmovement.com/shop 

You can also support my following me on the following platforms:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/william_ruben_helms 

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/yankee32879 and https://www.twitter.com/joyofviolent 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheJoyofViolentMovement

And you can hire me for headshots, portraits and events. Seriously, I’m available for that, too. You can click here: https://www.photobooker.com/photographer/ny/new-york/william-h?duration=1?duration=1# or you can contact me directly.

Photography by William Ruben Helms

Photography: Montreal Day 3 11/17/22: The Ring and Downtown Montreal

Photography: The Ring and Downtown Montreal.

Photography by William Ruben Helms

Photography: Montreal Day 1: 11/15/22

JOVM’s William Ruben Helms first day in Montreal in words and photos.