Tag: Santa Teresa Festival

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Frais Dispo Shares Gorgeous “Engraisser”

Featuring members of Montréal-based indie rock outfit Foreign Diplomats — Élie Raymond (guitar, vocals), Antoine Lévesque-Roy (bass), Thomas Bruneau Faubert (trombone, synths), Charles Primeau (guitar) and Antoine Gallois (drums) — Frais Dispo is a radical new direction for the musicians: The project sees the Canadian outfit writing and singing lyrics completely in French. Rooted in a much more collaborative songwriting approach, the band has gone through a decided change in sonic direction, with their new material drawing from alt country, folk and indie rock.

Frais Dispo’s full-length debut, Teinte is slated for an April 14, 2023 release through Audiogram. The album will feature “Julliet,” a song melancholy yet accessible bit of pop rooted in the sort of thoughtful and deliberate craftsmanship that gives the song a sweetly anachronistic air, while subtly bringing Fleetwood Mac to mind. As the band explained in press note notes., the song is a reflection on the languorousness of every day life and the passing of time in a small town. Everything is the same, including the simultaneous longing for a past you can’t get back — and for something, hell anything, to be different. The album will also feature “Chiens habillés,” which was released earlier this year.

The album’s third and latest single “Engraisser” sees the Canadian outfit fully embracing an alt-country take on indie rock, featuring twangy and reverb-drenched guitars, twinkling Rhodes and a chugging and propulsive rhythm section paired with big hooks. While subtly bringing Corridor to mind — at least to my ears — the song as the band explains touches upon night terrors, alcohol consumption that makes you fat and dull and being firmly rooted in the comfort of every day life.

As the band explains “Engraisser” came together quickly and naturally. It was one of the first songs they wrote and recorded as a quartet. With Élie taking up drum duties, the album started to take on its shape and identity.

“Fattening up came together very quickly and naturally. It’s one of the first songs we did as a quartet after our former drummer left. With Élie on drums, that’s when the album started to take on its stronger identity,” explain the band members.

To celebrate the album’s release, the band will be playing at Québec’s Santa Teresa Festival on May 14, and Petit Campus in Montréal on May 18.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Montreal’s Thierry Larose Releases an Adorable Visual for Grunge Rock Meets Power Pop-like “Cantalou”

Thierry Larose is a young and rising Marieville, Quebec-born, Montreal-based singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, who spent his teen years with a soundtrack of 2000s lo-fi American pop and Quebec indie singer/songwriter records. During the summer of 2018, while in his early 20s, Larose moved to Montreal with the intention of taking a sabbatical from his studies in English literature to focus on music.

Within a few months of his arrival in Montreal, Larose assembled a backing band and went into the studio to record four songs. And with those first four recorded songs, Larose and his backing band were selected to play in Les Francouvertes, an annual music festival that showcases emerging Francophone artists from across Quebec. After an attention grabbing festival appearance, Larose’s profile exploded across the province: he was invited to open for Safia Nolin and Les sœurs Boulay on a handful of dates. He also landed sets at Pop Montreal, Santa Teresa Festival and St Roch XP without having much music released online — and Grosse Boîte Records approached him with a recording contract.

During that period, Larose recorded a two-song EP and then returned to the studio in October 2019 to record his highly anticipated Alexandre Martel co-produced, full-length debut, an album that finds the Marieville-born, Montreal-based crafting material that bounces back and forth between glittering glam-inspired rock, youthful and ebullient indie pop featuring heartfelt yet somewhat ironic lyricism with poignant messages.

“Cantalou,” the latest single off Larose’s forthcoming album is a decidedly 120 Minutes-like alt rock track centered around alternating shimmering verses and rousingly anthemic choruses. Sonically, the song is a slick synthesis of grunge and power pop that reveals a songwriting with both a deliberate attention to craft and an uncanny knack for writing an infectious, mosh pit friendly hook.

Directed by Charles-Antoine Olivier, the recently released video for “Cantalou” follows a young boy — an adorable little moppet if I must say so — who learns about the sturm und orang of human emotion from a TV show puppet by the name of Cantalou. Cantalou’s human friends, Larose and his backing band, teach the puppet about music, which helps Cantalou get in touch with — and control — his emotions. But when the little boy enters the TV world, Cantalou and the boy learn about friendship with the purity, innocence and joy of childhood.

Music Festivals by William Ruben Helms

Interview: A Q&A with M for Montreal’s Program Director Mikey Rishwain Bernard

M for Montreal (French – M pour Montreal) is an annual music festival and conference, which takes place during four days in late November. Since its founding 14 years ago, the music festival and conference has rapidly expanded to feature over 100 local and international buzzworthy and breakout bands in showcases across 15 of Montreal’s top venues.

300 music industry movers and shakers, heavyweights and tastemakers from over 20 different countries make the trek to Montreal to seek out new, emerging artists and new business opportunities – while hopefully eating a ton of smoked meat sandwiches and poutine. I have the distinct pleasure and honor of being one of those music industry folks, who will be in Montreal tomorrow. As you can imagine, I’m looking very forward to poutine and smoked meat sandwiches, as well as a wildly eclectic array of music that includes the rapidly rising hometown-based Francophone indie rock act Corridor; acclaimed London, Ontario-based DIY rock collective WHOOP-Szo; British Columbia-based psych folk act Loving; hometown-based singer/songwriter and guitarist Ada Lea; hometown-based shoegazers Bodywash; Vancouver-based dance punk act NOV3L; Cameroonian-French pop artist Blick Bassy; and New York-based dance punk act Operator Music Band;  as well as a showcase featuring Icelandic artists and a two showcases featuring locally-based and Canadian-based hip-hop among a lengthy list of others.

Before heading out to Montreal, I chatted with the festival’s program director Mikey Rishwain Bernard about a wide range of topics including Montreal and Montreal’s music scene, what music fans, music industry professionals and journalists should expect from the city and the festival and more. Check it out below.

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WRH: While JOVM does have readers in Canada, most of my readers are based in the United States. Can you tell me and my readers a couple of things about Montreal and its music scene that we probably wouldn’t know but should know?

Mikey Rishwain Bernard: Most people will identify Montreal with Leonard Cohen, Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and that’s cool as shit. After that Arcade Fire movement, it felt like many creative Canadian musicians started flocking to Montreal for the cheap schools, cheap rent, vast music scene and live venues. All that hype brought a new generation of artists like Grimes, Mac DeMarco, BRAIDS and more. All this to say is that Montreal is one heck of a place for creative space, freedom and affordable rent. Aside all that, there’s an entire francophone music scene that’s considered mainstream and not to forget the top shelf beatmakers and producers, most notably Kaytranada, Kid Koala, and A-Trak. There’s a lot of government funding dedicated in arts and culture and that’s a huge factor.

WRH: This is the 14th edition of M for Montreal. What was the inspiration behind its creation?

MRB: First and foremost, M was created on a whim. It was set up as a showcase to introduce 6 Montreal bands to 12 festival buyers and media from the UK, who happened to be in Montreal, while on their way to NY for CMJ. It helped artists like Patrick Watson and The Besnard Lakes get some action. In short, M is a networking platform for Canadian artists and industry to mingle with international tastemakers. We now recruit over 100 international delegates from 15 different countries to attend in hopes to export these acts into their respective markets. Another inspiration behind M is Martin Elbourne.  He’s our co-founder. A legendary British programmer who books for Glastonbury and co-founded The Great Escape festival in Brighton. He also worked with The Smiths and New Order, and has always had been involved with new wave’s in the making. He saw Montreal as a “sexy city” and wanted to contribute to this festival to help bring Montreal acts to Europe. Since then, M for Montreal has grown into not only a platform for Canadians, but we also make a little room for international acts.

 WRH: What does a program director of a festival do? 

MRB: I curate the music and conference. Lots of listening, making offers, negotiating and waiting. On repeat.

WRH: In your mind, what makes a successful festival? 

MRB: Aside from the talent, it’s the experience. The people you meet and the memories you make. I sound like Hallmark card, eh?

WRH: This is my first time in Montreal – and it’s my first time covering the M for Montreal festival. Besides the cold weather and maybe a little snow, what should I expect as a journalist? What would other music industry professionals expect from the festival?

MRB: You’re gonna feel welcome and our locals treat our guests/delegates with a lot of respect. Quebecers are very welcoming and charming, and they’ll all share their opinions on where to go, who to meet and what to eat. Everyone is going to ask you to try poutine. Just do it, once or twice. Try it sober at least once if you get the chance. Aside from that, don’t be surprised if some women kiss you on both face cheeks.

WRH: As a music fan, why should I check out Montreal? Why M for Montreal?

MRB: Like previously mentioned, the rich music history. It’s always good to see where Leonard Cohen slept & where Win Butler got his coffee, but it’s also a privilege to discover and experience the culture and new music cooking in French Canada.

WRH: I was doing some research and checking out the artists playing this year’s festival. Admittedly, I was very impressed – the bill manages to be very local centric but while being an eclectic and diverse sampling of a number of different styles and genres. There’s also a fair number of Canadian acts from other provinces, at least one American band and so on. How much work went into that? And how do you and the other organizers choose the artists on the bill?

MRB: It’s a mixture of things. We work with a lot of new kids on the block, Canadian export partners and local industry. We book bands and work with people who wanna play ball. Not for the money, but for a chance to play for some interesting people from all over the world. So, like the programming, it’s all over the place.

WRH: So once the festival ends on Saturday night, what happens next for you and the rest of the team?

MRB: The team will close out the festival and close the 2019 file. The week after M, I’m attending a conference in Saskatoon called Very Prairie… From there, I go directly into hibernation, back home, in Stockton/Lodi California (home of Pavement and Chris Isaak). I will start the new year booking another festival taking place in May called Santa Teresa. And the beat goes on.

While in Montreal, I’ll be busy with my social media accounts, live tweeting and Instagramming as much as I can. Keep on the lookout here:

Twitter: @yankee32879 @williamhelms3rd

Instagram: william_ruben_helms

 

For more information on the festival, check out their homepage: https://mpourmontreal.com/en/