U.K. Journalists Impressed With Local Talent At M For Montreal

10/18/07 6:30pm

by Erik Leijon (CHARTattack)

ChartAttack sent Erik Leijon to check out a secret society meeting of foreign music peeps that happened in Montreal earlier this week called, coincidentally, M For Montreal. Here's his report:

M For Montreal, the Montreal/U.K. joint project designed to showcase the most international-ready local acts to a room of foreign tastemakers and festival bookers, was largely a case of discovery to them, and more of the same ol' for us. The winners of the Galaxie Rising Stars award, as voted by the foreign delegates, were We Are Wolves. Many of the bands who performed are familiar to ChartAttack readers and have already made their rounds through the Canadian music hype mill, but with a nudge from the M cabal they could soon become world-beaters. I've composed a brief dossier of who performed and how they did.

Chocolat
They're a francophone group with musical ties to psychedelia, skiffle, Brit-pop, Motown and malt shop. Lead vocalist/guitarist Jimmy Hunt would be advised to use his harmonica more. It really added another dimension to the blues-rock vibe. U.K. journalists might compare them to The Kinks.

Plants And Animals
They're a jazz-folk trio with all three members providing vocals (multiple singers has been a growing trend, as evidenced by the groups who performed). The music was free-flowing and easy-listening with an outdoorsy, dream-like quality. It was simple enough to impress singer/songwriter fans, but with enough technical prowess for true music nerds. U.K. journalists might say the sound like Badly Drawn Boy.

We Are Wolves
The showcase's big winners, sporting huge wooden skulls on their backs that hovered over their heads, are the ideal symbiosis of punk and dance. It's doubtful anyone could even understand what Alexander Ortiz was yelling on the heavy reverb mic, but as long as everyone was dancing to uncomfortable noise-dance, it matters not. U.K. journalists might say they sound like Cabaret Voltaire.

Priestess
The heavy bass wasn't exactly ideal for the small Cabaret studio, but Priestess (and especially drummer Vince Nudo) hammered on old-fashioned metal with a slight pop flair. U.K. journalists might say they sound like Black Sabbath.

Torngat
They're an instrumental trio named after Labrador mountains who have a French horn as the lead instrument. Montrealers like good chill-out music, but they seemed out of place in a showcase where the other bands were trying to out-rock each other. U.K. journalists might say they sound like Mogwai.

Bloodshot Bill
A one-man psychobilly wrecking ball, Bill plays electric guitar, drums with his feet and slicks back his West Side Story coif whenever there's an open second. U.K. journalists might say he sounds like Karl Denver.

Les Breastfeeders
Chaotic francophone punk rock with a French ye-ye attitude. They're relentlessly fun, and any group with a dancing tambourinist that reminds you of Will Ferrell's cowbell player is deserving of accolades. They were stumbling around the stage, and Luc Brien brought the manic singing and guitar playing that The Hives' Pelle Almqvist is forever striving for. U.K. journalists might say they sound like Buzzcocks.

Numero
They're an electronic pop-rap duo in the vein of a more minimalist Bran Van 3000 or a less campy Chromeo. "Chewing Gum-Fraise" is the most addictive song to come out of Quebec since some drunkards were yelling out "Hawaienne" outside the Saint-Sulpice. U.K. journalists might say they sound like Junior Senior.

Krief
Classic rock with a Beatles-like attention to songcraft. Krief was the best guitarist to grace the M For Montreal showcase, and his band are equally proficient. Sadly, their set was marred with technical difficulties, which silenced Krief's guitar for a few minutes while the rest of band kept playing. U.K. journalists might say they sound like T-Rex.

Shapes And Sizes
They looked like the greenest group to play the showcase, and their brand of disjointed, non-catchy post-rock wasn't quite at the level of the more seasoned performers, even if they sounded pretty good when their extended noise passages came together. U.K. journalists might say they sound like Animal Collective.

Hot Springs
Led by energetic frontwoman Giselle Webber, whose flowing locks were covering her face similar to Jim James from My Morning Jacket, the Springs seemed slightly nervous about their performance. While they did an exemplary job playing their new songs from Volcano, the reckless abandon and dirty humour we've come to expect wasn't quite there. U.K. journalists might say they sound like The Gossip.

Karkwa
Rarely has a comparison felt so apt, but these guys are truly the francophone Radiohead. They could have easily degenerated into a copycat band, but Karkwa's compositions are so deep and full of mystery that they really deserve the lofty title. There was a mix of live and electronic instrumentation that really got the crowd excited. The applause after their set suggested that they could have won the top prize. U.K. journalists might agree with me and say they sound like Radiohead.

Elsiane
The quartet were dressed all in black, and their trip-hoppy, ambient music was augmented by singer Elsieanne Caplette's wide-ranging vocals. It was moody and atmospheric, and that only describes Caplette's limited in-between song banter. U.K. journalists might say they sound like a goth-influenced Portishead.

The Stills
Since you already know everything you need to know about the group, let me say this about the new material (they played the same four songs they did at Pop Montreal): "Rooibos" has a similar rhythm to Fall Out Boy's "Dance Dance." It's still a good song, I'm just sayin'... U.K journalists might say they sound like Razorlight.

Creature
This half-male, half-female quartet look and sound like the ultimate '80s retro group. It's silly fun, and CowBella!'s rapping about jilted lovers and partying hard resonated with a crowd looking for campiness, cowbells and catchy synths by the barrel-full. U.K. journalists might say they sound like New Young Pony Club or Tom Tom Club.

Thunderheist
With bottle of liquor in hand (at least she shared with the first row), Isis was in top form attitude-wise and in terms of aggressive, hyper-sexual hip-hop rhymes, while Grahm messed around with that insidious Soulja Boy sample. It was the only set that got everyone off their chairs and dancing. It was the ideal way to close the talent show portion and begin the after-party. U.K. journalists might say they sound like M.I.A.