Canadian Album Hall of Fame (as voted by YOU) : Arcade Fire's Funeral

Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004)

Merge Records

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Really, who didn't see this coming? From the bright piano tinkling of the opening seconds of "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)," to the triumphant swell and fade of strings in the final seconds of "In the Backseat," Funeral maintains its artistic tension and delights with orchestral beauty. Win Butler and Régine Chassagne's voices, at times urgent and discomforting, complement the ambitious instrumentalists in theatricality. Not a singles album by any stretch of the imagination-- although it did produce five (Neighborhood #1, #2, #3, Rebellion (Lies) and Haiti), Funeral grabs a hold of you for the duration of its 48 minutes and paints a musical landscape that lingers long after its last notes. And boy, does it grow on you over time.

There's little doubt as to why Funeral remains one of the most highly regarded, most critically acclaimed and best-selling indie (over half a million sold) records in not just Canada, but the world. It garnered near-perfect rankings and scores with international music critics, landing on more "best of" lists than could be counted with all your fingers and toes. It was nominated for the Grammy for Best Alternative Rock Album and Arcade Fire won Songwriters Of The Year at the Junos for three of Funeral's singles. Despite its name, the album injected a shudder of life in the Canadian independent music scene. This album also helped launch the formidable careers of successful Canadian independent artists Final Fantasy and Bell Orchestre. So although the album was inspired by deaths, many regard Funeral as a milestone in the coming of age of Canadian independent music.

Big name fans of Arcade Fire include David Bowie, U2, US President Barack Obama and director Spike Jonze, who reportedly said that he listened to Funeral while writing the screenplay for his adaptation of the popular children's book Where the Wild Things Are. 

Current Arcade Fire line-up: Win Butler, Régine Chassagne, Richard Reed Parry, William Butler, Tim Kingsbury, Sarah Neufeld, Jeremy Gara.


Track listing:
1. "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" – 4:48
2. "Neighborhood #2 (Laïka)" – 3:31
3. "Une année sans lumière" – 3:40
4. "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" – 5:12
5. "Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles)" – 4:49
6. "Crown of Love" – 4:42
7. "Wake Up" – 5:35
8. "Haïti" – 4:07
9. "Rebellion (Lies)" – 5:10
10. "In the Backseat" – 6:20

Arcade Fire website, Twitter, Myspace.
More of Arcade Fire on NxEW.

Exchanging e-mails with... Tor

At some point at the beginning of the year I came across Illinoize the Tor/Sufjan Stevens 'remix tape' and declared it, somewhat inelegantly, the front runner for album of the year. And at this point in the year, I still feel pretty strongly that it's the best album that I've heard this year.

Anyways, long story short (though the rest of this post will be quite long) I got in touch with the author of Illinoize, Tor, and he very graciously agreed to trade some e-mails with me on remixing, mashing-up, his experience backpacking in Australia, as well as offering his opinion on who would win a fight between the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Bill Cosby.

Check some mp3s (that Sufjan has now given him the right to use!) that will make you want to throw your hands in the air like you just don't care... or something....

* * *

Tor. So, how does it feel having put out the Best Album of 2009? That's not much of a conversation starter, I realize, but if I haven't said so before (and I have) I think the album is absolutely outstanding. That said, as much as I really like the album it seems like a strange sort of concept at first - Sufjan Stevens and a pile of really great rap songs. How did you come up with the idea? And how long did it take you to figure out that it'd actually work? I guess I'm trying to figure out what the process was like from the inception of the idea to it becoming an actual album. I've got approximately a zillion other questions, but to make responding manageable I'll leave them for now. Hope the weather in Montreal(?) is a nicer than it was here in T.O. today... bah...
Rob

* * *

Hey Rob

Wow I don't know how to answer that first one! I actually read your article about it back in March when it first came out and you made that claim, stoked you still think so! ha.

It is a bit of a strange concept though I suppose - most 'mash-ups' or remixes or whatevers are usually about having a hype track or taking something current or super popular and mixing it with something else either classic or super popular so people go 'holy shit! i know that, and I also know that! now they're together!' So I was a bit surprised that it has been so popular as a lot of Sufjan Stevens fans probably hadn't heard of, say, Grand Puba, and vice versa.

I'm also a bit of a fan of super chill music and I was trying to come up with a project I could do to get back into producing music as I hadn't really worked on much for a few years. I had chopped up Sufjan's 'Star of Wonder' when I had my studio set up briefly before heading off on a year long road trip and did a little 5 minute drum loop and bassline to it before I packed up. After I left it was just me and my girlfriend living in a van around Australia in the middle of the desert or on deserted beaches for like 10 months so I had plenty of time for it to simmer in my head. I had my ipod on the trip and went through all his albums and had a few ideas for tracks that might work for it, with 'Star of Wonder' and Aesop Rock being the first and most definite one. When I got back I set up my studio and was able to throw songs in there and chop them up and over the next 3 months I came up with 7 tracks I was digging and about 5 other half finished ones that sounded like ass. I wanted at least 10 all up but a buddy of mine convinced me to cut it down to EP length and I'm glad I did.

As for the weather, I'm actually in Vancouver right now, been here since June - but getting home finally in the next few weeks! I'm sure it will be colder...

Cheers

~Tor

* * *

Tor.

That really wasn't the process I was expecting, I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it probably didn't involve a trip around the world. So, when you're in the Australian desert how do you decide or even get an idea of what is going to work? Is it a feel thing or is it something to do with music/timing/time signature sort of thing (note: I am very, very, unfamiliar with technical music speak)?

I'm also kind of curious about the songs that didn't work. What songs did they involve and how did you come to the decision that they didn't work? Was it specific to a certain type of rapper? Are some easier to work with than others? I imagine that someone that does a lot of free association (is that what its called) like Lil' Wayne would be a tough guy to work with...

And yeah, it dipped below 0 in T.O. last night, so, I'd stay out in Vancouver if I were you...

Rob

* * *

Hey Rob

Yea it's probably not your standard process is it? Something about being that isolated and having no obligations or distractions I guess gets the ideas flowing. To get an idea of what was going to work while I was out there I mostly had to go off Sufjan's stuff as I really had no idea what acapellas would be available - that's the thing there are only so many songs that have been released usually on vinyl singles with instrumental and acapella versions on them so it can be slim pickings at times.

As for Sufjan's stuff i just went through songs that had the right tempo or timing (like a lot of his stuff can be in a swing beat or 3/4 time which is not going to work at all, ever, for hip hop... actually that's not true but it's rare) but a few of the remixes like 'Dumb I Sound' I sped up the song almost a full octave for it to fit in a hip hop tempo. Also, John Wayne Gacy Jr is played really really loosely so I had to chop the hell out of the sample to make it fit, which you can hear pretty clearly near the end of the song. For the most part though while I was out there I just had to go off vibe and vague ideas until I could get home and see what I could actually do with it.

When I was back and throwing acapellas at the beats I was working on, yea, there were a few rappers that just didn't work, for instance I really like Common and had a bunch of his stuff but he has this really relaxed way of rhyming (is that free association?) that I just couldn't get to sit right over the beats so I had to scrap him, and of course with other things you can have everything timed up and mixed perfectly but if the vibe doesn't work and the songs don't sound natural together there is just no way it was going on. So definitely some were easier to work with, both with sampling Sufjan and finding the right rappers. I actually had the idea to mix 'Chicago' with Commons 'Chi-City' but it was more of a novelty idea because in theory the brief attempt I made was ear-stabbingly bad.

And yes, I'd probably like to stay in Vancouver for the winter (it's where I'm from originally) but my music equipment is waiting back in MTL!

Cheers

~Tor

* * *

Tor.

I love the idea of "Chicago" w/ "Chi-city" as soon as you said that I had a vision (audio-vision) of Suf singing "I drove to Chicago" followed by Common chiming in with "and ya say Chi-City". I think he does do a lot of free association -- when he rhymes something, and connects it with something seemingly completely unrelated, I think -- which is what makes it difficult to mash-up b/c his rhyming isn't in some type of time signature... I could have just made that all up.

So, I'm curious how you got into this, beat making, mashing-up, etc? I figured that after a few emails I'd be able to tell if you were an "indie-rock" guy who happened to make beats, or vice-versa and I've gotta say I still have no idea. I'm curious, top-5 Desert Island albums. Have you done anything else aside from the Tor/Suf Stevens mash-up? Feel free to plug anything that you're doing, working on, or whatever.

Hope all is well....

Rob

* * *

hoy Rob;

Maybe I'll give the Sufjan / Common thing a shot for Illinoize 2! Nah, there won't be an Illinoize 2 - I've got a good idea for my next project but I'm not saying anything yet until I have some more tracks finished, and when it's done I'm going to try some different types of promotional stuff (with Illinoize I basically released it and emailed a bunch of blogs until they started writing about it, and it just snowballed from there). For instance releasing a single and building some interest in the project before it's released and more traditional methods like that, mailing lists, using the twitters and facebooks better, as I really have / had no idea about promotional stuff so far and am just winging it - actually as a blogger who deals with this stuff every day maybe you have some tips for me?

As for my history, I started messing around with making music about 7 years ago while I was living in Australia and got the attention of some guys in the Oz music scene. I ended up doing a few remixes for some bands that got released nationally down there. At that point I shifted my focus to running a small recording studio instead of making my own tunes, and had a decent run recording local bands for awhile until I moved to Montreal. Illinoize was my project to get back into making my own stuff again, and the first thing I've really finished and released and it's a good feeling!

My top 5 desert island albums would probably be
1. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Thank God For Mental Illness
2. Bonobo - Days To Come
3. Cunninlynguists - A Piece Of Strange
4. Rodriguez - After The Fact
5. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

I don't know if that gives you an idea if i'm an indie-loving beatmaker or a beat loving hipster maybe somewhere in between, it's played out to say but I like whatever is good music and I go through fazes of listening to super mellow acoustic stuff to hip hop to electronic stuff and whatevers going around. I'm trying to take my time with new albums now because with basically every piece of music ever available at your fingertips any time it is kind of overwhelming and it causes people not to really get to know anything and just flip through albums, feeling like if they spend too much time on it they're missing out on something else. Just got to slooww dowwwnn.

So yea if you have any tips for me on blogosphere promotion, current states of music, more questions about my stuff, an infamous lightning round or cut me loose, its up to you!

Cheers

~Tor

* * *

Tor.

Really sorry for taking so long -- it's not that I'm trying to string this out, I swear -- I've actually been sick for the last week or so (which would also explain the lack of blog posts), so, let's finish this off with a bang.

RE: Illinoize 2 (Electric Bogaloo)! and promoting it... I don't envy you. One of my best friends, a guy who's going to be in my wedding party and actually a girl who's going to be my girl's bridesmaid, are both trying to make it as musicians. It's tough. There are so many musicians, blogs, mp3s, mp3 aggregator sites, etc. that the market is so fragmented I'm not sure how and who is making any money in music these days. As far as getting noticed goes, obviously it helps to have awesome music -- usually the cream does rise to the top -- but it's really like any other job: you've got to network, contact people, be nice, charming, personable, and then maybe things will work out...

If you're still there, let's try a lightning round... and I'll apologize in advance if these questions get a little ridiculous.


1. Favourite TV show (current).
2. Favourite Sports Franchise.
3. Least Favourite Sports Franchise.
4. Best movie of the decade.
5. Last album that you listened to and really loved.
6. Greatest rapper of all time.
7. Favourite book.
8. When you arrive at the pearly gates you would like God to say...
9. Who would win in a fight between Bill Cosby and the Fresh Prince?
10. If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who and why?

If you wanna plug anything, or let anyone know about anything that you've got going on please do.

Thanks again, and sorry about the delay with this last email... it's been fun.

Best,
Rob

* * *

Rob;

It's all good on the delay, I've been all over the place as well and am finally getting in a good email session.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! As for trying to get noticed it is true what you say, I only started getting into the music blog scene earlier this year and holy shit is it scary the amount of stuff coming out. Its like a constant flood of music that seems like most people consume digest excrete and move onto the next thing. But I've been building my networking skills this year with Illinoize so hopefully I've collected enough leads to hit them hard with the next thing!

Alright I'll give these questions a shot;

1. Favourite TV show (current). - South Park has been absolutely killing it for about the past 3 seasons. I love how they just do not give a shit and will destroy anyone that gets in their way. And the fact that they can make the entire show within a few days always means that it's super current and fully awesome.

2. Favourite Sports Franchise. - I am not that much of a sports guy but I'm a fairweather Canadiens fan. And it's a good excuse to go to the pub.

3. Least Favourite Sports Franchise. - All of the ones involved in the NBA, NFL or MLB

4. Best movie of the decade. - Children of Men. That movie blew my mind and every time I watch it I discover something new, or pick up on a new theme.

5. Last album that you listened to and really loved. - The xx's album has been my favourite recently. Their mix of deep bass, MPC beats, soft guitars and vocals is completely working for me. They've got a lot of hype, but I think it is entirely deserved.

6. Greatest rapper of all time. - That's gotta be a tie between Q-Tip and Andre 3000. Their deliveries are not at all similar but get me stoked every time. Listen to Andre 3000 on this to see what I mean --> http://hypem.com/#/track/741704/Fonzworth+Bentley+-+Everybody+feat+Kanye+West+Sa+Ra+Andre+3000+

7. Favourite book. - Not much of a reader probably because my attention span is too short, but when I read I seem to like dry British humour like Douglas Adams or Ben Elton.

8. When you arrive at the pearly gates you would like God to say... - I dont know... Welcome?

9. Who would win in a fight between Bill Cosby and the Fresh Prince? - I think Bill Cosby had a genuinely rougher childhood. Fresh Prince only played B ball outside of the school. And got his ass kicked and had to move to Bel Air. Tho they'd probably both try to make each other laugh rather than actually fighting.

10. If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who and why? - Probably a successful touring band like Radiohead to experience an audience going nuts right in front of you. It would be surreal. And some good perspective for a studio guy like me about getting out there.

As for other stuff I have some exciting news since I last emailed you. I was contacted by Sufjan's publishers and Asthmatic Kitty records and they have extended a license for me to use Sufjan's samples for my remixes, so it's all legitimate and endorsed by them! I think that is such a refreshing change to have the publishers get on board for something like this - usually it's the opposite that the lawyers are knocking on guys doors who do unauthorized remixes. I'm just super stoked by the whole situation.

And I'll be sure to let you know when my next mixtape is coming out, which isn't too far away...

Thanks for having me Rob, it's been good times.

~Tor

If you made it through all that you deserve, and probably want, to know that the "Illinoize" remixtape is STILL(!) a free download at illinoize.biz.

Kyrie Kristmanson live at Zeke's Gallery (June 2007)

Today I stumbled across this recording of Kyrie Kristmanson performing live at Zeke's Gallery in Montreal in June of 2007. It is especially noteworthy, not only because of Kyrie's amazing voice and songwriting style but because just a few months later Zeke's Gallery sadly shut down just a few months later. So, I thought I would pass this little bit of history, mixed with lovely music, along to you.



You can download this in a variety of qualities and formats at Archive.org.

Prix Félix Leclerc... and the nominees are

This is the first short post in a series presenting the nominees for the Félix Leclerc prize in connection with upcoming Francofolies de Montreal.

Today features Alexandre Desilets. His album was more than well received, and he was also chosen as a "Révélations" artist by Radio-Canada.
The excerpt comes from his performance for "Mange ta ville" which I highly recommend if you are curious to discover a solid alternative webtv cultural show.

Language Arts at NXNE, plus Windsor and Montreal

Vancouver's amazing Language Arts are headed east - for NXNE and stops in Windsor and Montreal. If you're not a fan of these folks yet, it's only a matter of time.

However, I'm more of a fan of letting you hear the music for yourself than trying to talk you into liking it. So, I'll just tempt you into listening with a few lines from their bio:

"When you fix up a trained classical guitarist who loves underground hip-hop, with a double bassist into Strauss & Mahler but obsessed with alt-rock, to a keyboardist perfecting her singer songwriter craft and join a drummer who has dabbled in everything from free-jazz to folk; what would you expect to hear?
Vancouver based Language-Arts have woven an intricate spread of sounds that have taken them from coast to coast, winning them a widespread of appeal."

Then I'll just let you listen a bit:



Download Cavity



Download White Socks in Birckenstocks

You can find out more at language-arts.net

Now Go See Them!!
June 12 - Rancho Relaxo (300 College, Toronto, ON) L-A is Headlining, guests are: Proof of Ghosts and Luke Nares and the Sleepwalkers at 9:30PM - 1:00AM
June 13 - Phog Lounge (157 University, Windsor, ON) L-A is playing with Arctic at 10:30PM
June 16 - Le Divan Orange (4234 St Laurent, Montreal QC) L-A is playing with Caledonia at 8:30PM
June 18 - El Mocambo (464 Spadina, Toronto, ON) L-A is opening for the NXNE Showcase for Musebox Music and Culture, they play at 8:00PM sharp!
+ a surprise acoustic show!

Nista, Code Pie, Fox Jaws, Leif Vollebekk and Nonna Maria + Tweet up in Montreal June 3

On Wednesday, June 3 Filter Box Media is hosting a Tweet Up at Club Lambi. However unlike most 'Tweet Ups' Filter Box has thought ahead and booked some bands and the line up is pretty good.

The Famous via YouTube Nonna Maria will be in attendance, as well as Leif Vollebekk who you may have seen recently opening for Basia Bulat. Fox Jaws, whose East vs. West tour I told you about a few days ago is playing and so are Code Pie who Finished 3rd in a Montreal Mirror Poll on local acts. Arcade Fire and United Steelworkers both finished ahead of them but Wolf Parade, Sam Roberts, Plants and Animals and Stars all came in behind them. Finally the "Icelandic - Montreal" band Nista is there and, if you don't know them you can grab a free download Over Here.

For all the details visit http://filterboxmedia.ca/blog/2009/05/11/june-3rd-show-tweet-up/!

Tickets are available here via PayPal for $7 or at the door for $10.

Welcome to Patrick Watson's wild psychedelic Cabaret

No need to add much to the (well-deserved)
current buzz surrounding Wooden Arms, the latest album. But so many words and images come to mind during and after the concert rendition at La Tulipe last night.
Explosion of sounds at times, followed with nuances: just enough to catch our breath and then get swallowed by spellbinding, magical, wild psychedelic rock Cabaret-style evening where talented musicians were having at least as much fun as the roaring crowd.
I came out of the experience more than satisfied and filled with joy: in fact, I'm still smiling.

Lhasa... in her own words

I was at a loss for words in my previous post about Lhasa's CD launch. It is now her turn to talk about her latest album (interview in French featuring Lhasa and her band playing live).

Lhasa's Rising Up: can you hear it now?

I don't even know where to begin. Of course, I'll tell you that she was very generous during the CD launch showcase on Monday: what a gift it was to hear several (7, maybe 8) songs from the latest album... I lost count. Created with great musicians playing with her and everything fell right in place: as the album was recorded live to tape, the cohesion was there much more than what usually happens during a CD launch performance. You want some names of the artists who have contributed to her album? You will recognize Joe Grass, Freddy Koella... and Lhasa in the heart of the creative process: it is her signature, her world.
I always have felt exhilarated after her concerts. What is different this time though? Her voice? Yes. Soemthing in the intensity, the introspection is new. Somehow the emotion even more palpable than with the previous albums. Including some anger, held in. Very few songs remind me of her previous album "The Living Road": maybe "Soon This Space Will Be Too Small" is more in the same area emotionally.
I can only urge you to listen closely as her sincerity will certainly shake you and you can thank her for it. You might emerge feeling more alive and vibrant. Hopefully.

Lhasa... Lhasa De Sela

New music from this acclaimed artist. I had already posted about the upcoming album... well, it will be available next Tuesday! Enjoy the video in the meantime. I should be able to write a little something about the performance as I will attend the CD launch (next Monday).

LIFE SUPPORT Leukemia Fundraiser Brings Montreal Musicians Together

Hey Guys,

I wanted to spread the word about a great event we are helping out with this weekend. It is a Leukemia Fundraiser at Foufs. Hexes & Ohs, Barton Fink, First You Get the Sugar and Straight to Memphis are playing.

If you're interested, check out the details. Should be a lot of fun!

Tickets are available at http://www.indiemontreal.ca/

Cheers!

Ariane Moffatt

In spite of the controversy (see Justin's post below) about the Juno Awards: here is a quick note on the winner of Francophone Album of The Year. The very talented musician, singer songwriter has offered imaginative well-crafted pop with 3 acclaimed solo albums. She has toured in France where she has developed professional ties and friendship with unique artists such as M. If you have not yet seen her live then you cannot imagine how her energy and sheer fun spills over the crowd. Congrats Ariane!!

Malajube

A short note about Malajube's latest album, which came out last February on indie label Dare to Care. This band truly has built a solid fan base and "Labyrinthes" could not have disappointed any of them, for sure. Their current tour should please many music lovers. Here are a few dates from their My space page.

27 Mar 2009 20:00
Cabaret Théâtre du Vieux Saint-Jean (Saint-Jean sur Richelieu, Quebec)
28 Mar 2009 20:00
L’Azile (Joliette, Quebec)
4 Apr 2009 20:00
Telus-Spin (Mont-Tremblant, Quebec)
18 Apr 2009 20:00
Supplémentaire / Théâtre Petit Champlain (Québec, Quebec)
25 Apr 2009 20:00
Festival International de Louisiane (Lafayette, Louisiana)
26 Apr 2009 17:15
Festival International de Louisiane (Lafayette, Louisiana)



MALAJUBE || PORTÉ DISPARU from Dare To Care Records on Vimeo.

Juno Fever!

Karkwa's "Le volume du vent", among the nominees for best Francophone album, has already won 4 Félix in 2008. I cannot be more happy to know that they will at least get more exposure throughout Canada with this nomination. If you grew up listening to prog-rock, then, like me, you have noticed how keenly this amazingly talented band has woven into their music some noticeable influences, yet never failed to achieve a unique sound. Here is an excerpt.

Karkwa, Échapper au sort (Live) from Audiogram on Vimeo.

Amylie's unpretentious and charming flair

This young singer-songwriter had the chance to attract Audiogram's attention on her first attempt to submit a demo. From her refreshing collection of songs, "Mes oreilles" got chosen as a "Free Single of the Week" by Itune. It drew more fans to her album's electro-pop flavour. Now comes a video. Ready to add just a little spark to your day?

Crayola Believes in Unicorns

Crayola, maker of the markers I used to draw on my skin with as a kid, has long been striving for indie cred, using songs by Pitchfork darlings Animal Collective and Dan Deacon in the background of their ads. While those songs are relatively new, their latest ad goes all the way back to 2003 and Montreal's gone but not forgotten Unicorns.



Sadly, it will probably only get kids scribbling in 3D, not picking up Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?

The Unicorns, "I Was Born (A Unicorn)":


(Thanks to Maddy Wall for the tip)

Talented, young, prolific... Pierre Lapointe

Very well known throughout Quebec and in France, you may have heard or seen this singer-songwriter in his various projects... To give you a taste of Pierre Lapointe's upcoming album, this video offers some idea of his aesthetics and originality:

Lhasa's upcoming album

Lhasa is back! Yes, the same artist who moved us through and through with "La Llorona" and later on with "The Living Road" is coming up with a new self-titled album. Here is a glimpse of what to expect: http://bit.ly/J0ncb

Not all sad songs feel so good

You may already have read the great reviews that Jason Bajada's most recent album "Loveshit" has received. Perhaps you already have bought the album and all you're doing now is nodding in front of your screen as we all agree that it is more than a very satisfying piece of work.
On the other hand, if you are not familiar with his well-crafted indie pop and are curious to discover more of the new faces on the Montreal scene, then I strongly recommend that you explore his repertoire. Although he somehow reminds me of Beck at times e.g. "Evolution Kind", yet there is still more to find in him than the echo of another star. http://www.jasonbajada.com/

To all cats fans out there

Jazz is your thing? If you're in town in the next few weeks, then it's not too late to catch one of the concerts from Jazz en rafale (yeah, Montreal has a habit of presenting festivals after festivals).
For more info http://bit.ly/12DOR7
And if you can't make it... you might want to explore Effendi's catalog. Collaboration between local artists and internationally acclaimed jazz musicians will fill you ears with great compositions.
Please welcome this label in your home: you won't be disappointed http://bit.ly/nfZsY

"Writing about music is like dancing about architecture"

First, a confession: I am not a music critic. Yet, I'll often share my enthusiasm whenever I listen to good music. This time I wanted to jump right in with a quick overview of some of the recent CDs launched in Montreal. Marie-Pierre Arthur's self-titled debut album would have been a good start. And then I realized that it is impossible to write about her without first mentioning Karkwa. Not only are they featured as musicians on her album but they also have produced it. They represent such an interesting example of the creative indie/alt Montreal scene. So, may I recommend instead that you listen to both albums? http://tiny.cc/ffhji http://tiny.cc/6xIZd Of course, you may want to listen to Karkwa & Marie-Pierre Arthur when they came to Studio 12 / Radio-Canada (also featuring Plants & Animals) http://bit.ly/K3zHu
Finally, should you feel curious to discover more of the French-speaking scene artists, I would truly recommend Jim Corcoran's show "À propos" on CBC http://www.cbc.ca/apropos who has done an outstanding job presenting and sharing his passion for over twenty years!