Montréalités Music

Hidden away beneath the shadow of its commercial, highly visible cousin, the world of underground dubstep is set to deliver an excellent year of releases. The third Deleted Scenes single from originators Distance and Pinch has finally dropped after three years of waiting, Goth-Trad's New Epoch LP is just weeks away and there are many rumored upcoming LPs from seminal artists such as Quest and V.I.V.E.K. I can think of no better way to herald what has the potential to be a monumental year than a brand new, totally unexpected, DMZ release. For their 22nd release, DMZ has chosen to put out a pair of Digital Mystikz (producers Mala and Coki) singles entitled "Marduk" and "Enter Dimensions."

The concert led with a darkened Bell Center and screams of anticipation.  While the guitarists punched holes through a wall that separated them from the excited audience, the lead singer bored one through that same wall with a laser cutter, expelling a glowing red light. This was it. It was about to begin. The minute he sang, I don't think anyone could help but notice the LED light was in his mouth! The drums exploded, ringing out like hammers. This was the beginning of a spectacle Montrealers had been awaiting for the better part of a decade.

After a ten-year absence from Canada, fans were beginning to wonder whether Rammstein would ever cater to North American again. The last time they were in this region was during the Mutter tour in 2001. However, December 9th of 2010 changed everything. They came back from their hibernation, rocked North America and are planning to do so again on May 1st, 2012. The German sextet is back and better than ever!

Being one of the largest cultural hot spots in Canada, Montreal is an important stop for most major bands that tour across North America. That being said, there are a variety of incredible venues to choose from for any band visiting this vibrant city. From rock to hip-hop to metal and everything in between, there is a venue in Montreal to suit any musician's needs. In this list I'll break down my top five venues to catch your favorite rock band rip it up.

5. The Bell Center

There are few things that speak to the depths of an artist's passion like their music collection. While sitting comfortably in the studio of Montreal DJ and producer Bowly, surrounded on all sides by massive bookshelves nearly overflowing with records, I came to realize just how much this man truly loves music. With a record collection that he's been growing almost non-stop his entire life, it's clear that Bowly's passion for music runs deep. With records that range from the soulful house of Moodyman to the funky rhythms of Geiom, his collection is notably unmarked by the trappings of genre limitations that can be the downfall of so many DJs, and by sheer volume alone makes a strong case for this DJs dedication to his music and his craft.

Electric Daisy Carnival saw a total of 200,000 patrons over the July weekend.

"A brief history of electronic music's place in popular culture"

How did a style of music, once exclusive to the seedy underbellies of international metropolises and pale audiophiles futzing with their university's hardware, evolve into a Bill Board-topping, Grammy-nominated, Bieber-endorsed genre? After decades of sub-culture prominence, electronic music has emerged as a force within the mainstream. Thanks to globalization, the beeps and clicks of yesterday are now the tunes stuck in the heads of fifth grader's, young adults, and baby boomers alike.

So what exactly is everybody listening to? They are listening to music generated electromechanically or produced using electronic technology. Trust me, they are.

Oh Montreal, hippest of all Canadian cities, bursting at the seams with culture, excitement, energy, and music; I'd like to ask a few simple questions. Why is it so difficult for a band to get a break in a place so well known for its impressive music scene? Why does no one really care to support the local act, the struggling artist? And furthermore, why isn't this great city a larger dot on the musical map of North America? My experience in a band has allowed me to see just how difficult it is to break out in a city like Montreal, and while these may seem like the incoherent rants of a frustrated musician, think of them merely as the concerns of a person who genuinely loves music and feels like the odds in this town are stacked particularly high against budding local talent. Here are some of the reasons why.

Upon entering the home of 17-year-old Brandon Mignacca, one of the first things you're likely to notice is the soothing sound of classical piano, serenading you as you approach the music room in which he spends hours a day practicing. That is, unless he's out unleashing a sonic hurricane with his band, Chair Warriors.