Omar Sonics - Top Picks for POP Montreal 2012

So besides telling you to check out my buddies in Echo Beach (swirly, drugged out synth sounds w/ loops and ghostly vocals) @ Royal Phoenix on Thursday, and Young Lungs (buzzy post-punk garage pop) with Kestrels (exhilarating shoegaze guitar rock revivalists) @ Barfly on Friday, here are some of what I think are the best picks for you to catch at this year's POP Montreal festivities.

WEDNESDAY

POP Symposium: Guy Picciotto talks to Howard Billerman - Indie/punk legend Guy Picciotto sits down with local producer/recording engineer extraordinaire Howard Billerman of Hotel2Tango.  What more do you need to know? Picciotto is from Fugazi.  Yeah.  Yeah.

Deerhoof @ Cabaret Mile End - I'm usually on the fence with Deerhoof, but I've heard nothing but amazing things about their live show.

Fixture Records showcase w/ Chevalier Avant Garde + Sheer Agony + Cresting + Freelove Fenner + Mavo & Brave Radar @ Brasserie Beaubien - One of the best boutique indie labels in Montreal, Fixture's roster playing the show is a good catch all of damaged art-pop, drone-y sounds, lo-fi power pop, and fuzzy good times.  All these bands are worth checking out.

Wild Nothing + Diiv @ Il Motore - Both Wild Nothing's hazy dream pop and Diiv's sinewy and gauzy indie rock have produced two of the year's best records, this should be a solid double bill to catch.

THURSDAY

PS I Love You + Reversing Falls @ Divan Orange - Both past guests to the CJLO studios for live sessions, PSILU caterwauling distortion-pop are a perfect accompaniment for Montreal's Reversing Falls who mix scrappy guitar hooks with sheet metal-like programmed drum machine beats

Hot Snakes + METZ + Quest for Fire + Solids @ Mission Santa Cruz - Recently reunited San Diego proto-punks Hot Snakes bring the reunion to Montreal and if it's gonna be like the last time they played here years ago, this is sure to be a cooker (that show still stands as one of the top 3 shows I've ever seen of all-time). Toss in Toronto noise rock power trio METZ who are soon to release their Sub Pop debut after a trio of amazing 7" releases over the last few years, and one of Montreal's finest local acts, the anthemic fuzz-rock duo Solids, and you got yourself one heck of a night.  And it's FREE.  Let's all hope Hot Snakes play Drive Like Jehu's "Golden Brown" as they have been at recent festivals (1/2 of the band are former members, and they have been known to randomly drop in DLJ songs in sets) to make this the best night ever.  EVERY.

Hand Cream @ L'Escogriffe - If yer into scrappy garage rock w/ a hint of Riot Grrl punk, this one's for you. Fantastic band.

Maica Mia @ Brasserie Beaubien - Montreal's best kept secret, Maica Mia play forlorn slow-core akin to 90s minimalist bands like Codeine and early Low

FRIDAY

Merchandise + Metz + Teenanger @ Il Motore - An evening of noisy, cacophonous Am-Rep/Touch n Go style punk.  I saw Teenanger on a boat @ NXNE this past summer and they were grrrrreat.

Yamantaka // Sonic Titan @ Rialto - While performing in costumes w/ lights and now, this, a special "opera" performance, may reek of pretentiousness, you cannot deny that the group's Polaris shortlist debit is a phenomenal piece of work, and that their live show is insanely good.  They can back any of it up.

Soft Moon + Cold Showers @ Il Motore - Both these bands play foggy versions of 80s post punk through droney filters.  Two of the best up and coming bands, this will surely be a great show of atmospheric depths

SATURDAY

Change of Heart @ Il Motore - Go and check this out and see why (the newly reunited) Change of Heart has long been heralded as one of the best Canadian rock n' roll bands of all time by those who've seen/heard them.

Rah Rah @ O Patro Vys - Featuring ex-members of the great and underrated prairie post-punk band Sylvie, Rah Rah's indie meets alt-country is a sight to be seen live where they really excel.

SUNDAY

PASA Musik Showcase 2012 @ Club Lambi - Asides from a solid lineup, the real ace in the hole here is CJLO's own DJ Kelly Belfo aka Sugarface Nene spinning behind the decks all night.

Purity Ring @ La Tulipe - Mixing cut and paste loops and swirly sounds that create dancey, interesting electronic pop songs, they're one of the few current hype bands these days I can get behind.  

-- Omar Sonics // Head Music Director / host "Hooked on Sonics" Thursdays 6-8 pm