Music
7 musical outliers to check out at Pouzza Fest 2013
by Mark Teo
May 13, 2013
Since its inception in 2010, Montreal's Pouzza Fest has become Canada's answer to Gainesville, Fla.'s The Fest—it's a multi-day extravaganza that, thanks to previous headliners like Lifetime and Hot Water Music, has become a much-anticipated celebration of pop-punk, dépanneur drinking, and fast food.
Since its inception in 2010, Montreal’s Pouzza Fest has become Canada’s answer to Gainesville, Fla.’s The Fest—it’s a multi-day extravaganza that, thanks to previous headliners like Lifetime and Hot Water Music, has become a much-anticipated celebration of pop-punk, dépanneur drinking, and fast food. (Though, if we’re going to be completely honest, the pouzza—poutine slathered on top of a doughy pizza crust—is terrifyingly bad.) It’s a near-perfect reflection of the party’s founder, ex-Sainte Catherine member Hugo Mudie.
But, as with any festival worth its sauce brun, Pouzza is evolving. And 2013’s lineup—happening this weekend, May 17, 18, and 19—sets a new high-water mark for the event: As expected, they booked a genuine list of orgcore heavy hitters, from New Found Glory, to Crime in Stereo, to Masked Intruder. Then, they unearthed several classic acts, from emocore greats Grade, to Slackers luminary Vic Ruggerio, to revered Can-punks Random Killing. But most impressively, the fest has diversified, proving that while Pouzza has pop-punk on lock, they’re not afraid to dabble in left-of-centre territories. Here, our list of hand-selected, must-see oddities at the Pouzza 2013—and for the fest’s full lineup, head to their website.
MODERN PRIMITIVE
Modern Primitive have spent the last year sharing stages with METZ, The Men, and Soupcans, but make no mistake—this Quebec outfit has clear hardcore roots. And it shows. Sure, their songs jangle like Sub Pop’s golden era, and yes, it’s clear that they’re students of English shoegaze. But their concise, dramatic songwriting style—which packages guitarist JD Lajoie’s myriad hooks into wonderfully digestible packages—could’ve only been borne of hardcore. Start with their split with Drogue and work your way back through their growing discography. (Friday, May 17. Piranha, 680 Rue Ste-Catherine Est, 7:55-8:25.)
LAUREATE
While Edmonton-born Erin Power spent her formative years playing bass in youth crew-esque acts—like the brilliant-titled POWER—she’s only recently hit her stride with Laureate, an addictively adorable Montreal post-hardcore outfit. Built on a roadtrip-ready late-‘90s foundation, Laureate, driven by their boy-girl harmonies, hearken back to when emo wasn’t a bad word: Sometimes, they bounce like mid-game Samiam. Other times, they twinkle like Texas is the Reason. Other times still, they ride out instrumental passages like Mineral on Endserenading. File this under Livejournal, Makeoutclub, and / or Revelation Records, releases 32-51. (Sunday, May 19. Foufounes Electriques, 87 Rue Ste-Catherine Est, 6:00-6:30.)
PITY SEX
We love Pity Sex’s 2012 EP, Dark World, for plenty of reasons: First, it was released on Run For Cover, who’ve put out rock-solid releases from melodicore act Shook Ones, post-hardcore powerhouses Self Defense Family, and grunge-pop act Tigers Jaw. Next, they’re built on a solid foundation of mid-‘90s, self-hating Midwestern emo—evidently, Pity Sex loves Bob Nanna. Finally, they add just the right amount of slacker fuzz to keep things explosive, resulting in an addictive nouveau-vintage take on indie-pop. Pity Sex might be the best thing to emerge from Ann Arbor since the Yo, is this Racist? podcast. (Friday, May 17. Quai des Brumes, 4481 Rue Ste-Denis, 12:00 a.m.-12:30 a.m.)
LEMURIA
In an interview, Ben Cook, when describing No Warning’s Suffer, Survive period, told me that “every hardcore band knows it—when you’re touring and playing hardcore all day, it’s the last thing you want to listen to.” Eventually, it becomes the last thing you want to play, too. Buffalo, NY’s Lemuria understands this: They play slow, placid plod-rock, powered by the bordering-on-twee vocals of Sheena Ozzella. Lemuria’s songs are made by over-it hardcore kids for over-it hardcore kids, and in case you weren’t aware, that’s the best musical genre in the entire universe. Sunday, May 19. Foufounes Electriques, 87 Rue Ste-Catherine Est, 9:00-9:30.)
MILANKU
Milanku might sing in French, but that shouldn’t deter English-speaking listeners—as evidenced on 2012 Pris a la Gorge (en Anglais: grabbed by the throat), this Montreal foursome has a firm command on mood, drifting between brooding, to languid, to flat-out terrifying. They use the same palette as Isis’s Oceanic and Panopticon: It’s post-metal for the art-school set, music that oscillates between shimmering instrumentals and crushingly heavy crescendos. It’s a shame Hydra Head shut its doors—Milanku would’ve been a perfect fit for the legendary Boston label. (Friday, May 17. Piranha, 680 Rue Ste-Catherine Est, 12:30 a.m.-1:30 a.m..)
DUMB ADULTS
Dumb Adults’ Bandcamp lists them as powerslop—which is a perfect description for their polarized music. On one hand, there’s the power—their 7-inch displays a penchant for angular, riff-heavy post-hardcore, immediately recalling Refused, mid-career Fugazi, and throaty Danish D.I.Y. powerhouses Lack. Then, there’s the slop—unlike their comparables, they replace political sloganeering with navel-gazing, occasionally hilarious, lyrics about being degenerate overgrown teenagers. Dumb Adults hit the wonderful sweet spot of accomplished and bratty—check their 7-inch below. (Friday, May 17. Café Chaos, 2031 Rue St-Denis, 11:05-11:50.)
THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE AND I AM NO LONGER AFRAID TO DIE
This band—whose name is designed to destroy wordcounts, thanks guys—plays deliberated scatterbrained music, part of the reason they fit right in on a 7-inch with Tiger’s Jaw, Self Defense Family, and hardcore destroyers Code Orange Kids. Indeed, The World is a Beautiful Place sound like none of those acts: They bury giant, messy singalongs in lush post-rock instrumentals, and their songs are for those who understand that clear eyes, full hearts, and Explosions in the Sky’s The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place and Elliott’s U.S. Songs can’t ever possibly lose. Definitely, completely, absolutely for fans of Friday Night Lights. Texas is forever, even if The World is a Beautiful Place hail from the Northeast. (Sunday, May 19. Katacombes, 1635 Boulevard St-Laurent. 1:00-2:00.)
Tags: Music, News, Crusades, Lemuria, Livejournal, Pouzza Fest
