Time to attack March!

When it comes to this month’s culture, one thing’s for sure: events are starting to sprout, rhythms are beginning to bloom and new ideas are ready to flourish. A creative spring is now upon us and ripe for the picking! In anticipation of nicer weather, I’m collecting new beats to inject into my MP3 player along with some fresh ideas for self-renewal.  

Let’s get the ball rolling with the Neon & Highfood Festival

Wow! Here’s what ‘I Love Neon’ has to offer beneath the dome at SAT—three pulsating evenings of seismic beats. You can expect a festive, boisterous ambiance with eclectic music and excellent rhythms. Since I can’t seem to pick one night over the other, I recommend you check out all three… especially since there’s plenty of uber-trendy programming to go around!

March 18: electronica with Simian Mobile Disco, Blondes, Juan Maclean [DJ SET] and Jordan Dare.

March 19: a techno-oriented evening featuring, among others, the latest sensations from France: Sound Pellegrino Thermal Team and Jesse Rose. I just discovered their reggae-accented ‘Anthem’ on MySpace.

March 20: a low-frequency evening of trendy dub step featuring big talent like Skream, Benga, Vilify and Construct.
http://iloveneon.ca/

The Breastfeeders wean us onto their new songs!

The official launch of ‘Dans la gueule des jours’ takes place on March 10 at La Tulipe theatre. During this first concert, as well as those that follow, the indie-underground-cult that is The Breastfeeders will definitely live up to their on-stage reputation—letting their hair down as they move frantically about the stage. The new album is slightly more disciplined than usual, but it still sounds like The Breastfeeders we’ve come to love—quirky lyrics from a band that’s claimed its niche. Ready for a taste? Then check out their "making of" clip for the March cover of Nightlife.
www.nightlife.ca/tags/les-breastfeeders
www.lesbreastfeeders.ca
vimeo.com/19941021

Let England Shake: a CD that really moves

On February 14, I fell in love with the new album by PJ Harvey, a very talented and original British singer-songwriter-instrumentalist. Musically, it's a return to pop roots and reminds us of her beginnings. If you know her sound, you'll simply love it. And if you haven’t yet had the pleasure, you’ll fall in love, too!
www.pjharvey.net

Hallelujah, The Luyas

My indie soft spot continues with The Lucas, a Montreal band that has just released the remarkable ‘Too Beautiful To Work’. It has a decidedly experimental side and a personality that rises above the fray. Simply scrumptious! If you’re looking to double your pleasure, catch their show at Il Motore on April 8.
www.myspace.com/theluyas
www.ilmotore.ca/fr/show-listings
           

The playgrounds of Stéphane Lafleur and Daniel Roby

Be sure to circle ‘En terrains connus’ in big red marker on your list of must-see films. I thoroughly enjoyed Stéphane Lafleur’s first feature film ‘Continental, un film sans fusil’, which was unique to say the least. And now he’s back with a vengeance... of spirit. It’s easy to recognize his style, but for the most part we recognize ourselves. As a friend of mine said: "It's really beautiful, very well written and makes you feel good just where it hurts." Fanny Mallette is captivating.

If you like your movies with a little more swing, check out Funkytown. Admittedly, I’m not a big fan of Patrick Huard (polite way of saying I can’t stand him!) but this time around I found him almost likeable. An interesting look at Quebec during the days of disco.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpwoDMZQ7JQ
www.funkytown-lefilm.com/fr

Don’t be afraid of the dark

During this year’s spring break that’s already a thing of the past (sniff!), the NFB presented its new 3D animated movie Les yeux noirs, directed by Nicola Lemay and based on a novel by Gilles Tibo. It takes us inside the mind of young Matthew who has never been afraid of the dark… after all, that’s where he’s always lived. It provides a glimpse at what it means to be blind and is truly moving and beautiful. The best part is that you don’t have to be small to fall for it big time.
www.onf.ca/film/yeux_noirs_bande_annonce

Behind the keyboard… but not low-key!

Zieuter.tv is a Web series that you can check out without being seen! Talk about appealing to your voyeuristic side. It’s fascinating to follow and just as fascinating to navigate. The idea: in order to solve a puzzle you relive the same 4 minutes through 12 simultaneous conversations. Plus, it all takes place in a restaurant so you can really bite into it! To add to the effect, Zieuter.tv balaclavas were distributed in the streets of Montreal at night!

Radio-Canada offers eight Quebec filmmakers reinterpreting stories from our childhood with Fabrique-moi un conte. Great online viewing that I'll let you discover and vote on!
www.zieuter.tv
lescontes.radio-canada.ca

Sources of inspiration!

Introducing L’affaire 52, a blog written by a clever and funny girl named Mitche who has vowed to take on one unique activity every week. Over the past year, Mitche has constantly surprised us with dancers from Café Cleopatra, underground Vietnamese karaoke, and Word Battle, which features ‘dudes’ poetically battling it out with words. It’s a unique and inspiring look at our city.
laffaire52.blogspot.com