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M for Montreal 2011 Preview, Part 2

M for Montreal, a compact annual festival, starts its sixth edition tomorrow and for the third year in a row, I’ll be there.  It’s so well run and filled with such cool stuff that I wouldn’t think of missing it.

Here’s part two of my preview of this year’s festival.  (If you missed part 1, go here.)

Fanny Bloom:  Like Lykke Li?  Then you might find something interesting here.

For a Minor Reflection:  For some reason, M for Montreal attracts and unusual number of Icelandic bands–not that this is a bad thing.  This four-piece deals mostly in instrumentals and like everyone in Iceland, they’ve toured with Sigur Ros.

Galaxie:  Shortlisted for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize, they got beat out by hometown superstars Arcade Fire.  Their performance at the gala was very memorable.  Looking forward to seeing a full set.

Hollerado:  These guys are still on a run that started 18 months ago.  I expect them to be much more polished and than they already were.  I’m a big admirer of this Ottawa band.

I.No:  Folky, rocky and soulful.  This could be interesting.

Irreverend James & the Critical Mass Choir:  Described as “a secular, rabble-rousing, queer-positive, feminist, subversive gospel music band.”  That has my attention.

Karkwa:  Winners of the 2010 Polaris Music Prize.  Let’s see where they are now.

Lackofsleep:  Thrashy stuff in the vein of the Black Keys. 

Leafer:  They named an EP after a country in central Africa.  But it’s not what you’d expect.

Leif Vollebek:  He lives in Montreal but studied philosophy in Iceland.  That has to result in an interesting world view, don’t you think?

Part 3 of the preview tomorrow.  

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 37925 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

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