This week in Montreal, you can catch an album launch, a pre-release party, a couple of bands rocking out at Barfly and even Kiefer Sutherland playing music. Let’s get started:

Kiefer Sutherland Goes Country

Not a lot of people know that the star of 24 has a track record outside the film and TV industry. Yet this Hollywood actor is the type of guy who puts the same kind of dedication and commitment into his side projects.

You’ll be happy to know that his new band and album put other film industry hobby acts to shame. Sutherland released his debut album Down In A Hole late last summer which consists of 11 songs of pure country and Americana.

Kiefer Sutherland performs with Rick Brantley at Club Soda, 1225 St-Laurent, Friday, May 11, 8pm. Tickets are $39.50 and available through LePointeDeVente.com

Nolton Lake

Come experience a special album launch for Norton Lake. This self taught musician has been traveling the world: Nepal. China. Europe. Costa Rica and he exotic instruments found on his album Anahata are nothing short of breathtakingly refreshing.

Sitar, tabla, slide guitar, ukulele, mandolin and tibetan bowls complement the soft guitar melodies and deep bass grooves. But most importantly, his music is heartfelt and organic, something hard to come by in today’s music business.

Nolton Lake performs at Quai des Brumes, 4481 St-Denis, Wednesday, May 16, 5-7pm. FREE

No Fly List And Minor Sun To Light Up The Stage At Barfly

Minor Sun’s Infinite soundscapes await you. Influenced by bands like The Black Keys, The Doors, and Bob Dylan, their layered guitars are interwoven with keyboards, groovy bass lines and strong drum rhythms. If you are into modern and retro psych rock, you’re gonna dig this five-piece big time.

No Fly List channels the likes of Thin Lizzy, Lemonheads, and Aerosmith to pump out their brand of Power Pop Rock with an alt-country edge. They’ve got two solid albums under their belt and a ton of road warrior tour experience. It will be a true delight to see these guys live in action.

No Fly List and Minor Sun perform at Barfly, 4062A St-Laurent, Friday, May 11, 9pm. Cover TBA

Foundling Pre Release Party with Dean Roberts, Merganzer and Paper Beat Scizzors

Kickdrum Productions and Sala Rosa present a fine evening of live music. Foundling will be giving us a sneak preview of their upcoming album showcasing their german dark dream pop with broad soundscapes.

Dean Roberts will be the supporting act with his unique contemporary experimental music. Also on stage that evening will be Merganzer; the experimental project of Violinist Mika Posen, and Paper Beat Scissors; with vocals that will haunt you.

Foundling, Dean Roberts, Merganzer and Paper Beat Scissors perform at La Sotterena (basement of Sala Rossa), 4848 St-Laurent, Thursday, May 10, 9pm. Tickets are $8 in advance through lfttckt.com or $12 at the door

* Featured image of Norton Lake via Facebook

* Know a band or an artist that should be featured in Shows This Week? Maybe a show FTB should cover, too? Let us know at music@forgetthebox.net. Our week goes from Thursday to Wednesday, so let us know by the preceding Sunday, though not too much in advance, or you may get lost in the shuffle. We can’t be everywhere and can’t write about everything, but we do our best!

We’ve got a little something for everyone in this week’s preview so wherever your musical interests lie there’s bound to be something to peak you interest. Alright, let’s get to it.

Blakdenim

If you’re looking for something to do tonight you can head over to L’Escalier and check out Ottawa based Funk/Jazz/Hip Hop/Rock ensemble Blackdenim. This is a free show and a great way to check out a band that might at present be under your radar.

Blackdenim is known for seamlessly combining different genres into fun catchy meaningful songs. There’s something about horn sections and hip hop that always just works well together. Check out this clip or their soundcloud page to see what I mean.

Blakdenim plays L’Escalier, 522 Ste-Catherine Street East, Thursday, March 30th, 9:00pm, free.

 

Paper Beat Scissors + Ambroise

On Sunday Sala Rossa will be hosting a special evening with Paper Beat Scissors who will be re-imagining their songs with the accompaniment of a chamber ensemble. Set to release a new EP in May, this will be a first look at some of the new songs and well as a fresh look at some of the old ones.

Known for singer/songwriter Tim Crabtree’s hauntingly powerful vocals accompanied by acoustic guitar, it will be interesting to hear how this change in the lineup will influence the songs. Opening the evening will be local duo Ambroise whose mix of piano and heartfelt vocals will fit in quite nicely with the vibe for the evening.

Paper Beat Scissors + Ambroise play La Sala Rossa, 4848 boul. Saint-Laurent, Sunday, April 2nd, 8:00pm, $10 through the box office ($15 at the door).

Periphery

Coming to Théâtre Corona on April 3rd in support of their Grammy-nominated album Periphery III will be djent/prog metal monsters Periphery. Around since 2005, these guys are most likely already on your radar if you’re a metal fan, so this is more of a reminder that they’re coming to town.

With Periphery, the live show atmosphere can only enhance the power of their music and the backdrop of the “somewhat Grand Old” Corona seems a perfect fit for giving the show the right aesthetic. Not that there’s anything wrong with rocking out in your bedroom, but now and then you might want to get out a little!

Periphery play Théâtre Corona, 2490 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Monday, April 3rd, 7:00pm (doors at 6:00), $28 through the box office ($33 at the door).

 

Scenic Route to Alaska + Nova

Sunday night Quai des Brumes will be hosting Edmonton-based Indie rock trio Scenic Route to Alaska who are touring their way through the eastern part of the country this spring. With catchy riffs, clever choruses and a laid back vibe, their tunes have that instantly infectious feel where you want to sing along on the first listen.

If you don’t believe me then grab a cold one, kick your feet up and give a listen to the single Love Keeps released last year on their latest EP Long Walk Home. 

Scenic Route to Alaska and Nova play Quai des Brumes, 4481 Saint-Denis, Sunday, April 2nd, 9:45pm (doors at 9:00), $10 through the box office ($12 at the door).

* Featured image of Blakdenim via Facebook

* Know a band or an artist that should be featured in Shows This Week? Maybe a show FTB should cover, too? Let us know at music@forgetthebox.net. We can’t be everywhere and can’t write about everything, but we do our best!

Well it looks like we’ll be having our first real series of cold nights this winter which also marks the time of year where many of Montreal’s inhabitants go into hibernation. No I’m not talking about all the squirrels, I’m making reference to those of you who use “it’s too cold out” as an excuse to get out of doing things.

Well don’t! There’s tons to do, so tell your roommate you’ll be wearing the long johns this weekend because you’ve got some shows to go to!

Hommage to Leonard Cohen – God is Alive, Magic is Afoot

The title pretty much sums it up. Everyone has their own way of grieving, remembering and paying tribute to someone and it’s no surprise that Montreal’s music community would do so with a concert.

Pop Montreal has put together a staggering list of artists who will be taking to the stage tonight at the Rialto to do their best to say goodbye not only to a great man and musician but also a member of their community.

All proceeds will be going back to the community in the form of a donation to Le Chainon which seems fitting for the mood of the evening. Now here’s a full concert’s worth of songs because picking just one track isn’t really possible.

Hommage to Leonard Cohen plays Théâtre Rialto, 5723 Avenue du Parc, Thursday, December 15th, 8:00pm (Doors at 6:30), $25, tickets through Pop Montreal.

 

A Tribe Called Red

Head over to the Théâtre Corona tonight and you can catch a trio of DJs (Bear Witness, DJ NDN and 2oolman) who combined form the group A Tribe Called Red. The best way of describing their style is that it’s a mix of various elements of hip hop, dance music and traditional First Nations music.

If you’re unfamiliar with the group this might be the point where you start scratching your head saying “that seems really interesting but what exactly would that sound like?” Well here’s the both catchy and powerful track Stadium Pow Wow which should help answer that question.

 A Tribe Called Red plays Théâtre Corona, 2490 Notre-Dame West, Thursday, December 15th, 8:00pm (Doors at 7:00), $32, tickets through box office.

 

Basin Fest Montreal

This annual festival is quite unique in that it isn’t centered on a specific style of music but rather the collection of artists who use Basin Street Studios as their home base. Located in Griffintown, this home away from home for many artists is an important part of the Montreal music community and it’s a great idea to get out once a year to celebrate it.

We’re not going to preview every band that’s playing but we can refer you to the Basin Fest 2016 playlist which has some killer tracks by some of our city’s best indie artists. So head down to Pirhana Bar this Saturday and check out an event that has the most randomly awesome list of co-sponsors: two radio stations (CJLO and CKUT), Frite Alors and Jägermeister. Yum!

 Basin Fest plays Piranha Bar, 680 Ste-Catherine Ouest, Saturday, December 17th, 7:00pm, $15.

Wander Years + Paper Beat Scissors

Casa Del Popolo will be hosting two wonderfully talented acts this Saturday in the form of Wander Years and Paper Beat Scissors who both have the ability to captivate audiences with beautifully powerful songs that evoke an array of emotions.

As usual, it’s best to let the music do the talking so here’s a track that should stir your emotions. I guess this doesn’t apply to our Vulcan readers but the rest of you should get it.

Wander Years and Paper Beat Scissors play Casa Del Popolo, 4873 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Saturday, December 17th, 9:00pm (Doors at 8:00), $8.00 ($10.00 at the door) available through blueskiesturnblack

* Featured image: ATribeCalledRed.com

* Know a band or an artist that should be featured in Shows This Week? Maybe a show FTB should cover, too? Let us know at music@forgetthebox.net. We can’t be everywhere and can’t write about everything, but we do our best!