the franklin electric

ArtsFestivalsMusic

It may be fall, but this weekend is Osheaga Weekend in Montreal! More specifically, it’s the Osheaga Get Together this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Parc Jean-Drapeau.

Sure, the three days in early August chock full of both international, Canadian and local musical talent and tons of audience members (aka Osheaga Proper) skipped this year and will return in 2022, but this weekend’s event promises the same level of excitement with some key differences.

Osheaga Get Together will exclusively feature Canadian talent. We’re talking some of the biggest Canadian music stars as well as up-and-coming acts to look out for. Plus many of the performers are also local.

While it will be the usual three days, there will only be two stages, which, of course, gives you a chance to catch more of the acts. The event is limited capacity (so get those tickets while you still can) and will be implementing all current Public Health protocols.

Normally when we cover Osheaga, we focus on the local and Canadian acts instead of the headliners. This year, though, the Canadian and local acts ARE the headliners, so I’ll just talk about some of them.

Here is some of what you can look forward to:

Friday

Montrealer and pop-electro-jazz singer songwriter Charlotte Cardin is the big name capping off Friday night. She is currently on tour supporting her Canadian chart-topping studio album Phoenix.

Friday will also feature Toronto-based R&B duo DVSN (signed to Drake’s label), Montreal band The Franklin Electric’s first show at home in a few years and much more.

Saturday

Saturday boasts a hip hop and RnB-heavy lineup. Toronto-born and Juno Award-winning singer/songwriter Jessie Reyez makes her Osheaga debut in the headlining spot.

Majid Jordan, the Toronto-based RnB duo also signed to Drake’s OVO Sound label will perform as will rapper Roy Wood$ and many more.

Sunday

On Sunday, it’s largely an all-out rockfest, featuring Montreal-based headliners Half Moon Run, Montreal-based festival favourites The Damn Truth, and Montreal punk rockers Les Shirley all play. Come to think of it, Sunday is largely an all-out Montreal rockfest (well, there is some Toronto, Quebec City and New Brunswick thrown into the mix, but I did say “largely”).

Osheaga Get Together is October 1, 2 and 3 at Parc Jean-Drapeau. For the complete lineup and tickets, please visit Osheaga.com

Featured Image from Osheaga 2018 by Joe McLean

Music

 

CORINNA ROSE  – Northeast Southwest (April 2013)

Folk / Rock 

Corinna has a surprisingly soft voice. Still, this softness is not a weakness as it strongly moves the heart. When I first heard of Corinna Rose’s debut album, I had imagined something completely different since I knew her to be a banjo player. I had imagined a hybrid of Gabrielle Papillon, with whom Ms. Rose has toured, and Sarah Jane Scouten, whose songs beckon a hoedown.

However, Ms. Rose delivers something unexpectedly heartbreaking in the kind of way I had thought only Sufjan Stevens could do with a soft whisper. There is an edge to her words, which remain calming and beckoning despite. The lyrics are a poetry to music.

There are distinct rock elements to Northeast Southwest and the lyrics seem to pull in different directions, “between two cities and two hearts”, between melancholy (“There is Darkness, There is a Light”) and joy (“Northeast Southeast”). Recommended for reflections. Perhaps, picnics for one with a fountain pen and a blank page.

HEAR HER:

SEE HER: At the Montreal Folk Fest On the Canal when she opens for Tim O’Brien on Thursday, June 13. Centre Culturel Georges-Vanier, $40.

 

The Franklin ElectricTHE FRANKLIN ELECTRIC – This Is How I Let You Down (June 2013)

Folk / Pop / Brass

The Franklin Electric recently won a songwriting competition for their wonderful tune “Old Piano”. Their debut album, This Is How I Let You Down is undeniable proof of their talent and musical mastery. This debut album, recorded live off the floor, is solid and moving, echoing some Coldplay but with a warmer orchestral sound.

Since the band has strong musical background and education, they can easily re-arrange their songs and play them in various ways live as well as improvise. Jon Matte, the frontman, has worked with groups like Patrick Watson, Bad News Brown, and Jaffa.  Fans of Mark Berube and the Patriotic Few and The Wooden Sky will most likely find something to like with The Franklin Electric.

Our favourites are “Unsatisfied” and “Watching From A Rooftop.” Recommended for humming while riding your bicycle and thinking about important things in the sun on a blanket.

HEAR THEM: http://www.thefranklinelectric.com/

SEE THEM: Launch this album at the Montreal Folk Fest On The Canal on Sunday, June 16 at 3 p.m. Îlot Charlevoix, free.

 

theotherbirdsTHE OTHER BIRDS – Sounds from Space (DEMO)(April 2013) 

Rhythm & Blues / Rock’n Roll

We recently reviewed a demo by Elder Sister Plum who is part of the Moon Melody community rooted in Riverdale, Toronto. The Other Birds are also part of this emerging community and recently released a four song demo entitled Sounds From Space.

The Other Birds are a three-piece rock band from Toronto. Sounds from Space showcases the combined talents of Evelyn Hall (vocals, drums), Kaleb Hikele (vocals, bass, keys), and Jeff Hughes (vocals, guitars). There are recognizable popular rock’n’roll and blues influences in this record but The Other Birds manage to tease out a voice of their own with strong harmonies and smooth tracks.

Our favourites are “Sign on the Road” and “Don’t Mean Much”. Recommended for road trips with the windows down and the wind in your hair.

HEAR THEM: theotherbirds.bandcamp.com