Founded on a collective impulse of friends and colleagues to create a vibrant music festival Pop Montreal has grown over the course of three years of hard labor to include a broad cross-section of art forms and music.  This year has seen some of the most captivating, fresh and innovative music in the underground cultures of North America, showcasing an umpteen number of smaller artists on the verge of becoming something huge.  Pop Montreal aimed to bring together independent musical talents from Montreal and abroad in “a festival that celebrates the intangible and transcendent value of music and art”.

Attending three of the fifty some events I was able to only get a small glimpse of the big picture, but from what I did see I can guarantee that the organizers were true to their word and “threw the greatest party in the world”.  Although a number of the headlining acts backed out of their performances, such as Architecture in Helsinki, Poni Hoax, and Foxy Brown, the organizers quickly pulled up their socks to find quality replacements.  Of the shows I did attend the Kiss Me Deadly performance at Casa Del Popolo (co-hosted by Alien8 Recordings) was on the top. Not only was the music as a whole great, but it was the first time in a long time that I had seen a band formed from such talented musicians as individuals. It was obvious that each member made a direct contribution to the charismatic musical masterpiece that was showcased.
Way to go Pop Montreal for hosting such a successful festival and for bringing such awesome music to the people of Montreal!

www.popmontreal.com
Photos from Pop Montreal can be found at www.mileendmecca.com

Review by Melissa Burton