Montreal Rocks

Charlotte Cardin Releases The Way We Touch Charlotte Cardin released a new single, The Way We Touch, this week alongside a music video directed by Glenn Michael. The track arrives just weeks after Cardin won Female Artist of the Year at France...

Charlotte Cardin has released a new single, The Way We Touch, alongside a striking black and white video.

It follows her recent Victoires de la Musique win and hints at the next chapter of her music.

montrealrocks.ca/charlotte-ca...

Ella Red Stares Into the Void and Turns It Into Pop on IT’S NOT REAL At 22, Ella Red has already built the kind of artistic mythology many musicians spend decades chasing. Her debut album IT’S NOT REAL feels less like a conventional first record than a long conversatio...

Ella Red talks fear, existence, and turning teenage anxieties into the gothic pop world of IT’S NOT REAL.

“I learned to love it, the fear.”

A thoughtful conversation about songwriting, vulnerability, and finding power in the things that haunt you.

montrealrocks.ca/ella-red-sta...

Philippe B Looks Back Without Regret on Cigale Philippe B has been writing songs for over 20 years, but he’s never made a record quite like Cigale. His seventh album, arriving March 13, digs into his past more directly than anything he’s done befo...

"I see it like a movie with ups and downs that ultimately ends well, and I have a lot of empathy for the flawed main character."

Quebec singer-songwriter Philippe B on his most autobiographical album yet, Cigale.

Out March 13.
FFO Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake.

montrealrocks.ca/philippe-b-l...

The Satisfactory Find Catharsis in Contrast on New Double Single The Satisfactory return this month with “How To Swim / Lydia,” a double single that captures a Montreal rock band thriving on tension. One track builds slowly into euphoria, the other strikes with imm...

"There's a part of me that's jumpy, loud, go go go. I call him Dave. Another just wants to sit at home, drink tea, play piano. His name is Terry."

Montreal band The Satisfactory on How To Swim / Lydia, out March 1.

FFO The Beatles, Oasis.

montrealrocks.ca/the-satisfac...

Katatonia + Rivers Of Nihil @ Le Studio TD Just as the year’s first signs of t-shirt weather started to peer through our streets, Mother Nature had different plans on the night of Katatonia’s Montreal stop of their Waking State Of North Americ...

Katatonia’s Montreal stop at Le Studio TD pushed through freezing weather for a crowd that still showed up ready for it. “A metal show worth showing up for.”

Read our review.

montrealrocks.ca/katatonia-ri...

ANGEL DU$T + Béton Armé + Combust + Faze @ Fairmount Theatre It’s always a fun feeling when you discover a solid, newly released album, only to find out the band is hitting your city in a couple of weeks. That’s exactly how I found my way to the Fairmount Theat...

“Banger after banger… a slamming hardcore set.”

Angel Du$t brought chaos, crowd surfers, and relentless energy to Fairmount Theatre in Montreal.

Read our review.

montrealrocks.ca/angel-dut-be...

Rise Against + Destroy Boys @ Olympia Sacramento’s Destroy Boys are a curious fusion of punk rock niches. Collectively they look psychobilly, they sound riot grrrl, and with the white face paint and dark makeup of vocalist Alexia Roditis,...

“From the front fence to the steps at the back of the floor, the room goes absolutely berserk.”

Chicago punk veterans Rise Against turned Montreal’s Olympia into a roaring singalong, deep cuts and all.

Read our review.

montrealrocks.ca/rise-against...

Nep @ Bar le Ritz It’s been the warmest day of the year — fourteen degrees and full sun in the afternoon, a rarity for Montreal winter — but onstage Nep exclaims, “it’s so cold here!” Despite the chorus of dissent, it’...

“Quick, spiralling licks cut through janky layers of sound with clean precision.”

Nep's first headline show outside the United States brought a little Florida heat to Bar Le Ritz in Montreal.

Read our review.

montrealrocks.ca/nep-bar-le-r...

Big|Brave Announce Tenth Album, Share Lead Single Big|Brave have announced in grief or in hope, their tenth full-length, due June 12 via Thrill Jockey. The Montreal trio have also shared lead single “the ineptitude for mutual discernment,” alongside ...

Montreal's Big|Brave are heading into their tenth album with a new lineup, a live-recorded session, and songs built around grief, hope, and a deliberate look back at where they started.

in grief or in hope drops June 12.

montrealrocks.ca/bigbrave-ann...

Teagan Johnston Finds Her Luck Again The years after the pandemic were not especially kind to Teagan Johnston. “That period of my life was post-pandemic where I was finding it just exceptionally hard to find my footing,” she says. “I fel...

We spoke with Teagan Johnston about her new single My Luck, finding her way back to writing, and why Beyoncé was the spark she needed.

"Writing 'My Luck' really brought me back to the studio and playing with other people again."

montrealrocks.ca/teagan-johns...

Tonight's Journey Show Rescheduled

Journey has moved its Montreal concert at the Bell Centre from March 11 to Friday, March 13 after weather conditions in Quebec disrupted the band’s tour routing.

Album Review: Alkhemia - Häxen Rain hisses through the speakers before the first riff lands. A radio crackles somewhere in the background. Then Alkhemia kick the door open with tremolo guitars and a sudden rush of blast beats, shar...

“Speed is only one tool here. The record keeps pulling back from full acceleration.”

French black metal band Alkhemia lean into atmosphere as much as fury on Häxen, letting melody and tension build inside the chaos.

FFO: Mgła, Der Weg einer Freiheit, Gaerea

montrealrocks.ca/album-review...

Peaches + Model/Actriz @ Rialto Theatre Model/Actriz Mine and everyone else’s anticipation for the upcoming show only grew stronger as we stood waiting in Rialto Theatre. I’ve heard many great compliments about Model/Actriz and the performa...

“The night was filled with a palpable intensity that I could not get enough of.”

Electro-punk chaos, wild costumes, and a crowd pulled right into the performance. Peaches brought the full spectacle to Théâtre Rialto in Montreal.

Read our review.

montrealrocks.ca/peaches-mode...

Le Husky Returns With First Album in 16 Years Le Husky is releasing Forces invisibles, his first full-length album since La fuite in 2010, on March 20. The Montreal singer-songwriter’s return ends a sixteen-year gap between records, a stretch tha...

Le Husky is back with his first full album in 16 years.

Forces invisibles drops March 20. Listen to J'ai tout foutu en l'air.

montrealrocks.ca/le-husky-ret...

They Might Be Giants Share New Single They Might Be Giants have released a new song, Sleep’s Older Sister, ahead of their upcoming studio album due April 14. The track arrived this week as an Idlewild Exclusive, available through the band...

They Might Be Giants have released a new single, Sleep’s Older Sister, ahead of their upcoming album.

A dreamy, slightly eerie track that hints at a different side of the band’s sound.

Read the story.

montrealrocks.ca/they-might-b...

Album Review: Gaerea - Loss GAEREA put clean singing on their black metal record and didn’t flinch. That’s the first thing worth knowing about Loss, the Portuguese collective’s fifth album and their Century Media debut. Not clea...

GAEREA put clean singing on their black metal record and didn't flinch.

"Grief and guilt and buried things, worn on the surface without turning into aesthetic posture."

Loss drops March 20 via Century Media Records

FFO: Behemoth, Neurosis, Amenra.

montrealrocks.ca/album-review...

The Barr Brothers @ MTelus After postponing their November show (to support Mumford & Sons on their North American tour), The Barr Brothers finally made it home to Montreal (February 28) to play for a very warm and welcoming cr...

The Barr Brothers returned home to Montreal for a warm night at MTelus filled with surprises and special guests.

“In that moment… from the strings to our hearts, we were all connected and we all felt the healing power of music.”

Read our review.

montrealrocks.ca/the-barr-bro...

Molotov @ MTelus On the last Thursday of the coldest February I can remember, walking into MTelus felt like stepping through a portal back home, to México. French and English were left at the venue doors and were repl...

MOLOTOV turned MTelus into a celebration of music, protest, and Latin American pride.

“Hearing Frijolero live was a cathartic moment that everyone in that crowd screamed with all the air in their lungs.”

Read our review.

montrealrocks.ca/molotov-mtel...

Nothing More + Catch Your Breath @ Olympia On Monday night, Texas natives Nothing More came back to Montreal after opening for Bush in 2024, this time to promote their latest album, CARNAL. As I dragged my boots through the snow, annoyed as he...

NOTHING MORE brought serious energy back to Montreal.

“You can immediately tell that Jonny Hawkins just has ‘It.’ It’s that weird pull some frontmen have where you just can’t look away.”

Read our review.

montrealrocks.ca/nothing-more...

Alissa White-Gluz Launches New Band Blue Medusa Alissa White-Gluz announced the formation of her new band, Blue Medusa, on International Women’s Day, marking her first major project outside of Arch Enemy in over a decade. The Montreal-born vocalist...

Alissa White-Gluz has stepped out on her own with a new band, Blue Medusa, and the lineup she's assembled is worth paying attention to.

First live dates already confirmed.

montrealrocks.ca/alissa-white...

Album Review: Rosa Faenskap - Ingenting Forblir A guitar hits first. No ramp-up, no slow fog rolling in. Just a tremolo line already moving fast, drums snapping underneath it like the band pressed record halfway through an argument. Within seconds ...

Rosa Faenskap push black metal into something heavier, sharper, and harder to pin down.

“guitars grind through narrow, cutting riffs while the vocals sit right in the centre, scraped raw and confrontational.”

FFO: Deafheaven, Wolves in the Throne Room, Enslaved.

montrealrocks.ca/album-review...

Album Review: Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – We Are Together Again Will Oldham opens We Are Together Again by asking a question and spends the rest of the record refusing to fake an easy answer. That matters. Bonnie “Prince” Billy albums have always made room for dou...

Bonnie “Prince” Billy returns with one of his most quietly affecting records in years.
Out now via @dominorecordco.bsky.social

FFO: Bill Callahan, Damien Jurado, late-era Leonard Cohen.

Read our review.

montrealrocks.ca/album-review...

Ad Infinitum + Seven Spires + TULIP @ Foufounes Electriques On February 11th, Ad Infinitum brought their European tour mates TULIP and Seven Spires through Montreal’s legendary Foufounes Electriques. This tour was taking place shortly after both Spires and Ad ...

Ad Infinitum’s first North American headlining run stopped at Foufounes Electriques with TULIP and Seven Spires

Three bands, plenty of theatrical metal, and a tight touring crew vibe all night.

Read our review.

montrealrocks.ca/ad-infinitum...

The Mystery Lights @ Le Ministère (Taverne Tour) My second night of Taverne Tour was a totally different experience. I arrived at Le Ministère around eight and it was half empty. The first band was Garden of Love, a Montreal-based band. The art/punk...

The Mystery Lights brought wild garage-psych energy to Le Ministère. “A really groovy 60s/70s bluesy psychedelic style that captures the flavours of my favourite old bands and brings them into the present.”

Crowded, chaotic, and impossible to ignore.

montrealrocks.ca/the-mystery-...

Hanorah + Makenzie @ Le Verre Bouteille (Taverne Tour) This year, I decided to check out Taverne Tour for the first time. I love seeing bands perform in small venues and there’s always such a great variety of music. What I don’t love is overcrowded spaces...

Hanorah turned a cramped Taverne Tour set into something quietly magical. “Hanorah's glow lit up the dark and cramped bar.”

From improvised moments to heartfelt songs, it was one of those intimate nights that sticks with you.

Read our review.

montrealrocks.ca/hanorah-make...

Album Review: Bruno Mars - The Romantic Bruno Mars finally put out The Romantic, his first solo album in ten years, and he opens it with mariachi horns like he is about to announce a reinvention. Risk It All leans into bolero melodrama stra...

Bruno Mars is back with The Romantic.

“It all sounds expensive. It all sounds like it was rehearsed for weeks before anyone hit record.”

Polished, precise, and very familiar.

FFO: Silk Sonic, 70s soul, wedding dance floors.

Read our review.

montrealrocks.ca/album-review...

Album Review: Bosse-de-Nage - Hidden Fires Burn Hottest Bosse-de-Nage came back with Hidden Fires Burn Hottest after eight years away, and the first thing you notice is that they have no interest in making a big deal of it. They have been with The Flenser ...

Bosse-de-Nage return with Hidden Fires Burn Hottest.

A record that simmers, stretches, and refuses easy catharsis.

FFO: Deafheaven, Agriculture, Oathbreaker.

Read our review.

montrealrocks.ca/album-review...

Gorillaz Bring The Mountain Tour to Bell Centre in October Gorillaz will play Bell Centre on October 3, as part of a 22-date North American arena run that marks the band’s first extensive tour of the continent since 2022. Little Simz and Deltron 3030 are conf...

Gorillaz are bringing The Mountain tour to Bell Centre on October 3, with Little Simz and Deltron 3030 in tow. Their best-reviewed album in years was born out of grief. Here's what you need to know.

montrealrocks.ca/gorillaz-bri...

Gogol Bordello + Puzzled Panther + Boris & the Joy @ MTelus Gypsy punks, unite! It was time for the Romani to invade Montreal’s loudest music venue and make it even louder. In true gypsy form, the crowd arrived early and were crowded around the bars. The honou...

Gogol Bordello turned MTELUS into pure joyful chaos. “This band has incredible energy that grabs the crowd and gets them to release their inhibitions.” Read our review.

montrealrocks.ca/gogol-bordel...

Dominique Fils-Aimé on Purple Skies, Her Mother's Voice, and Why the Sun Is Her World When Dominique Fils-Aimé picks a colour for an album, she means it. Not in a branding sense, not as a mood board exercise. The purple that wraps her new record, My World Is the Sun, released February ...

We sat down with Dominique Fils-Aimé to talk about her new album My World Is the Sun and much more.

"Those moments on stage are just, it's practically a form of blackout, but not really. It's like you immerse yourself in it so much."

montrealrocks.ca/dominique-fi...