Mutek vs. Movement
Detroit Fest looks to capitalize on weak lineup for Montreal’s Party
Anthony Augustine
Movement 2006 — www.demf.com
— After struggling with problems with sponsors, cancellations
and cash flow, Detroit’s Movement electronic music festival
seems to have turned the corner and found stable funding, a sympathetic
city council and one of the best lineups assembled for a North
American music festival. The gig takes place outdoors May 27-29
in downtown Detroit, and Movement should solidify itself as one
of the premiere electronic music events in the world. Montreal’s
acclaimed Mutek festival has released a weak initial lineup, so
electronic music fans may want to make the pilgrimage to the Motor
City to see performances by The Orb (legendary ambient duo), Superpitcher
(heartbreaker techno), Richie Hawtin (micro-techno), Adam Marshall
(Toronto techno), Planet of Drums (Dieselboy, Dara, AK 1200),
and original techno trio Kevin Saunderson, Carl Craig and Derrick
May. Although the free festival is the main focus, the late-night
label showcases are where the real action is.
Brian Jonestown Massacre—
www.brianjonestownmassacre.com
— The recent documentary Dig! chronicled the relationship
between The Dandy Warhols and Brian Jonestown Massacre, and manic
BJM singer Anton Newcombe proved he may be the last great unknown
rock ’n’ roll icon. Between drunken fights with bandmates,
long periods of heroin abuse and time generally spent alienating
everyone around him, Newcombe manages to turn out album after
album of raw, passion-drenched rock ’n’ roll. While
the Dandys struggled to operate within a major-label machine,
BJM headed down a different path. Newcombe may never get to blow
half a million dollars on a David LaChapelle-directed video or
hear his songs in cell-phone commercials, but he’s still
able to record and release music without worrying about how many
units he’s moving or if the record hits the right demographics.
Known for doing things differently than many bands, BJM has uploaded
over 15 albums’ worth of material to its website, including
tracks from its Peel session and recent studio work.
Vitamins for You — sfeericle-records.com/vitaminsforyou/w
ishing/ — Since moving from Winnipeg a few years ago
to immerse himself in Montreal’s burgeoning music scene,
producer Bryce Kushnier has developed into one of Canada’s
best electronic acts. With a highly anticipated new album called
The Legend of Birds Hill set for release May 23, Kushnier has
a new track, Wishing I Lived Near Water, available for download.
Three minimal techno remixes from DJ Jorge, Shock Bukara and Paravoice
are also available.
Sasquatch Festival — tinyurl.com/oz2ca
— Coachella may get all the press because of its proximity
to L.A. and the high number of celebrities hanging out backstage,
but Washington’s Sasquatch Festival has the best lineup.
Featuring acts such as Nine Inch Nails, The Tragically Hip, The
Shins, Neko Case, Queens of the Stone Age, Death Cab for Cutie
and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, the fest is worth the road trip
to Washington state.
Anthony Augustine is a freelance music and pop culture writer
who spends way too much time in front of the computer. He also
hosts a weekly two-hour electronic music program on CKUW 95.9
FM Got a site you think he should see? E-mail him at anthony.alloneword@gmail.com. |
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