Also Cool's FME 20th Anniversary Top Picks: Round One
Elizabete Balčus by Zane Zelmene
Once again, we’re packing up and heading to Rouyn-Noranda over the Labour Day long weekend to hit FME in Abitibi-Témiscamingue! The jam-packed four-day festival never disappoints, and this year’s lineup in celebration of its 20th anniversary is stacked with familiar favourites and new must-see acts for us here at Also Cool (and maybe you, too!) Get a taste for the artists we’ll be catching this weekend in the first edition of our FME 20th Anniversary Top Picks below!
Mitch Davis by Richmond Lam
Mitch Davis
Montreal producer and multi-instrumentalist Mitch Davis boasts a smooth take on indie rock that we’re excited to hear in a live context for the first time! We became acquainted with Davis’ sunny breakup songs over the pandemic, and have been hooked on his Easter egg-laden jams ever since. In our recent interview with Davis, we entertained touring his debut LP The Haunt with a full band, so it feels full circle to have this long-anticipated set on our list.
Mitch Davis plays Café L’Abstracto on Sunday, September 4th at 5PM.
Mitch Davis
Alicia Clara by Tess Roby
Alicia Clara
Dream-pop songstress Alicia Clara brings a delicate whimsy to her songwriting, refined on her brand new single “Only Fools Wish For Love”. The track invites anticipation for her next offering, her EP Velveteen, which arrives on October 28th via Hot Tramp. When guesting on our podcast Also Cool Sounds Like, Clara spoke to the isolation she was experiencing in contrast to the momentum of moving to Montreal from Switzerland. With a taste of what’s to come from Clara, we’re eager to hear new work from her at the festival.
Alicia Clara plays Guinguette Chez Edmund - Scène Fonderie Horne on Sunday, September 4th at 2PM.
Alicia Clara
Elizabete Balčus by Zane Zelmene
Elizabete Balčus
All the way from Rïga, Latvia, neo-psychedelic avant-gardist Elizabete Balčus weaves spectral vocals, flute and electronics into otherworldly sonic collages. We were introduced to Balčus’ Nina Hagen-meets-Björk compositions through our friends at Mothland and instantly fell in love with her surreal performance theatrics. Balčus plays FME hot on the heels of her upcoming album Hotel Universe, set to arrive September 16th via Mothland. We implore you to fall down the rabbit hole into Balčus’ fantastical daydream where she rules with innovative fascination.
Elizabete Balčus plays the Videotron Stage - 200 Murdoch Avenue on Saturday, September 3rd at 8PM.
Elizabete Balčus
Kee Avil by Lawrence Fafard
Kee Avil
The brainchild of Montreal-based composer Vicky Mettler, Kee Avil combines guitar, voice and electronic production “to create songs that teeter on the edge of collapse while oozing forward, like sticky wax picking up and shedding disparate elements along the way.” Mettler’s intimate songcraft entrances listeners with whisper-like vocals and post-punk structures, transforming a space of any size into an immersive musical experience. Mettler’s striking stage presence struck a chord with us at the most recent edition of Ottawa-Hull’s PIQUE festival, making their debut LP Crease now a constant rotation.
Kee Avil plays the Hub Desjardins - 218 Murdoch Avenue on Friday, September 2nd at 5PM.
Kee Avil
Sheenah Ko via Bandcamp
Sheenah Ko
Also a core member of Besnard Lakes, Montreal-based synth-pop artist Sheenah Ko’s work is “avant garde electronic pop for those who want to get into a trance, get into a vibe, get deep and get real”. We virtually co-presented Sheenah at Taverne Tour x Also Cool Present: Into the Matrix with Andy Jon and Sheenah Ko in early February of this year, and cannot wait to hear songs from her latest album Future is Now, released this past May.
Sheenah Ko plays Guinguette Chez Edmund - Scène Fonderie Horne on Friday, September 2nd at 9PM.
Sheenah Ko
Grim Streaker via Mothland
Grim Streaker
Brooklyn’s Grim Streaker sport weirdo sing-talk rock that you cannot help but bop to. Their latest album MIND is described as “a surreal, subversive world of four songs that reflects on the current state of mental health, laughable social constructs and the inescapable working grind”. Grim Streaker, now signed to Mothland, have been making their way around the United States opening for acts like Idles and METZ.
Work for a dime/Get back in line/Zip up your mouth - MIND
Grim Streaker plays Cabaret de la Dernière Chance on Thursday, September 1st at 11:59PM.
Tamar Aphek by Rotem Lebel
Tamar Aphek
Israeli concert-pianist-turned-distortion-guitarist Tamar Aphek takes the stage at FME opening for Chad Vangaalen. She’s been a part of Israel’s underground scene for over a decade, known for asking her collaborators to “play as crazy as [they] can.”
Aphek thinks of her performances as plays or cinematic experiences and considers the characters and roles she and her bandmates play. In her song “All I Know”, she peels back so many layers of who they are and what the characters want that “eventually nobody knows who is who in the song.”
Tamar Aphek plays Scène Hydro Québec - 112 7e Rue on Friday, September 2nd at 9PM.
Tamar Aphek
FME
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