Sean Paul

It’s rare for an artist to become the personification of their genre. For just a word or phrase from their mouth to personify the entire artform. Sean Paul is one of those artists. Let him say “Dutty yeah” in his commanding voice, and you’ll hear the nuance of dancehall. Across seven studio albums and counting, Sean Paul has taken the genre global, from its origin in clubs in Kingston, Jamaica to the top of the charts, packing some of the biggest venues in more than 120 countries. Only Sean has the distinction of being the first Jamaican to play shows in Kazakhstan and Madagascar. Born Sean Paul Henriques on January 9, 1973, in Jamaica’s capital, Sean grew up in a sporting family and played on the national water polo team between the ages of 13 and 21. Both of his parents were talented swimmers, and his grandfather competed on the first Jamaican men's national water polo team. But when Sean turned 15, music began competing with sports for his attention. Initially he wanted to go into production. “My mum got me a little Yamaha keyboard from a flea market,” he recalls. “That started me off on working on riddim (rhythm) tracks, and then it built up to me writing more and more songs.” He remembers that his talents developed across many years, since he was dividing his time among school, athletics, and music. By the time he was in his twenties all the swimmers he'd been training and competing with had left Jamaica to attend college on scholarships. “I didn't have that opportunity,” he says. “My grades weren't good, and my mum didn't have the funds at the time to support me.” Instead, he went to university to study hotel management. Still, he continued honing his music skill at open-mic nights in Kingston, eventually landing a manager who saw his potential. In 1994, he joined the Dutty Cup Crew and released his first solo song Baby Girl two years later. In 1998 he got his first big look outside of the island when he appeared alongside DMX on the muscular Top Shotter, from the soundtrack to the influential cult classic movie Belly. “People still come up to me and tell me the first time they heard me was on the Belly soundtrack,” he says. “Top Shotter was a big moment for me.” In 2000 he released his debut album, Stage One, but it was 2002's multi-platinum follow-up, Dutty Rock, that sent his career into the stratosphere. Supported by the five top 15 singles, including the immortal No. 1 smash Get Busy, Dutty Rock went on to win the Grammy for Best Reggae Album and earned Sean a nomination for Best New Artist, the first time a dancehall artist had garnered such a distinction. His 2006 album The Trinity notched Sean another solo No. 1 hit, with Temperature, a scorching party-starter driven by hammering percussion. Proving that Dutty Rock wasn’t some outlier, The Trinity went platinum, cementing his status as a hitmaker that continues to this day. In the last 20-plus years of music-making Sean has earned several Grammy and Billboard Music award nominations and is the recipient of an American Music award, MOBO awards, Soul Train awards, MTV Music awards, ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Music awards, a Source award and a BET award. He is the only Jamaican artiste to have won an American Music award (2006) for Favourite Pop/Rock Male Artist. Collaboration is key to Sean’s success; he has multiple Hot 100 No. 1 singles with other artists including, “Baby Boy” with Beyonce and “Cheap Thrills,” with Sia. He’s embraced the idea on two of his most recent projects, 2018’s Mad Love: The Prequel, and 2021’s Live N Livin. The former finds him paired with pop stars from around the world, like Dua Lipa and Becky G, while the latter is a celebration of his Jamican heritage and dancehall roots on which Sean trades the lyrics with Buju Banton and Mavado. He’s also worked with stars in the worlds of Latin music, EDM, and Afropop. In 2014, his relationship with Spanish-speaking audiences spiked after an alignment with Puerto Rican Reggaeton artist Farruko on their single Passion Whine, and global recording sensation Enrique Iglesias who collaborated with Sean for the Bailando remix. The latter peaked at No. 1 in 33 countries and its music video generated over 261 million views on YouTube. Demonstrating his versatility and good taste, Sean’s summer 2021 release paired him with Ty Dolla $ign for a cheeky ode to sex workers called Only Fanz. In his booming intro Sean sings, “She don’t work but I know she work for that,” setting the tone for this summer bop. Later 2021 release will find Sean reunited with Sia, making magic with the rising dancehall queen Shenseea, and putting Gwen Stefani back in touch with the reggae sound her band No Doubt was known for. Sean is still raising the musical temperature flame.

Pennywise

The Golden State represents power and possibility to many around the world, a place where dreams are made but nightmares might come true. The cultural epicenter that is California has been defined by so many monumental mile markers, from the silent film era to skid row, from Disneyland to Ronald Reagan, from celebrity excess to social unrest. Straight Outta Compton, Suffer, Master of Puppets, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables – as the late Tupac Shakur famously said, Cali is where “we riot, not rally.” Few bands have endured with as much demonstrably California-encompassing vibrancy as the Hermosa Beach, CA institution that is Pennywise. They reign unchallenged, outside the margins of the mainstream, a staple on the SoCal radio airwaves and worldwide festival circuit revered and championed by generations of fans filling theaters and clubs. Pennywise possess the power to merge the subversive with the celebratory. Each Pennywise record is chock full of fast-paced anthems expertly engineered to inspire radical change, personal empowerment, relentless hijinks, and reckless fast times. On paper it may read like a mess of contradictions, but on record, it sounds like California. At this point, three decades since the band’s DIY beginnings, Pennywise classics like “Same Old Story,” “Fuck Authority,” “Alien,” “Homesick,” and “Bro Hymn” are as fundamental to punk rock and hardcore as stage dives and guitars. The combustible chemistry between the diverse creative personalities within Pennywise delivers some the culture’s strongest songs, obliterating the boring sameness of easygoing attitudes with a push-and-pull process that hammers the strongest songwriting and performances from each individual into a remarkable cohesive whole. The defiantly titled Never Gonna Die is the first full album of brand new songs with singer Jim Lindberg, guitarist Fletcher Dragge, drummer Byron McMackin, and bassist Randy Bradbury in over ten years. It’s astimely as it is timeless, charging head first into the chaos of the current climate of the world with the tried-and-true determined sound the Pennywise faithful demand. Never Gonna Die was forged in the same space where the band penned classic songs with late bassist Jason Thirsk and produced once again by rock producer and close collaborator Cameron Webb (Motörhead, NOFX, Alkaline Trio). “We Set Fire Tonight” is a furious resistance anthem challenging the “austerity measures” around the world that deny basic social services to the most vulnerable. “American Lies” cuts through the fog of disinformation and disingenuous worldviews, rejecting partisan posturing in favor of true patriotism. “Can’t Be Ignored” is both selfexamination and societal exhortation, addressing the ravenous hunger for more that shatters the spirit and could literally destroy the world as we know it. The title track demands an evolutionary shift in consciousness, pleading to put hundreds of years of dogma to rest, to never accept those prejudices are “Never Gonna Die.” “Live While You Can (Time Bomb)” is the Pennywise take on the timeless adages to live while you can, enjoy today, and never let the bastards get you down. “Goodbye Bad Times” further emphasizes the holistic side of the band’s ethos, a steadfast reminder of the power of encouragement, personal empowerment and communal interdependence. As ever, touring across the world playing with and playing to likeminded rabble rousers and mischief makers, Pennywise summon all the best and brightest of SoCal punk spirit, consciously exposing the world’s flaws as well as their own, and celebrating life loudly. As the terrifying clown who shares the band’s namesake returns to the pop culture consciousness, via a massively well-received movie adaptation and its forthcoming sequel, so too has Pennywise – the band – reemerged at their absolute strongest. Forbes Magazine said, “It doesn’t just float, It soars.” Pennywise? They effin’ scorch

Fouki

FouKi (Léo Fougères) was born in Montreal on December 25, 1996 in the eastern sector of the Plateau Mont-Royal aka the Plato Hess. Welcome to the world of FouKi, to the meeting of the murmurs of the alleyway, the sweet madness of the parks, the din of the city, the echo of the regions. FouKi's musical inspiration is plural: from here and elsewhere, from Quebec and France, from the Americas and around the world, listening to sounds and words that jostle, cross and intertwine, from Quebec songs to folk and rock, from blues to jazz, from Latin music, from reggae to R&B, to trap, hip-hop and rap... and then Rap Queb! In his late teens, FouKi met his boys, first QuietMike dit le Michel Silencieux and Vendou, then Ségala, l'Amalgame and LaF. Finally, following his projects Plato Hess and Extendo, then the meeting with his agent Sam Rick and the release of Pré_Zay, FouKi signs with Disques 7ième Ciel. The first album, Zay, was released on April 13, 2018 and quickly, on July 13, 2018, the EP La Zayté was released and on May 3, 2019, his second official album: ZayZay. In May 2020, the album Génies en Herbe is released, in duo with Koriass and supported by producers Ruffsound and QuietMike and on October 23, 2020, his EP Grignotines, with QuietMike, Pops & Poolboy and Rousseau. An unavoidable team player, he is a FouKi in all its authenticity who recognizes himself in the collective adventure. On November 20, 2020, the Grignotines EP was transformed into the album Grignotines de Luxe, with 8 new songs. FouKi's rhythm, his words, his stage presence, are first and foremost personal creative projects, his very own universe. In praise of everyday life, often offbeat humor, love always revealed, FouKi militates to catch those little things that add up to daily life. FouKi's sound fuses genres, his dances animate bodies and his words make you dream, zayzayer. With Pré_Zay, Zay, ZayZay, and Grignotines de Luxe, FouKi invites us to the first movements of his ambitious Zayphonie rap, with a taste for Grignotines and the smell of Gayé.

The Planet Smashers

NOW CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF SKA PUNK PARTY MAYHEM! That’s right. The Planet Smashers have somehow managed to survive a quarter century of worldwide touring, non-stop partying and extremely questionable life decisions. An absolute staple in the Canadian music scene, The Smashers have been slinging their two-toney, punky, new wavee party ska to the four corners of the earth with an unapologetic middle finger raised on one hand and a double mai-tai cocktail firmly gripped in the other. The band has faced way more than their fair share of adversity over the years but have always managed to maintain an unequivocally positive and often hilarious approach to life; and this admirable attitude comes shining through in every single one of their songs. Too Much Information is The Planet Smashers’ ninth full-length album and adds another illustrious set of bangers to their 25 years legacy of unbelievably addictive songwriting and defiant debauchery. These fourteen songs run through a diverse collection of themes ranging from the culture of over-sharing (Too Much Information) to being obsessed by love (Can’t Stop) to eating far too much ice-cream (Brain Freeze) to that one time a couple years back when Matt Smasher broke his neck in four places after a show in Sherbrooke (Break My Neck A Love Song). One thing’s for damn sure, you just can’t keep a good band down. For fans of: The Specials, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Interrupters, Reel Big Fish

Jay Scøtt

Jay Scøtt is a singer-songwriter born in Terrebonne. His musical multitasking includes rap, vocals, piano, guitar (which he plays backwards) and beatmaking. Formerly known under the stage name PL3, the artist has been active on the Montreal scene for a decade now. Jay Scøtt's versatility and eclecticism give a fragmented taste to his soundtracks that tease rap, folk and pop. The narrative of his songs praises the daily life of the average Quebecer through touching lyrics, references to popular culture and catchy melodies, all sailing together towards an eternal pursuit of happiness, and this, despite the emotional lows that this life suggests...

The Damn Truth

The Damn Truth, a band that has been hiding in plain sight for the last nine years, has slowly been bubbling up from the underground on to the radar of a wider audience. They've played Europe and the US, opened tours for ZZ Top, the Sheepdogs, Styx and Rival Sons, sold out the legendary Whisky a Go Go in LA, sold out the Corona Theatre in their hometown of Montreal and just recently played at Osheaga 2021. It's a lineage of hard work that's come to fruition with their latest album Now or Nowhere. The Damn Truth are Lee-la Baum (lead vocals/guitar), Tom Shemer (lead guitar/vocals), PY Letellier (bass/vocals) and Dave Traina (drums/vocals).

Zach Zoya

Zach Zoya is one of the most promising singers, rappers and authors that Montreal has to offer. Following the release of his first single Superficial, in Fall 2017, and Who Dat, in March 2018, Zach Zoya also gave great performances as the opening act for many artists such as Bigflo & Oli, Alaclair Ensemble, Craig David and Loud. He has already been seen on several stages including the Festival d'Été de Québec (where he was a finalist for the Prix Espoir FEQ), the Festival international de Jazz de Montréal, the FRIMAT and the FME. Multiplying collaborations with important artists and beatmakers of the Montreal Hip Hop scene, Zach Zoya recently teamed with High Klassified for his new single, 1919, by Fool’s Gold Records. After this, Zach Zoya and High Klassified teamed up again and release MISSTAPE, an EP who mixes talents of this two youngs and promising Montreal artists. Following this first collaboration, the prodigious duo joins forces for a second time by presenting the Misstape EP in August 2018, released under Disques 7ième Ciel. In October 2020, Zoya released his new EP Spectrum via 7ième Ciel Records and Universal Music Canada. In this EP we find a rapper who not only has an excellent technique and a beautiful feather, but also a songwriter capable of unraveling emotions with fluid vocal choruses, stunning melodies and an agile flow.

Marie-Gold

Carried by the urgency both in creation and in life, the rapper leaves no room for excuses. If she is able to dream it, she will simply go for it - that's all. Naturally gifted but willing to work hard to reach her many goals, Marie-Gold asserts her outgoing profile. Influenced by notable acts such as Doja Cat, Rico Nasty, Alpha Wann and IAMDDB, she expresses herself through an R&B-inflicted trap that is both poetic and rebellious. Vulnerable at times too. With 2 EPs and an album to her credit, she has to this day opened for Alaclair Ensemble and Les Louanges and performed alongside Random Recipe, Loud, KNLO, Fouki, Zach Zoya and Donzelle. Marie-Gold has also performed at the OUMF, Santa Teresa, LVL UP, FICG, MEG, FRIMAT and Mural festivals, the International Balloon Festival of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Osheaga Bloc Party and Francos de Montréal. A master in the art of doing what she wants, Marie-Gold shakes up everything in her path and willingly gives herself the means to achieve her ambitions.

Clodelle

"Clodelle's colorful life is nothing new! Originally from Montreal, she started to travel at a young age as she grew up mainly in the Caribbean and Mexico. Known mainly for her prolific modeling career (American Vogue, Italian Vogue, Sephora, Nike, Coq Sportif), Clodelle unveiled herself as a singer to the general public for the first time in 2018 as she successfully lent her words and voice to the title track of Claude Bégin's album ""Bleu nuit"". A few years later, Clodelle is about to launch her solo project. Alongside Claude Bégin as a producer (Claude Bégin, Karim Ouellet, Alaclair Ensemble and many others), she is writing and composing songs in English, French and Spanish in order to soon deliver a first album. Carried by pop rhythms and songstress vibes, the artist will offer an universe mixing romantic ambiances with trap sounds where her warm and deep voice will undoubtedly hold the attention. An assertive, sensual and playful singer, the versatile artist finally claims this part of herself that has been left aside for too long and she already takes an obvious and contagious pleasure in it.

Fredz

Malfaisants

MALFAISANTS have been delivering an amalgam of punk rock and hiphop to the Rouynorandian public since 2017. Having never played together, but eager to create a unique project, the members meet for the first time to assess whether a chemistry can be created. First rehearsal, first song. The reste came from an EP titled « Kin Toé! » which announced the colors and the energy of the group. Composing with their influences from various backgrounds, a synergy is heard right from the first listen. Catchy lyrics on heavy drums, led by responses from guitars and basses, all the elements merge to produce a distinction in the Quebec musical landscape. In 2022, MALFAISANTS return in studio to put the final touches and introduce you to a new eponymous opus.

Bad Waitress

"Bad Waitress’ antsy art punk revels in fits of fury and ego. It spits in your face and winks, ferocious and playful. The Toronto-based four-piece play like they’re conspiring or casting a spell, each member wielding a different power, howls and erratic drum fills and fiery riffs fueling one another. That improvisation spirit doesn’t stop at their music. Katelyn Molgard, Nicole Cain, Kali-Ann Butala, and Moon finish each other’s sentences. Their conversations flow like free jazz. When asked to describe Bad Waitress’ sound, they agree on one word: conviction. “We play with conviction. There's nothing apologetic about it,” Kateyln says. “Even with our bizarre song structures, we don't hide anything in our music. It's just very...I don't like the word raw, it’s overused, but...raw.” The band fidget between genres, instead honing a distinct energy. “It's energetic. It's electric,” Moon adds. “It's whatever word that we can think of later that's better than raw.” Nicole suggests, “Honest?” Katelyn jumps in, “Rawnest.” The path that led them together follows a similar rhythm. Kali (Vocals & Guitar) and Moon (Drums) started jamming as The Nude Dogs back in 2014. Katelyn (Vocals & Guitar) joined two years later, and by 2018, the trio would release their Party Bangers EP under the name Bad Waitress. “It started off small,” Moon reflects. “The main premise of the band was that we just wanted to get together and play music with people who weren't old men.” When Nicole (Bass) joined in late 2018, things really clicked into place. “We didn't realize what was missing until it happened. Then it was like, this is like what our fucking band was missing this whole time, this extra little piece that made it all make sense.” Bad Waitress’ debut full-length album, No Taste, finds strength in mood swings, from upbeat “groovin down the street” songs like “Strawberry Milkshake” to “I'm gonna fucking punch everyone” songs like “Lacerate,” as Nicole puts it. “It’s good to listen to when you're walking alone at night. I get really anxious, but I feel powerful when I listen to this album, like I’m fucking untouchable. It’s basically a self-defense album.” “There’s always a ‘fuck you’ to the man,” Kali says. “The album is a rollercoaster. Every song takes you somewhere different.” “We definitely don't run the risk of being pigeonholed with this album,” Katelyn adds. “It really does showcase all of our talents individually and how they come together.” “I slipped away into a distant void,” the opening track begins. “Rabbit Hole” throws you into a thunderous spiral, riffs ablaze, before “Yeah Yeah Yeah” pummels you down further with its driving guitars, crashing drums, and echoing shouts. By track five, Bad Waitress take on a slightly softer tone. Or maybe they’re just tired: “There’s cynicism, battling with vices,” Katelyn explains. “We’re using past trauma to generate a scathing, badass sound. We’re embracing our demons.” Traces of Sonic Youth, Fugazi, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and The Stooges can be heard throughout No Taste. The band also cite jazz as an inspiration. Moon’s background playing improv jazz, blues and swing makes it an essential force, at the core of Bad Waitress’ music and collaborative process. “Moon usually has a weird drumbeat that they’ll play spontaneously, then Nicole will jump in with her wack ass music sensibility on bass, and then Kali will play something that’s super wrong in a good way,” Katelyn says. “And then I’ll make sense of it and find where the chords are. It’s bizarre.” “Our process is a little bit of everything,” Kali concurs. “I write the lyrics and usually a standard rhythm for the songs and we go from there, sometimes it comes from a jam.” The closing track on No Taste, “Restless Body,” started with a beer bottle sound experiment. “One night, we were jamming at the label and Kali started fucking around with a beer bottle on the neck of her guitar, making all these weird sounds,” Nicole laughs. “I was adding Sonic Youth-y bass. Moon came in and it turned from an empty beer bottle into a whole epic. A lot of the collaborative songs come from us dicking around in between practice. We all egg each other on, and a lot of good things come out of that.” You can get an idea of the bottle’s tinny resonance on the final product, a guitar solo swirling and crying into the outro, “Restless body, take me home.”

Ragers

Ragers have always sparked mystery around them. Their eclectic mix of urban pop, rap and live instrumentals have earned them a ton of fantastic reviews from media such as The Fader, Complex and XXL Magazine, among others. With five releases in five years, the group has become an essential in the Quebec music scene after the success of their first studio album, Raw Footage released in 2018. The group found themselves projected in Netflix shows, in Spotify playlists, as well as in US radio stations. Their explosive latest singles prove that Ragers is currently positioned as one of the most solid bands on the local scene, with their catchy choruses and their experimental productions. Now the group has given itself a new challenge: to make music in their native language, French. The idea came in the middle of the pandemic, in the Ragers' headquarters in Hochelaga, in the east of Montreal. The result of this experience: a project of 6 tracks with a 100% Montreal flavor. In order to do this, the guys have surrounded themselves with the most talented directors in town, especially by collaborating with Gary Wide and Pako. The 6 tracks presented illustrate the versatility of the band by presenting songs as catchy and dancing as Hasta La vista and Goût Cerise and as dark and grungy as Langue sale. The final result is a beautiful representation of the universe of Ragers. The group takes its inspiration from several cultures and musical trends. This gives the project a unique texture that somehow remind the spirit of their hometown, Montreal.

Okapi

OKAPI is an independent Montreal reggae band. Their sound is mixing French and English in a pure Montreal fashion adapting to all situations. Riding on classic rub-a-dub and early dancehall vibes, the crew knows its roots. Okapi brings Hot Sauce Piquante in music for an exotic mix of home and away, but above all it's QUALITY reggae music. Real #reggaekeb power.

The Lookout

The Lookout is a punk rock band from Montreal fronted by the dynamic Martha Rockhard! Active in the local scene as well as in the rest of Quebec for several years now, the band has recorded and released three Eps independently which were produced by Ryan Battistuzzi. Their head-turning energetic performances have landed them on the rosters of some of the big festivals (’77 MTL, Pouzza Fest, Osheaga) and as opening acts for several renowned bands. Word on the street is The Lookout is FUN!

La Vie

La Vie is à Montréal artist who always had a passion for music. He first got introduced to live looping in the summer of 2016. He first started by doing covers of his favorite bands like Sublime, Tryo, Bob Marley to name only a few of them. A couple years later La Vie starts to write his own material, composing sometimes on his loop rig, sometimes with a band to come up with a sound inspired by roots and dub culture while integrating it to live looping. Jah love dans vos cœurs.

Tito BP