Something borrowed, something new

In the past year, a promising crop of bands has materialized in Montreal. Regardless of whether you call them weird punk or psychedelic garage, they’re revitalizing the local scene and the quality of the music is infectious. One of these emergent bands is Dirty Wedding, a quartet with a pared down aesthetic turning out innovative tunes that reek of rock ‘n’ roll. Their catchy riffs prove these handsome boys are not afraid of writing pop songs, but they carry their hooks with raw vocals, boldly articulate bass lines, and dynamic drumming.

Despite the influence of bands like the Rollings Stones, Jesus and Mary Chain, and Brian Jonestown Massacre evident in Dirty Wedding’s music, the band strikes a balance of old and new. Bassist Susil Sharma explains, “The most powerful dynamics and elements of rock music are just as important and vital today as they ever were.” They are conscious of what they have inherited from their predecessors while confident they can resuscitate the genre and invigorate it with their own swagger. They translate the same aplomb into their confrontational performances, proving that when playing live they revel in taking risks.

While the band is still in its infancy, Dirty Wedding’s recordings promise endurance. They have already recorded five tracks with close collaborator Tyler Crawford for their debut album, which they hope to release this fall. Despite the fact they were recorded in a living room, the production on the tracks is mind-blowing. They were recorded on a 1960s vintage tape machine, endowing the recordings with some grime and with warmth lost in digital recordings.

A live recording of Dirty Wedding’s most recent show at Friendship Cove is being released on cassette under Brett Wagg’s local label Campaign for Infinity. What better way to produce a night of gritty, drunken music than coating it in hiss? The cassette will be released in a box set along with Dead Wife’s and Ultrathin’s recordings from the show. The three local bands have been mixing the tracks together with Crawford, and the collaboration is indicative of the scene’s comraderie. Bands share members and play shows together even though their styles vary from classic rock to riot girl to stoner psych. Dirty Wedding singer Cody Hicks points out what brings together so many disparate sounding groups: “None of us ascribe to the same sound, but we have the same DIY aesthetic, we’re all freaks, and we all get along.” The friendly atmosphere along with the concentration of talent in these bands and others like Grand Trine, the Witchies, Red Mass, and Black Feelings means that right now the city is an ideal place for these young bands to mature.

Dirty Wedding has been on a short hiatus since April due to out of town summer jobs, but they will be sullying stages in Montreal again in July. Hicks forebodes a rambunctious return for the band: “After a month without sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, I’m going to be so ready to party when I get back.” In addition to partying, the band has plans to play more local shows, to tour in Quebec and Ontario, and to release their recordings.