Montreal Mirror | Johnson Cummins

Dillinger Escape Plan Break Bones, Not Stringsnew

All the anger and musical complexity with which the New Jersey band almost single-handedly changed the face of metal on 1999's Calculating Infinity returns, but that album sounds a petulant tantrum compared to the teeth-gnashing fury they now bring to the table.

Montreal Mirror | Johnson Cummins | 12-21-2007 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: Dillinger Escape Plan, Ire Works

Robyn Hitchcock, Psych-Pop Survivornew

His "children's songs for adults" only improve with age.

Montreal Mirror | Johnson Cummins | 11-16-2007 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: Robyn Hitchcock

The Weakerthans Return With More Manitoban Probin'new

Singer John K. Samson sheds light on his Winnipeg surroundings through singing his "first person fiction," but also manages to sidestep being a musical Farley Mowat, or a Canadian playing with caricatures while sniggering up their hockey-jersey sleeve.

Montreal Mirror | Johnson Cummins | 11-02-2007 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: The Weakerthans

Picastro Dig the Darknessnew

The Toronto band certainly stands out amid the bleating sounds coming out of Toronto the Good these days -- Whore Luck is as dark and somber as it gets, with a sense of despair that burrows deep.

Montreal Mirror | Johnson Cummins | 10-19-2007 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: Picastro, Whore Luck

High on Fire Strokes Metal's Flamesnew

With its fourth record, Death is This Communion, the Oakland, Calif., trio hit new heights of heaviosity, but never stray too far from their true essence -- a heavy-as-fuck metal band.

Montreal Mirror | Johnson Cummins | 10-12-2007 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: Death is This Communion, High on Fire

The Resurrected Turbonegro Never Wanted to be Lovednew

Now that the band are in their post-apocalyptic days, they're finding out that no matter how hard they try to offend, it seems that too many people are in on their joke.

Montreal Mirror | Johnson Cummins | 09-21-2007 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: Turbonegro

Montreal Mirror's Must-See List for Osheaganew

Having proven itself a well-oiled machine, and arguably the most courteous and considerate of music fests, Montreal's Osheaga event returns with an equally impressive line-up this weekend. Acts include M.I.A., Feist, Interpol, Macy Gray, Arctic Monkeys and of course Smashing Pumpkins.

Montreal Mirror | Rupert Bottenberg, Lorraine Carpenter and Johnson Cummins | 09-07-2007 | Concerts

Tags: concerts

Metal in Montrealnew

When the underground metal scene first reared its acne-infested head with a windswept mop on top, Montreal was a top contender for metal supremacy. Sunday's concert brings it all back home.

Montreal Mirror | Johnson Cummins | 08-30-2007 | Concerts

Tags: Metal Made in Quebec, concerts