The cruise started on a chill note with the CRi DJ set which pretty abruptly transitioned to Ponctuation, a two-brother garage psych punk band from Québec. Guillaume and Maxime Chiasson quickly gathered the boats attendees on the main floor for a loud upbeat set featuring tracks from their two self-produced EPs. It was an epic recreation of a jamming-in-the-garage feel on a moving boat.

Next on the bill were Dead Obies, a six-piece rap band from the Montreal suburbs who between the large bunch that they are have found a sound and order that completely makes sense. In the true nature of freestyle their names are MCs Jo RCA, Yes McCan, Snail Kid, 20some, O.G. Bear and VNCE, the producer. 20some crisp rapping style reminds us of El-P and that’s just music to the ears. Dead Obies rap in both English and French, both equally smooth and, some would argue, are overdue for another album (their last album, Montréal $ud, came out in 2013).

Michael Rault’s live set seemed perfectly fitting in this mini cruise ship. Rault’s voice and guitar filled the crowded space with the vibes of the 70s through the songs from Living Daylight. Something about this whole experience felt like being on side of a Mad Men set watching adults in suits alter their minds accept the adults on this boat were dressed in plaid and vans.

The cruise came to an end with the last beats of The Muscadettes, surf-pop-garage-punk band lead by twin sisters Chantal and Kathleen Ambridge. The duo bring to mind singers like Joan Jett and The Donnas and something tells us those two are no angels either despite the the deceivingly angelic looks.

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NXNE 2014 officially wrapped up on Sunday as festivalgoers retired their earplugs, nursed their blisters and bruises, topped up their song lists, and finished digesting a week’s worth of Pilsner. With tired-out voices and flaming shoulder blades, we nostalgically look back at the weekend past.

Saturday brought to Toronto M for Montreal’s Bruise Cruise. After a long wait and a slow boarding, our cruise ship departed at around half past one. Promptly after The Posterz took the stage in the lower deck and the party cruised in full swing. While some attendees crowded by the stage, jamming and shouting along being occasionally sprayed on out-of-water guns the rest were roaming the upper decks of the ship under the hot hot heat of the July sun.

Popping in and out from the music floor it was easy to enjoy the bands even outside. Montréal’s Walter TV followed with their authentic, loud, miss-mushing sound reminiscent of recent Animal Sound. The ship’s echo was not kind to their set, the sound did not travel well and appeared incredibly noisy and messy but the boaters did not seem to mind. Back up on the deck, it was obvious some people only moved to get another beer while peacefully dozing off in the shade staring out into the lake.

As the Bruise Cruise headed back self-proclaimed space captain Calvin Love took the stage, cooling down the atmosphere with his nostalgic fast-moving tracks and rusty voice. Those who obviously got on the boat for PS I Love You packed in by the stage, dripping excitement. The rest impatiently hovered around the exit, clearly not giving a single damn about the still happening show downstairs.

Later in the evening the regular program resumed with Bailiff. Playing in the shade of a maple tree, the three-piece Chicago band brought a range of alt-rock tunes to the afternoon backyard barbecue of Laing Street. Surrounded by a still composed crowd sipping beer and eating pasta salad, the tight-knit quarters provided the perfect setup for a range of quick-moving acts that gave Bailiff an opportunity to balance out the energy of the afternoon’s previous rotation of metalcore and rap performances. With an LP released earlier in the year, this threesome is tenured and strong, with a distinct and engaging sound.

Laurel, a young UK native, is set to release her debut album in 2015 and is already garnering praise for her sultry love (and lust) songs that are drawing comparisons to Lana Del Rey. Assuming her place on the Tattoo stage with her humble presence, Laurel appealed with a down-to-earth approach that played well into her dreamy sound. While an over-zealous fog machinist cast a haze to rival a ballroom wedding entrance, the performance was well received and highlighted by the singer’s genuine excitement (it was her second-ever Canadian gig following last night’s performance at Edward Day). Keep an eye on what’s up next for this rising musician.

Following Laurel came Future Islands. Since their captivating appearance on Letterman, Future Islands have shot into pop culture’s relevancy and are tearing-up the charts with tracks off their latest album Singles. With four LPs already under their collective belt, these synth-pop Baltimorians are no amateurs. Watching front man Samuel Herring perform live is seriously magical; his energy and sincerity are as infectious as the plague and a true measure of his incredible showmanship. A personal favourite of NXNE, and one of the few performances through which (despite being alone) I could not stop smiling.

Down and over the smiles were spreading across the Garrison while Brooklyn’s Snowmine were playing out their earthy rich pop sounds. The band has been compared to Fleet Foxes and Jim Jones but if you really listen to them you will notice a distinctly different tribal influence. The performance was calm and simple, just a few dudes playing their music, but somehow there was nothing lacking. (Though there was a  little too much on stage, seriously Grayson, the equipment needs to come out of the box). The overall performance was clean, clear and inspiring.

Ending the night on a different note a streetcar and a walk away in no time we were at the Adelaide Hall watching Run The Jewels spreading their wisdom with harsh-cutting lyrics and beats. El-P and Killer Mike’s quick success has them headlining festivals across North America all summer and it is the praise is well deserved. You know shit’s getting real when there are people crowd-surfing at a hip hop show. Run the jewels, jewels, jewels. “If you see a m****fucker surfing you DO NOT drop the m****fucker on the ground,” noted Killer Mike with a grin on his face. Everyone was dropping a sweat while clattering their beer cans and plastic liquor cups. Watch out hip hop world, these two are going places.

See more photos from NXNE here

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Max Jones: How much does Toronto’s culture feed your music?

MO: Quite a bit, we are both originally from separate small Ontario towns, but have lived here for about a decade. Toronto’s international culture base feeds and inspires us for sure, but I think “enables” is maybe the more appropriate term.  This city is great because of all the people who work so hard to create beauty in music and art, and that enables others to do the same.

MJ. How do you feel about promoting Montreal’s music scene at the M for Montreal festival?

MO: We feel great about it. We are fortunate to know a bunch of great Montreal musicians and are really into a lot of the music coming out of there – who isn’t? We’ve played Montreal a lot over the years as Mad Ones and in previous bands, which has always been a great time. Also we know there are very few Toronto bands in the festival, so we feel really lucky.

MJ. You have described your music as having “elements of rock, pop, punk, garage, and grunge.” Got a favourite?

MO: It’s all rock n’ roll, we just needed some more stuff to write.

MJ. Do you ever feel limited by being a two-man band?

MO: All the time, and that’s probably the best part about it. I think the most exciting stuff comes out of working within limitations and finding new ways to exploit them.

MJ. You probably get this a lot, but why are you so mad?

MO: Why not? Actually, it’s not meant as “mad” as in “angry.” I always kind of looked at it as a general term for human beings. The ones walking this planet on two legs are pretty absurd sometimes. Beyond that, I like the way it sounds.

Did you miss the Mad Ones live and uncensored this past Saturday, at L’Escogriffe as part of the M for Montreal festival?  Check them out on Friday, December 6 at The Silver Dollar Room in Toronto. Come for the anger, stay for the rock n’ roll.

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Lightburn has spent over a decade being a Montreal music darling, thanks to his work fronting The Dears: an indie success that never really broke through into the mainstream, for better or worse. That never stopped them from being a cult sensation, though, and the main reason behind their indie street cred was always the stage presence of their lead singer. His presence comes through loud and clear on Mass:Light, where he makes otherwise inconsequential beats on tracks like “A Thousand Light Years” seem larger than life.

There are plenty of albums this year that are better than Lightburn’s, but none that have been more properly titled. This is a major departure from the depth and darkness of The Dears, and the synthy dance beats on the album will take some getting used to. With that being said, if you have a chance to catch his live show at Sala Rossa on November 20 for the M for Montreal festival, the mass of Lightburn’s voice will alleviate any concerns about this new direction. In such an intimate venue, the “mass-to-light ratio” will be greater than ever, and that is a good thing.

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