Pop Montreal is known as an Anglophone festival, but this is Quebec, and so it only made sense to have a couple of French-speaking acts on the bill at yesterday's Fringe Pop. Random Recipe mixed "Fab's" Latin-tinged beat boxing and rapping with "Franster's" beautiful Billie Holiday voice. Franster sang mostly in English, but her between-songs banter was all en francais – much to the delight of the Francophone crowd.
Montreal's Winter Gloves closed out the Fringepop night with a set of high-energy electro-pop that fused hipster cool with French sensibility (think: Flair). Singer/songwriter Charles F played Wurlitzer and guitar, jumping around and clapping as if possessed. They were undeniably catchy, but honestly, I've heard this kind of stuff before. Not that that's a bad thing. (More pics below.)
Random Recipe
Winter Gloves