The Stills Top Mount Real

PHOTOS BY RICHMOND LAM

Locals done good was the accidental theme of Pop Montreal day two: fellow Canuck turntablist DJ A-Trak dropped beats at Club Soda while weirdo violin genius Final Fantasy brought out a packed house of similarly-afflicted fans. But the night (Oct. 4) surely belonged to Arts & Crafts' latest roster addition, the Stills. The handsome Quebecois fivesome, who are currently putting the finishing touches on their currently untitled third studio LP, showcased some of their brightest pop gems yet. Yep, everyone's growing up; locals and tourists alike felt like proud parents, that is, if proud parents partied with their kids until 3:00 A.M. Get ready for it: here's Pop Montreal part deux.

Basia Bulat / Photo by Richmond Lam

A sold-out crowd of art snobs and hipster tushes went completely mute as London, Ontario-bred pop folkie Basia Bulat made a stunning introduction at the Ukrainian Federation last evening. Bringing her pearly blonde locks, huge smile and even bigger voice to the church-styled stage, Bulat offered highlights from her current album, the delicate pop stylings of Oh My Darling. Playing acoustic guitar and accompanied by a small band, the 24-year-old chanteuse channeled a drop of Tiny Vipers with a dab of Leslie Feist on tunes such as "Before I Knew" and "Birds of Paradise." "This is a clap-along song," she cheerfully proclaimed to the audience before tapping into the resilient string-laden number, "I Was a Daughter." And clap along they did, mesmerized by the gospel of Ms. Basia Bulat.

Next, a skinny dude calmly marched onto the empty platform to pick up a violin -- meet Final Fantasy, a.k.a. the remarkable violin and vocal project of Toronto native Owen Pallett. From the opening lines of comical teaser "He Poos Clouds," Final Fantasy's violin flew through earnest melodies and moods, especially on tunes like "Flare Gun" and the jagged edges of "Song Song Song." Really, the perfect playmate to the strings is Pallett's voice, which ranges from childlike to mournful, crisp and searing as a knife through brie, and fans roared when he screamed dramatically like a comic book character caught on the wrong side of the mirror. Definitely a favorite fantasy of this festival run.

Young Galaxy / Photo by Richmond Lam

Across town at Le Gymnase, local indie pop darlings Young Galaxy warmed the cavernous bar stage with their dreamy, psychedelic-layered sonics. "If my vocals sound like shit, it's 'cause I can't hear myself," said guitarist/vocalist Stephen Ramsay, who alongside gal pal vocalist Catherine McCandless captured the scenester-centric crowd's attention with the gorgeous "Sun's Coming Up and My Plane's Coming Down."

Booze flowed freely, time slowly disappeared, and well after midnight Montreal boys-made-good, the Stills hit the stage hard with an energetic version of "Oh Shoplifter." Dressed in black, frontmen Dave Hamelin and Tim Fletcher shared lead guitar and vocal duties while bassist Olivier Corbeil, drummer Julien Blais, and keyboardist Liam O'Neil were all smiles as the Stills segued into fan favorites "Still in Love" and "Logic Will Break Your Heart." Honestly, the dapper-looking crowd of proud, drunk, and appreciative townies was falling in love with this band all over again.

The Stills / Photo by Richmond Lam

Though passing around a bottle of Jameson, the band's energy didn't wane as they launched into four new tracks from their upcoming LP. From the clangy jam-fest "Rooibos" (named after tea introduced to them by fellow Montreal musician Sam Roberts) to the hook hungry "Being Here," the Stills still have that refreshed kind of desire that made Logic Will Break Your Heart so great. But the real standout was "Eastern Europe," a sexy, more minimal number with a punkish Cure-like bassline that's about people's obsession about traveling through -- you guessed it -- Eastern Europe. Show closer "Lola Stars and Stripes" had the entire audience singing along like showgirls, leaving Corbeil to leap up on a bass bin (almost smashing his head on the low ceiling) in excitement. When all was said and done, the band wished their producer Gus Van Go a very happy birthday, thanked their friends, and took final bows before joining the party. Awww, Montreal, your favorite rock'n'rollers are all grown up now.