Guide To Osheaga 2011: Day 3
Conflict #1
The Sheepdogs (1:00 – 1:30) – OR – Sherlock (1:00 – 1:30) – OR – Elephant Stone (1:00 – 1:30)
Day three starts off nice and easy with The Sheepdogs, Sherlock and Elephant Stone playing all at the same time. The Sheepdogs are your typical southern rock band, and their song structure is impeccable but we are going to recommend that you check out Montreal’s own Elephant Stone for some dreamy psychedelic rock, led by the talented Rishi Dhir (formerly of The High Dials). Expect him to break out the sitar at some point in their set.
Typhoon (1:30 – 2:10)
At 1:30 we’ve got a ten piece band from the Portland, Oregon called Typhoon. There’s really no question here; Typhoon is the place to be. For people that like a large variety of interesting instruments, collective singing and beautiful harmonies this band is for you. If this band wasn’t on your radar yet, we expect them to win over a lot of fans on Sunday.
Conflict #2
Frightened Rabbit (2:10 – 2:50) – OR – An Horse (2:00 – 2:30) – OR – Jimmy Hunt (2:00 – 2:30)
This is the battle of the indie stars. Jimmy Hunt is a french singer-songwriter from Montreal and will be playing some low-key tunes at the Scène des Arbres. Scottish favourites Frightened Rabbit are going to be playing on the Scène de la Montagne and that’s where we suggest that you stay. However, Australian duo An Horse are also a good choice, and their previous tours opening for none other than Death Cab for Cutie, Tegan and Sara, Silversun Pickups and Cage the Elephant prove that they are a fantastic band with serious potential and success ahead of them.
Conflict #3
Eels (2:50 – 3:30) – OR – Smith Westerns (3:00 – 3:40) – OR – Freedom or Death (3:00 – 3:30)
We know there are a lot of Eels fans out there and for many this is no contest. But we’d like to make a case for the other two bands playing in this time slot. Freedom or Death are a really exciting new band out of Toronto and they will be serenading the crowd to a slower pace with their super mellow and passionate electro/soul at the Scene des Arbres. Even though Smith Westerns will surely attract masses of giggly girls with their boyish good looks, their energetic dream-pop has amazed us time after time. If you haven’t had the chance to see Smith Westerns the last couple times that they have come to Montreal, we suggest you check them out. If you have, we are certain that Freedom or Death (whether you have heard them or not) are going to put on an amazing show, and you will become an instant fan.
The Sounds (3:30 – 4:15)
The Sounds won’t have any competition when they hit the stage at the Scene de la Montagne at 3:30 and they are sure to throw an awesome dance party. Led by front-woman Maja Iversson, The Sounds’ brand of catchy electro-pop is sure to get you up onto your feet and fill you with energy for the rest of the day. We know you must be getting tired by now, but The Sounds will put a jump back into your step!
The Luyas (4:00 – 4:30)
Hooray for another Montreal band! We love the Luyas, and we strongly encourage you to go check out their set before splitting for Cypress Hill or The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. They are one of the most unique and intriguing acts to come out of Montreal in the last few years and we guarantee that you will fall in love with their original sound if you haven’t already.
Conflict #4
Cypress Hill (4:20 – 5:10) – OR – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (4:15 – 4:55)
This is another one of those non-conflicts. Unless you listen to both hip-hop and garage-pop, you won’t have a problem deciding who to see at 4:15. This could, in all likelihood, be the last time you’ll ever be able to see Cypress Hill live again so you may want to take that into consideration when making your choice. On the other hand, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart will most likely play in Montreal again, but they are just so dreamy it would be foolish not to try and catch some of their set at this year’s Fest.
Conflict #5
Malajube (5:10 – 5:50) – OR – Viva Brother (5:00 – 5:30)
This conflict is one based on language and musical style – what is more your fancy? Brit-pop band Viva Brother or Quebecois-favorites Malajube? It seems that every time Malajube plays in Montreal they simply blow everyone away and you are pretty much guaranteed to see a good, high energy rock show if you check out Malajube. Therefore, we suggest that you stick around for most of Malajube’s set and, if you feel like it, mosey on over to the Scene des Arbes for a little bit of Viva Brother’s set.
Conflict #6
Beirut (5:50 – 6:35) – OR – Ellie Goulding (5:35 – 6:15) – OR – The Joy Formidable (6:00 – 6:30)
In our eyes, this is one of the toughest conflicts of the entire festival. Beirut’s unique, deep voice, his choice of instruments and his amazing song-writing ability make him one of the more original sounding folk bands today, and we are extremely excited to see him perform. If you are looking for something a little more on the heavy side, The Joy Formidable will definitely satisfy you with their hints of shoegaze rock and powerful vocals courtesy of the captivating Ritzy Bryan. But don’t forget rising UK electro-pop songstress Ellie Goulding, who may have one of the loveliest voices of all the singers at this year’s fest. We’re going to leave this one up to you!
Conflict #7
City and Colour (6:35 – 7:25) – OR – White Lies (6:55 – 7:35) – OR – The Low Anthem (7:00 – 7:30)
The Osheaga schedulers really didn’t go out of their way to make things easy for us this year, but at least you can’t really go wrong with the amount of great bands playing at this year’s fest. If you are into post-punk, look no further than White Lies on the Green Stage. City and Colour is the clear choice for everyone who loves melodic acoustic guitar and, well, Dallas Green. And the Low Anthem will put on an equally entertaining folk show featuring multi-instrumentalist band mates. We suggest you check out City and Colour and then make your way over to either White Lies or The Low Anthem.
Conflict #8
The Tragically Hip (7:25 – 8:25) – OR – Shad (8:00 – 8:40)
Hooray for easy decisions! The Tragically Hip are one of Canada’s most loved rock bands carrying 14 Junos under their belt to accompany their massive 12-album repertoire. They are going to be playing for 35 minutes before Shad, so there is absolutely no reason not to check out both. But make sure you do! This Canadian hip-hop mastermind is a lyricist of social criticism with intelligence, and he fuels his music with love and meaning. Don’t miss it!
Conflict #9
Death Cab For Cutie (8:25 – 9:25) – OR – Crystal Castles (8:15 – 9:05)
Yet again, another easy choice. Do you like soft and emotional indie rock? Or do you prefer intense, video-game speckled electro rock? We’ve got Death Cab against Crystal Castles and we don’t know about you, but we’re going to be thrashing around to Crystal Castles when 8:15 hits on Sunday night.
Baths (9:10 – 9:50)
Oh boy, are we excited for this. We are super happy that Baths is going to be playing by himself, and that everyone is going to be able to watch his set. His original and almost mystical beats will definitely interest music fans of multiple genres so make sure you get there in time for his set. There will be plenty of time to go see The Flaming Lips after you catch one of the more unique and exciting acts around today.
Conflict #10
The Flaming Lips (9:25 – 10:55) – OR – MSTRKRFT (9:50 – 10:50) – OR – Galaxie (10:20 – 11:00)
This has got to be one of the toughest decisions of the weekend and it’s fitting that it is the last one you will have to make at this year’s festival. It’s hard to go much further than The Flaming Lips who are going to be performing The Soft Bulletin in its entirety (that’s right, including “She Don’t Use Jelly”!!). While MSTRKRFT is going to be the winner for all you electro fans out there and Galaxie will surely put on a fun set, the winner for the final conflict of Osheaga 2011 is none other than Wayne Coyne and The Flaming Lips (big surprise).
Until Next Year
Well that’s all she wrote folks. Another excellent year at Osheaga is now over. We hope these guides have helped you navigate your way through an extremely busy Osheaga schedule and please tune in after the festival wraps up for photos and daily reviews from our very own Amelia Robitaille.
-> Guide To Osheaga: Day 1
-> Guide To Osheaga: Day 2
-> Guide To Osheaga: Day 3
