The Sainte Catherines

Woah. Have you ever been to Montreal? Last time I was there I saw a guy in a frog costume dancing and juggling flaming sticks while a midget clown played a tiny accordion for loonies. That's a TRUE STORY, folks! It's a real scene. The part of the world that's a little bit Canada, a little bit France that hates Canada and is ignored by France is probably the strangest place in the northern hemisphere (except for maybe that church in the Czech Republic that's full of skulls, but hey, I digress...)

Yes, the drunken one night stand of Canada and France's oft overlooked contribution to the modern age, French Canada, is actually a hotbed of awesome bearded rabble and iconoclastic weirdos, and no group of scruffy, dog fucking brigands exemplifies Quebec like Montreal's The Sainte Catherines, and guess what, xenophobes! They're back with Fire Works, the melodic, positive, entertaining, and most interestingly coiffed LP to come out in years, all courtesy of Anchorless Records. And they're gonna tour on this shit (or merde) folks! Just hide your daughters and your dogs, because when tñhe Sainte Catherines come through town, something's getting pregnant.

Starting with a self released album in 2000, The Sainte Catherines went on to work with Yoyo Records (Germany) and the French Canadian label Dare to Care before moving up the ladder to corporate powerhouses Eyeball and then Fat Wreck Chords. What am I saying here? The emo kids like 'em, the punk kids …

Woah. Have you ever been to Montreal? Last time I was there I saw a guy in a frog costume dancing and juggling flaming sticks while a midget clown played a tiny accordion for loonies. That's a TRUE STORY, folks! It's a real scene. The part of the world that's a little bit Canada, a little bit France that hates Canada and is ignored by France is probably the strangest place in the northern hemisphere (except for maybe that church in the Czech Republic that's full of skulls, but hey, I digress...)

Yes, the drunken one night stand of Canada and France's oft overlooked contribution to the modern age, French Canada, is actually a hotbed of awesome bearded rabble and iconoclastic weirdos, and no group of scruffy, dog fucking brigands exemplifies Quebec like Montreal's The Sainte Catherines, and guess what, xenophobes! They're back with Fire Works, the melodic, positive, entertaining, and most interestingly coiffed LP to come out in years, all courtesy of Anchorless Records. And they're gonna tour on this shit (or merde) folks! Just hide your daughters and your dogs, because when tñhe Sainte Catherines come through town, something's getting pregnant.

Starting with a self released album in 2000, The Sainte Catherines went on to work with Yoyo Records (Germany) and the French Canadian label Dare to Care before moving up the ladder to corporate powerhouses Eyeball and then Fat Wreck Chords. What am I saying here? The emo kids like 'em, the punk kids like 'em. No one quite knows what to do with them because they've got three meaty guitars, a front man that exists at that elusive vortex where Hank Von Helvelte, Chuck Ragan and the bar where Cirque du Soliel clowns go to get drunk all converge, and haircuts that would scare the shit out of almost any mom.  They're now on Anchorless and their new record, 2010's Fire Works is gonna blow some doors off. Just keep reading if you don't believe me.

Look, I said these dudes came from a crazy spot, right? Remember the frog guy from paragraph one? Okay, well The Sainte Catherines, not to be outdone, recorded their album in a country chalet, all by themselves with no engineer at all. Now, as we all know, this is either the recipe for disaster or brilliance, and which one do you think I'm gonna say Fire Works is? Come on. I'm writing the bio for fucks sake! Nah, this record takes its cues from the band's early influences like American Steel, the Broadways, Jawbreaker and Fifteen, and strains it through a sieve of 70's rock, like a french canadian wine that will kick your dick off, get you drunk, eat all your poutine and find you hung over in the morning humming the most melodic and positive tunes of the bands storied career. Did I mention that these dudes fought a whole city with Against Me!? Well, I don't like to name drop, so take my word for it or ask them all about it when they come through your town.

Yes, expect exhaustive touring from The Sainte Catherines for the Fire Works cycle. They're loved in Europe, Canada and the stinkiest most festering pits in all of the US so get out your mustache, cut your bangs at a weird angle and give me a "Tabarnak!" for The Sainte Catherines. Um...also, they've got funny names and they're not above wearing vests. Did I mention that? Okay. I think we're done here.

Good game.