citylake

“On découvre… On cherche!!! Au hasard… Qui apparaîtra qu’on ne connaît pas? Vlan !! Satori (www.myspace.com/satorimontreal) J’ai entendu vaguement parler d’eux entre les branches… Trio montréalais, on dit que les écouter, c’est les aimer… Okay, je mords… Première écoute… Quel groupe exceptionnel! Un rock alternatif mûr, saturé d’un doux parfum entre Roxy Music et The Cure… Efficace et redoutablement accrocheur, de la musique avec de la classe. J’aime leurs mélodies, j’aime leur ambiance. J’ai envie d’entendre plus, de voir où ils peuvent aller. À ne pas louper, à découvrir d’urgence et à voir live dès que vous pouvez!!!! ”
Nina Duque Beaubien - Musique Plus - Musique Plus

“Home Movies Led by vocalist, guitarist and keyboard player Martin Saint, Montreal threesome Satori mark their recording debut with this polished five-track EP. Expertly straddling the border between accessibility and complexity and depth, Satori reference new wave, jazz, rock and pop with a reserved, sombre disposition and a pulsating rhythm section. By crafting catchy melodies in a melancholy mood they'll surely please a wide range of listeners without appearing facile. Saint's thick, dark voice suits the tone perfectly, resulting in an EP that teases us with a flavour reminiscent of the solemn moments of Simple Minds, Talking Heads or Montreal's own The Box. ”
Steve Lalla - Hour - The Hour

As I walked into Atomic Cafe on April 29th for Citylake, Let Us Out, and The van Arks, it felt as though I had walked into the retro-futuristic world of the Jetsons. With a vivid colour scheme, genuine furniture from the 60s, not to mention posters and signs all reminiscent of that decade, this small cafe was exactly the place I’d love to find myself at during finals or sharing a milkshake with some friends. I know this is a show review and not a restaurant review, but I would definitely go back to this Clockwork Orange-esque place just to hang.

After having taken an extended hiatus, Citylake were first to hit the stage. This marks their first show since taking a break and with a brand new lineup. In all honesty, having listened to a couple of singles beforehand, I was seriously put off. They are definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. By the time their set started, however, I was very pleasantly surprised. I preferred them live. The vocals were slightly more subdued and softer than they were on the recordings and the vibe also helped me digest their music a lot easier. In addition to the super cool 60s decor of the venue, Citylake projected super cool psychedelic visuals on a backdrop. Though it was slightly distracting since the projections were on the faces of the musicians, it kind of added a visual to the fun music that was playing.
Despite minor hiccups at the beginning of the set, they finally got into the swing of things by the fourth song and played seamlessly together. “Home Movies” was my particular favourite because of its slower vibes and flawless riffs. The song almost felt like the soundtrack to a day smoking pot with my friends in the park on a hot summer day in high school. It was highly reminiscent of that and was just a plain feel good song. “End of a Decade” had super Bowie-esque vibes; this was a slower song, but was just as captivating with the epic riffs on both the guitar and the keyboards that really tied the song together. The beauty of both the lyrics and instrumentals reminded me of falling in love. Another brilliant song by Citylake. - Bucketlist

Montreal band Citylake has officially reformed, albeit with one member change, and is returning to writing and recording their interesting blend of indie folk-rock, dark post-punk and 80s new wave with some psychedelia thrown in. Think Donnie Darko soundtrack. Listen to the pre-production recording of Ugly City for a taste:

Frontman Martin Saint is active in Citylake, a trio formerly known as Satori, and also as a solo performer. For over a year he has been a resident performer at l’Escalier (his next gig is February 25th). Following the very recent reformation of the band, I was able to pick Martin’s brain a little about performing and the solo versus band dynamics on stage, and here’s what he had to say:

Stephanie Beatson: What do you like most about performing?

Martin Saint: The adrenaline rush that comes with it. Every crowd, every venue, every performance is different. If it weren’t I’d get bored with this very fast. There’s always a certain element of risk when you expose your soul to the public but I choose to embrace that rather than fear it.

I like that no matter how many times I’ve played such and such song I’m never quite sure how it’s going to come out, what the people’s reaction will be. It’s a dialogue; I give all I have, leave it all out there and feed off the energy I get from the audience, and from other band members if it’s a band gig.

Do you prefer performing as a solo act or with a band?

There’s nothing like fronting a band, for me. Playing original songs and the odd cover alongside a solid rhythm section is hard to describe in words. Once you have the right chemistry with the right partners it becomes a purely instinctive thing. Since I’m doing it again now for the first time in a while I realize how much I missed it.

Still, I find playing solo very formative, a great way to stay in shape. There’s nowhere to hide. It’s something that no matter what I would never want to give up entirely.

What was the most memorable thing that’s happened during a show?

A long time ago I was playing guitar with my teenage band and some very, very drunk -and high on God knows what drugs- lady started this lascivious dance in front of me, with her jeans zipper all the way down. I kept doing my thing, not paying too much attention until I felt something pulling at my left leg. I thought it was one of my stupid male friends making fun of me but as it got more insistent I looked down and saw it was that lady. Believe it or not she then bit my leg!! I had to shake her off the best I could and meanwhile still carry the song.

I have witnesses to this story, by the way. The doorman was a friend of mine. I was hoping he’d help me out but he was too busy roaring with laughter along with everyone else…..I need new friends! The important thing is that apparently I didn’t miss a beat!

* Photos by Ally May Chadwick - Forget The Box