2007-10-02

Award of 120,000 ¥en for Most Promising Local Group

Award of 120,000 ¥en for Most Promising Local Group

The POP NIGHTLIFE! Award presented by
NIGHTLIFE Magazine goes to There Were Valleys, playing
POP Montreal on Saturday

Montreal, Tuesday October 2nd 2007 - Today, Montreal group There Were Valleys will be presented with the POP NIGHTLIFE! Award, a prize given to a Montreal artist or group performing at the POP Montreal Festival. The $1000 prize, which supports up-and-coming artists, is being awarded to the band in ¥en (totalling 120,000), a symbolic gesture that we hope will send them all the way to Japan! Marc St-Louis, Matilda Perks and Ali Rahman are receiving this reward in honour of the quality, originality and potential of their newest songs, which marry folk music with ambient textures. The band completely captivated this year's jury (Olivier Lalande (Music Editor, NIGHTLIFE Magazine; journalist, ICI), Kristiana Clemens (Musical Coordinator, CKUT), Roxanne Arsenault (DJ, CISM), and Cynthia Bellemare (Coordinator, SOPREF)). SoCalled was the winner of last year's award.

There Were Valleys, aka Marc St-Louis and Matilda Perks, is a creative duo whose onstage act is complete with the addition of drummer Ali Rahman, singer of Montreal band Flames!. The band will be performing at midnight this Saturday, October 6th at Barfly (4062A St-Laurent). Marc and Matilda met two years ago through roommates and have been exchanging ideas and creating their spellbinding, poetic folk-rock ever since; the songs Denver, Silent Wood and Slow Path totally enthralled our jury. Back in Montreal after staying in Brooklyn, Marc realized that right now Montreal bands are receiving more support from their fellow artists than they ever have before. He also claims that "a ton of stuff" has been going on in Montreal in the last few years, mostly thanks to the POP Montreal team. The POP NIGHTLIFE! Award has arrived at just the right time for There Were Valleys, who hope to go on tour in the next few months. Three of the band's songs are currently being featured on the NIGHTLIFE Magazine website at nightlifemagazine.ca/popnightlife.

Ten Montreal artists and groups playing the POP Montreal Festival were chosen as finalists for the 2nd POP NIGHTLIFE! Award: Boo Hoo, Mathias Mental, Myxilodian, Vicious/Delicious, The Luyas, Jeune Chilly Chill, The Nymphets, Caroline Keating, Milie Croche and There Were Valleys.

"NIGHTLIFE Magazine plays an active part in the Montreal cultural scene. Just like POP Montreal, our publication offers content that is aimed at both the English- and French-speaking communities, is open to all musical genres, and aspires to promote to its fullest the extraordinary variety of local and international artists who contribute to Montreal's influence across the globe," says publisher Martine Desjardins.

POP Montreal, one of the biggest independent music events in North America, officially kicks off its 6th edition tomorrow, Wednesday, October 3rd. During the Festival, NIGHTLIFE Magazine will be presenting a concert by French electro-pop singer Yelle at club Les Saints on Saturday, October 6th.

About NIGHTLIFE Magazine
NIGHTLIFE Magazine is the ultimate reference for activities, outings and trends that move to the rhythm of Montrealers. Read by close to 100,000 readers with over 40,000 copies distributed in more than 600 selected zones in Montreal, Edmonton and Calgary, NIGHTLIFE publishes articles, reports, reviews and cultural information in its Urban Culture and Music sections. NIGHTLIFE Magazine also publishes the e-newsletter NIGHTLIFE NEWS which has over 10 000 members, with additional information available online at www.nightlifemagazine.ca. NIGHTLIFE Productions produces CDs as well as public and private events. NIGHTLIFE Magazine, NIGHTLIFE NEWS and NIGHTLIFE Productions are divisions of NEWAD, Canada's leader in specialized advertising - (www.newad.com).