Montreal is a city that has an exciting contemporary music scene and the genres available are as varied as any other city in the world. One of the best examples of what Montreal has to offer musically is the POP Montreal event, which showcases the best talent from the Canadian city, as well as a few big-name invites.

That the hometown of Leonard Cohen, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Arcade Fire is fertile territory for musicians should come as no surprise. But the recent arrival of Grimes, Suuns, Purity Ring and countless other Pitchfork-friendly buzz-bands has seen the hype increase in volume. Is Montreal really the new Brooklyn? How did a French-speaking city become a North American musical colossus? Perhaps it's due to low rents, grants for musicians and the proliferation of universities. Or perhaps this new wave of great bands is simply the latest installment of the bumper reparations package Montreal owes the world after poisoning our souls with Celine Dion.

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