Episode #17 - Cosmic Quebec

Today, we’re taking a little trip back in time to a province not so far away. I’ve put together a playlist of French Canadian prog-rock from the 1970s to stimulate your ears and expand your mind.

One thing that most Mainers fail to consider is the benefit of our close proximity to Canadian province of Quebec. Of course, this means we can easily drive across the border for international vacations and gorge on buckets of poutine, but it means so much more. Visit any used record shop in Maine and you’re likely to find LPs from Quebecois artists. Some shops, like Strange Maine even have a French/Quebecois section! Dig into those crates and you’ll find some unique and sonically distinct Quebecois prog rock albums. That’s right, throughout the 1970s, the province of Quebec was host to a largely unknown, but adventurous prog rock scene. Many of those records made their way across the borders into the states of New York, Vermont and of course, Maine. Today I’m going to share some of the sonic nuggets that I’ve recently uncovered from the land of Bonhomme and Fleur-de-Lys! We’re exploring Quebec’s progressive past here on Sonic Latitudes.

1. L’Engoulevent - La fete De La Musique
2. Cano - Mon Pays
3. Harmonium - Harmonium
4. Fiori-Seguin - Deux Cents Nuits a L’heure
5. Offenbach - Promenade sur Mars
6. Pollen - Tout’l Temps
7. Morse Code - Cocktail
8. Yves Laferriere - des instruments charges a blanc
9. Bregent - Mes Longs Voyages
10. Maneige - Le Gai Marvin
11. Maneige - Mambo Chant
12. Franck Dervieux - Hyperboree, Civilisation “Un”
13. Contraction - Delire
14. Morse Code - Procreation