Cool Hunting

While up in Montreal last weekend, I had the chance to meet some of the city’s movers and shakers in the music scene. Someone told me about this young singer/songwriter named Adam Brown and after hearing a couple of his tracks, I knew I had to meet him.

Adam and I had lunch one day at the famed Schwartz’s Deli on St. Laurent in the Plateau neighborhood for smoked meat (essentially the Canadian version of kosher corned beef) and black cherry sodas – a delectable combo that people cram into the restaurant’s small space for daily.

The 25-year-old singer has been playing in bands since he was 14 and has worked odd jobs to pay his way (currently, he’s a janitor – how rock and roll is that?!). Adam is a vibrant soul with a happy-go-lucky attitude. And his music is top notch – rivaling that of Ryan Adams or Paul Westerberg (sure, they’re different, but both perform attitude rock and that’s a sound coming from Brown). His gruff vocals blend into the guitar-driven rockabilly folk creating a sound that you can not only bob your head to but also get down and boogie.

Don’t mistake Brown for an egomaniac. While his band is called The Adam Brown, it’s not named for him. Back in the 19th century, there was a train called The Adam Brown that whisked people throughout the British Columbia interior. Really – no coincidence here!

While bands like Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade have helped put Montreal on the indie rock map, it’s artists like Brown that give the city’s fantastic music community staying power. The Adam Brown has one album under its belt and is currently working toward recording their second full length. In the meantime, Brown recently posted a few new tracks to his website. Check out Hungry Thirsty for You and Give Back My Heart. His first album is on small Montreal label WiBi Records.