Sainte Catherines

It’s taken some time but these Montrealers’ 2006 full-length, Dancing for Decadence, has been crawling into the hearts of dudes and ladies who love Leatherface and beer for the last two years. It’s safe to say that the Sainte Catherines are one of the strongest punk bands currently pounding the shit out of the Trans Canada highway, which is why The Soda Machine has arrived at just the right time. A full-length documentary about the band’s ten-year career, plus a disc of 25 rare and unreleased songs, it’s a full serving of gritty, honest and incredibly catchy punk rock. The film is an engaging look at what it means to be a touring act in this country, following the band from hall shows to no one to a huge 500th show in their native Montreal. While every band and their mother seem to have a DVD these days, few are actually worth watching but The Soda Machine is just a simple and compelling story about a group of people killing themselves to do what they love. The CD is a perfect complement; the unreleased tracks from the Dancing sessions are exciting, while demos from eight years ago show a band with a lot of promise and the endearing innocence of very, very teenage songwriting. Surprisingly consistent and listenable for such a large collection, it offers some real gems like "Trade Your Life For Mags” and a cover of Three Penny Opera’s "Sweetness Kills.”