Madame Pickwick

They call them the next great thing out of Montreal. The Electro-Indie-Rock band Beast. having travelled all over their home province of Quebec, and all around the world. The French-born duo has recently had the honor of a nomination at the prestigious Grammy awards. The nomination being for their single Mr. Hurricane, off their debut, self titled album. For Lead Singer Béatrice Bonifassi, It isn’t her first time at an awards ceremony of this grandeur, Her Ex-Husband Benoit Charest, known for his band, Les Triplettes de Belleville, and the movie of the same title, whose soundtrack earned two award nominations, An Oscar for Best animated feature, and one for best song.

Béatrice Bonifassi and Jean-Phi Goncalves

Béatrice had also participated in the creation of the movie, lending her Low baritone singing voice to the animated characters in the musical film. The Band’s first music video, nominated with the likes of Coldplay, The Black Eyed Peas and other chart topping artists, is a strange one indeed. Having viewed it myself a few times, I find it troubling to say the least. The whole of the video is made much more light-hearted with the electro-pop music that goes with it. But it’s really a work of art. Set in some kind of cabin, filled with bees, we follow a clumsy ethereal man, composed of these bees that swarm the cabin, Interspersed with clips of the band happily playing their upbeat song. I tried watching it without the song playing. It’s a weird result.