Mile End Kicks

What's up, Toronto?

We're Islands, from Montreal.

Hey!

We were wondering, what are you writing?

Oh, I'm, like, I'm reviewing the show.

Oh, cool!

Yeah, I'm a music critic.

Awesome.

To be a fan of Islands is to be a fan of Montreal,

a city in Quebec that's become

the most exciting place in the world

for indie rock.

It's the city where Arcade Fire created Funeral,

where up-and-coming artists like Grimes and Mac DeMarco

spent $300 a month

to record albums in their bedrooms.

As the mythos of Montreal grew,

journalists began calling it the new Seattle.

It's dreamy to think about a French city

full of musicians who exist solely

on bagels and cigarettes,

all living in inexpensive, glorious apartments

steps away from the venues

where they play epic concerts late into the night.

And it's not even a contest.

Zen Arcade is Hüsker Du's best album by far!

It's--it's a post-hardcore fucking masterpiece!

You're dead inside.

I personally prefer Flip Your Wig.

Oh, said no one fucking ever in the history of modern--

Oh, my God, you don't know what it means to be a sellout,

because you are a fucking sellout!

Totally.

Yeah, like their song, um, "Double Nickels on the Dime."

-That's the Minutemen. -Yeah.

Anyway, back to you about being a sellout.

I am not a sellout...

Amazing Grace.

I, um...

I fucking loved your Islands article, so good.

Super, super good.

Um...did you actually do coke with that guy?

Everybody wants to do cocaine with me, Jeff.

Oh, of course, of course.

Why wouldn't they? They're only human.

Yeah.

Ahh! Yes!

You've overpacked, just take something out.

Mom, I did not overpack!

And now, we're gonna miss your bus.

No, we're not.

It's okay.

I just don't understand

why you have to move to Montreal.

You're not even French.

I'm gonna write a book this summer.

Yeah? With what money?

Mom, you don't have to understand everything

that I do, okay?

Sometimes, I am just doing things.

1954 was a turning point for Miles Davis.

Inspired by his hero, Sugar Ray Robinson,

Davis decided it was finally time to quit heroin.

After a touring engagement with bebop drummer Max Roach,

Davis took--

See you later, Dad.

Oh, yeah.

Love you, Dad.

Bye!

Au revoir.

Oh, God.

Phew!

Do you think I have time to just go back in--

No, we do not.

You can buy bras,

you can buy underwear.

Okay.

Get the bag...

...out of the trunk.

-Thank you. -For you. Okay.

-Goodbye, I love you so much. -Bye! Love you.

Have a good time in Montreal.

-Okay, I gotta go, I gotta go. -Call me. Call me!

Okay.

-Hello. -Hi.

And, uh, what made you decide to move?

Um, to get away from

certain sort of stifling negative environments

that I had been in.

I lived in Toronto on my own for a couple years,

just to learn whatever it is you learn

when you're on your own,

and I grew personally,

which I think sort of

had quite a bit to do with--

with why the record is the way that it is.

Thank you!

Oh, my God, Mom, stop giving me these stupid rocks.

It's like this, it's like this, right?

Right?

Oh my God, I'm not sure!

Oh, shit!

Oh, fuck.

Hi!

Hey, Madeleine.

How was the bus?

Um, long.

Yeah, this is, uh, this is my, um...

-That's me. -Nice, nice, nice, eh?

Well, are you hungry?

Oh, yes.

Ready!

Madeleine, this looks amazing.

I had, like, half a toaster strudel this morning.

Um...

No.

Um, he's asking, uh, why you moved here.

Oh. Yeah, um...

I'm trying to write a book this summer.

-Oh! -A 33 1/3rd,

they're like, um, these books about records.

I still need to pitch it,

but I'm sure it's gonna happen.

Mine's about Jagged Little Pill

by Alanis Morissette.

"Isn't it ironic, don't you think?"

Oh, okay.

Mm, um...do you speak French, Grace?

-No. -No?

No, um, I pretty much stopped after the pizza unit

in grade five.

But I do know all the toppings, though.

Um, there's, uh...

Um...

-Mm-hm. -Right? Um...

Well, you're good, you know everything.

He's just saying that you're so funny.

-Oh, thank you. -Mm-hm.

Thanks.

Hi, Phoebe.

Hey, how's it going, Grace?

Can you see me?

I can see you.

Uh, thanks for meeting on Skype.

It's a bummer you couldn't come to the New York offices.

I received your book proposal for Jagged Little Pill.

Uh, Jeff told me to keep an eye on it.

He said you're the best rock critic in Canada?

Cool!

So, pitch me.

Why should Jagged Little Pill be a 33 1/3rd by Grace Pine?

Well, Alanis is a Canadian icon.

Yeah, nobody cares about that.

I just feel like...

like society hates it

when women talk about themselves.

Anytime I have been honest about my own experiences,

people have been, like, "Shut the fuck up,"

like, including my own parents, but...

Alanis was 19,

and-and she used her life story as this, like,

weapon against the patriarchy.

And she sold 16 million copies of her album, like,

around the world.

I-I do feel like that's the first time in the culture

that a young woman has expressed how fucking angry she was,

and it actually translated to millions of dollars.

I think that's interesting... I guess.

I like your take on the album.

I think it's smart.

Really?

Are you a fast writer?

Yeah, yeah, super fast.