This ain’t your daddy’s Jazz Festival.

Out of all the midnight shows I saw at the Festival, Thunderheist was the most entertaining. The Canadian duo’s homecoming marked the end of their North American tour, and their tour-tested set completely rocked Montreal’s Club Soda last Saturday.

Performance-wise, the group was on point. As I have said before, Isis is the frontwoman of the future, and she was able to shine at the 800 plus person venue. I have to say again that the edition of The Carps’ Jamal Tonge and live synths have propelled their performance to new levels. Show wise, nothing changed from the time I saw them in DC, but unfortunately their short set was a tad more evident at the larger space.

Even if Isis is a killer MC (don’t even front, she can spit rhymes), it’s their newer, pop/dance tracks that will set this group apart. As a producer, Graham is able to switch up his sounds flawlessly, while still maintaining that club appeal, and the new songs seem ready made for radio.

The best moment of the show was their trademark “audience getting on stage” moment during “Jerk It,” which seems to be a band trademark. Unfortunately security didn’t get the memo, and the worry and concern on their faces during the few minutes the audience were on stage was priceless.

All in all, it was a great show, topped by Graham DJing the venue until close. The second highlight of the night had to be when he left yours truly behind the Serato decks for a tense few minutes. I will put on my resume that I’ve “DJed” one of the biggest clubs in Montreal.

All in all, it was a great (albit short) show, and I’m glad I got to see Thunderhiest on their stomping grounds. Again, as I always say, if they are ever in your town, don’t hesitate to be in the building.

Isis of Tunderheist is the frontwoman of the future.

I’m not going to front. I’m biased. I’ve been a fan of Thunderhiest for the longest, and my homie Jahmal of The Carps was on drums.

But don’t get it twisted. Even though I am biased, does not mean that Isis is not one to be reckoned with. She rhymes, she sings, she has the charisma of 1000 so-called “pop stars”, AND she can knock you the eff out if you’re not looking.

But before we review Thunderhiest, I do have to say that I am kicking myself for missing legendary DJ Will Eastman’s set which opened up the night. During the opener he debuted a new collaboration with Baltimore’s TT the Artist and the DMV’s Helix Queen, which combines the best of electro and hip-hop. I’ve been stressing that these two scenes get together for the longest time, and this collabo is exactly the thing I’m looking for.

Will got the audience fired up for the Thunderheist gig, and by 10 PM, the duo of Graham Zilla and Isis took the stage, accompanied by Jahmal. Adding Jahmal’s thunderous drumming and Graham’s live synths created a new dimension to their set from when I saw them back at SXSW in March. The three piece band took on more of a rock feel than the club vibe I got out in Texas–and this is a good thing. Isis’ took the stage in true frontwoman style, commanding the crowd’s full attention. Even though the band might be a staple of your iPod, this new setup is best appreciated live. She was on point for the entire show, even jumping into the much appreciative crowd several times.

Isis’ lyrical prowess was on full force, especially on my favorite Thunderheist track LBG (aka Little Booty Girl) and “Red Whine”, but instantly switched up her style to soulful for the latest single “Nothin2Step2″, and went into pop star mode for the Hiest’s newest track “Space Cowboy,” that recently dropped on their self-titled album. But then she flipped the script again. A computer malfunction with Ghrahm’s Mac (which forced Isis to ask if there were any Mac specialists in the crowd — I ducked) blossomed into a impromptu rap cipher, with Isis and TT the Artist going viciously at the mic.

A big shout out goes to the crowd. While this city ususally has the reputation of being somewhat cold and lackluster, DC showed MAD love to the group. The audience, a majority of whom carried noticble Xs on their hands (the DC symbol for underage) , even shouting out “We Love Canada,” at several points in the show. This is key, especially because it was a Monday night, a few hours after the deadliest accident in Metro history. The group was feeling the love and in response invited what seemed like the whole Black Cat Back Bar on the stage during the final song of their set. But in addition to that, the DC audience got a special treat. The crowd got an extended treat as there was an impromptu call for requests and it looked like the show would never end.

Don’t let the haters discourage you. Thunderheist puts on one of the best and most entertainign shows around, and their DC show (which they said was one of the best on their tour) did not disappoint. In fact, I’m going to do it all over again next week in Montreal.

Full Gallery

I’ve been a fan of the Canadian duo Thunderheist for a while now and I’m glad to see that our new BFFs from SXSW have dropped a new proper video for their single “Nothin 2 Step 2.”

The song has some definite pop sensibilities and could most likely get Thunderheist beyond the clubs and into to the mainstream. The track was release on April 20th on the venerable UK label Big Dada, so the duo is definitely in good hands.

Thunderheist - Jerk It

Thunderheist – DFA Demo Mix

(Late pass on this, I know) Thunderhiest, the Toronto/Montreal duo of rapper Isis and producer Grahm Zilla, have been making waves in the hipster scene lately, with their wired up electro/rap combination. The duo got their start when Isis went to to Montreal to make a hip-hop album, but what resulted is a mish-mash of electro, hip-hop and whatever they throw into the pot. If you’ve been knee deep in the blogosphere you might have already heard their song Jerk It, which has been making the rounds. However, my favorite song that I’ve heard so far is this DFA Demo Mix, which demonstrates that Isis definitely has some lyrical swagger. I’ve heard that their parties are off the chain, and I can’t wait to check them out at SXSW.

myspace.com/thunderheist

This year, instead of just having me yap on about my Best of lists, I reached out to several of our readers to give their Top 5 of the best releases of the year. I’ll be profiling a new reader each day until the end of the 2008.

Today’s writer needs no introduction. Lady Glock is a fixture on both sides of the Atlantic. Check out her website at ladyglockphotography.wordpress.com.

Name: Lady Glock
Location: Washington, DC
Website: ladyglockphotography.wordpress.com

Top Five (In no particular order)

1. Jerk It – Thunderheist
2. Walking on a Dream – Empire of the Sun
3. Going On – Gnarls Barkley
4. Lights Out -Santogold
5. Day & Nite (Crookers Remix) – Kid Cudi

Runners Up (In no particular order)

1. Magic – Robin Thicke
2. A Milli – Lil Wayne
3. Rolex It Up (The Heatwave Refix) – Beenie Man & Wiley
4. Inna Da Ghetto – Diplo & Buraka Som Sistema
5. Electric Feel – MGMT

Honorable Mention

1. Biko – Bloc Party