Pipo Fiasco

Montreal band Pipo Fiasco whip up a warm and evocative blend of jazz, blues, gospel, swing and cabaret (seasoning it with the occasional dash of country) in their third full-length release since 2000. Parade offers up plenty of jazzy horns and smoky, bluesy reverberating guitar, but front-man Marc Gagnon frequently leads his skilled band into less-familiar territory, transcending genre and staggering boisterously off in unexpected directions. The confident instrumentation provides a cheeky backdrop for Gagnon’s growly-bear vocals — the Tom Waits comparison is almost too embarrassingly obvious to mention — and lyrics that skew from romantic to sardonic without missing a beat. It’s surprising how little attention this low-key and perhaps over-modest band has received thus far. Perhaps with their third release, Pipo Fiasco will finally get their due. Everyone loves a parade, after all.