Magazine

Independent, provocative, now! The CJLO Magazine is the resource for features, reviews, and interviews. Established in 2004, and run by dedicated CJLO volunteers, the magazine covers the latest and best in local and international music, art, theatre, film, festivals, and more!


The Swell Season

The Swell Season

 

If there's one thing that The Swell Season's Glen Hansard can be applauded for, it's his willingness to wear his emotions on his sleeve. Watching the Irish songsmith slowly seduce a crowd over a lovely evening using both his hard-luck, tough-love theatrics and witty, heartfelt stage banter was a rare sight to behold.


Porcupine Tree

Porcupine Tree

Porcupine Tree is a band that makes you forget that there is a world outside the concert hall.

The reason? Well let me start off right away with the fact that Porcupine Tree is a phenomenal live act.  I, like many, am not well versed when it comes to their music, so I enlisted the help of my good friend, Colin MacFarlane, who has been a loyal follower of Porcupine Tree, to accompany me on this melodic adventure and they did not fail to enthrall me.


A Willhelm Scream + The Swellers + The Stitch-Up

I won’t lie, as I made my way over to Club Soda for this particular round of performances; I made a somewhat mischievous promise to myself that I would hear no Ska music that evening. A lofty goal, given that the show was headlined by none other than Streetlight Manifesto, one of the most popular bands left in the floundering North American Ska scene.


Planet Smashers + The Creepshow

The odd thing about The Planet Smashers is that I know they're a great band and I know I'll enjoy the show, but I never go see them. My guess is that it’s been at least 6 years since the last time I saw them. The thing that sticks out in my memory about that last time is that it seemed like I and my friend were the only two people in the audience who weren't dancing. Well this time I was flying solo, so take a guess how many people there were standing still…


Flogging Molly+ The Aggrolites + Dub Trio

Flogging Molly has a very large fan base, especially in Montreal. The concert was sold out mid-day  of the show and fans of this Irish punk band were lined up outside Metropolis an hour before doors were scheduled to open. Not only is Flogging Molly one of the most entertaining bands to see live, but they have this uncanny talent for picking the best opening bands. This year there were two very different bands that opened for good ol' Floggy and both were insanely good!


Street Dogs+ Hostage Life + Ashers

This is the fifth time I’ve attempted to begin this Street Dogs review with some kinda hyperbolic statement about how the show blew my mind and how Foufs is the perfect venue for a punk show and how the Street Dogs revolutionize street punk in 2009 but really? Who wants to read that? Not every show has to be mind-blowing or revolutionary to be good, and believe you me, this show was GOOD…except for one teency little programming snag.


World/Inferno Friendship Society

Wasting no time on hyperbole, I’m just gonna jump right to the quotable: The World/Inferno Friendship Society skirt the line between innovation and outright inspiration and their entirely unique brand of orchestral, cabaret proto-punk may very well bring new life to a genre rife with cliché and stale personalities (and if you disagree you are wrong.)


Nomeansno + The Devices + Grand Trine

Of all the musical pairings I've seen on Montreal stages these past few years, not many have been as inspired as this one: a collision of two of Canada's most enduring punk bands, both of whom have a penchant for twisted humor and social commentary - and surprisingly labyrinthine tunes. With the unenviable task of opening up for two long-standing punk institutions, locals Grand Trine did the sensible thing: they kept it short.


Propaghandi + Strike Anywhere + Humanifesto

Now let me just start this review by saying I was slightly worried while going in to the latest Montreal appearance from Manitoba’s Propagandhi (and that worry had nothing to do with the overzealous bouncer at Club Soda taking the batteries out of my portable recorder for fear that I would bootleg the show…although I was then half inclined to go buy new batteries and bootleg it on principle…but that’s neither here nor there.) Rather, in the months leading up to the show I experienced the following interaction more times than I can count with dudes


Rise Against / Rancid + The Riverboat Gamblers

The constant, hours-long rain spell that befell Montreal did little to dampen the spirits of those who showed up for the Riverboat Gamblers/Rancid/Rise Against show at Parc Jean Drapeau, on Ile St. Helene. The crowd appeared to be predominantly youthful and seemed eager for the proceedings to start and jockeyed for position in front of the stage well before the start of the show.


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