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!


Tom Fun Orchestra + Amanda Mabro

The Tom Fun Orchestra and Amanda Mabro at le Petit Campus was a wild and wonderful experience! The show started a tad late, after I hurriedly shuffled upwards through the blizzard at an incline of 45 degrees up the steep and slippery slope of St.


The Von Bondies

The last time I saw The Von Bondies, I had my hair cut like a Hanson brother and Miley Cyrus was merely annoying, not an alleged racist. Ah yes, The Von Bondies show on January 17th at Café Campus really solidified my thinking that 2008 would kick some serious ass; the band had an incredible amount of energy and executed a flawless set that didn’t lack soul, inspiring this young lady to dance like a maniac all through the night.


The Gaslight Anthem + Saint Alvia + Dirty Tricks

It’s always an unfortunate circumstance when a writer needs to review two shows right after one another since there are only so many creative juices to be spread around. That having been said, I apologize to the Street Dogs for phoning in most of their review because I really need everything I’ve got to adequately describe how blown my mind was by The Gaslight Anthem… although, in all fairness, if your show was as good as theirs it wouldn’t be a problem.


Serena Ryder

I was excited to see Serena Ryder live. I knew a handful of her songs but not much else about her.On the off chance that you don’t either, Ryder’s from Ontario, just outside of Peterborough.  She grew up listening to the Beatles and Leonard Cohen. During her show, she told the audience that she was an AM Radio “kind-of-girl.”


The Parlour Mob + Dead Messenger

Il Motore, despite the slightly sketchy location, is well equipped to put on a rather good show. Being fairly new to the concert-going scene, I (yet again) showed up obscenely early, once more misinterpreting “doors open at 8” as “show begins at 8”. Alas. On the bright side, I definitely had the best seat in the house: a front row table all to myself. After waiting for a good hour (and a half), the opening act hit the stage.


Bloc Party + Holy Fuck

I walked to the Metropolis. This is no normal feat, because springtime in Montreal is really February (a.k.a) icicle hell in disguise. However, March 18th was an exception, the weather was amazing. I took this as a sign from the musical Gods and automatically assumed that Bloc Party would put on a good show. Good old Apollo was working his magic that night because both Bloc Party and opening band Holy Fuck were out of this world.


Tokyo Police Club + Ruby Coast

Tokyo Police Club’s concert last night… what can I say? Not much.  Seriously the problem I had with them is one that I am finding I am having with most indie rock bands these days. The word I would use to sum it all up: generic.


Friendly Fires + White Lies

Late March is always a time for Montreal to shrug off the last of its winter blues, but this is always signaled by the odd day or two of freakishly cold weather…winter’s final death rattle.  So it was in a cumbersome winter jacket, layered with a sweater and t-shirt for good measure that I bustled my way down into the hot, crowded depths of Les Saints on March 30th to catch Friendly Fires playing their first show in Montreal.


Mates of State / Black Kids + Sunbirds

April 9th was a night of firsts for me. I went to Cabaret Du Musee to see Mates of State and Black Kids, two acts that I had never heard music from. I got to the venue early enough to be surprised by Sunbears' performance. They were the opening act for the Mates and Kids. The Florida duo had an interesting set and prepared the audience for the night.
 


Murder by Death

Oh Murder by Death, I don’t get to see you that often but when I do it’s just like coming home (or it would be if my father was a bootlegger during prohibition and my mother worked at a bordello…which is decidedly NOT the case… but you catch my meaning.) A good friend of mine once described the band as incredibly competent musicians who are obsessively engrossed in a very specific genre fiction (in this case the classic western but if John Wayne fought zombies instead of stereotyped Native Americans.) While I completely


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