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CJLO 1690AM's first fund drive is in effect! Over the years CJLO 1690AM has grown exponentially, both in profile and in size.  We've gone from a small DIY group of radio and music lovers to a large award winning, internationally recognized community radio station.  Bands we've supported have gone on to major success and international acclaim, and more importantly, volunteers of ours have flourished within the CJLO 1690AM community, and have gone on to do great things in and of their own. 
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Brisbane, Australia's An Horse stopped by CJLO's studios to record a stripped down acoustic session for Hooked on Sonics.  The band was on tour supporting their debut full length record Rearrange Beds and were making their first visit to Montreal.  Oddly enough, singer/guitarist Kate Cooper now resides in Montreal.  Maybe it was the charm of CJLO that convinced her to move?  Maaaaybe...

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CJLO correspondent and View from the Venue videographer Julia Hoelscher caught up with vocalist/guitarist Chris Cresswell from The Flatliners on their tour of eastern Canada in support of their “Count Your Bruises” 7” EP.  The ska-punk band from Toronto, Ontario who have been making legitimate music together since before they had their drivers licenses.  If that doesn't impress you, their most recent full length release, Cavalcade, most...

The timing behind when we were offered the possibility of a session with Zola Jesus, aka Nika Roza Danilova, was perfect.  October 15th turned out to be the birthday/anniversary of 3 years of CJLO being on the AM airwaves.  One of those moments when all the CJLO staffers came together to make something happen, we worked so hard to make sure we could nail this session down - our Production Director...

After releasing their critically acclaimed (and much buzzed about) debut full length Meet Me at the Muster Station on one of our favourite labels around CJLO, Paper Bag Records, Kingston noise-pop duo PS I Love You dropped by the CJLO studios to record a ...

Montreal post-punk/no-wave trio ManyMental Mistakes recorded a set for Dirty Work, here's a little write up on the session by Dirty Work host Denis:

"Back in January 2011, we were...

Sometime in January of 2005, Mike Feuerstack aka Snailhouse dropped by the CJLO Studios to record a session for the staff-favourite-but-now-defunct CJLO show Lessons in Lo-Fi.  Having already been by CJLO with the then-reunited Wooden Stars around late 2004, Mike played fantastic stripped down renditions of 2001's The Opposite is Also True's "Repetition", and Bell from the A New Tradition EP.  He also gave us an exclusive preview of "God Created Monsters" from...

Nashville's Blacklist Royals stopped by CJLO's studios on the evening of their Saturday night show in Montreal, sent our way courtesy of publicist extraordinaire, the lovely Melanie Kaye.  Opting to do something a little special and stripped down for the Hooked on Sonics show, the band lugged up an amp and a Les Paul and did it "Billy Bragg-style with frontman Nat playing most of the songs solo...

Nashville's Blacklist Royals stopped by CJLO's studios on the evening of their Saturday night show in Montreal, sent our way courtesy of publicist extraordinaire, the lovely Melanie Kaye.  Opting to do something a little special and stripped down for the Hooked on Sonics show, the band lugged up an amp and a Les Paul and did it "Billy Bragg-style with frontman Nat playing most of the songs solo,...

You know what's gonna rule? The new Mogwai record.  Already topping my list of "Top 10 Most Anticipated Records of 2011", if you (for some completely inexplicable reason seeing how they are one of the few consistently great bands out there) have doubts about this, the album title, Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will, should put you at ease.

I was treated to a preview of the record at this past CMJ...

Ex-CJLOxican Georgia Wisdom-Kuhns used to co-host "Hooked on Sonics" with me and the results were always amazing (we even got nominated for a CJLO Diego Award for "Funniest Show").  We did a couple "Mopefest" episodes on "Hooked on Sonics" where the idea was to play the best in "depression-rock", even toying with one day hosting a late night show on the CBC called "Suicide Watch".  Ah, those were the days.  Anyhow...Georgia recently asked me to send her some depressing songs to help her out in a bad time, and immediately this came to my mind.  So this one's for you, Georgia. 

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SONICS SELECTION - Walter Schriefels and the gang are back with a new Rival Schools record called Pedals due out in March of 2011.  The whole original lineup is back intact and it looks like the band is well on it's way to carry the momentum their debut album United by Fate had implied.  Here's an early taste of what's hopefully something that's gonna...

Coco et Co. is the new duo that Andrew Sisk (Share, Sleepless Nights) is working on these days after relocating from the East Coast to Montreal.  Stripped down, lo-fi arrangements featuring light keys, guitar, and drum...

Hooked on Sonics  Magneta Lane patented "controller.controller challenge"©, we got two brand new tunes from Magneta Lane

Magneta Lane old session
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*INTERVIEW TO BE POSTED ASAP - stay tuned*

Nashville's Blacklist Royals stopped by CJLO's studios on the evening of their Saturday night show in Montreal, sent our way courtesy of publicist extraordinaire, the lovely Melanie Kaye.  Opting to do something a little special and stripped down for the Hooked on Sonics show, the band lugged up an amp and a Les Paul and did it "Billy Bragg-style with frontman Nat...

After the Salteens did a session here at CJLO many moons ago, Salteens member and Boompa go-to guy Rob has constantly kept an influx of the label's roster into the CJLO session studios.  This time we got something truly special...

This session was recorded for an old CJLO show, The Kids Are So-So, so to give us a little blurb on the session, here's the show's ex-host, Josh Mocle:

"On a rainy March afternoon in 2007, Colorado's Fear Before the March of Flames made their way into the CJLO studio for one of the loudest sessions in CJLO's history. The energetic spastic-metalcore five-piece  had just released The Always Open Mouth just a few months...

Everyone at CJLO is aware of my great love for LA noise pop/psych/post-shoegaze/whatever-you-wanna-call-it trio Autolux. Having been a fan of the band since their fantastic debut record, Future Perfect, a veritable groove-oriented sonic wallop of pop songs ensconced in at times aggressive, at times soothing white noise freakouts, I've pretty much been singing this band's praises for years.  Future Perfect came out in 2004, and their follow-up only appearing now in 2010...An entire lifetime in musical years. Having seen them twice live before, I...

*Closing out CJLO’s Disorientation 2010 is influential Chapel Hill, NC indie rock band  Superchunk, back after a nine year hiatus.  Hooked on Sonics’ ...

*Minneapolis MC Brother Ali paid CJLO a visit April 11, 2010 to record a session for Hooked on Sonics.  I got to sit down and talk with him about a range of subjects from his conversion to Islam, religion in general, culture, identity, and how far he goes to put himself out there personally in his music.
NOTE - Audio for the interview is available below. Transcription courtesy of...

*Minneapolis MC Brother Ali paid CJLO a visit April 11, 2010 to record a session for Hooked on Sonics.  I got to sit down and talk with him about a range of subjects from his conversion to Islam, religion in general, culture, identity, and how far he goes to put himself out there personally in his music.
NOTE - Audio for the interview is available below....

[**Click HERE for the Interview**]

It's not a secret that I'm a huge hip hop fan, as Hooked on Sonics occasionally dabbles in the...

On the afternoon of December 12, 2004, the CJLO studios were paid a visit by Toronto's Uncut and Magneta Lane, dropping by to record respective sessions and interviews for Hooked on Sonics.  Now, bands always come late for sessions, but as a precaution, whoever's responsible for the...

Trucking in all the way from the west coast, Vancouver, BC’s the Salteens brought their peppy power pop to CJLO  September 30, 2004 in town to headline the CJLO  sponsored Boompa Records showcase at the Pop Montreal music festival.  Unfortunately, the Salteens got to be part of what was probably the most problematic Sonics...