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Boy Harsher on Nozin' Around
Hot on the heels of their show at La Sala Rossa, Massachussetts' electronic duo Boy Harsher sat down with Emeline from Nozin' Around to discuss activism, the band's general aesthetic, and how their songwriting evolves with audience input.
Organizations also mentioned in the interview are the Native Women's shelter of Montreal, Southerners on New Ground, and SAFE Shelter.
Tune in at 2pm on Friday, Nov 10th to hear it, along with a dark, brooding playlist, on Nozin' Around!
DJ SPOTLIGHT #3 - Remi Caron
Ever wondered who exactly was behind your favourite show on CJLO? CJLO 1690 AM presents DJ Spotlight, a brand new series aiming to connect the station's DJs to the public. All the DJs answer the same fixed questions—meaning it's up to them to make their answers worth your while. This week, we introduce you Remi Caron, co-host of At the Movies (With Iconic Sounds).
So you want to get to know me? Start up a conversation with me about movies, television, or a funny bit, and you might get a conversation out of me. For example, I made two close friendships while discussing Spring Breakers and The Place Beyond The Pines. I have binged watched shows with these friends. Now we do funny bits like collect calls from Matt Damon or Ryan Gosling impersonations.
What is your show on CJLO?
At The Movies (With Iconic Sounds) came about a little while after the death of Roger Ebert, which had a profound effect on me being a passionate about film. There was never really a radio show besides Sunday night on the French CBC (Radio-Canada) that would play scores and soundtracks to movies. I felt that CJLO would be a great platform for featuring music from scores and soundtracks. So began my journey with “Superstar,” a Carpenters cover song by Sonic Youth from the Juno soundtrack. It has also developed into a great cinema discussion show with my regular show co-host Danny Aubry.
What’s the best thing about hosting your show?
Waking up at 4:50 AM for an 8 AM show. Why yes, indeed I am a morning person! Also, bringing a new discussion about film and film criticism. Telling everyone the good stuff that's out for DVD Duesday (Tuesday) and Cinematic Fridays. Playing some great iconic sounds from soundtracks and scores that get little airplay.
What was the first LP/cassette that you bought with your own money?
Hanson Brothers’ M(Mmmm Booop)iddle of Nowhere on cassette. I played the tape so much that it broke. I found the CD a few years later at 20 years old to relive my “MMMBop” phase. First CD was the soundtrack to Romeo + Juliette. First vinyl record was Radiohead’s The Bends.
Which album has left the greatest impact on you?
As a kid, The Best of Simon and Garfunkel. As a teenager in high school, discovering the many layers to music besides my pop teen years, American Idiot by Green Day, Kanye West’s Late Registration (first hip-hop album that my mom bought for me), and X&Y by Coldplay. In college and university, The Killers’ Hot Fuss, Radiohead’s OK Computer, The Postal Service’s Give Up, and Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible. In my later years now would be The Strokes’ First Impressions Of Earth, Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago, LCD Soundsystem’s Sound Of Silver, and Bright Eyes’ I'm Wide Awake and It's Morning.
Best show of your life?
Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto Tour.
…What about the worst?
Grimes opening for Lana Del Rey (huge disappointment, compared to when I first saw her at the Metropolis for the Oblivion Tour).
What do you collect?
Vinyl records, movie posters (my mom thinks I have too many), vinyl pop figures (my mom has a love-hate relationship with them; she claims if there’s ever a fire, we would die from the plastic fumes they would emit first).
Favourite food?
Used to be pizza; it is now a religious experience with tacos.
Any famous last words?
Wait... Yes. Tacos are life. Live your life to the fullest. Life is also a bowl of cherries (the sweet, sour, and the pits). Also Family Matters was a great show with Jaleel White, who portrayed the timeless funny character of Steve Urkel.
The Neighbourhood Guide to M for Montreal
M for Montreal (Nov 15-18th) is back for its 12th edition so allow me, the host of The Neighbourhood (Wednesdays at 5pm), to give you my daily highlights. I've included two picks per night... first, My Top Choice and second, What My Wallet Can Allow. Happy listening!
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Wednesday, Nov 15th
Rest up, because there are only 2 shows. One for industry and the other is sold out!
Thursday, Nov 16th
My Top Choice: Luckily, my top choice is also super affordable. You're welcome! Corridor and Anemone are both playing on at one of the city's most notable strip clubs, Cléopatre. I've never been, but I assume there won't be any dancers on this night, just good dreamy and psychadelic music from two great local bands. Full details HERE.
What My Wallet Can Allow: Nothing's more affordable than FREE! Montreal's very own Beyries will be performing a free afternoon show on at 3:30pm at Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur. If you enjoy all things Folk, check this one out and also consider tuning into The Cornice Crow on CJLO Sundays at 10am. Full details HERE.
Friday, Nov 17th
My Top Choice: Your most lovable and favourite community radio station CJLO is co-presenting a show with local promoter Blue Skies Turn Black at L'Escogriffe on St. Denis with Shame, Little Junior and Casper Skulls. Expect a messy mélange of punk, alt and 90s indie rock. Only $12.50. All details HERE.
What My Wallet Can Allow: Thank the heavens, another FREE event! I had the pleasure of catching The Courtneys for the first time at Sappy Fest in New Brunswick earlier this summer and I can't say enough good things. Three super rad women channeling all things West Coast, Grunge and Power-Poppy. All details HERE.
Saturday, Nov 18th
My Top Choice: Also tons happening on Saturday, but sometimes the best thing to do when there's too much going on is to take it easy! If you don't mind the $25 ticket price the show to see is Montréal contemporary pianist Jean-Michel Blais at the gorgeous Rialto Theatre. Believe me, it'll be soothing and well worth it. All details HERE.
What My Wallet Can Allow: Yamantaka // Sonic Titan are a "psychedelic noh-wave opera group fusing noise, metal, pop and folk music into a multidisciplinary hyper-orientalist cesspool of 'east' meets 'west' culture clash in giant monochrome paper sets". They're playing for $12 at a brand new venue called Le Ministère, which used to be some seemingly greasy club called "The Liquer Commission" just above Ave. Mont-Royal on St. Laurent. I think that's all I have to say about that. All details HERE.
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Lastly, tune into The Neighbourhood this upcoming Wednesday, Nov 8th at 5pm on CJLO for a preview of some of the local bands performing in the fest. All I do is play 100% local music to keep you up to date with sounds coming out of Montréal.
Concert Review: Weaves, Look Vibrant, Venus
Bar le Ritz was lucky enough to receive Weaves just three days after the release of their critically acclaimed sophomore album Wide Open. Support for the evening came from Look Vibrant and Venus, who brought with them their strong Montréal fan-bases.
Venus opened the evening with three pleasantly perfumed songs off their self-titled debut EP, which they released in May. It’s a lovely collection of shimmering synth-pop tunes that put Sophie Ogilvie-Hanson’s sugar-sweet vocals and thoughtful lyrics at the forefront. Backed by a talented five-piece band, their richly layered grooves and dreamy beats had the whole crowd dancing. Venus treated the audience to a new, not yet released track, before yielding the stage to fellow Montréalers, Look Vibrant.
Bringing with them enough energy to fill a venue ten times the size, Look Vibrant thrusted their joyous noise pop onto the crowd of eager ears. I couldn’t stop beaming as I watched the choreographed chaos unfold on stage. The sheer variety of sounds they managed to produce was something to behold: percussive accents reminiscent of carnival game music, an electric guitar that sometimes took on the veil of a melodic telephone ring, and three unique falsetto voices taking turns at narrating the whimsical cacophony, to name a few. The band had an enjoyable synergy - quirky, charismatic stage presences which complimented rather than clashed.
Weaves frontwoman Jasmyn Burke is another delightfully eccentric stage presence, also possessing a unique and dynamic voice. Her idiosyncratic vocals fit perfectly into the “bent pop” genre that Weaves have coined – a sort of warped and exhilarated take on art-rock, somewhat reminiscent of tUnE-yArDs. They opened the set with the new album’s lead single “#53”, then went on to play four more songs from Wide Open. “Slicked” and “Law And Panda” kept the energy high with danceable, jagged hooks and noisy choruses. “Walkaway” is the type of heartfelt sunset indie-rock that reminds me a little of Big Thief (who coincidentally held the stage at Bar le Ritz earlier this year.) Weaves took a brief break from the usual outrageous, comedic lyrics to deliver their song “Scream,” which is a defiant call for self-love in the face of racial oppression; starting out personal and corporeal, it then turns outward and finds strength in community. The studio version features a powerful vocal performance by Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq.
Whatever tidiness the set began with, it all disintegrated as the night went on. After promoting their new material, Weaves transitioned to the charmingly messier works from their self-titled debut. During “Coo Coo” and “Shithole” Burke confronted the audience with a crazed stare, allowing the live performance to elevate the erraticism of her songs. Guitarist Morgan Waters screamed into his guitar, carrying distorted vocals through the amp and into our ears. “Two Oceans” was the first song Weaves ever tried recording as a complete improvisation; they used to avoid playing it live, purposefully evading the contradiction of performed spontaneity. I was glad to find that they’ve since ditched that rule - the song is an exuberant treat!
The concert-goers didn’t let Weaves get away without an encore, beckoning them back to the stage for what ended up being a playful cover of “My Generation.” Burke celebrated by jumping into the crowd, dancing with her elated fans, and closing off the night with a giant group hug.
Giveaway | Mile-Out Series
We're giving away tickets to Mile-Out: Pony Girl & Michael Feuerstack this Friday, November 3rd at Théatre Outremont!
To win, e-mail promo@cjlo.com with your name or call-in at the prompt tonight (Wed, Nov 1st) on "The Neighbourhood" between 5-6pm.
Check out the full Mile-Out Series lineup, which includes upcoming performances from D-Track, Clay & Friends, and more, HERE.
SEWER SPEWER 100!
CJLO program SEWER SPEWER is celebrating it's 100th episode and two years on the air!
No better way to celebrate than a night of grind/harcore at COOP KATACOMBES this Thursday, Nov 2nd. Only $5 for performances from Patent, Robot, Offset, and Gutser.
All details can be found on the Facebook event, HERE.
And make sure to tune into SEWER SPEWER every Wednesday at 1pm with your host, Chris "The Frog". Also like the show on Facebook to keep in touch!
DJ SPOTLIGHT #2 - Genaro PC
Ever wondered who exactly was behind your favourite show on CJLO? CJLO 1690 AM presents DJ Spotlight, a brand new series aiming to connect the station's DJs to the public. All the DJs answer the same fixed questions—meaning it's up to them to make their answers worth your while. For the second instalment of the series, we introduce you Genaro PC, host of The Cornice Crow.
Picture The Rock minus all the muscle situation and sitting on a DJ booth. That's what I look like every Sunday.
What is your show on CJLO?
The Cornice Crow presents all things folk from the Maritimes to the Pacific Coast. The idea is to discover local talent and bring their music to light, all while examining what folk music means to today's youth and how it translates itself in this wonderful country of ours. It's also bilingual!
What’s the best thing about hosting your show?
Talking to different people from all over the country! Not just musicians, but everyone involved in the process (bookers, managers, other DJs, etc.) I think it's great to have many different perspectives on one single topic.
What was the first LP/cassette that you bought with your own money?
Santana’s Supernatural.
Which album has left the greatest impact on you?
(Sigh) Too many to choose from! Although in recent times I'd have to go with Sufjan Stevens' Illinoise. It has a throwback feel to it: it's a really pleasant record to listen to, and musically speaking, it's daring with its complex arrangements and simple production. A bit ahead of its time… it always takes me to a happy place.
Best show of your life?
I've had a lot great interviews on air with local bands! Some guests really get into it and we're able to dissect their whole approach as much as time permits. Those are some cool moments.
…What about the worst?
Hmmm… Anytime a guest cancels last minute or shows up late and unprepared is the worst. Note: DJs take that personally when it happens—you might never hear from us again.
What do you collect?
Bus tickets from every city I visit.
Favourite food?
Onion soup.
Any famous last words?
Meme addiction is a real thing. For when the hotlines?!
Don't miss The Cornice Crow, every Sunday at 10 AM, only on CJLO!
Bound For Glory on Main Event Radio
Concert Review: Nicolas Jaar
Nicolas Jaar is an electronic music producer, whose vast experimentations make him difficult to categorize anymore concretely than that. He is of Chilean heritage, a detail which is pronounced in his musical style. Latin rhythms and his own Spanish lyrics often feature, but only to intersect with Eno-esque ambience, Villalobos-inspired techno and microhouse, downtempo dance music, and hints of dubstep. His releases are gorgeous and intricate, masterfully woven together from disparate fragments. The compositions feature exquisite piano stylings, scattered percussion, glitches and scratchy silence, an industrial noise-flavored saxophone, occasional beats, and Jaar’s own stunning baritone voice, soaked in heavy reverb. Silence holds as much weight as any musical element; careful listening is met with reward.
Jaar began his career as somewhat of a prodigy, releasing several impressive singles and remixes starting at age 18, followed by the critically acclaimed Space is Only Noise at age 21, while he was still a student at Brown University. He has since become something of a leftfield international celebrity, as evidenced by the sold-out show at L'Olympia - the lineup spilled out onto Rue Sainte-Catherine, rounded the corner, and extended down almost to René-Lévesque. Security was intense that night, retaining control over the swaths of very down-to-party concert-goers with full pat-down searches. In my brief pass through security I witnessed more than one flask sacrificed to the garbage cans before my eyes.
The crowd inside was restless and tightly packed. The group in front of me performed their own concert version of manspreading, making sure to carve out enough space for any anticipated fist-pumping in advance of Jaar’s arrival. When our enigmatic star finally appeared, he was veiled in smoke. A glimmering sample of trickling water pierced the air, announcing the dawn of what would be a two-and-a-half-hour set. Ephemeral sounds bloomed and wilted, gently unfolding. Jaar made clever use of the spacing between speakers, allowing scattered bits of sound to stream in, then intermingle.
When his deep velvet voice first penetrated the room, the audience erupted into adoring applause. But Jaar did far from pander to their appetite; the music didn’t become danceable until at least twenty minutes in, and even then, it wasn’t sustained. Bursts of rhythm alternated with patches of ambient static. Some people’s patience wore thin, and by the time he played “Space Is Only Noise If You Can See,” he had lost maybe half of the crowd. Each time that he teased at the party having finally begun, it cut was short with offerings of artful abstraction. To be honest, I’m not quite sure what we were expecting; this is exactly how he structures his albums.
The benefit of an album however is that the listener controls their exposure to it; you can choose to be in an environment and a headspace that is conducive to absorbing complex musical ideas. I would cherish the chance to see Nicolas Jaar play a smaller venue, or a seated concert. His elegant canvasses of sound only become richer with focus, and the privilege of watching such a cunning craftsman produce in real-time should not be overlooked.
In author Heidi Julavitzs’s recent memoir The Folded Clock, she explains the reasoning for travelling to see a certain 15th century fresco, painted by someone called Piero della Francesca: “because Piero was big on math and so, behind his expressive faces there is not emotion but the math of an emotion.” Nicolas Jaar’s set felt like the math of music; meticulous and intelligent, containing all the requisite elements, deserving of your devoted focus, but ultimately too difficult to be enjoyable for any more than a small minority.
Concert Review: Soulfly @ Foufounes Électriques with Lody Kong, Noisem and Cannabis Corpse
Soulfly frontman Max Cavalera has recently been revisiting albums of his past. Last year, he toured the world with his brother Iggor, playing Sepultura’s 1996 album Roots in its entirety. Earlier this year, Max announced that he would be revisiting Point Blank by Nailbomb. Back in 1994, Max formed Nailbomb as a side project with Alex Newport (Fudge Tunnel). The project was short lived; they recorded only one album and performed live only once. Although Newport was not able to join Soulfly for the 2017 tour, Max brought along his two sons, Zyon (on drums) and Igor Jr. (on sample machine and backup vocals). Ever the family man.
The show at Foufounes Électriques opened relatively early with Lody Kong, Zyon and Igor’s respective band. Noisem followed, swinging their dreadlocks to and fro to the rhythm of the blast beats. However, I was most excited to see Cannabis Corpse, fronted by “Landphil” Hall of other Richmond, Virginia thrash acts like Municipal Waste and Iron Reagan. They mostly played tracks from their newest release Left Hand Pass, taking the time before each song to emphasize the song titles with marijuana-themed puns. At one point, their roadie jumped into the pit wearing a weed-nugget costume.
I listened to a lot of Soulfly during my Nu Metal phase in high school, yet I only recently did the research on Max Cavalera and learned how he influenced extreme metal with his previous work in Sepultura. Max is a metal legend in his own respect, and the second he stepped on stage, a sense of awe washed over the audience. I never knew of the existence of Nailbomb until I saw the poster for this show, but the audience seemed to know every word off Point Blank. Max looked like he was having a blast the entire time, whether he smiling admiringly at Igor Jr. while he was singing, or playing air drums along with his son Zyon.
Three intermissions were taken between songs where members stepped offstage, either for lead guitarist Marc Rizzo to shred a solo, or to play out an extended noise sample. Samples play a big part in Point Blank in setting up the chaotic tone of the album, like the repeating line “hate is reality” in the song “World of Shit.” There were times where I questioned whether Max’s guitar was even plugged in; I didn’t hear sound corresponding to what he was strumming. I wasn’t the only one wondering this as other concert-goers echoed the same question in the post-show cigarette-break recap. Regardless, to be graced by the presence of Max Cavalera and to be served a rare sonic delicacy that is Nailbomb’s Point Blank, the least I can do to show my appreciation is to raise my devil horns salute high above my head.
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