RSS

Ever wondered who exactly was behind your favourite show on CJLO? Starting this week, 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 first instalment of the series, we introduce you Chris Aitkens, alias Chris the Frog, host of Sewer Spewer.

Hello! My name is Chris. I'm a journalism student, professional screamer and lover of all sounds that are painful to the ears.

What is your show on CJLO?

My show Sewer Spewer is a weekly guide through the Montreal underground punk and metal scene. I like to promote shows featuring local talent and I make it a point to play extreme and unclean forms of music on the air.

What’s the best thing about hosting your show?

Coming up with a different playlist every week allows me to discover new bands and find events happening in Montreal. By the time I see a band live in concert, I would have listened to their songs at least three times that week. The lyrics are fresh in my mind and I usually sing along.

What was the first LP/cassette that you bought with your own money?

I unfortunately don't have a record player, and the only cassette player I use is in my parents' laundry room, so I normally listen to tapes while I'm folding my clothes. I believe the first tape I ever bought was by Castevet at their last show, so in 2008?

Which album has left the greatest impact on you?

Dare to Ride the Heliocraft by Trigger Effect. I bought it at the release show in 2007, when I was only 15. I still listen to it to this day. Trigger Effect is and will be my all-time favourite band. And their debut album is a masterpiece. I know all the words by heart. There's no pause between songs, they bleed into each other, so you need to listen to it in its entirety. It's 21 minutes of pure chaotic bliss.

Best show of your life?

That's a tough question. I would have to say one of the editions of Fear and Loathing in Montreal. I was too young to see most of them, but I was able to catch the last three (there was 10 in total). The show was hosted by Trigger Effect (as mentioned before, my fav’ band) and had two stages: one for bands, and the other for freakshows and contests like waterboarding, eating challenges and testicle tug-of-war. My little brother had to take a shot of pepper spray for a contest, I felt so sorry for him. The bands were always amazing though, bands like the Sainte Catherines, Barn Burner and the BCASA, to name a few.

…What about the worst?

The worst is most likely a show I played, probably when I or some other member in the band was too drunk to perform properly. It's been a reoccurring incident in every band I've played in, so there's too many shows to think of. I can't think of one specific show, probably because I've blocked them all out of my memory because it was such a disaster. What I've learned is that it's important to drink responsibly leading up to when you take the stage. Once the set is over, then it's perfectly fine to drink as recklessly as you please.

What do you collect?

I collect a lot of things. I collect pins, patches, stickers (though I'm running out of surfaces to put stickers on), VHS tapes, zines, comics. I'm currently trying to build a CD collection of Montreal bands; it's been getting pretty big, thanks to the free CD bins in front of CJLO.

Favourite food?

I would have to say pizza. It's the one food I can eat three times a day and not get sick of. I even have two pizza tattoos on my thighs; one's a Pizza Jesus and the other is a Pizza Satan. I'm saving up for a Pizza Illuminati back piece.

Any famous last words?

Like, what will be written on my grave? I suppose I would want to be remembered for my passion for art, so maybe it can say, “He loved music. He loved Montreal.”

On the topic of famous last words, I just want to say that through art you can live forever. Sure, your body might not be here forever, but the picture you painted, or the music you recorded or the words you spoke on the radio will remain. The key to immortality is creativity.

Don't miss the 100th episode of Sewer Spewer this Wednesday, 1 PM, only on CJLO!

Hosted by Patricia Petit Liang

Stories by Allison O'Reilly and Patricia Petit Liang

Produced by Patricia Petit Liang

Hosted by Patricia Petit Liang

Stories by Allison O'Reilly and Patricia Petit Liang

Produced by Patricia Petit Liang

On September 24 Montreal was treated to a synergic evening of R&B, thanks to the predestined combination of Rhye and Charlotte Day Wilson. The sold-out show kicked off with an opening set by Wilson, whose blossoming popularity was palpable in the crowd. The lineup outside le National was abuzz with stylish 20-somethings chattering not only about the evening’s main act, but also its opener. 

Charlotte Day Wilson emerged on the Toronto music scene hardly more than a year ago, and has quickly established herself as one of the city’s most exciting independent acts on the rise. After releasing her critically acclaimed debut EP CDW last summer, she toured with Local Natives and appeared in collaborations with prominent fellow Torontonians BADBADNOTGOOD and Daniel Caesar. 

Wilson’s performance on Sunday delivered the gorgeous sultry vocals I’d come to expect from listening to CDW; what I hadn’t fully appreciated however was the vastness of her musical talents. She shifted seamlessly between guitar, bass, and a rousing saxophone solo. Her fluency as an artist doesn’t stop there; Wilson’s EP was entirely self-produced, save for a guest spot from River Tiber. Her skillful versatility adds a richness to the sound that otherwise might not be felt with a three-piece band; backed only by a drummer and a keyboardist, Charlotte’s smooth sweltering sounds nonetheless flushed the concert hall.

She closed the set with her standout single “Work”, before gushing “you guys are going to have so much fun tonight, Rhye is one of my favourite performers I’ve seen ever.” It wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine Wilson taking inspiration from the ethereal R&B duo; both acts deal in smooth musings on love, carried in each case by a pearly voice that often acts more as an instrument than as a vessel for lyrical content. 

But if Wilson’s set felt tangible and conversational, having greeted the audience with a familiar “sup, Montreal?”, Rhye was enigmatic. Their presence was announced by a boxy cowbell-like sound, calm and resounding, leading into the first song. It wasn’t until after the fourth number that Mike Milosh, also a Torontonian, greeted his audience. This mysterious quality is consistent with Rhye’s brand, having appeared initially online as an anonymous project, and not revealing Milosh and Danish producer Robin Hannibal’s identities until well after the release of their first single. 

Milosh was joined onstage by a diverse band consisting of a keyboardist, bassist, drummer, violist, and a cellist/trombonist. This dynamic cast was an absolute joy to watch; a gentle symphony, sprouting out new sounds here or there, then wrapping them back into the satin sonic blanket. Milosh acted as the meticulous and devoted choreographer of it all, attentive to each piece of his dreamy compositions, and gliding masterfully about the stage. Like Day Wilson, Milosh proved to be a talented multi-instrumentalist, taking up the keys and drums when he wasn’t busy captivating us with his achingly perfect voice. Rhye’s sound ranges from eerie atmospheric minimalism to danceable pop, sometimes swelling with intensity to an elegant storm, illustrated visually by the rumbling clouds on a grainy black and white screen in the background. 

2013’s Woman being the only release to date, I think we can expect to see an even greater range in Rhye’s musical landscape as their themes grow and diversify with future projects. The same goes for Wilson who, like Rhye, treated Sunday’s audience to new unreleased music from a forthcoming project. It will be exciting to watch these two acts over the coming years and see what their new releases bring into the realm of genre-bending R&B.