RSS
News for September 17th, 2015
LOCAL
By Saturn de Los Angeles
Montreal Canadiens defenceman P.K. Subban is donating 10 million dollars to the Montreal Children's Hospital.
According to CBC News, a part of the funds will be used to help families who are struggling financially to support their child in care.
The hospital is naming its new atrium after Subban, and he announced his donation at the unveiling of the atrium on Wednesday.
The hospital is describing the donation as the largest philanthropic cause by a sports figure in Canadian history.
NATIONAL
By Emeline Vidal
On Tuesday, the Federal court of appeals declared the ban on niqabs at citizenship ceremonies unlawful.
According to CTV News, the ruling comes after 29-year old Zunera Ishaq refused to attend citizenship ceremonies since they require her to uncover her face, meaning that she would not be eligible to vote in the upcoming elections.
Liberal leader Justin Trudeau said the ruling is rooted in the protection of minorities' rights, but the Conservatives maintain that one should not hide their identity when taking on Canadian citizenship.
It is unclear whether Ishaq will have the time to be a registered voter as the court hoped, or whether the government will seek a stay of Tuesday's decision.
By Julia Bryant
Fourteen-year-old Ahmed Mohamed was arrested on Monday after bringing what police called a "fake bomb" to his school in Texas.
But what Mohamed actually brought in was a digital clock that he had built at home from a pencil case.
According to CNN, the police have not pressed charges against Mohamed.
He was, however, suspended from his school until Thursday, and is considering switching to a different high school.
All kinds of support for Mohamed has erupted on Twitter, including messages from President Barack Obama and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
News for September 16th 2015
LOCAL
by Patricia Petit Liang
Taxi drivers around the world have deemed Wednesday to be their international day of protest against the Uber mobile app.
According to the Montreal Gazette, Montreal taxi drivers will meet at the Montreal Technoparc area at 9:30am and drive slowly to the airport.
Uber’s legal status in Canada is unstable, with some politicians encouraging Uber to expand its operations in the country and the Taxi Bureau fining Uber drivers and confiscating their vehicles.
Most of the Uber drivers will contest their fines in court in the next couple of months, helping to decide Uber’s fate in Canada.
by Alexa Everett
by Saturn de Los Angeles
In midst of a growing migrant dilemma across Europe, Hungary has decided to shut down its borders next to Serbia.
In a report by BBC News, the country's legislature declared a state of emergency as it aims to control the influx of migrants from their fellow non-European Union nation.
A razor fence was installed between Hungary and Serbia, leaving homeless people stranded, with many resorting to throwing food as a sign of protest.
Authorities state that anyone who damages the fence will be either put in jail or deported.
Wednesday September 16th 2015
Hosted by Julia Bryant
Stories by Patricia Petit Liang, Alexa Everett & Saturn de Los Angeles
Produced by Catlin Spencer
POP Montreal 2015: Just Say Yes!
Sue from the 'Cult of Yes' picks her POP favourites
Look, we can fight about it if you want. Sure, classes have begun and we'll soon be drowning in pumpkin spice everything, but I say summer's not over until POP Montreal is over. Stamped it, no erasies. POP is a five-day party featuring hundreds of your favourite bands (and new favourite bands) plus symposia, visual art, film, crafts galore at Puces POP and so much more. So gather 'round, let's plan out our last hurrah before the summer officially slips away, shall we?
Wednesday, September 16th
Opening Party! POP Quarters will be brimming with folks checking out this year's Art POP offerings and lining up for free beer. This is a chance to high five old friends or maybe meet a new show buddy. Beat the crowd and come by for a 3:45 PM set by CJLO faves Nancy Pants. Their stripped-down pop sounds are guaranteed to put you in the party spirit. POP Quarters, 5 PM to 7 PM - FREE
Hitchhike up to the (newly renovated and pretty darn swanky-looking) Théâtre Fairmount for garage-rock legends The Sonics. Formed in Tacoma, WA by a bunch of teenagers in the early 1960s, The Sonics cranked out a highly-influential catalogue in just a few short years. Now The Sonics are in their seventies, and while they've certainly outgrown their teenage sneer, their 2015 album This is The Sonics still sounds vital, growly, and aggressive. I'm looking forward to watching these pros teach the kids a thing or two about rock. Montreal's Les Breastfeeders will be warming up the stage. Come early, I predict a packed house. Théâtre Fairmount, 9 PM - $30/$33
Thursday, September 17th
Oh, Thursday. You're a heartbreaker. Programming for the 17th is bonkers, with can't miss shows happening all over town. I'll likely be heading over to see much-loved Montreal adoptees, Dany Laj and the Looks, who are closing a loaded evening over at Club Lambi. With a new album, Word on the Street, released this spring, the band has been busy bringing their music to parts of Canada that are well off the usual touring circuit. As someone who spent a good many years living in small-town Eastern Canada, I've got nothing but love for artists who make the long trek. This is a band with a big, scrappy heart that beats out perfect pop songs. Good vibes assured. Club Lambi, 9 PM - $10 (with The Nils, Hot Panda, Twin River, Adam Strangler)
If you were too underage or too out of the loop to catch Bionic back in the late '90s and early '00s, now's your chance. The beards are all back together for a start-to-finish performance of Bionic's self-titled debut release. Expect loud guitars and plenty of wisecracks from front man/curmudgeon Jonathan Cummins. La Sala Rossa, 9 PM - $15 (with Squalor, Hashed Out, Fashion Police)
Friday, September 18th
By Friday you should be hitting your POP stride, a few great shows under your belt. Now's a great time for something a little different: "THE TROUBLE WITH REALITY// NO FUN" are two contemporary dance/live rock hybrids. This is the kind of interdisciplinary cross-pollination that makes my heart hum with glee. An incarnation of "THE TROUBLE WITH REALITY" at festival Phénomena this past year had me cackling at their biting treatment of celebrity culture and rock mythos. Dancer Karen Fennell and musician Jackie Gallant are perfectly paired and delightfully mordant.
Helen Simard's "NO FUN" teams three dancers and four musicians on stage for a look into the guts of rock and roll. Inspired by the music and excess of Iggy Pop, "NO FUN" is loud, weird, uncomfortable, and hilarious. This still one of my favourite works of the past few years, and I recommend it to any rock nerd worth their salt, whether they think they like dance or not. Monument National - $23. Runs September 17, 18, and 19 at 7:30 PM and September 20 at 4 PM
Saturday, September 19th
Record fair! Come early for the best picks, vinyl lovers. This year's fair boasts twice as many booths as last year, and while I'll miss the distinctive dusty perfume of the Ukrainian Federation's basement, a bigger space means more choice and less chance of crowd rage. CJLO DJ's will be on-site spinning records, plus there will be pierogi to keep you fuelled for some epic crate-digging. Eglise St. Michel - FREE. Saturday and Sunday 11 AM - 6 PM
Best way to start your Saturday night is with Li'l Andy, I'd say. He'll be dishing up some witty country and dark gospel tunes, hilarious between-song anecdotes and observations also surely on the menu. Andy will be our guest in-studio this week on Champions of the Local Scene, so tune in at 6 PM on Wednesday the 16th! L'Esco, 8:30 PM - $10 (with Good Bad Kid, Gianna Lauren, Delta Will, Windburn)
Sunday, September 20th
If you got lots of energy left and you just need to dance it out on the last night of the festival, I recommend hitting Quai des Brumes for the pop stylings of Toronto's Fast Romantics. With incredibly catchy tunes and a few very clever videos, Fast Romantics seem ripe and ready for massive popularity. Catch them while they're still playing bar shows and tell your friends you saw 'em back when. Quai des Brumes, 10:30 PM - $10/$12 (with Grand Lark and Choses Sauvages)
--Sue Snyder is the tall chick in the front row blocking your view of the band. She's also a belly dancer making unusual dances with her cosmic twin under the name Cult of Yes. Finder her on the Twitter @Susie_Qc.
Dories today on Slax Trax at 4 PM!
September 15th, 2015
Hosted by Danny Aubry
Stories by Saturn de Los Angeles, Catlin Spencer & Julian McKenzie
Produced by Patricia Petit Liang
News for September 15th, 2015
LOCAL
by Julian McKenzie
Quebec began discussions on a possible animal welfare bill that would advocate for animal abusers to be jailed on Monday.
According to the CBC, the bill, known as Bill 54, would improve the rights of animals and make any offenders of the incoming animal cruelty laws face 18 months of jail time and fines of $750,000.
The bill could potentially make certain halal butchering techniques illegal, as the slow death of animals will not be tolerated.
Quebec has received criticism for giving unfavourable conditions to animals, notably through puppy mills.
NATIONAL
by Catlin Spencer
Canada escaped debt almost a year early after Ottawa released a 1.9 billion dollar surplus for the 2014-2015 fiscal year.
According to CTV, Canada was bound for a deficit for the sixth time in a row when the recalculation was made.
The surplus money came largely in part due to higher than expected revenue growth as well as personal and corporate income taxes.
A balanced budget, the first of its kind since 2007-2008, will surely allow for some fiscal mobility for whichever political party wins in October.
INTERNATIONAL
by Saturn de Los Angeles
A group of Mexican tourists were accidentally killed by Egyptian security troops on Monday.
In a report by The Washington Post, the victims were part of a tour convoy exploring a nearby Egyptian desert when the military was on patrol cracking down on what they initially thought were terrorists.
While Egyptian authorities stated that the Mexicans in the convoy illegally entered the area, The Mexican ambassador for Egypt, Jorge Alvarez Fuentes, condemned the attacks on social media.
The Egyptian tourism ministry is looking into the circumstances of the encounter, in a case which may have been that of mistaken identity.
News for Monday September 14th, 2015
LOCAL
By Danny Aubry
The former cardiologist Guy Turcotte will undergo a second trial starting Monday, September 14th, for the murder of his two young children.
According to CTV News, Turcotte was accused of murdering his 5-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter in 2009. He was declared to be not criminally responsible for his children's murder during the first trial in 2011.
Quebec's Court of Appeal overruled that verdict and demanded a new one. He was later treated at the Philippe-Pinel Institute where he was released in September 2014.
The trial will take place in a court house in St-Jerome, and is expected to last several months.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NATIONAL
By Patricia Petit Liang
Elections Canada has recently tried to make voting more accessible to the country’s disabled community but still has room to improve.
According to CBC News, Elections Canada has made small improvements to accessibility protocols and procedures since the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal asked them to do so in 2010.
However, plenty of citizens with sight, hearing and mobility limitations have encountered various challenges when voting and are dissatisfied with the quality and availability of accommodation at the polls.
James Hicks, the national coordinator for the Council of Canadians with Disabilities, claims that in order to avoid any inconvenience, disabled voters can arrange to mail their votes or have an Election Canada worker visit their home.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERNATIONAL
By Sam Obrand
The post-war border relation ideal known as “Schengen” is at risk following the summer refugee crisis.
According to Reuters, the installation of border checks between Germany and Austria brought challenges to Europe’s open border travelling and government debate regarding where to put them.
The Schengen’s ideal is exposed through The Luxembourg village, the intersection between France and Germany, where immigrants are entering.
According to Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, the imposition of the border check was put into place as a last resort and does not violate any of the Schengen guidelines.
September 14th, 2015
Hosted by Jocelyn Beaudet
Stories written by Danny Aubry, Patricia Petit Liang, and Sam Obrand
Produced by Saturn De Los Angeles
POP Montreal 2015: The Best Concert Ever
#CJLOgoesPOP picks by Stephanie Dee from Yeti Dreams
My dream of heaven is a giant stadium where all my favourite musicians gather to perform the "Best Concert Ever" for all eternity. Even though this is my own personal selfish afterlife, in my mind if heaven existed it would have no concept of space, time, or direction. All spirits would be welcome to attend the concert as they, and the bands performing, would be experiencing their own personal version of heaven at the exact same time—except there would be no "real" time as we experience it now, and that would be trippy, man, having an unlimited number of experiences all at once. The really good news is, in my version of heaven the tallest guy at the venue wouldn't be standing right in front of you, finally giving you a perfect view of the stage. Heck, you'd even be ON the stage playing right along with the bands. Sounds amazing, right?
What does this have to do with POP Montreal? Well, this year there happens to be a stellar lineup of artists playing the festival who are actually on my list of bands that would play the heavenly "Best Concert Ever". Montreal island will turn into one big stadium when POP Montreal rocks this town starting Wednesday, September 16th until Sunday, September 20th. Event and ticket information is available on the POP Montreal website.
Festival-goers are always so excited about the headliners. Hey, don't get it twisted because I'm also super stoked to catch Motörhead and The Sonics, and we'll get to them later, but first let me start with the locals. These performers give our beautiful city of Montreal its flavour, and they'll definitely pull your heart strings. #POURVRAI #FORREAL
There are so many bands to see and places to be during POP Montreal, and my mind was set on catching Shuggie Otis in conversation with Jamie Thompson during POP Montreal back in 2013. To take in as much of the festival as possible, I dropped by the Rialto to catch Li'l Andy 3D on my way to the Symposium, and I have to say the multi-talented and tall Li'l Andy, his awesome band, and special guests moved me to the point where I just couldn't leave. I stayed for the entire performance, missing Otis completely, and it was totally worth it. Those who were there remember the treats we experienced that night! I highly recommend that you make plans to catch Li'l Andy on Saturday, September 19th at L'Escogriffe for his brand of Ole Opry country and traditional folk-style tunes.
Prince Palu from The Go-Go Radio Magic Show turned me on to local band Le Kid & les Marinellis a few years ago, and what caught my attention was their filthy garage tunes en Français, front-man Cedric's sailor costume and his various stages of undress. Yes, I've seen his ass and that's OK, we're all adults here! This year sent the band touring the U.S. and Europe with their latest album, Île De Rêve (P. Trash), and they dropped "le kid" to the aptly named Les Marinellis. The underlying question is, does this mean the band is all grown up now? Find out on Thursday, September 17th at Théâtre Fairmount.
Commander "Andy" Clark hit my radar last year back when he was fresh-eyed, new to town, and thrust in conversation with podcasters Psi Factor & the Cougar at their POP Symposium with Ty Segall and Mikey Heppner. Since that day, I've seen this Commander Clark dude everywhere around town, most recently smiling something fierce outside PA grocery on du Parc. Clark even called in to Champions of the Local Scene when I was interviewing the gang from Nancy Pants earlier this year. I have yet to see him perform but, admittedly, I'm compelled to catch his show on Friday, September 18th when he opens for Ohara, and I don't know why! Why am I so curious? Maybe it's because Commander Clark just seems so happy all the time... Alright, who's in? The show is on Friday, September 18th at Empire Exchange.
Nanimal is fronted by a hopeless romantic who would never admit to composing sweet love songs for his actual girlfriend and posting the demos to a secret bandcamp, only to be shared with the lady and a friend or two (don't be mad at me for sharing your secret, kid, I thought that bandcamp was so rad!). A few years have passed, and I'm really glad a couple of those secret demos eventually made it to Nanimal's publicly-released debut earlier this year. Presentation (self-released) is a great pop album, smooth and polished, but you can expect something faster, angrier, and more nanimated at a live Nanimal show (see what I did there?). The band plays on Friday, September 18th at Quai des Brumes.
UUBBUURRUU is one of those bands that everyone tells me I need to check out. They say, "Stephanie! You will love their music! Trust me! Exclamation point!" So I add the band to that laundry list of recommendations given to me by friends, and I know I have to listen to them, but never get the chance until the band has already broken up and I can't find their records anywhere. The year 2015 is going to be different. It is written in the cosmos that I'll finally discover UUBBUURRUU at POP Montreal. There are five guys in the band (Hail Eris), and they want to "communicate with astral entities" (All Hail Discordia), and their music has "X amount of Fuzz and Y amount of Reverb" (Her Apple Corps is strong). Fuzz, reverb, outer space? Yup, sounds like the band for me. The UUBBUURRUU show is on Friday, September 18th at Bar le "Ritz" P.D.B. The band is launching their new EP, too. Support local music and buy their stuff.
Hamilton, Ontario slacker-musician B.A. Johnston writes pleasant, ridiculously smart, and uncomplicated lyrics. I mean, who else can write a convincing love song that compares his girlfriend to a hot dog from IKEA? An energetic performance with a bunch of silly songs that'll make you smile... that is what to expect from a B.A. Johnston show. Be sure to catch him on Thursday, September 17th at l'Assommoir.
The old adage "Lemmy might not be God, but God wears a Motörhead t-shirt" has been ringing in my tinnitus-inflicted ears ever since I overheard someone saying it on Saint-Denis the other day. I'm more than happy to risk further hearing damage by attending the Motörhead show on Friday, September 18th at Théâtre Olympia with Anthrax! But word on the street is the band has been cancelling gigs due to Lemmy's [alleged] health problems, so we'll see if that happens. In the meantime, you can check out his new line of sex toys and hope this particular show goes on. Get well soon Lemmy!
Something has happened that I must tell you... there's something about me you don't know. I am a Waver, have been since the '90s, and you have no idea how excited I am to finally get to see Built to Spill live. Couldn't afford to go to shows as a starving student back in the day, but I've been a big fan of the band since their debut album Ultimate Alternative Wavers (C/Z Records) in 1993, and Untethered Moon (Warner Bros.) from this year is pretty solid. Did I mention my undying love for Doug Martsch's work with Calvin Johnson in the Halo Benders? "Canned Oxygen" is such a jam! 69 to 5, Built to Spill plays POP Montreal on Saturday, September 19th at Club Soda.
Speaking of the '90s, I have it on good authority that the plaid shirts and baby doll dresses you snagged from your parents' old wardrobes will come in handy this fall because [tongue firmly placed in cheek] Grunge is back! Again. Eye roll. Minneapolis, Minnesota all-girl punk band Babes in Toyland have reformed, and POP Montreal is bringing their raw, heavy-hitting sound to Théâtre Rialto on Saturday, September 19th. Don't get bound-and-hagged you cob nobbler, leave that harsh realm! Grab your fuzz and throw on your kickers because this show is gonna be score. All joking aside, Babes in Toyland is an important band to us girls, so I truly hope to see some women out there in the pit and that the show will inspire them to pick up a damn guitar.
Let's go back to the beginning, to my own personal heaven, back to the Best Concert Ever. The Sonics from Tacoma, Washington are on that heavenly list of bands, and they're most definitely on my list for the "must-see" acts of POP Montreal 2015. It is believed by many a music fan that The Beatles influenced rock and roll for generations, but for me and my peeps it's The Sonics. This band, spearheaded by a then teen-aged Larry Parypa, was there for the birth of punk rock, and their hard-edged and aggressive style obviously inspired every punk band that came after them. Catch these garage legends on Wednesday, September 16th at Théâtre Fairmount. What a great way to kick off the fest! Heaven's coming a little early, and I await my maker.
--Stephanie Dee has been a radio DJ at CJLO for more than a decade, and was once the editor of the CJLO Magazine. This is her fourth time covering POP Montreal for us. Follow Steph @tweegirl on Twitter and Instagram. What do the Yeti dream of? Find out every Friday night at 8-9PM on Yeti Dreams, only on CJLO 1690AM and cjlo.com.
Pages
Staff Login | Advertise | Our Location | RSS | Contact Us
