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Presented by Extensive Enterprise

Well, well, well. Another autumn rolls around and you Montreal metal fans generally know what that means: The Black Dahlia Murder returns. This time around, the crazy fellows co-headlined a set with Suicide Silence, supported by openers Chelsea Grin and Alterbeast at Club Soda on October 7th. Unleash the Miasma and let your veins jolt back to life (pushing the fluids of the damned and all that song reference jazz).

When I arrived at the venue, I was instantly taken aback by the line stretching all along Saint-Laurent past the subway. The show started a bit late, doors opening around 7 pm, as Alterbeast had (unfortunately) hit some issues at the border and were forced to drop the bill. Chelsea Grin was up next. Admittedly, I hadn't heard much of them apart from some buzz around them a few years back, so I listened in with fresh ears. They were... A band. Between a flurry of bass-drops and breakdowns, one could faintly hear the hint of a riff (almost as though there was a song behind it!). Highlight of their show was that it seemed everyone and their Mom was there for them (seriously, you still had a troop of die-hard scene kids this day and age who dragged their parents to see this), so the energy was pretty high. All in all, not my cup of tea, but if you're into that, you probably came for wuggas, but stayed for the jiggy juggas.

Next up was Suicide Silence, and oh boy was that interesting to see. This is the first time I saw them since the induction of Eddie Hermida as vocalist, and I was eager to see how he would fill the now iconic shoes of Mitch Lucker who passed away November of last year. He did a decent job I'd say, though I feel as though they were noticeably slower. I only really knew a handful of songs, but they got around to all of them, and I was a little miffed at the change of tempo. That being said, I still jumped into a decent fray for their hilariously titled, "You Only Live Once" (#YOLO!). 

The Black Dahlia Murder ended the night with their usual brand of energy and riffs. Playing off their three early albums (with a mix of more recent), it was an interesting set to say the least. Opening with "In Hell Is Where She Waits for Me", and going into some oldies like the usual favourite "Close Casket Requiem" and surprise jam "Elder Misanthropy". They are always a fun band to check out, and if you haven't, do so soon! They release albums every odd year, so get prepped for a 2015 release (it's not announced yet, but they haven't missed an odd year in ages).

All in all, it was a pretty all right show. Though I couldn't get into the first few bands, The Black Dahlia made up for it. My one complaint would have to be the completely unnecessary amount of on stage security. My regards to the guy who decided to throw a crowd surfer out during Suicide Silence (classy), and the guy who decided to throw me into an empty space in the crowd.

--Orin Loft hosts The Noisy Loft every Sunday at 8 PM on CJLO. Tune in for some Loud things. Very loud things.

I am slowly recovering from my general malaise contracted in the city more famously known as New York City (big big city equals germs germs germs). I had a whirlwind petite adventure during the 2014 edition of the CMJ Music Marathon in October.

It all started on the overnight bus. Okay, actually, I am exaggerating there. The overnight bus was not very adventurous, it was exactly as one would expect it - crowded, sleepy bodies spilling over seats and arm rests, involuntarily brushing against other sleepy bodies, occasionally being jarred back into place upon the realization of this "accidental touching." This was my first overnight bus experience. Do you think it sounds like a pretty decent way to travel? Overnight, you get to sleep and save your energy for the Big Apple? I thought that way, until I was about 45 minutes into the ride, then I realized the overnight bus is really just the beginning of the no-sleep New York reality, also known as the best way to ensure a lowered immune system, ripe for the big city bugs (insert ebola joke here, actually, no, don't, then you would be like everyone we encountered in the U.S. of A.).

Upon my arrival, I was whisked away to College Day at CMJ, just in time to see CJLO's own Beansie from Maiden Voyage speaking on a panel, followed by the amicable Andrew Wieler from Grade A Explosives win the award for Best Specialty Music Director of the Year! Congrats!

Since my trip to CMJ was a short one, I didn't get the chance to see much of the music side of the festival, so I chose wisely. Living in Montreal, I did what most locals would have done, I went to the M for Montreal showcase at Arlene's Grocery. Being involved with college radio in such a great music city like Montreal, I was excited to see what talent they programmed for the fest, knowing the sky is the limit when it comes to amazing musicians found here. I was a bit saddened to see the lineup consisted of many bands not from this city, especial during "prime" show time spots. I guess no one else noticed such details (insert general sweeping statements about Canada, covered in snow and igloos, here). The M for Montreal CMJ lineup consisted of Heat, Solids, Lisa LeBlanc, Eman X Vlooper, Allie, Tei Shi, Lydia Ainsworth, Homeshake, The Posterz, Vesuvio Solo, and The Muscadettes.

Anyway, the highlight of the night for me was seeing Toronto's Lydia Ainsworth. She had a short set, but it was a sweet one. On stage she is accompanied by strings, which added a nice fullness to her already rich sound. Her pop vocal sensitivities compliment her complex layered musical stylings, with feelings of Bat For Lashes and Warpaint. She ended with an absolutely captivating cover of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game". She will be playing M for Montreal, here, in Montreal, on Wednesday November 19th, check out their full programming for details.

Sadly, for me, the rest of my NYC/CMJ trip was spent inside a hotel room, under layers of blankets, watching terrible American cable, after stocking up on strange US cold medicines form the 24 hour drug store. Until next time New York!!

--Julie Matson hosts With Gay Abandon every Monday at 4 PM EST, your afternoon dose of the best in queer music and culture, only on CJLO!

Hosted by Catlin Spencer

Stories by Patricia Petit Liang & Pauline Nesbitt

Produced by Patricia Petit Liang

Presented by Electro | Osheaga

SBTRKT (pronounced "subtract"), also known as Aaron Jerome, was in Montreal on Thursday, October 30th at the Corona Theatre doing a DJ set and playing the piano. He was supported by two drummers, and one played the tambourine. Going for his usual anonymous look, SBTRKT wore an elusive ceremonial tribal mask (designed by "Hidden Place") representing the spiritual panther-esque animal featured on his albums.

SBTRKT played the most popular songs from his self-titled release SBTRKT from 2011, and the album had an electro, post-dub introspective feel and featured vocalist Sampha on many of the songs, adding an R&B layer to the music. His set at Corona Theatre included these tracks (without Sampha), but with an incorporated drum and bass effect, metaphorically telling the crowd to "dance, people, dance!" 

Dancing became difficult because he got pretty experimental with his set. At one point the music sounded demonic, like a soundtrack for an animal sacrifice. He also played tracks from his latest album, Wonder Where We Land. Many tracks in the album still feature Sampha, and have remnants from the SBTRKT album, but certain songs have exceptionally different elements. "New Dorp. New York" is a bit more pop/mod/dance, but interesting nonetheless.

The set had silent lulls between songs, and the performance was not fluid as a whole. The background images made up for the musical pauses, projecting random distorted facial figures and the "New Dorp. New York" music video that features the panther creature SBTRKT represents. The light show was exceptionally elaborate, and at one point a cloud filled the room and a shining beam of light cast overhead to entrance the whole audience.

The room also filled up with another type of smoke, as security kicked out many SBTRKT fans. Having fewer people there was actually a plus, as the Corona Theatre didn't have enough space in coat check so everyone's bags started hitting each other. The theatre is beautifully renaissance, the crowd however not as proper, throwing elbows like they were playing hockey. Overall, the show was entertaining but didn't reach my full expectations. Of course, everyone has alternative opinions, and one fan left the show saying, "this was the best live DJ set I've ever seen." Regardless of the reactions regarding SBTRKT's live shows, his albums without question never fail to impress.

-- DJ Misschief hosts Greedy Graffiti every Thursday at 2 PM EST on CJLO. Get jiggy through mind boggling free-formed expression!