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The Occupy movement loomed over QPIRG’s latest edition of its Lounge Speakers series.

On hand were community and public affairs professor Anna Kruzynski, Concordia Student Union president Lex Gill, and activist Jaggi Singh.

Doctor Kruzynski made a case for the empowering nature of grassroots action. 

"When you participate int hese street actions often times you end up feeling a sense of power which is very important when you a break with these feelings that things are too large to change

CSU president Gill discussed her recent brush with security agents when being ushered out of a corporate event.

What she heard before being kicked out shocked her.

"There was this one quote fromt he president of Pfizer that minds need to conform to the needs of the market. It just points to this incestuous relationship between the state and the private sector."

Singh was on hand to discuss the importance of research in activism. He made it clear that there are only two sides in the fight against the current political order.

"There's no such thing as neutrality, by saying you're neutral you're helping the oppression happen. So I'm not sure anyone can look themselves in the mirror when they understand things that way and say, 'wow I'm part of the problem.'"

For CJLO news, I’m Shaun Malley

The last time I found myself at the Cabaret du Mile End, I was watching a devoted-but-small crowd politely enjoy Jolie Holland, and wondered if it was a place the talented go to not get enough appreciation. Not so; a sizeable crowd had turned up for the first-ever Montreal performance by Wild Beasts, a UK quartet (with the occasional extra percussive work courtesy of a shifty extra figure) who have issued three increasingly great records over the last four years. When bands make their first leap across the pond, it tends to be a bit of a crapshoot, but Wild Beasts seem to have waited just long enough to build up a faithful and decently-sized following. Good on 'em.

First up, though, was Toronto five-piece Still Life Still, who appeared to have a few buddies in the audience. Had I caught the very same set eight or nine years ago, their brand of uptempo indie-pop might well have seemed impressive. Now, though, they come across as a fiercely typical Arts & Crafts act - even moreso than, say, Immaculate Machine. That means treble-heavy arrangements, multiple guitars (often where one, more creative player would suffice), aw-shucks vocals with simple harmonies, and some mild rhythmic variation for the sake of friskiness. Credit's due to drummer Aaron Romaniuk, whose tricky parts seemed to emerge from a more interesting act, but there wasn't a moment of their 40-odd minute set that felt individual to the band. The music disappeared moments after exhibition, never to leave the slightest impression.

After a tortuously long wait (roughly 80 minutes or so), Wild Beasts finally emerged to a surprisingly amped crowd. They opened with Smother's one-two opening punch of "Lion's Share" and "Bed of Nails." It had escaped my attention that they have not one, but two vocalists, both of whom were remarkably assured - Hayden Thorpe's warbly tenor and Tom Fleming's more forceful, slightly lower register sounded great both together and apart. The latter got a stunning showcase in the form of terse Smother highlight "Deeper." After the hurried, too-dense approach Still Life Still took to arrangements, Wild Beasts' sense of spaciousness and invention was a welcome tonic. With minimal, though amusing, stage banter (including some confusion between the terms "poutine" and "putain"), they continued to power through a colorful 11-song set, with the obvious highlights being "We Still Got the Taste Dancin' On Our Tongues" (the Two Dancers single introduced as "Leonard Cohen doing disco") and surprise Limbo, Panto cut "The Devil's Crayon," which both upped the energy level and pointed out just how much their sound has evolved over a few short years.

After a short break, the boys (and sometimes girl, on aforementioned added percussion) returned for a stellar three-song encore, including Fleming's awesome, and slightly shocking, falsetto-driven turn on "All the King's Men" and a suitably epic closing take on "End Come Too Soon," complete with thoroughly convincing false ending. Having clearly become seasoned pros in their homeland, they're welcome back anytime.

-Simon H hosts Sucker Blues on Wednesdays from 4-5pm

Read by Joshua Nemeroff

Produced by Erica Bridgeman

Segment by Shaun Malley

Stories written by Shaun Malley, Tara Brockwell and Joshua Nemeroff

image courtesy of 2020 radio

 CJLO is proud to be turning three years old on October 15th, 2011. We've been bringing the best in local and underground music to the AM dial since 2008 and we want to thank all of our volunteers and listeners for helping CJLO become the award winning radio station that we are today.

If you'd like to wish CJLO a happy birthday, record and send an mp3 to program@cjlo.com and we'll play them on-air.

Happy Birthday CJLO! Bonne fete!