RSS

Green party leader, Elizabeth May, has not been invited to the election debate. The broadcast consortium that hosts the debate decided May is not welcomed. Marco Dube, consortium spokesperson, said the five broadcasters wanted to invite only the four parties in the House of Commons. With the support  of  a million Canadians across the country, the Green party has yet to elect an MP.

During the 2008 election May was allowed a spot at the debate table after a fierce public backlash.  Only Stephane Dion, welcomed Green party’s participation in the debate. At the time the, Blair Wilson, was the only Green MP in the House. May’s strong performance during the debate raised the party’s profile. It also got them 6.8% of the vote, the party’s best ever.  This year, none of the three House party leaders have raised their voice in support. They say it is up to the broadcasters. The Conservatives have remained silent.

Camille Labchuk, the party spokesperson, said once again they will fight for May’s inclusion.

The Norwegian electro/dance duo Röyksopp, composed of Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland, recently stopped by Club Soda for a night of great music. It had been a while since we’ve seen the duo in Montreal and so their return was greatly anticipated – so much so that they played to a sold out Club Soda! I must say, I’ve been a fan ever since I heard “Remind Me” from their debut album, Melody AM, in Robot Food’s Lame (my favourite snowboarding movie). What I’ve always liked about them is their mix of downbeats, drum machines, guitar and vocals, which, when blended all together, give the duo their distinctive sound.

So, last Saturday I was really excited to have a chance to see them live, but I didn‘t know what to expect. Was I going to see two guys, their synthesizers and their drum machines, or not? I wasn’t disappointed at all; yes the two were behind their synths, and they also had two guitarists with them. When the show opened, the two guitarists were dressed in black and sporting what looked a pillowcase over their heads while they played the familiar notes of “Eple”. They managed to build enough hype to last the whole show with the just first songs! Most of them are fan favorites: “So Easy”, “Remind Me” (my favourite) and “Sparks” (complete with live vocals by Anneli Drecker). The guys were able to balance their set list with songs from both of their last two albums, Junior and Senior.

Although they did go on for more then an hour and a half, the crowd was hooked on every song! Those on the floor didn’t stop dancing for the entire show; and you know the show is good when even the people in the balconies start dancing! Thankfully, the sound at the club soda sounded good for once.

I find it really nice when groups aren’t afraid to experiment with new sounds or wear props during a show. During “The Girl and The Robot”, Torbjørn wore a robot looking mask and Anneli had a faux-fur feline mask on while she sang “Tricky Tricky” at the end of the concert. They experimented with new sounds by performing a dubstep-inspired version of ‘’Have Another Cherry’.”

Even if they didn’t play a few songs I would’ve loved hearing live, like “Triumphant”, “Silver Cruiser”, “Circuit Breaker” and “A Beautiful Day Without You,” the concert was awesome! Yes, awesome and amazing! It was one of those concerts you come out of wanting more (in the good way). It should’ve gone on for hours, but all good things come to an end. Let’s just hope it doesn’t take that long before the boys come back to Montreal!

-Alex Menjivar co-hosts Phantastiq Cypha on Fridays from 4-6pm

When Brennan Richer came to CJLO, the station was a very different place. Some DJs hosted for themselves, using the air time as an outlet to express themselves. Others hosted for their community, as a means to promote the culture of their musical taste. Lastly some hosted with all that and more in mind. Not only to promote their show, their genre but for everyone. Brennan Richer has always been one of those DJs and has paved the way for a generation of DJs who approach their shows in that manner. As the host of The Almighty Riff, he has been a staple of the Sunday line and has been a key to building its popularity.

What makes Brennan special is his ability to pull anyone in. Imagine a quiet Sunday evening, you turn on your radio, start going through the dial all of a sudden you hear a voice. It’s not just any voice; the person on air is confident, charismatic and loves the music he plays. He’s very knowledgeable and his goal is to give you an experience that will keep you coming back every week. That would be Brennan and listeners tuned in every week for his unique style and great showmanship.

With that said The Almighty Riff will be having its last show this week. CJLO would like to thank Brennan for his years of dedication, his love for the station and wish him the best in all his future endeavors.

Make sure to tune in this Sunday April 3rd for The Almighty Riff Finale at 6pm EST.

We all know Travie McCoy as the front man for the band Gym Class Heroes. Anyone who owns a radio should be familiar with their top-charted 2006 single, "Cupid’s Chokehold," otherwise they should get their radio fixed. Unfortunately, Gym Class Heroes decided to take a hiatus and Travie, who has stated that they haven't broken up, is pursuing a solo career. On June 8, 2010, Travie released his solo album, Lazarus, which includes his hit single "Billionaire," featuring rising star Bruno Mars. He’s currently travelling the world for his Sgt. Schlepper's Who Needs Hearts Club Band Tour. I had the opportunity to attend his stop at Le National here in Montreal.

Since I never learn my lesson, I showed up to the show at the start time indicated on my ticket. But, we all know that shows (at least in Montreal) never start on time for some odd reason. Showing up early does have its perks though, like getting a good spot and being able to observe the crowd; although, I wouldn't suggest it to those with weak legs or to the over dressed girls who decide to come to a concert in heels (I still don't understand that, I guess they believe the artist performing will pick them out of the crowd, swoop them off their feet and take them to a fancy, overpriced restaurant in Old Montreal. But hey, who am I to crush dreams). After about an hour wait the show began.

Bad Rabbits, an energetic band from Boston with a front man whose energy bounces off the walls like those old school red super-balls used to play jacks, were first on stage. Their sound is a combination of new jack swing and late 80’s dance, mixed with an edge. Their performance really compliments their sound; it keeps you on edge and grabs your attention from beginning to end. By the time they got off stage, the crowd was chanting "Bad Rabbits" like they had been friends since high school. I give an A- to their overall performance.

Black Cards, an electronic dance and ska band who were formed by Pete Wentz (former bassist of Fall Out Boy), were next on stage. PETE WENTZ! Cool, a familiar face to add to this fairly new band that was about to perform – that is, if he would have shown up. Apparently Pete had an important issue that needed attending, so he couldn't make it. The band decided to perform an acoustic version of their album. Although lead singer Bebe Rexha has a great, unique, and sometimes high pitch voice, the performance was lackluster. Maybe it was because it felt out of place at a Travie McCoy, someone who is known for being quite crazy, concert, or because they played right after Bad Rabbits’ energetic performance. Whatever it was, it wasn't working. I would have loved to see them with their full roster going full throttle, but I guess not this time.

It was now time for the main event, Travie McCoy. As usual, Travie, as the frontman, was the last member of the band to come on stage, and he did so with a bang; the crowd erupted and we were full on, travelling head first into the Sgt. Schlepper's Who Needs Hearts Club Tour. Just one problem, the sound was terrible. Maybe Travie’s entrance was so dramatic that it knocked out the sound engineers, because someone wasn't doing their job. It was hard to make out what he was saying even when there was no music being played. The crowd didn't seem to mind though; they were still jumping up and down, and side to side. Travie went on to perform every single track on his album, even the very personal "Don't Pretend," a song about his break up with pop star icon Katy Perry, which doesn’t seem to have gone well. In the end, Travie pulled out a breath freshener, stuck his face into the crowd and began to kiss the girls; they reacted like goldfish at feeding time. I can't help but give the overall performance a low grade, mainly because the sound was not the greatest. Shame.

-Brandon C hosts SoReal Radio on Sundays from 12-2pm