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During these uncertain times, it is easy to get caught up in our everyday stress. It is understandably hard not to feel anxious about the future as a society, as well as personally. It can be uncomfortable not to follow our usual routine, but it doesn’t have to be. Whether you are isolated alone or with loved ones, it is still possible to connect with others despite the physical disconnect. Luckily, movies allow us to dive into another world—a perfect distraction from our current life. It is safe to say that there is no better time than now for us to escape the chaos even if it’s just for a little while.

It is important to be mindful and grateful in difficult times. Netflix’s original film, Bird Box, has the potential to help. The characters attempt to survive in the face of supernatural forces that invade society. Although this apocalyptic story might trigger anxiety, it could provide the hope that this too shall pass. This is the kind of movie that will keep you on your toes and have you feeling a range of emotions. It will surely remind you that there will always be better days to come, which is the type of message that we could all use.

If that is too close for comfort, no worries. Comedy is always a good idea. There is no cure to anxiety like laughter. Movies like Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Grown Ups guarantee adventure, heart-warming connections, and timeless humour that are sure to leave you feeling safe and appreciative. If you prefer a film that offers emotional connection, try romance. A movie like P.S. I Love You will likely inspire you to reach out to your loved ones to check in and tell them how you feel—the support we all need at this time. If you prefer a romantic comedy, try The Proposal. This movie will have you laugh, cry, and cringe in the best way possible.

If you’re gravitating towards a story that is unrelated to your life, opt for an action, a sci-fi, fantasy, or thriller film. The Bourne film series is a good idea for anyone interested in mystery. These movies will swiftly capture your attention and allow you to engage in a world that is separate from the stress we all currently face. If the quarantine has been a time for you to reconnect with yourself, start with old favourites such as the Harry Potter series. A Harry Potter movie marathon will have you believe in the good and positive, which is crucial throughout this pandemic.

It is times like this that we need connection to make it through unprecedented times. Whether you’re bored, feeling anxious, or you just want to enjoy yourself, movies are fun and therapeutic. There is no better time to learn how to unwind and connect with others even through the world of film. In the end, this too shall pass.

Kaitlin Gong is a dedicated volunteer at CJLO.

Photo Credit: christopher.endeavor

Technology sure is something isn't it? Revolutionizing our lives in ways we couldn't even dream possible a scant few years ago. Its praises can't be held in high enough esteem... that is, until it fails and we scream at the sky as to why we relied so heavily on it.

Such was the case for the second portion of a rainy March 2nd night.  After a successful interview with Intronaut, I proceeded to do another with Johannes Persson, the front man of Cult of Luna, who used his obvious dark magic to make my recorder not work.

Truly, I should have guessed there was  mysticism afoot. When I asked him my tried and true question, "what's a question you don't want to be asked?" he responded with "Look, this is a part of doing what I do. I understand that. I don't like doing interviews for 5 - 6 hours straight. I hate it. But, I do it because I know it needs to be done. But, this is not boring yet." He further added, “That's the problem with musical journalism; there's only so many questions you can ask. The only questions that I don't like are questions that aren't questions. They state an opinion for a very long time, 'what do you think about that?'" thus, necessitating me to change the format of many of my questions.
Since I am concerned with accuracy, perhaps I should mention that the recorder only picking up five minutes of a twenty minute interview could be the stupidity of the interviewer... buuuuttt is it not better to assume that it's the dark sorcery of Cult of Luna, who have been creating dark, atmospheric music that seems to have a new genre label depending on who's talking about it.

When asked what he thinks about the prevalence of the genres within metal, his answer is blunt: "I don't care."  Specifically in relation to Cult of Luna's ever evolving and encompassing sound, he added, "You should have seen when we started with this band and people tried to pigeon hole us with things like 'industrial black doomish sludge core.'"

Since this is where my recorder finally succumb to swirling chaos around it, and since, apparently, I am more concerned with being accurate than some allegedly "professional" outlets, allow my to put a disclaimer in here:

*** NOTE: Any actual quoted section from this point forward should not be taken as actual verbatim quotes, more the general idea put across about a subject ***

As I continued to interrupt Johannes' eating of broccoli and Copper Branch, I asked him about his band's collaborations, mainly with Julie Christmas for the last album, Mariner. I also asked about an upcoming gig, set to happen at Roadburn in April with Pertrubator and if those effect future writing.

"I think subconsciously, all collaborations effect your music,” adding that he certainly loves working with others for what you learn from how others do thing. He then told me about one of the early bands he was in that sounded like a mix of "Helmet and Quicksand", which, as an aside, people of Sweden, if you can find any evidence of this, I'd love to hear it; send it my way. "The guitarist in that band, who was great, taught me so much about guitar playing and writing. If I had not been in that band, I don't think I'd be writing the type of things I'm writing in Cult of Luna today." He also then mused, "I used to practice guitar a lot in those days. I was better guitar player then, but I'm a much better song writer now."

And though I can't speak for any decline in guitar playing, in order to produce nine studio albums, three eps, three live records,  three video albums, and an audiobook, songwriting is something the band is strong at. With so many types of media produced by the band I posed the question to Johannes if he thinks other bands don't take enough advantage of alternate forms of releases outside of the LP / EP format.

Again, bluntly he responded with, "I don't know. Each band has to do what they want."

Of course, with these endeavours, the creativity of the band is on full display, and after mainlining interviews, especially after one done for Bucketlist Music reviews by Chris the Frog from Sewer Spewer (Mondays from noon - 1PM), I heard Johannes mention about how, for a long time, he was creatively stuck with what he wanted as the video for the first two tracks of A Dawn to Fear, the band's latest output. This lead me to ask him if he had any tricks for getting past various creative blocks.

"I'm a big believer in writing," he told me. "An example I've used before is it's like pulling a rope. You need to keep pulling because you know there's something at the end, but if you don't write you've stopped pulling the rope." He also added, "I'm also a fan of watching or listening to something else to try to inspire me. Nothing is new right? So sometimes seeing something else will help to form a new idea."

He then addressed the video specifically speaking about how difficult it was for him to come up with an initial concept. "It was a bit easier since I knew it had to start at the first song and end at the second," said Johannes. "But you know what finally did it for me, is when I saw the medallions (featured in the video). Once I saw them, everything started to fall into place and then everything flowed super easily."

I circled back to the idea of creativity and if one could come up with a wholly original concept.  "I don't think so. Even in music, it's pretty stagnant. Grunge was just the punk attitude mixed with rock, and that was probably the last time music hasn't been stagnant, that or maybe nu metal. No, maybe grunge." After a brief paused, he added, "It's funny because the bands we think of grunge didn't even have a definitive sound. I mean, Nirvana and Peral Jam and Soundgarden were the main forces and they were all radically different in how they sounded."

This, of course, lead us into a discussion about nu metal and to a similar point the night before on my show, Grade A Explosives (shameless plug). Even though they were all radically different, bands like Disturbed, Korn and Rage Against the Machine, they were somehow lumped into the nu metal wave and all written off or vilified for being near the genre. Upon hearing the mention of Rage Against the Machine, it illicit a response anyone should have, “If you don’t like Rage Against the Machine you’re not human,” which is an empirical fact. 

This further lead down a rabbit hole onto where nu metal even began, with him positing that the soundtrack to the film Judgement Night (1993), one of the largest combos of metal and hip hop could be start of the entire sub-genre.

Having started down memory lane, I asked him what he remembers as the first point that started him listening to louder music. "I remember being in my house and hearing some kid outside  singing 'We're Not Gonna Take It' in garbled English. A couple months later, I finally saw the music video and I instantly fell in love with the spectacle of it. Then I got into bands like KISS and other heavy bands."

"You know my father wouldn't let me buy Metallica's 'Kill em All'," he said, "... because the cover was too violent. He let me buy the Black Album though."

I finished my  interview by asking him what's the worst or most  under-appreciated instrument. Upon hearing the first part, the worst, he answered with, "The saxophone," before I finished the question. He took longer to answer the under-appreciated aspect of the question. "What's the ones with the keys?”he asked. ”Keytar?" I responded . "No, but that's definitely the answer I'm going with now," he said ,laughing.

Finally, asked for a station ID, to which he said, "I don't do those." I was surprised since to date he's the only person who's ever refused. "When you're young, the label tells you to do something, you do it. When you get older you realize, 'I don't have to do that anymore.'" He added, "It just feels like I'm selling something, you know?"

But I have no such qualms, which is why I can safely say that if Cult of Luna is coming anywhere near you, go check them out. And why not go buy A Dawn to Fear on Metal Blade records. Also, big thanks to Looters PR and Cult of Luna's tour manager Chris for helping to set this up.

Andrew Wieler, aka Andrew Wixq, is CJLOs Metal Music Director and hosts Grade A Explosives every Sunday at 4pm.

If you’re looking for a playlist to listen to late at night, look no further than Lea’s Late Nite Quarantine playlist. If you’re not to sure about the playlist, check out this track-by-track breakdown.

"COME THRU" - Joji

Joji — aka Filthy Frank, aka Pink Guy — established himself as our YouTube generation’s multifaceted early adopter, finally graduating to music in 2015 and dropping alt-hit after alt-hit on his debut EP. On Come Thru—from the 2017 drop Ballads 1—  his croony, pseudo-falsetto performance makes for a pill-popping, late nite party jam whose hook truly comes thru.

"deep end" - Lykke Li

Swimming pool, swimming pool, swimming pool, swimming pool. I’m in it, I’m in it, I’m in it. Divin’ in it, divin’ in it. This infectious dream pop bop by Sweden’s very own Lykke Li. It quarantines itself into the cavities of your skull and builds a home, replaying on loop in your mind until you can’t remember the rest of the lyrics.

"Glimmer" - Tame Impala

Kevin Parker describes this stunning, metallic highlight as “A glimmer of hope, a twinkle. Fleeting, but unmistakable. Promising.” Crank the bass up! This cool house track is great for nighttime parties of one, complete with a Tatcha mask, a (small) glass of wine and maybe half a Xan.

"Resonance" - HOME

This track is found on every Simpson/Vaporwave YouTube video — but especially the one with Bart driving into the sunset (if you know, you know) — and sparks feelings of summer nostalgia, Mont-Royal nights and walks through La ville éphémère. Quarantine tip: fall into a YouTube rabbit hole of explanation videos on why the repetitive electro track is reminiscent of slick 80s synths and your favourite childhood ice cream place.

"PUFF LAH" - Kaytranada

Montreal’s favourite chill house beatmaker is at his best on "PUFF LAH", off the December 2019 EP, Bubba. While Kaytra can craft catchy alt-pop and R&B on the collaborative joints, he shines on his instrumentals, as evidenced by the 2018 Soundcloud drop, "Nothin Like U / Chances" — arguably some of his best. You can listen to the entirety of this 4-minute beat and it feels like a comprehensive song, even with its simple, repetitive sound. 

"WAKING UP DOWN" - Yaeji

Boiler Room’s 2017 breakout electro K-pop composer and pro Drake-coverer is back with her first drop of 2020. She brings back mellow, chill house vocals and a beat perfect for a late night creative sesh. The pop-rap track is reminiscent of Tumblr favourite, raingurl, but with more anime.

"Shimmer" - Fabiana Palladino

This ultra-lovable track has all the basics of a cool, 80s-inspired alt-pop joint — glistening synths, a subtle bassline, breathy vocals and an anti-establishment message. Listen out for the muted snares and glittery reverbs at the start of the song, establishing the little-known Paul Institute vocalist far ahead of the competition. Fabiana, sweetie, if you’re reading this, we need new music in 2020!

"So Heavy I Fell Through the Earth" (Art Mix) -  Grimes

If you haven’t developed a Grimes obsession after February’s Miss Anthropocene drop by Canada’s weirdest electro anti-pop McGill alumni, you’re not living. Claire Boucher, Vancouver’s very own Enya, describes the track as an ode to getting pregnant with genius-slash-ponzi-schemer, Elon Musk - and the ego death that comes with it. 

"Blood" - Prince Josh (ft. LA Timpa & Yves Jarvis)

Don’t sleep on The 6ix’s Prince Josh. The producer, songwriter and DJ’s downtempo, instrumental hip-hop, interlaced with hypnotic sound and D&B stylings (2020’s hottest trend in music) is perfect for late night eats and drinks with friends via FaceTime.

"Norton Commander (All We Need)" - Men I Trust

MTL’s fave indie-pop band is at their best on Norton Commander (All We Need), a chill, bass-heavy track perfect for winding down with Emma Proulx’s vocals serenading you to sleep. What does the title mean? We’ll have to ask them over drinks at Le Ritz. 

"Gold Teeeth" - Blood Orange (ft. Project Pat, Gangsta Boo & Tinashe)

Dev Hynes’ R&B brainchild, Blood Orange, wrapped up a big year in 2019 with the mixtape Angel’s Pulse, an eclectic, genre-defying collection of tracks that reminds you of your favourite early-00’s R&B. The collabs are where Blood Orange is at their best, with Gold Teeth being the tape’s magnum opus.

"DHL" - Frank Ocean

Frankie is in his prime on DHL, the low-key, chill vibe late night track about ramen noodles and a DHL package that’s coming soon. We need Frank Ocean raps. 

"12.38" - Childish Gambino

Thank God for Donald Glover’s haphazard 3.15.20 album drop, blowing the rest of March’s music releases out of the water. On "12.38", Gambino raps about a love interest that gives him some shrooms, using 3-Stack’s Vibrate under a sensual falsetto and some voice acting. The variegated track takes you on a journey that ends with trippy ad-libs and 21 Savage rapping about Lamborghini whippin’ and Popeyes chicken.

"Snowchild" - The Weeknd

Toronto’s MJ-esque R&B phenomenon blends 80s synths with R&B and catchy pop on his new drop, After Hours. On Snowchild, he talks about his journey to fame and his past life on the skreets of the 6ix. There’s some weird interlude with Bella Hadid that no one cares about. The futuristic, dream wave track is one of the best on the new drop, perfect for a chill weeknight at home.

"Sound of Rain" - Solange

You can’t have a late night playlist without a track from When I Get Home. Fight me on it. The slow, rat-tat-tat sound of "Sound of Rain" is perfect for washing away the pain of COVID-19. 

"LOYAL (Remix)" - PARTYNEXTDOOR (ft. Drake & Bad Bunny)

This cutesy, tropical pop vibe of "LOYAL" finds the Mississauga singer with a new sense of sweetness, accompanied by fellow fuckboy 6ixer, Drizzy. And our little angel, Bad Bunny. If you don’t live under a rock, you’ve probably been saying “You’re my bEeEeEeEeEeSt friend” for the last few weeks.

"After Hours" - The Weeknd

The perfect after hours bop. Sex, drugs and melancholy — where Abel’s at his best. We don’t want to see you in a healthy relationship. Please give us painful, dark Glass Table music.

"Fukk Sleep" - A$AP Rocky (ft. FKA Twigs)

The run-of-the-mill trap beat on Fukk Sleep - off of Rocky’s mediocre 2018 drop, Testing - makes it one of the most catchy tracks on the album, made complete by FKA Twigs’ tittering, high-pitched ramblings. The video for this track finds the pair running wild through NYC, breaking into a bodega and a Chinatown store. If you’re up at 4 a.m., quarantined on a Wednesday with nothing to do, this track takes you there.

"Hold On, We're Going Home" -  Drake (ft. Majid Jordan)

Our baby daddy, our toxic, unstable but romantic ex, whining at his best on a track we all know and love. A cute reminder that If we just Stay Home™ and stay healthy, we can all get through this weird, apocalyptic reality.

"NOTHING LESS" - PARTYNEXTDOOR 

The first track to PND’s new drop is the perfect outro for a late night music sesh, its dark hip-hop beat so easy on the ears that you almost forget about his low-key vocal chops. A quarantine track to remember.

Check out Lea's Late Nite Quarantine playlist now! 

Lea Sabbah is a journalism student at Concordia Univeristy and a CJLO magazine writer.

Hadassah Alencar

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Travel restrictions lifted

Quebec is expected to ease lockdown travel restrictions within the province beginning May 4th. 

The province set up roadblocks in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus. They will be removed in three phases throughout the month of May.

Quebecers are still urged to not travel unless it's necessary, and if visiting their cottage, to not stop for groceries along the way.  

Private seniors home evacuated

A private seniors home has transferred 23 residents to a so-called "non-traditional site." 

Residents of the Résidence Bellerive in Pointe-aux-Trembles are being moved to a hotel called Hôtel des Gouverneurs, located near Place Émile Gamelin.

They’re moving because staff abandoned the home after some residents tested positive for COVID-19.

In 2018 an investigation into the Residence Bellerive already revealed disorganization, lack of training and proper equipment, with officials urging the centre to improve in order to stay open. 

Alberta meat-processing plant with COVID-19 positive workers to reopen 

An Alberta meat-packing plant called Cargill Foods that suffered from the largest COVID-19 on-site outbreak in Canada plans to reopen on Monday May 4th.

Cargill Foods shut down for just two weeks after over 820 workers became sick. One employee died after catching the virus.

A union representing the workers will pursue legal action to try to keep the plant from opening.