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Metal Monday Album Review: Texas Hippie Coalition - High in the Saddle
It's impossible to tell for sure whether there's a wink and a nudge in THC's output and performance, although it seems undeniable. It seems unthinkable for someone to write lyrics like these, from "Dirty Finger":
Let me see your dirty finger in the air
Wave it around like you just don't care
Let me see your dirty finger in the air
Let 'em know that the party's right here
Without understanding that this message can't be delivered without a certain... knowingness. Having seen both THC and the aforementioned Hellyeah in concert, I can speak to the fact that Hellyeah take the business of rock deadly seriously, and deliver many impassioned speeches to that effect, between songs with names like "Alcohaulin' Ass" and "Drink, Drank, Drunk". Texas Hippie Coalition, on the other hand, have a completely different stage presence, making the performance of exaggerated, aggressive redneck rock into exactly that, performance. This is party music without pretension, delivered by a frontman that wants you to get in on the fun. It can't be that serious, then, can it?
This is most musically evident on High in the Saddle on the standout track "Bring It Baby," which blends verses that curiously echo Orgy's cover of New Order's "Blue Monday" with explosive choruses, spotlighting Ritch's vocal range, which spans a deep, greasy baritone to a shrieking howl that can peel paint off walls. "Bring It Baby" is a love song that only this band could write, and it's interesting to look back on the band's back catalogue and see how many tracks are really quite romantic, underneath all the big bad outlaw posturing.
High in the Saddle brings an unusual amount of slower-paced songs and outright ballads to the table. "Ride or Die" swells with piano, acoustic guitars and tender feelings on a track made-to-order for radio rock, while 90s nostalgia creeps over "Why Aren't You Listening", which addresses mental illness and religion while channeling Alice-in-Chains-y vibes. "Tongue Like a Devil" and "Stevie Nicks" both stomp a little slower while expounding on the wicked, witchy women that consistently beguile Big Dad Ritch, and form a significant part of his lyrical output.
The track "BullsEye" blends the best of Bon Jovi's cowboy choruses from "Wanted Dead or Alive" and "Blaze of Glory" into a gloriously deep-fried slab of southern metal. "Tell It From the Ground" teems with carefully rhymed tough-guy talk and the kind of heavy chugging familiar to fans of Peacemaker, their third, and in my opinion, best album. The album closer, "Blue Lights On," is a pure outlaw anthem that is strangely toothless, despite the subject matter. Similarly, "Moonshine," which opens the record, and is the album's first single, suffers from a similar fate. The subject matter and tone are right, but the song is almost too smooth in this case, too built for commercial airplay.
CJLO x SXSW 2019: Electronic Music Recap
It has been a few months since the CJLO music directors flew down to Austin, Texas for the world renowned South-By-Southwest. As the station’s Electronic Music Director, my goal was to attend a variety of interesting shows related to electronic music; after getting a chance to gather my thoughts around the event as a whole, I've been able to identify three main themes.
1. Brostep
On our first night at SXSW, I went to the small PLUSH bar expecting to hear some Jersey club tracks from Phoenix the Producer, the only name on the bill I recognized. Phoenix had some big tracks in the 2014 era of Vine remixes, including the still classic “Bish Whet?! Vine remix.” However, that night I learned that there are definitely more than one ‘Phoenix-the-Producers.’ The night was like 90% heavy brostep with tracks that would be well at home on a “MOST BRUTAL DUBSTEP DROPS OF 2010” compilation. It was really fun to be there though, and I could not help think that no, Brostep didn’t “die” like we might say here in the Northeast. Rather, it survives as a more niche thing; there were seemingly diehard Heads for this at every age, relishing every drop. I guess its kind of also that the whole Trap phenomenon, and the sort of Mr. Carmack/west coast bass/hip hop hybrid stuff fits well within a mix of this music too. Not surprising then that we heard old-but-classic Bassnectar’s “Bass Head,” an earlier dubstep/west coasty hybrid innovation
It’s just so funny to see what we still imagine as music for huge EDM festivals with thousands of people being performed in a small bar, but again it feels like it has always been there for the people who are into it. Whereas someone on a Facebook group for electronic music proclaimed that the BROSTEP REVIVAL was here by linking to a sort of “post” EDM sounding release, it appears that for some the actual genre has stayed a ‘thing’ throughout its apparent decline.
2. Algorithmic composition/Live coding Can Be Lame
One of the biggest “trends” in electronic music of the last year or so is the method of algorithmic composition for electronic (dance) music, where musicians are actually creating the music that is heard through writing of code.
In a live setting, this has been called “live coding,” where often the music is projected behind the performer - and there are many interesting examples of this on Youtube.
Although we arrived at SXSW a day later than Renick Bell’s set (one of the best known/highest regarded employers of this method), I was able to catch a glimpse of one performance. The attendees of a larger event in a large bar were encouraged to walk to a smaller back section of the building, where we were told there was someone doing live-coding, and that they were a physics student, and that it was very impressive what they were doing. The performance was actually difficult to watch because there was little engagement/connection with the audience, and no visual interest (often live-coders will make things interesting by projecting the code behind them). It’s difficult to talk about because, of course, we want to encourage interesting experimental music, but that performance reminded me even this can be done in a less affecting way. Maybe this was the result of a combination of factors that the performer had little control over as just one aspect of a much larger event in a much much larger festival. Regardless, I do look forward to seeing an interesting live-coding performance in the future.
3. Have DJs at your House in the Suburbs
The best show I went to at SXSW was not an official event, but rather an all-night show at a house at the end of a cul-de-sac in a neighborhood outside of Austin proper, run by two local collectives Black Marble Collective and Wabi Sabi. Billed as an all nighter with 25+ different acts, several of whom were well known artists who had played official events the night before, it was something that had to be experienced. When I arrived, there was almost no one there, and the only people there were there for the fact that it was a house party. When I told them I was a music director who flew down from Montreal and that this was about to be actually a really interesting event with a lot of great DJs, they seemed surprised. This dynamic actually made for a great experience. The sets mostly hung around the 160bpm footwork/jungle range, although someone took it to a 130bpmish grimey set too. It was really great and actually better than anything else I had been to because it involved actual connection and a genuine party atmosphere, rather than the kind of more corporate/promoter organized events. Check these links:
Black Marble Collective label page https://blackmarblerecords.bandcamp.com/ (Check out that new Dev79)
https://www.mixcloud.com/BlackMarbleCollective/stream/
Nikes (!!!!!!) https://nikes89.bandcamp.com/album/never-too-late
Holden Carroll is the Electronic Music Director at CJLO 1690AM, and the host of Multiple Tabs, which airs on Thursdays at 2:00 PM.
FLOOD ZONE MAPS, BLUE LINE EXTENSION, HK STUDENTS REJECT TALKS
Stories by Holly Cabrera
Produced by Holly Cabrera
LOCAL
The Quebec government will review its recently released flood zones maps after developers and municipalities questioned the amount of land on which construction would be prohibited.
The maps indicate areas at risk of flooding as “special intervention zones.”
Based on the flood zone maps, construction and rebuilding would be paused in up to 813 municipalities and thousands of homes.
NATIONAL
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the federal government will give $1.3 billion for the extension of the Montreal métro’s Blue Line.
The overall costs of adding 5 new metro stops eastbound, which will span 5.8 kilometres are still being calculated.
With preparatory work already underway, the project is set to be completed by 2026.
INTERNATIONAL
Representatives of student unions from two Hong Kong universities turned down an invitation from city leader Carrie Lam to privately discuss her proposed bill, which would have suspects of crime extradited to mainland China.
The student leaders believe the invitation is a “public relations stunt,” following Lam’s pledge to do a better job at listening to the voices of young people.
The students insisted that meetings with Lam should be public to ensure transparency about what was discussed.
Pouzza Fest 2019
Above: HVAL at Theatre Sainte Catherine. Photo Credit: Chris the Frog
Nine years ago, Hugo Mudie of Montreal punk band the Sainte Catherines put poutine on his pizza. The greasy combination somehow inspired him to create a pop punk festival called Pouzza (and probably gave him heartburn too). It started small, but has expanded greatly over the years. Most of the festival activities took place at the free outdoor stage at the Quartier des Spectacles, while more intimate performances were held at smaller venues such as Katacombes, Foufounes, Turbo Haus, Café Cleopatra and Theatre Sainte-Catherine. More than 175 bands were set to play, and I was cursed with an all-access pass, forcing me to run from venue to venue. Unfortunately, I had to work the graveyard shift during the weekend as well, so I was denied the full Pouzza experience, missing out on seeing headliners like War On Women, Iron Reagan and PEARS, plus all the secret shows scheduled at 3am.
Bad Cop / Bad Cop at le Jardin des Bieres. Photo Credit: Chris the Frog
Day One began with the Women in Music Panel, discussing how they deal with creepy fans and bad promoters. It was followed by a workshop on bystander intervention given by Shawna Potter of War On Women, promoting her new book Making Spaces Safer. From there, I wandered to each venue, hoping to be pleasantly surprised by an unknown band. Standouts were Cold Wrecks and HVAL and Jeffrey Lost Control. But the main stage kept beckoning me to return to it, to see incredible sets by Lost Love and Bad Cop / Bad Cop. And of course, I had to bask in the glory of Laura Jane Grace of Against Me! From there, I ran to Theatre Sainte Catherine to see my buddies in These Fast Times, sticking around to see a feral performance by Enfants Sauvages. With an hour to spare before work, I finished the night at Turbo Haus, to see Abertooth Lincoln, who were dressed in custom uniforms to promote their new single / videogame “Space Force,” followed by Ellen and the Degenerates, playing their second to last show ever.
Ellen and the Degenerates at Turbo Haus. Photo Credit: Chris the Frog
For Day Two, I began with a comedy show, hosted by Gabe Koury, with music provided by Complainers, who played quick covers of Kid Rock songs between comedians. Loud-mouth comedian Ben Roy headlined, engaging the audience by knocking over the empty chairs in the front row and yelling “You just got upgraded!” to the people in the back. Meanwhile at the Beer Garden, young parents were indoctrinating their children into the realm of punk rock with kid-friendly activities and music. I spent most of my day seeing bands at the outdoor stage like Direct Hit! and Strung Out, but made sure to escape ska bands like Big D and the Kids Table and the Planet Smashers. Instead, I went to go see Wine Lips, the second-best dressed band of Pouzza with their matching red tracksuits. Some people were put off by the idea of seeing bands in a strip club, but the stage at Café Cleopatra was in fact very classy and a great place to see the Lef7overs.
The Lef7overs at Cafe Cleopatra. Photo Credit: Chris the Frog
I arrived late to the festivities on Day Three, but I managed to catch a very spooky set by Gutter Demons. There were warnings of heavy rain all weekend, but up until Sunday, the weather had been clear. But as expected, there was a momentary torrential downpour. We all huddled under a big tent, drinking beer out of boredom and waiting for the rain to let up. It was short-lived though, which was fortunate for Guerilla Poubelle, who traveled all the way from France just to play. Already exhausted from the weekend, I mostly stayed put in the Beer Garden, but made sure to go to Foufs to see Downway play Montreal for the first time in 15 years. The night ended with positive vibes and keyboard solos from the party ambassador himself Andrew WK, who closed with probably the longest countdown ever.
Downway at Foufounes Electriques. Photo Credit: Chris the Frog
Chris the Frog is the host of Sewer Spewer, your weekly guide to Montreal's Dirty Underground, which airs every Monday from 12:00 to 1:00 PM.
Montreal's Self-Driving Bus, #VoteForEveryChild, Europe's Inferno
Ahmad Moujtahed
________________________________________________________________
LOCAL
New self-driving buses are roaming the streets of Montreal for the first time. Transporting people from the Olympic Stadium to the Maisonneuve Market at no cost, the self-driving buses are part of a city pilot project aimed at testing autonomous vehicles on city streets.
The project builds on last year's experiment with the same bus, which drove people around the grounds of the Olympic Stadium.
The tiny red bus is equipped with sensors and a navigational system, and runs at a maximum speed of 15 km/h. The doors open by themselves at every planned stop, and bells sound automatically whenever the bus drives through an intersection, warning others of its presence.
Each bus has space enough for 12 passengers. The project will run until August 4th.
NATIONAL
Driven by issues such as poverty, bullying and violence, Canada ranks 25th out of 41 wealthy countries in overall child well-being. UNICEF Canada says that with no voting rights, children do not get the same opportunity to shape policies that could make Canada a safer and happier place to grow up.
This is why the global UN agency is launching its first election advocacy campaign called #VoteForEveryChild. By encouraging voters to tell their candidates about issues affecting Canadian children, the campaign will ensure that young voices are heard.
To track opinions of young people, UNICEF Canada created U-Report, a polling platform for Canadians aged 13 to 24.
Young people in Canada can tell voters about the issues affecting their lives by signing up at U-Report Canada’s Facebook page. Voters can advocate for children and youth rights by joining the #VoteForEveryChild movement.
INTERNATIONAL
At least 8 people have died in western Europe as the region is enduring a searing heatwave which should cool down by next week, according to meteorologists.
The high temperature, reaching 47C in some places, fuelled huge blazes and pollution peaks.
Earlier this week, the World Meteorological Organization said 2019 was on track to be among the world’s hottest years. The organization also said the European heatwave was "absolutely consistent" with extremes linked to the impact of greenhouse gas emissions.
A protest was held in Paris last week, during which hundreds of people, many of them students, blocked traffic as they called for more attention to climate change.
CJLO's Heavy Montreal 2019 Preview
Heavy Montreal is on the horizon and the fine folks at CJLO will be covering it for yet another year. In addition to doing a live broadcast from the grounds, we thought we'd clue you in to what you should check out while you're out there under the baking hot sun dressed in all black. So here's what some of our DJs are excited for!
Chris The Frog from Sewer Spewer - Mondays 12:00 to 1:00 PM
Build up those neck muscles and shake the dust off your battle vest, because Heavy Montreal returns this year with a mix of nostalgia and new flavours. Feel the fuzz of heavy distortion provided by Clutch, Corrosion of Conformity, Fu Manchu and Yob. There will also be a strong hardcore presence with performances by Terror, Stick To Your Guns, Knocked Loose, Harm’s Way and Counterparts. If you like your music a bit more extreme, look no further than death metal acts like Demolition Hammer and Dying Fetus, plus the Summer Slaughter Tour will be bringing along Cattle Decapitation, Carnifex and Rivers of Nihil. Representing Montreal are locals Mountain Dust, The Great Sabatini, Dopethrone, and breakout successes like Kataklysm and Despised Icon. Finally get some chuckles in by seeing Steel Panther, Nekrogoblikon and Star Wars metal tribute Galactic Empire. Also if you want to be super annoying, be sure to sing along to Evanescence’s “Bring Me To Life,” or scream “SLAYER!!” at the top of your lungs every 10 minutes.
Brittany from Something Wicked - Mondays 10:00 to 11:00 PM
I'm looking forward to finally experiencing Heavy MTL. I've heard a lot about the festival, and despite being a Montreal native, I have never attended. Now that I've spent a few years falling further and further down the metal rabbit hole, I'm very excited to simply go see the bands and enjoy the festival atmosphere. Of course, I do have my favorites: I'm looking forward to seeing Ghost, as their work has inspired me in so many ways (and I'm sinfully in love with their "papacy gone bad" aesthetic). I'm also really looking forward to seeing Slayer; they were one of the first bands I got into when I was discovering heavy metal, and they were also the first band patch I sewed onto my battle vest. I have seen both bands live before, but I'd jump at any chance to see them again.
Hunter from The Iron Club - Sundays 10:00 to 11:00 PM
This particular Heavy lineup looks promising and diverse. From the enormous guitar chugging of metalcore acts from the likes of All that Remains and Beartooth, to the stage theatrics and crowd reactions incited by Steel Panther, 2019 is surely not a year to miss the fest. Historical cult bands also seem to be making appearances, of which ‘90s fan favourites Demolition Hammer and metalcore influencers Atreyu come to mind. Of course, it will be great to join in ritual as fans of extreme music converge for Slayer’s final show in Montreal as a festival grande-finale. Anthrax, YOB, Cattle Decapitation, Municipal Waste, Quiet Riot, and Dopethrone are also heavily looked forward to, especially when looking at their diverse sounds, from psych-influenced stoner tunes to maniacal death/grind.
J-P from the The Iron Club - Sundays 10:00 to 11:00 PM
I'm looking forward to see how a huge festival like this happens. I have never been before, so this would be my first time going! I'm looking forward to see some legendary bands like Slayer, Anthrax, and Ghost, as well as some favorites within my genre of choice, metalcore, like Beartooth, Killswitch Engage, Skillet and All that Remains. I'm also looking forward to the emotions linked to Slayer's performance, the last ever in Québec. It could be a wild ride.
Phil from Sin After Sin - Wednesdays 10:00 to 11:00 PM
With the downsizing of Montebello Rockfest, Heavy Montreal has become the must-go event of the summer for the rock and metal enthusiasts in Quebec (since anything else is smaller in size or requires a trip across the border). And what can be said about this year's lineup? The two massive headliners, the Bay-area and Big Four thrash legends Slayer and the bombastic, theatrical and ever-so-dark Ghost are reasons enough to go for the metal purists and whoever wants to see a great stage show. Not to mention this might be the last chance to see Slayer in Montreal ever... If that's not enough, you've got Anthrax, Metal Church and Demolition Hammer for your trve thrasher needs. And if you need more bombast, why not get intimate with Devin Townsend? A solo acoustic set from Canada's metal madman is sure spice things up in your moshful days. Or why not some of the most classic power metal from Gamma Ray? Heck, go ahead and be a memer and anxiously sing along to the two Evanescence songs everyone knows. AND WE'RE NOT DONE YET... because maybe you just wanna smoke a joint and dance to some stoner metal. Well Heavy's got it all with Clutch, Fu Manchu and MTL's own Dopethrone. All I can say is that HEAVY MONTREAL this year is STACKED.
Angelica from BVST - Wednesdays from 7:00 to 9:00 PM
As always, Heavy Montreal's lineup is stacked with something for everyone, and this year is a grab bag of delights for me. Some of my favorites are coming to town, and I'm especially looking forward to Ghost, Anthrax, Clutch, Watain, Fu Manchu and Corrosion of Conformity. The 80s rocker in me will bang my head to some Quiet Riot, and while I've been lucky to see Slayer many times before, I'll be there to say goodbye at their last ever Quebec date. Hatebreed, Killswitch Engage and Terror will be there to satisfy your tough guy cravings, and I'm also pretty psyched for the smaller Canadian and local acts, including Cancer Bats, Dopethrone, The Great Sabatini and Mountain Dust. Of course, if you can't find me, try the Heavy Mania wrestling ring, where I make sure to catch some of the best local action. Oh, and as if all this wasn't enough, Slash is gonna be there. Yeah, I think we're going to have fun, don't you?
Andrew from Grade A Explosives - Sundays from 4:00 to 6:00 PM
Heavy Montreal has quickly become a touchstone in metal in North America, and this year is no exception. For me, Heavy has been less about headliners and more about the undercard. Don't get me wrong, Ghost will be amazing, and Slayer will be... Slayer, but I'm more interested in some of those smaller names on the flyer. For instance, the stoner punches thrown by Fu Manchu, Corrosion of Conformity, the fine locals in Mountain Dust. Also the metal and hardcore from the likes of Knocked Loose, Cancer Bats, Killswitch Engage, and even Beartooth will most likely keep the party going through the day. Top picks for me though go to finally getting to see the black metal of Watain, Fever 333 doing their best Rage Against the Machine impression, 3Teeth having some industrial represented, and finally seeing the pure rock fury of Clutch.
Heavy Montreal runs from July 27th to 28th at Parc Jean Drapeau. Make sure to stay tuned to CJLO 1690AM both (both on air and our online magazine) for more coverage!
Five Questions with... CRABE
Five Questions with… is a new CJLO Magazine feature where people from all realms we want to know more about are asked… well, five questions! The feature’s inaugural interview is with Montreal “normal punk” duo CRABE, who released their seventh album Notre-Dame de la vie intérieure earlier this month on Pantoum Records. Their latest opus sees the duo, consisting of Martin Höek and Gabriel Lapierre, continue to avoid easy classification and managing to keep a wildly positive and sincere energy about them for 12 years and counting. CJLO had the chance to speak with Lapierre and pose him five questions about the new record.
Your new album is called Notre-Dame de la vie intérieure, which I find to be a fascinating title. What’s the significance behind it?
It was actually Martin who would often pass by a statue of Mary to go to work and noticed much later that it was marked as Notre-Dame de la vie intérieure (Our Lady of the Inner Life) on the statue. I think it surprised him, and he was really in a phase… the album at its base is all related to the pond, and the pond is the sombre place where we go if we have an agonizing crisis or anxiety. Notre-Dame de la vie intérieure is a bit of the protection that can aid us in understanding our patterns and our paths, that helps us to understand the pond.
Even though this is CRABE’s seventh album, Notre-Dame de la vie intérieure is only the second album created by you and Martin after the departure of David Dugas Dion from the group. Did you find there was a different dynamic this time than when you made your first album together, Le temps f33l?
Yes, we always try to change our sound, or to surprise ourselves. For the first [album], we had the desire for it to be really punk, or really square if we could say that, aggressive in the sound. On the second [album] […] the tempos change a lot, the way we mixed the drums for example is less aggressive. I think it’s a bit more user-friendly, but at the same time I think it still remains explosive. We put a lot of colours in other settings, for example there were a lot of MIDI sounds that were introduced.
Your songs go all over the place in the space of three minutes. One minute a song like “Livre compliqué” is in a more aggro and aggressive style, the next it’s like a more indie-rock and jangle tune. What’s the reason for such multidirectional songs, and how do you juggle all these styles in a coherent fashion?
I think what makes it all coherent is the rigor in our work ethic that we have, and also that we do what we have the desire to do. If we have the desire to go one direction over another, I think if it doesn’t sound like the same intentions of song, I think the creative intention remains the same between all the songs. It makes it so that there’s a coherence of experiences we can live with CRABE.
CRABE was on of the finalists during last year’s edition of the Francouvertes. After all that, what is it that you’ve retained from the competition?
I think what I retained most was that people liked CRABE more than I thought, or at least our dynamic works in general. We were expecting to be rejected as soon as the first show [laughs]. Ultimately, people really liked it, and we were placed very high. I think it showed me that no matter what the music we do, if we remain positive, honest, and do our best, there’s always a way that people will like it and bring people together.
Lastly, you’ve said in the past that your work as CRABE was “music-therapy.” Is it still that for you both?
For me, I don’t see how it can be otherwise, for music in general actually, because I think it’s really music we make for ourselves to put into words at times the affairs we live or just to put in action the emotions and things we accumulate in our daily lives. I think to do that and to do it 100% like we want to, it does well to know that we can do something like we want to or that it’s possible to go until the end of a project, without making any compromises for example. To have an idea and realize it, I think it feels really good to remind ourselves that we could do that.
Alex Viger-Collins is the host of Ashes to Ashes, your weekly dose of modern pop, every Tuesday at 8:00 PM EST.
Florence + The Machine at Centre Bell, May 28th 2019
Florence + the Machine returned to Montreal once again and brought their unique sound and the incredible vocal stylings of lead singer Florence Welch. While the Bell Centre may not have been as full as the last time they came to town, the air was electric and the crowd was ready to give it their all; we all knew Welch was about to put on a fantastic show.
The year long High as Hope Tour actually debuted at Osheaga last summer, and has slowly made its way around the entire globe. The new album, featuring a more stripped back sound and more personal lyrics, has Welch credited as a producer for the first time. It features many slow ballads, covering themes of lost love, personal struggles, and even a bad high. The 19-song set was able to feature a majority of the album without hampering the danceable and fun energy of a Florence + the Machine show.
The night at the Bell Centre began with lesser known, but highly credited, English music producer Blood Orange (aka Devonté Hynes ). It started off with just him and his guitar, and as Orange slowly made his way to the keys, a structure was revealed and he was joined by a four piece band. Bringing out a different featured artist for each subsequent track, Blood Orange’s acoustic pop/funk was enjoyable and got the crowd listening, albeit not that enthused.
After an approximate half hour set, they thanked the crowd, and the crew quickly started removing the lights and equipment at the front and unveiling Florence’s set design. A multi-level wood structure was uncovered, with distinct spaces for Welch’s eight piece band, and the back had high curved walls made out of the same wooden slats. The effect of the woodwork and lights peeking through the slats gave it the feeling of us being in a classical music hall.
As the show starts, the lights drop,. The band start to go to their places as they light up one by one. The band consists of Isabella Summers on keys, Robert Ackroyd on lead guitar, Tom Monger starting off on Harp, Cyrus Bayandor on bass, Aku Orraca-Tetteh over on percussion and backing vocals, Dionne Douglas on violin, Hazel Mills also on keys and backing vocals, and Loren Humphrey on drums. They begin to play June off of the new album and the spotlight pans across the stage as Welch appears with her hair down, adorned in her typical simple flowy pink dress/jumpsuit. Barefoot and twirling around the stage, June sounds amazing and as the final notes hit, it quickly transitions into the powerful "Hunger" which has the crowd clapping along.
Welch dives into her back catalogue for a few tracks, inviting the crowd (and those in the bleachers) to stand and dance during "Queen of Piece." “It’s just arms and wiggling; imagine you’re all just lanky trees” Welch said, demonstrating her moves, clearly not shy to show her goofy side. Though after "Saint London Forever," she is emotional and overcome by the loud cheers and long applause. She laughs the moment off with a bit of self-deprecating humor about how “us brits, we are not good with praise”
Throughout the rest of the set, curtains frequently drop from the scaffolding above the stage, giving the effect of sails on pirate ship, or clouds in the sky, depending on the lighting. "Patricia," the Patti Smith tribute was excellent, and "Dog Days" had the whole entire GA crowd jumping along with Welch. As the first notes of "Ship to Wreck" began, the lights lit up the crowd, “do you guys trust me” Welch asked, “then put away your phones, and tap your neighbours to do so also”.
Welch wasn’t afraid to interact and chat with members of her crowd directly. When this would happen, the rest of the arena would become more silent than I've ever heard; it really didn’t feel like we were at the Bell Centre. A few more tracks including "100 years" and "The End of Love" from High as Hope, led us to the climax of the evening, as Welch ran along the side of the rink to the tech booth, hopped up on the barrier, and used her fans as support. As the song ended, Welch danced through the crowd all the way back through the pit, ending the show with "What Kind of Man."
A few minutes later, the band started coming back to huge cheers. Welch performed her last two songs of the night from High as Hope, and ended the show on a happy note, with "Shake It Out," 2011’s cathartic lead single from Ceremonials. Florence + the Machine have still got it. They haven’t felt the pressure to reinvent themselves every few years, and while it might not sell the most tickets, the music and concert experience is timeless and I don’t see them going anywhere anytime soon.
CJLO x SXSW 2019: Metal Recap
SXSW is a difficult creature to try to describe to someone. Sure, one could just say: "It's a music festival that's in Austin, Texas." But that fails to describe many of the nuances that are present at the festival.
For instance, the festival has expanded to more than just music. It has now incorporated tech, film, comedy, and video games under it's umbrella. True, all of them are segmented into their own "mini-festivals", but they overlap with one another over nine days, making a combination of artists, business people, film critics, gamers, and general festival goers into a large mass.
On the music end specifically, more competing ideas are present. Independent artists of every genre come to play alongside venues being taken over by the most corporate entities like Showcase, Universal, Warner Brothers (just to name a few) at both official and unofficial showcases being held through the city.
So with this backdrop, CJLO went to bask in the above freezing temperatures of Texas. Now, as a metal person, SXSW isn't an established name, though it has hosted its fair share of up and comers in the scene. After discussing with some show goers, the current abbreviated set of metal has only been present for the past couple years. Of course as a metal person, who knows how much of that is the metal communities sometimes hostility towards those who don't worship at the alter of metal. Regardless, the main point is the official showcases highlighting the genre are not as numerous as I would like.
After spending a whopping 1.25$ USD to take a public bus into town, I went to one of two heavy events happening concurrently. One was another year of "Black Smoke Conjuring" happening this year at Maggie Mae's. While there, I got to witness some pretty solid thrash laid down by California natives in Warcloud. Stealing the show however is the psych / stoner tines of Deathchant, whose first album seems like a welcome breath of fresh air in the "stoner rock uprising" that's been brewing in the past couple years.
After chatting with the good dudes in The Munsens, who are delivering some pretty good sludgy stuff, I headed over to Lambert's, a BBQ restaurant with a venue upstairs. I cannot impress upon you the torture that is going to a place that constantly makes BBQ and smelling the delicious flavors which are now baked in to the very fabric of the building and not being able to order said BBQ. It is hell... a delicious smelling hell.
While in this delicious smelling hell, I got to see a bunch of bands at the Small Stone Records showcase, which featured bands from, as you may have guessed, Small Stone Records, known for rock music with lots of fuzz attached to it. I got to check out the tunes from Vancouver's La Chinga, North Carolina natives Irata, and some pretty stellar tunes from Boston's Sundrifter.
The next day the CJLO crew decided to check out some of the panels at the Convention Center. I sat through a poorly described panel on concerts being sponsored by main stream radio stations, one of the only radio based panels I must sadly add.
Dejected about the lack of radio based info, I went to the Aussie BBQ located again at Lucille Patio Lounge. I ate some delicious food, had coffee from Australia, got to partake in Australian wines and spirits, and got to experience some good old fashioned Australian hospitality.
My hopes restored, I went to Canada House, hoping to see what an event sponsored by FACTOR, SOCAN, and various federal and provincial governments would bring. I walked in, expecting to see familiar beers and spirits, probably not the best, but at least a Molson or something. Imagine my surprise when I found none present. No real Canadian representation of any kind, aside from the bands present, of which the loudness of Tunic was on display. It was BreakOut West, a supposedly western Canada focus and they offered food to those that attended. And what food would you expect there to be? Well, you guessed wrong, because it was the Canadian classic, Spanish Rice and various vegetables. Truth be told, I could write much more about this disappointment, but I'd rather focus on good things.
This was followed by a trip to the Katacombes of Austin, The Lost Well, where Big Daddy's Hot Sauce's showcase. Big Daddy's Hot Sauce might be known to you as the maker of metal themed hot sauces from such groups as Eyehategod, High on Fire, and the headliner of the showcase, Goatwhore. I got to check out some Austin talent from the likes of Black Catholics and the great Destroyer of Light, and got to enjoy a delicious Goatwhore bloody mary, which I cannot recommend highly enough.
After that I headed to the shining star of metal during the festival, Stoner Jam, where more than 40 bands coverge to play on multiple stages. Featuring the likes of such sonic powerhouses as Backwoods Payback, Stonecutters, Luger, and The Hazytones (the two latter being from Montreal). After enjoying many bands, members of Luger, The Hazytones and myself annexed a table and declared it a sovereign embassy for Montreal in Texas. If you go to Spider House Cafe, feel free to visit the Montreal sitting space, and enjoy a milkshake while getting a tattoo, which are also present at the venue for... reasons.
On Friday, a few of us decided to check out the poster section of the festival, Flatstock, where somewhere between 50 to 75 artists were present with posters commissioned for shows of every type and variety. In case you're wondering what the trend is this year for posters, it's lithograph. There's a fun factoid to tell your friends.
I then made the decision to go check out the gaming portion of the festival. After walking through the metal detectors to get in, which apparently needed to be there, I was immediately bombarded with lights from consoles and screens filling an otherwise dimly lit room. After my eyes adjusted, I got to see true madness. Cosplayers and small children alike walked around and stared at the various demos and cabinets of old. Axe, of body spray fame, was present, driving a bus into the convention center and having set ups for people to play. In front of them, a set of screens glowed as people participated in a Halo tournament, and minus Mountain Dew and Doritos, all the stereotypes were then fulfilled.
Well, that's a bit unfair of me. Indie developers were also there showcasing games that they had worked hard on, shunted to the side of the room, but I didn't stop long enough for any of them to make an impact on me. In truth, I spent little time in the room, because as much as I enjoy gaming on my own, being bombarded with the lights, sounds, and forms in such massive quantities was not what I was prepared for. Upon exiting, I did see a family that came from the room, light up Minecraft pickaxes in hand, saying how they had fun and they wanted to make games too, and I had a gleam of hope that perhaps these bright young minds would one day come back to this paradoxically dimly lit yet brightly illuminated place and showcase something they had made.
Speaking of feeling inferior to children, I then went to interview and watch the sound check for a band from Japan called Asterism, whose median age is 16. As I sat, watching them set up, along with employees of the venue and members of the SXSW team sent to record the night of Japanese bands, I wondered how this would translate to a live setting. I had listened to their record, and was sufficiently impressed, though wary as I wondered how much of the technical prowess I was hearing was real and what was studio magic. They then kicked into the soundcheck. I have been to many shows in my time, but never have I witnessed an entire room of people dumbstruck by how good a band was. As I watched a 15 year old shred more guitar than I was able to muster in my entire life and then proceed to also be one of the most energic frontwomen I have ever seen, I began to question what exactly I had wasted my life on. I then watched their 16 year old bassist pick up a 7 string bass and play it as if it were something he had been playing since he was born and the feeling continued. After they were done, nothing but a stunned silence filled the room. If, by some unbelievable set of circumstances you are able to see them live, only do so if you wish to feel inadequate in all ways.
It was with this that I wrapped up my experience. Which leads me to ask the inevitable question: what did we learn from SXSW? Well, when it comes to metal, the festival isn’t really set up for it in an official capacity, more relying on unofficial means to get your fix. If you’re a fan of hip-hop or indie rock though, you will literally have an endless amount of bands to see at any place that has a stage, which seems to be every single space you can imagine. But above all, I think the main takeaway is Austin is far better to be in during the winter than Montreal, and if you’re going to get out of Montreal for winter anyway, SXSW is probably the most badass thing you could do while you’re there.
Andrew Wieler is CJLO 1690AM's Metal Music Director, and is the host of Grade A Explosives, which airs every Sunday from 4:00 to 6:00 PM EST.
EMSB schools transferred, New QC immigration system, G20 summit
Stories by Holly Cabrera
Produced by Holly Cabrera
LOCAL
Quebec Education Minister Jean-François Roberge announced that he will transfer two English Montreal School Board schools to the Commission scolaire de la Pointe-de-l'Île instead of the intended three.
The decision to transfer General Vanier Elementary and John Paul Junior High school in Saint-Leonard comes as a response to overcrowding in the French school board.
The Pointe-de-l’île board, which serves new arrivals and French-language students, currently lacks space for nearly 3,000 students.
Gerald McShane Elementary School will continue to be an English-language school because it is the only anglophone elementary in Montreal North.
NATIONAL
The Quebec government launched its new system to select immigrants on Thursday in the hope of reducing application processing wait times and the provincial labour shortage.
The new system called Arrima is already used in other provinces.
Immigration Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette says the reform will prioritize skilled workers who are already living in Quebec and who are willing to live outside major cities.
Arima’s introduction to the province is controversial due to the Coalition Avenir Quebec government passing legislation that would cancel 18,000 existing immigration applications.
INTERNATIONAL
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is currently in Osaka for the G20 summit.
The Prime Minister's Office said Trudeau had "brief, constructive interactions" with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the first day of meetings, but Trudeau does not have a formal meeting scheduled with Xi during the G20.
At the summit, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said, “Canada is fortunate to have assembled a ‘broad international coalition’ of countries who support Canada and believe arbitrary detentions are harmful.”
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