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Heavy Metal Book Club: Brave Nu World by Tommy Udo
CJLO is Going to South by South West!
CJLO is going to South by Southwest! From March 14-17, four of our music directors will be in Austin, TX, to attend an incredibly wide variety of concerts and events. Here's what they're expecting from the 2019 SXSW experience.
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Zach Carriere, a.k.a. Zakary Slax, is CJLO's Head Music Director, and hosts Slax Trax, every Tuesday from 5 to 6 PM.
SXSW has an endlessly sprawling lineup, so here’s just a tiny taste of exceptionally rad performers in the rock/alt/punk vein that will be hitting stages when the wave of the fest crests towards the end of it’s second week.
Opening the Damnably Showcase on the 13th is Construction & Destruction, making the trip to Texas all the way from the remote maritime village of Port Greville. They’re a truly impressive duo who have been making high quality artful indie rock for years, and will be in fine company at this eclectic exposition. Damnably specializes in international talent – not least of which is headliners Otoboke Beaver who are like Shonen Knife if they were influenced more by Black Flag than the Ramones.
Levitation has an absolutely monstrous lineup this year, co-presented by CREEM magazine who are drumming up publicity as the subject of a new documentary that will also be screened at the fest. The stages at Hotel Vegas will be lit all day and night on March 14th, with acts like Amyl & The Sniffers, Oh Sees, Empath, Anemone, Viagra Boys, Dead Meadow, and Flying Nun legends The Chills, just to name a few.
In recent years it’s rare for labels that retain any real 'punk cred' to have anything to do with SXSW, so to have a Goner showcase at the fest in 2019 is a thrilling anomaly. Checking out Nots, Sick Thoughts, and an array of Memphis’ wildest and weirdest on March 15th @ Beerland is sure to be a highlight for the raw-minded. The very same night is another happening for the punkish peoples and noiseniks; head down to the Hotel Vegas Annex for the Wharf Cat Records showcase, featuring the legendary Bush Tetras, as well as Palberta, Public Practice, Bambara and more.
Of course I would be amissed to not mention all the captivating Canadians making the trip – once again POP Montreal will take over Swan Dive for a stacked showcase featuring Yves Jarvis, TiKA, Les Louanges, Pottery, and Emilie Kahn. The patio at swan dive will also be bumpin’, with acts like Hubert Lenoir, Odonis Odonis, and Graham Van Pelt. Beyond this you can check out Canada House from March 10-15 for all sorts of content from the great white north including music, film, food, and tech, not to mention an Arts & Crafts showcase featuring Broken Social Scene, and a BreakOut West showcase featuring Tunic.
Oh yeah and you should probably go see Swervedriver.
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Andrew Wieler is CJLO’s Metal Music Director, and hosts Grade A Explosives, every Sunday from 4 to 6 PM.
After looking at the schedule again this year, SXSW's official stance on metal appears to be, "Yeah sure, we have some of that." One such official showcase is the Black Smoke Conjuring show featuring doomy, stonery stuff from Castle, Toke, Greenbeard, and the Munsens at Maggie Mae's on March 13th.
www.facebook.com/events/2150475548322816/
On the unofficial side of loud comes the annual SX Stoner Jam at the Spider House Cafe on March 14 featuring 40 bands performing on 3 stages, including Backwoods Payback, Zed, La Chinga, and Montreal’s own The Hazytones and Lüger.
https://www.facebook.com/events/2218227938438784/
Of course, at the same time at the Lost Well, is Big Daddy's Hot Sauce showcase with Goatwhore, Witchcryer, Destroyer of Light and more. Plus, hot sauce, so it's all win.
https://www.facebook.com/events/348133129108156/
Then on Friday and Saturday will be Northwest Hesh Fest and Austin Terror Fest where over two days at The Lost Well, you can catch such bands as Conan, American Sharks, Necrot, Eagle Claw, Nerveshatter, and Blood Incantation.
Day 1 - https://www.facebook.com/events/582548982189364/
Day 2 - https://www.facebook.com/events/374882886612102/
And, last if you want more things ending in "core" you can check out Metal Monsters of Texas happening Saturday night at Dirty Dog Bar, with such bands as Death of a Dream, Critical Assembly, and The Bvtcher. This is not a repeat from 2018.
https://www.facebook.com/events/559626657781951/
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Amrew Weekes, a.k.a. DJ Lady Oracle, is CJLO’s Hip Hop Director, and hosts The Limelight, every Saturday from 6 to 8 PM.
I’m so happy to be going to back to the beautiful and vibrant city that is Austin Texas. This year’s SXSW, I’m looking forward to checking out local acts from Austin. The city is so artistic and full of talented musicians, I am curious to find out how it is expressed in the Hip Hop culture.
There are so many artists and DJs from Austin that will be representing at the festival. Some of the artists are Abhi The Nomad, Ben Buck, Blackillac, trap artist Cece Hustle, Country Cousins, Deezie Brown who I had the pleasure of interviewing last year, DJ Confucius Jones, DJ Grip, Dr Prince, White Side, The Teeth, and Sydicate Same Ol.
Of course, at a music festival you hope to see some of your favourite artists. This year De La Soul will be at SXSW and I have been a fan since 3 Feet High and Rising. Last year I saw Rico Nasty perform at an all female Hip Hop show. It was the first time I heard of her, but she put on such a good show and I loved her music, so safe to say I’m now a fan. She will be performing this year again. Another show I want to see is the Dungeon Family which includes Big Boi from Outkast.
Finally I’m looking forward to connecting with our music reps and spending time with my CJLO fam. The best days are always the ones where we’re walking around checking out fun sponsored events.
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Kelly Belfo is CJLO’s World Music Director, and hosts Flat Cola Presents: Mother Tongue, every Monday from 6 to 7 PM, and co-hosts Beat The World, every Saturday from noon to 2 PM.
As World Music Director and SXSW 2019 music badge holder, my focus will be on networking with fellow peers as well as exploring and discovering local and international world music artists including latin, psychedelic, hip hop and jazz artists performing at SXSW Conference & Festivals 2019.
Furthermore, being a female working in the music industry, it has become increasingly important for me to discover and support female artists. A woman’s perspective is invaluable in music. Get ready to be blown away by international and emerging artists such as Karol Conka, Combo Chimbita, Body Type, Duo Bud, and Aramide.
Watch out for “She Shreds x NYLON Presents: Official SXSW Showcase” featuring cumbia/rock/experimental outfit, Combo Chimbita (Brooklyn, NY) on Thursday, March 14th as well as the highly anticipated “globalFEST at SXSW 2019 Showcase” featuring prominent Brazilian rapper and producer, Karol Conka.
If that is not enough, world renowned Duo Bud, made up of percussionist, Sora Kim and gayageum player, Jihye Lim, will submerge itself into your soul, “embracing elements of jazz and rock while preserving the intrinsic style and beauty of Korean folk simultaneously” (SXSW.com) performing on Wednesday, March 13th, International Day Stage at The Austin Convention Center.
CJLO will be on the noisy SXSW streets for 4 days filled with unidentifiable street-meat, police blockades, and taxi bikes collecting countless promo flyers from emerging artists trying to make their way in this demanding and often cruel profession. We are here to help.
Listen for more on this and specially selected SXSW 2019 discoveries on CJLO’s “Flat Cola Presents: SXSW 2019” and be sure to look out for us everywhere #sxswcjlo
globalFEST event: www.facebook.com/events/2015485552085319
She Shreds x NYLON event: www.facebook.com/events/1285605624912249
Duo Bud: www.facebook.com/DUOBUD
Montreal's Water Taxi Service, Government Investing In Digital Skills Training, Lake Muskoka Snowmobiling Accident
Hosted by Ahmad Moujtahed
Stories by Ahmad Moujtahed
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LOCAL
After a successful week-long pilot project that happened last summer, a water taxi service between Pointe-aux-Trembles and the Old Port will return on a longer basis this year. It is scheduled to operate from mid-May until mid-October.
The Crown corporation that manages ferry services within the province says the service provider must have shuttles capable of transporting about 100 passengers and 30 bicycles an hour.
Residents of Pointe-Aux-Trembles will have a 22-minute trip to the Old Port – a trip that can take at least an hour in heavy traffic.
PROVINCIAL
The Government of Canada is investing in the Digital Literacy Exchange program, a multi-million dollar program that provides digital skills training to those who are at risk of being left behind by the rapid pace of digital technology such as seniors, people with disabilities, newcomers and Indigenous peoples.
The government’s $151,000 investment will be delivered in the Gaspé and Percé regions and will reach approximately 425 participants, with a focus on low-income individuals, seniors and those living in rural and remote communities.
NATIONAL
2 teenagers died while snowmobiling over thin ice on a frozen lake. The accident took place on March 5th just after midnight in Lake Muskoka close to Gravenhurst Ontario
As five locals were riding their snowmobiles on top of the frozen lake, their vehicles ended up plunging through the ice into the water. The accident resulted with the death of both 15-year-old Alexander Martin and 11-year-old Mitchell Paris.
According to CTV, the two victims were alive as they got rescued from the water however, they died at the hospital. The other three people involved in the accident successfully swam to shore.
Metal March
- Dodge Bow Montreal - https://www.dodgebow.ca/en/
- The Force Academy - https://www.the-force-academy.com/en/
- Drawn and Quarterly - https://www.drawnandquarterly.com
- Prosthetic Records - https://store.prostheticrecords.com
- Nuclear Blast - https://www.nuclearblast.com/en/label/
- Looters PR - https://www.looters.cc/
- Metal Blade Records - https://www.metalblade.com/
- Hopeless Records - https://www.hopelessrecords.com/
- Syndicate PR - http://www.thesyn.com/
- Turbo Haus - http://turbohaus.ca/
New Composting Facility Sparks Controversy, Hockey Player Taunted with Racist Remarks, New Humanitarian Funding for Yemen
Hosted by Ahmad Moujtahed
Stories by Ahmad Moujtahed
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LOCAL
Montreal City Council has awarded a $175 million contract to Suez Canada Waste Services Inc. regarding the construction of a new composting facility in the industrial sector of Saint Laurent borough.
Opposition councillors and suburban mayors have asked that the contract's approval be delayed for further study, especially that island suburbs were not given sufficient information to make an informed decision on the plant, even though they will be responsible for about 20% of the project’s costs.
The opposition are also concerned why the costs for the facility have considerably went up over the years since the project was originally budgeted at $46 million, and now its estimated cost has jumped to $175 million.
NATIONAL
The Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey, a Quebec-based independent hockey league has apologized to a black player who had been taunted with racist remarks in a hockey game that took place last week in Saint Jerome.
Jonathan Diaby, a defenceman for the Marquis de Jonquière, said that after he was sent to the penalty box, a fan from the opposing team Pétroliers du Nord called the N-word and showed Diaby a picture of a monkey on his phone.
Diaby further revealed that his dad was told to go back home, and that he had no business in this country. The incident has sparked outrage on social media.
Robert Chevrier, co-owner of the Petroliers, said the team is trying to identify the racist fans so they can be banned from the arena.
INTERNATIONAL
UNICEF Canada welcomes the Government of Canada's announcement of new humanitarian funding of $46 million, in response to the humanitarian needs of people in Yemen.
For a little more than three years, Yemen has been withstanding a civil war that has killed nearly 10,000 people and pushed millions to the brink of starvation.
According to UNICEF, at least 2 million children are out of school and 8.1 million do not have access to safe water and sanitation services.
Sharon Van Etten, Remind me Tomorrow
Indie-folk songstress Sharon Van Etten made a return to the limelight last month with the release of her fifth studio album entitled Remind Me Tomorrow(released on Jagjaguwar). This new addition to the singer-songwriter’s catalogue, though dark and edgy at the core, brings out a different side of Van Etten, with a more in-depth outlook supported by a contemporary sound that features more layers and electronic instrumentation than her earlier work.
This is the New Jersey native’s first musical release in almost five years; during that time she stepped away from the studio to focus on school, acting duties and her newborn baby. This break from music was apparently exactly what she needed, as she has come back with ten new tracks that oscillate between calm and stormy energy.
The album opens with the sombre “I Told You Everything”, where she is recalling what seems to have been a near-death experience and serves as a good indicator of what will follow. She then drops the hammer with the head-bopping anthem “No One’s Easy To Love”, a muse-inspired tale, where she continues to showcase her vulnerable side backed by an infectious groove.
After giving it a thorough listen, the album becomes more revealing and stands out as a memoir. She ditches the cryptic lyrics and open interpretations she has accustomed us to in the past—and opts for a more relatable and straight-forward approach.
On the up-tempo fourth track “Comeback Kid”, she builds up a storm of teenage angst and rebellion with the distinguishable melody and the lyrics “I'm the runaway, I'm the stay out late”. This sets the tone for the next couple of tracks as she recounts a past toxic relationship and falls into an emotional coma.
The seventh track “Malibu” is a piano ballad of two runaways, which reflects the bitter sweetness of a careless time as she hums the words “We held hands as we passed the truck just a couple of dudes who don't give a fuck”. At this point the album has really slowed down but not enough to lose interest. It quickly bounces back on the following track “You Shadow”, which features loud drums and heavy synths that accompany a jaded Van Etten, who subtly borrowed Allison Mosshart’s fierceness to manifest her dislike of fake people by chanting “You ain't nothing, you never won”.
The album eventually closes with “Stay“, a dreampop-infused finale that serves as the light at the end of the tunnel. Though I wouldn’t call it the pièce de résistance in this record, it shows an empathetic side of the singer-songwriter that allows her to send a positive message across without sounding too preachy.
Considering her last two albums (Tramp in 2012 and Are We There in 2014) ran on a more stripped-down vein, Remind Me Tomorrow comes off as Van Etten’s most accomplished album to date. The change of sound and balance between intimate and atmospheric songs are clear signs of the singer-songwriter’s growing artistry, and the resulting ten tracks are pieces that fans will relate to as much as they will enjoy them.
Essential tracks: “No One’s Easy To Love”, “Comeback Kid”, “You Shadow and Stay”.
Buffy Saint-Marie @ Corona Theatre, Feb 16 2019
It’s very seldom that you see a performer arrive to more admiration and praise than 77 year-old singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie received last week at Corona Theatre. While the show was not quite sold out, the energy in the room could have filled a football field. This concert showed that even though Buffy has been touring for half a century, she can still be trusted to put on a great show.
Despite the large venue, looking around, it felt like everyone knew each other. Before the opening act took the stage, attendees everywhere were hugging, laughing, and introducing themselves to each other. Concerts like this make the big city of Montreal feel like a small, intimate town. The crowd was refreshingly diverse (in comparison to the sea of Dickies-clad white students I’m used to at mile end shows). While the average guest skewed older, there were plenty of young families and students filling up the seated venue.
The lights went down and Josh Q. stepped out, rather sheepishly. I previously had no knowledge of Josh Q., researching him I knew to probably expect a singer-songwriter type, but I was blown away by what I got that night. Josh Q. usually plays in his band The Trade-Offs with accompanying guitar from Jeff Maurice, but tonight he stood alone. After a brief intro, Josh launched into his first song with just his acoustic guitar. His voice immediately captivated the whole room. Though his stage presence at first seemed lacking, his powerful, brooding voice took me by complete surprise. Every lyric he belted was dripping with emotion and urgency.
In the middle of his set Josh Q. asked if anyone was from Nunavut, his home province, which was met by applause and hollers from a group at the back of the balcony. Then, he explained that his next song, “Qaumariaq”, would be in Inuktitut, again to roaring applause now from the whole crowd. Despite not understanding any of the lyrics, I’ve had the song stuck in my head for the days since. Later on, Josh Q. introduced “Ghost” as a call and response. I typically hate this move by performers, with a voice like that, I want to hear him sing, not random concert goers. Most of the audience was eager to participate in the singing, so the choice for a sing-a-long didn’t fall flat, though it still felt too “arena rock” for this particular show in my opinion.
After an almost forty minute intermission the lights went down again and a voice over the speaker announced that Buffy Sainte-Marie would be taking the stage soon, but first she asked for a short video to be shown. The video was in a word, odd. Buffy, being an activist above everything, created a video to highlight the injustices happening in the world today. Set to her 2015 song “Power In The Blood” the video was a collage of rapid fire images of war, political figures, indigenous rights protests, and dancing skeletons (for some reason).
When Buffy finally came on stage, by the applause alone it was obvious that she has made an immense impact on countless people over several generations. She performed with so much power and intention, every word of protest felt just as fresh as the day it was written.
A few songs in she pulled out an indigenous mouth-bow to show the audience. She joked about how it was called a “primitive” instrument by a music anthology she had read, to the all too knowing eye-rolls and chuckles of many in the audience. She then introduced the next song, an American folk standard, according to her “from the real primitive culture, the United States”, to a massive laugh from the audience.
Buffy played for about an hour: short but powerful. She sang the classic hits like “Universal Soldier” and “I’m Going To Be A Country Girl Again” as well as recent favourites like “You Got To Run”. Despite being without her touring band, Buffy’s voice and charisma carried all the power she needed. She also had the perfect amount of chatting between songs, something the fans seemed to crave, which makes sense, she was hilarious.
Sometimes, when seeing a musician who has been at it for awhile, the show can feel rehearsed and emotionally stunted, but that was not the case with Buffy Sainte-Marie at Theatre Corona. The concert was intimate yet packed, emotional yet funny, showing that Buffy Sainte-Marie’s genius is just as powerful today as it was 50 years ago.
Haley Hates the Cold, Andy’s Favourite Colour is Red
Photo: Arielle de Pagter
On February 7, Andy Shauf brought his month long North American tour to Montreal’s Rialto Theatre. That Thursday night saw a brief respite from the bitter winter, with temperatures creeping above zero for what felt like the first time in ages.
However, the magnitude of this event was lost on opener Hayley Heynderickx, who was confused how anyone could stand living in such a polar climate. The Portland based Filipino-American folk singer concluded that the only way Montrealers could possibly cope with the long winter months is if they all found someone to hibernate with. This is of course before breaking their hearts when the sun finally returns. Although at first she appeared shy and soft spoken, standing alone on stage, Haley’s wit and warmth soon drew admiration from the crowd, who were charmed by the relatively unknown out of towner.
Described as “tenacious” by Pitchfork and “open-hearted” by Rolling Stone, Heyndrickx has drawn critical acclaim in recent years, with her track “The Bug Collector” reaching into NPR’s 2018 top 100 songs. In the Rialto, her frenetic finger picking style and playful melodies allowed her lyrics to seamlessly connect quirky life events to the pains of stress, strife and heartbreak. Arguably, the pinnacle of the set was during “Oom Sha La La” where the song’s highly infectious chant began to permeate throughout the crowd until most of the audience was singing it back to her. Heyndrickx finished her set with the same unguardedness and vulnerability that she began it with. The song “Fish eyes” is an ode to her parents strange first date. In short, Haley Heyndrickx was a gift for all those who made the effort to show up early.
Support over, the crowd swelled and coalesced around the stage, before breaking out into applause when Andy Shauf appeared. Unlike Heyndrickx, the Saskatchewan headliner was joined by a full complement of guitars, percussion, piano and a clarinet. These combined to give his lavish orchestrations a thick and silky sound. Though he did not play anything from his most recent Foxwarren project, Shauf’s devoted fan base were not left disappointed. The first role of the drums on “Quite Like You” was met with an immediate cheer as the crowd danced and swayed – a rare moment of playful joy in his otherwise melancholic and brooding repertoire. Tracks from earlier albums such as “Darker Days” were also absent, with Shauf having said an interview that he no longer had any personal connection to the experiences those songs described. Instead, Shauf interspersed tracks from an unnamed forthcoming album in between old favourites. Highlights included the grand strings and clarinet arrangement of “The Magician” and the long fog horn sounding drones of “I’m not Falling asleep” that reverberated around the Rialto.
Andy Shauf stayed true to his “outsider looking in” perspective that characterised The Party, his 2016 Polaris Prize nominated album. Quiet and reserved, he prefers the audience ask him questions, explaining he has no stories about himself to tell. The crowd eagerly obliged, filling the downtime between songs with questions ranging from Andy’s favourite fruit (cantaloupe) to his favourite song (“The Boys Are Back in town”).
For me, “Martha Sways” stole the show. The stripped down and bittersweet ballad brought the crowd to their knees, mesmerized by every excruciatingly sad and beautiful syllable that escaped Shauf’s lips. Hardly anyone made a sound until the last note had completely faded, breaking the hypnotic spell that the entirety of Theatre Rialto had been put under.
His encore was short and sudden, consisting of another new track and leaving the audience yearning for one more familiar sing along. I was also slightly disappointed that Haley Heyndrickx did not return on stage for a collaboration. Nonetheless, the outstanding display of love, loss and vulnerability that both artists portrayed during their performances more than made up for the slightly abrupt ending.
Internal STM Disputes, Halifax House Fire Kills Seven Children , L'Oreal's Women of Worth
Hosted by Ahmad Moujtahed
Stories by Ahmad Moujtahed
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LOCAL
The Société de transport de Montréal is calling on a workplace tribunal to intervene and order its unionized maintenance workers to stop purposely slowing down their work as a form of illegal pressure tactics that is causing a 10% shortage of the required number of busses during rush hour.
During the hearing, the maintenance union president said he gave no order for his members to slow down their work and further revealed that the STM has employed a new method of refuelling buses that has resulted in a record number of them running out of fuel while on their routes.
NATIONAL
A house fire in Halifax claimed the lives of seven children, the youngest of which is only three months old. The incident, classified as the deadliest house fire in recent Nova Scotia history, happened in the Spryfield community of Halifax. All the victims are members of a Syrian family who moved to Halifax in 2017 in order to seek safety from the ongoing conflict in their native country.
Halifax regional police are investigating the incident, but still have no through leads as to what might have initiated such a catastrophic fire that sealed the fate of seven young lives.
Images of the fire were shared on social media. Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau tweeted: “Words fail when children are taken from us too soon, especially in circumstances like this”.
INTERNATIONAL
In an attempt to honour a diverse group of women who inspire and foster change through their humanitarian efforts, L’Oreal Paris announced the remarkable recipients of its third annual Women of Worth program.
Each Honouree will be receiving a $10,000 grant for her charity, as well as an all-expense paid trip to the Awards Gala which will be held in Toronto on International Women's Day, March 8th.
By visiting womenofworth.ca, Canadians can cast their vote online for one National Honouree who will be awarded an additional $10,000 grant.
Mick Jenkins at L'Astral, Jan 28 2019
Mick Jenkins stopped in Montreal to promote his newest album, Pieces of a Man. The album is a homage to legendary poet and artist, Gil Scott-Heron, borrowing the title of Scot-Heron's debut album.
Jenkins opened with the track “Stress Fracture” where he received vocal-assistance from longtime collaborator, theMIND. The slow burning track was an indication of where the concert was headed. It was a mostly muted affair with no huge mosh-pits or bangers one might expect from a hip hop show.
Mick Jenkins is different. His music isn’t intended to be hard hitting. Instead, it tries to be a learning process, full of lessons and knowledge Jenkins has to offer. The album focused on themes such as self reflection, consensual sex, and, of course, weed. The one (and only) problem with concerts that focus on lyrics is that the instrumentals can sometimes overpower the vocals. This happened only a few times, but it was enough to ruin the immersion that Jenkins tried valiantly to bring.
Midway through the concert, Jenkins took a detour from performing songs off Pieces of a Man to perform hits from his previous projects. The crowd (understandably) lost control when he started to play “Jazz” off his most popular mixtape, The Water[s]. In an otherwise quiet concert, this performance livened up the crowd quite a bit.
While his rapping is almost always the reason listen to Jenkins, he demonstrated his singing chops when he performed his most pop-sensitive song off his new album, “Plain Clothes.” The chorus of the song saw him trying his best to hold the melody with some help from theMIND. Whether autotune was involved or not is irrelevant because the performance of the song was among the best of the night.
The end of the concert was a bit awkward. To rile up the crowd, Jenkins began playing “514”, a tribute to Montreal and asked the crowd to sing along. Unfortunately, the crowd didn’t know the lyrics as well as Jenkins hoped. However, they tried their best, singing the chorus somewhat well before he veered off into the next song.
Overall, Mick Jenkins put on a good show at L’Astral. He brought energy, fierce raps, and a true willingness to liven up the crowd. Despite some technical hiccups and an awkward performance dedicated to the city, Jenkins put on a valiant performance demonstrating in full force just how great his rapping actually is.
Louis Pavlakos is the host of Trappin' in Traffic, CJLO's newest hip-hop show, every Tuesday at 5:00 p.m.
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