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Arkells at MTELUS, Feb 21 2019
Since their single “Knocking At The Door” blew up in 2017, the Arkells have been making waves in Canada and abroad. The track and video had them nominated for best single and best video of the year at the 2018 Juno Awards and Nielsen Music announced Arkells were the second most popular Canadian rock band on Canadian radio that year, behind the Tragically Hip, of course. Keeping with the momentum of “Knocking At The Door,” the Arkells released their album Rally Cry, in October 2018 to an excited fan base and stellar reviews. The album is high energy, down to earth and full of heart. The albums political undertones (I mean, it’s called Rally Cry), lead to the adoption of the album's track, Relentless by Ontario’s autism community as their battle cry in the fight against Premier Ford’s austerity measures which impact funding for families who have children with autism.
On February 19th, the Arkells ended the Canadian leg of their North American tour with a knock-out show at Montreal’s MTELUS. The groups frontman, Max Kerman started the show by holding up a sign reading “I’m in Montreal, still going strong,” and announced to fans that they were in a crisis. The concert was on a Tuesday night, and the Arkells wanted to end their tour with Saturday night energy. Mid way into their opening number, Kerman hopped off stage and wrote sick notes to star-struck fans and insisted we all rock out like we don’t have work in the morning. Once he returned to the stage, Kerman took a moment to remind us all that $1 from each ticket sale was being donated to the Canadian Council for Refugees, he described his own struggle trying to navigate Montreal without knowing French, specifically a story of how some local kids were making fun of him in French while he was playing basketball at the YMCA earlier that day. He used the light hearted story to emphasize that he “couldn’t even imagine” how difficult the language barrier must be for a new refugee.
The Arkells followed this high energy and heartfelt intro by playing crowd favourites like “Leather Jacket” and “Knocking At The Door”. Then, a pay phone was rolled on stage and started ringing. Kerman revealed they had set up a song request hotline The audience heard long time fan, Lorenzo request, “Bloodlines,” an old song he’d never heard live. Lorenzo was invited on stage for the set and went all out on singing along with Kerman and the rest of the band. There’s no doubt the Arkells achieved that Saturday night energy. Background singers belted out notes through megaphones while Kerman jumped off stage again singing and dancing through the crowd before hopping on a bar and high fiving fans while singing.
When the band finally walked off, the crowd was able to call them back on stage by singing a melody Kerman had taught them earlier. The band came back on and played Dancing Queen a woman from the audience wearing a rainbow fringe jacket came on stage and started dancing, soon her partner followed and they swing danced, the girl was being flipped in the air and flung around while Kerman shot looks for surprise to the crowd. What a way to end a tour. The Arkells really were still going strong in Montreal.
Climate Strike, Internship Strike, Christchurch Shooting
Hosted by Alexandre Denis
Stories by Alexandre Denis
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LOCAL
Montreal students shut down 6 high schools Friday morning as part of a global student movement against Climate change. Students formed human chains around schools, Joseph-François-Perrault, Georges-Vanier, Sophie-Barat, Académie De Roberval, Père-Marquette et Robert-Gravel.
These protests were ahead of the main protest at 1 p.m. at the George-Étienne-Cartier monument in Mount Royal Park.
Montreal students are joining others across the world demanding for concrete action against climate change.
NATIONAL
Students across the province will go on strike against unpaid internships next week. Over 34 thousand students in Montreal, Outaouais, Laurentides, Quebec City, Sherbrooke, Trois-Riviere, and Victoriaville will strike from March 18 to 22.
Students are demanding an end to the exploitation of their labour. They call on the government to change the laws to ensure that all interns be paid a wage.
Concordia student groups participating in the strike include the Journalism Student Association, The Coms Guild, and the School of Community and Public Affairs Student’s Association.
INTERNATIONAL
49 people killed and 48 wounded by a white supremacist terrorists in Christchurch, New Zealand. Gunmen attacked two Mosques while worshippers were gathered for prayer Friday afternoon. Improvised explosives were also found and defused by police.
A man has been charged with murder in connection with the attacks and two others are in custody.Reports indicate the Christchurch shooter was inspired by the Quebec City mosque shooter.
Police forces in Canada are offering increased protection to mosques in the wake of the attack. Mosques in Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa, and Gatineau all have heightened security on Friday.
The Movies Review on Location : Climax
In this episode of At The Movies Review on Location, Remi heads to the dance floor to review Climax from director Gaspar Noé.
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.
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