RSS

Women's March in MTL, Lawsuit to stop open-net salmon farming in BC, Baby formula bandits caught.

January 21 2019 //

LOCAL

The freezing cold and the snow did not deter protesters from participating in the third annual Women’s March on Saturday. 

 

The march in Montreal was one of the many marches that took place  around the world in solidarity with the thousands who marched towards the White House in Washington, D.C.

 

CBC reports, since its inception in 2017, the march has become an annual event where women come together to highlight issues of misogyny, transphobia and racism.

 

NATIONAL

The federal government is facing a lawsuit from B.C’s First Nation community to stop open-net salmon farming on their lands.

 

According to APTN news, The Dzawada’enuxw (za-wah-day-nook) First Nation of Kingcome wants Canada to remove 10 salmon farms from their traditional waters located in the Broughton Archipelago northeast of Vancouver Island. The claim argues that the federal government authorized fish farm licenses without their consultation or consent.

 

The DFN has had a no open-net fish farms policy for 30 years and have been actively protesting against the government for the past three years.

 

The Dzawada’enuxw community is also against the open-net farms because of the risk they pose to the already low salmon stocks.

 

INTERNATIONAL

 

It seems Australian baby formulas are a hot-ticket item in China these days.

 

According to BBC, Australian police confirmed they had busted members of an “expansive” criminal gang which specialized in stealing baby formula for illegal sale in China.

 

The stolen goods are valued at more than 700, 000 thousand dollars.

 

Australian baby-formula nicknamed, “white-gold” for its healthier contents is so sought after in China, it sells for over $100 a tin.

 

Unfortunately, for the criminals, the case was brought to police’s attention due the baby-formula shortage the Australian public was experiencing.

 

EMSB Investigation, Ontario Health Overhaul, Death Penalty for Canadian

January 17 2019 //

Hosted by Alexandre Denis

Stories by Luca Caruso-Moro and Alexandre Denis

 

________________________________________________________________

 

LOCAL

The province is investigating the English Montreal School Board over alleged ethics violations and financial mismanagement.

According to Education Minister Jean-Francois Roberge these allegations have been reported for years.

The investigation has started despite the CAQ’s vow to abolish school boards to increase school’s autonomy.

NATIONAL

The Ontario Premier Doug Ford is likely to overhaul the province’s health care governing bodies, according to a CBC investigation.

Currently, health care funding is managed by 14 health care coordination networks. After the possible overhaul, the responsibility would fall to only 5.

Those in favour say the shift will make contact between hospitals and the public smoother.

INTERNATIONAL

That’s the sound of Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg being sentenced to death live on a Chinese television broadcast this week.

Schallenberg was found guilty of drug smuggling.

Trudeau expressed concern toward what he considers an an arbitrary use of the death penalty.

 

Live Out Your Hunger Games Dreams at Dodgebow Archery

January 15 2019 //

Do you miss those days when you walked into gym class and the teacher told you dodge ball was what you’d be playing? Have you ever watched The Hunger Games and all of a sudden wished you could shoot a bow and arrow like Katniss Everdeen? Ever thought of combining these two sports?

Well, think no more! Dodgebow Archery is just that. Located in Saint-Henri, Dodgebow lets you relive your childhood while letting you live out your inner The Hunger Games fantasies in a fun and safe environment. It is a perfect “Sunday Funday” activity for families as well as a great Saturday evening with friends. With the help of an animator, 24-36 people can play the following game modes: No Loyalty, Mandown, Zombies and Bullseye. All games are a work out and you’ll be running around, ducking, dodging and aiming for people and targets.

I had no idea what I was getting into. I didn’t read any of the descriptions or watch any videos of it. Even though I went into the activity blind, I had so much fun. It does take a few shots to get the hang of of it but after a few rounds, I was shooting like a pro. Grab your family members or a group of friends and book your time slot on their website, you’ll surely have plenty of fun and laughter.

The Internet at MTELUS, Dec 8 2018

January 15 2019 //

The Hive Mind Tour by The Internet and Moonchild came through Montreal at MTELUS on Dec 8 2018 with a concert incomparable to any I have ever seen.

After attending the meet and greet, I watched as hundreds of fans gathered, gazing at three horns and two sets of keyboards on the stage in anticipation. Moonchild started off the night with a fun upbeat tempo tune “The List,” A track off their latest album entitled Voyager. Once Moonchild walked onto the stage, The neo-soul trio captivated the audience with the whimsical melodies of their flute clarinet and keys, then the jazzy hip hop in their beats, complimented by the sax and trumpet.

As always, Moonchild's energy was 100 per cent. The acoustics could have been better, but they still came through with that energy, leaving the audience mesmerized after every solo and musical peak. I must say I love lead singer Amber Navran’s spunky personality and funky dance moves on stage.

Considering that Moonchild is a multi-instrumentalist band, Voyager includes many instrumental ambient songs and euphoric performances. This really gave the audience a chance to just vibe, and enjoy songs like “6 AM.” Two days after releasing the track "Get to Know it,” Moonchild shared a bit about the meaning of the song,  followed by a live premiere of the tune at MTELUS.

Finally, The Internet. Patrick, Steve, Matt, and Chris hop on their instruments, and the lights rise from the floor up to the balcony as “Come Together” grew from a silent hum, to a loud roar. Moments before her first verse, lead singer Syd hit the stage electrifying the crowd. I couldn’t wait to dance to some of my favourites like “La Di Da”, “Beat Goes On” and “Burbank Funk”.

Syd shared some insight as she mentioned her battle with depression as she sings “It Gets Better (with Time).”

After a night of singing, dancing, talking, laughing, and making new friends, we did not want the show to end. The crowd went crazy one final time, with a solid minute of screaming and clapping and roaring love.

As I was leaving, I saw Moonchild just standing, chilling and waiting to greet the audience as they left. I went over and before I could even say anything, Amber enthusiastically said “Hey I saw your cover of “The List” and I was feelin’ it so much!” She gave me a hug, and saved my album onto her phone. Certainly another highlight of the night. I forgot I had been speaking with celebrities. Both sets of band members were all just so humble and down to earth, genuinely here for the music.

Both bands are on hiatus for the moment. The Internet will be performing in South Africa for New Years eye, Thailand in February of 2019, and in April The Hive Mind Tour will reach Europe, sharing their good vibes and music with the world.

Aliah Guerra is a Singer/Songwriter and host of Concordia Music Zone Out on CJLO 1690AM

ALCOHOL-FREE BREWERY, PIPELINE PROTEST IN THE WEST, NEW HOME FOR SAUDI WOMAN.

January 14 2019 //

Hosted by Erdene Batzorig

Stories by Erdene Batzorig

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LOCAL

What reason could a brewery have for going alcohol-free?

 

Employees at Aux Fous Brassant in Rivière-du-Loup are taking on a 28-day sobriety challenge in February to raise money for Fondation Jean Lapointe, an organization that supports substance abuse and addiction treatment in Quebec.

 

According to CBC, owner Éric Viens said that this initiative is also meant to encourage people who are sober all year round and those who act as designated drivers.

 

The brewery will be replacing the alcoholic beverages with other alternatives like kombucha, cider and cold-pressed coffee.

 

So do you think you can the 28-day sobriety challenge?

NATIONAL

On Saturday, hundreds of people gathered in downtown Vancouver to protest against the proposed pipeline to be built through northern B.C.

 

The protesters marched in support of Wet'suwet'en hereditary chief's opposition to the Coastal GasLink project to move natural gas from northeastern B.C. to the coast.

 

According to CBC, protesters also voiced their concern over the effect the pipeline extension will have on the environment, holding signs with messages such, “the climate is changing, why aren't we?"

 

Earlier in the week, multiple people were arrested at a checkpoint outside Smithers B.C. for protecting the Wet'suwet'en territories from pipeline workers and RCMP officers.

INTERNATIONAL

A Saudi women who pleaded for help on Twitter while fleeing from her family has been welcomed to Canada as a refugee.

 

According to National Post, Prime Minister J. Trudeau announced that the federal government was asked by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to allow Rahaf Mohammed Al-qunun to settle in Canada,

“That is something that we are pleased to do because Canada is a country that understands how important it is to stand up for human rights, to stand up for women’s rights around the world,”

 

Al-qunun launched a social media campaign after running away from her family to Bangkok. She barricaded herself in a hotel room, and wrote on Twitter, that she was afraid and that her family would kill her if she returned home.

Jorja Smith at MTELUS, Dec 18 2018

January 10 2019 //

Photo: Louis Pavlakos

Performing at her sold out show on Tuesday December 19th at MTELUS, the lovely Jorja Smith blessed us with her amazing vocal range and an unforgettable tone.

Before walking into the concert, it was clear Smith has captured the hearts of a particularly trendy crowd. From long trench coats to hipster hats, the throng of young UK inspired fashionistas were serving looks all night. It was marvellous.

The stage decoration was a simple long red drape and accompanied by strong theatre lights scattered around. The concert focused on the music thus unaccompanied by any backup dancers, singers or any extra fla fla. The spotlight was on Smith and it made for a more intimate show for us to be a part of. The second she walked on stage, cellphones flew up and the crowd went wild. Everyone knew they were in the presence of a queen. She wore a short fitted dress with her signature hair in bun look. I could hear everyone whisper about how beautiful she was and it it’s true. She is a stunner!

The best part of the show was the talented band that accompanied her. It sounded exactly like the album Lost & Found, adding some soulful solos in between songs which blew us all away. Popular musicians aren’t always great live performers. Some concerts are filled with pitchy vocals and mistakes but Jorja Smith’s was the exact opposite. She didn’t sing one flat note. It is clear she has some kind of operatic vocal training because the girl can SING! While technically proficient, the concert lacked a storytelling element. It was clear that it was the end of her tour and she must have been exhausted. I would have loved to hear more about her songs and her story. I found myself wanting to connect more with her but couldn’t, due to the lack of exchange between herself and the audience. It seemed a little too rehearsed.

That being said if you are looking to spend the evening with your loved one while listening to beautifully sung love songs, this is the concert for you! Be ready for a  swarm of fans singing along to every word of every song. She is clearly a sweet, shy and kind soul that has a gift and is learning how to share it. She was extremely thankful to her fans and wished us all a safe ride home. She clearly knows where she is going now. Wink wink, nudge nudge.

Deidra Chois is a Jazz Studies Vocalist, a former La Voix contestant, and host of Feels Radio on CJLO 1690AM

Saint-Laurent Emissions, Barricade Breakers, Thalidomide Survivors.

January 9 2019 //

Hosted by Luca Caruso-Moro

Stories by Luca Caruso-Moro

 

________________________________________________________________

 

LOCAL

The Saint-Laurent borough is celebrating a steady decrease in greenhouse gas emissions.

A report revealed at this week’s council meeting showed a 21 per cent decrease in emissions in the since 1990, even though the region’s population has grown by about 30 thousand.

More compost collection, public transportation, and reduced commercial gas use are said to be the cause of the decrease.

Mayor Alan DeSousa hopes to slash another 9 per cent of emissions by 2020

ALAN DESOUSA: “We hear a lot of people say that they plan to do things. They talk about setting high objectives. But actually, when we look at the facts, it’s more important to do things.”

NATIONAL

The RCMP has broken down the barricade put up by the Unis’tot’en people.

The barricade was put up to prevent the Coastal Gaslink pipeline from being built through 190 kilometres of Wet'suwet'en territory, about 3 hours west of Prince George.

After the RCMP broke through, 14 people were arrested.

ANOTHER NATIONAL

Canada will increase compensation to survivors of thalidomide, a drug marketed to women in the sixties to treat morning sickness,

Children of mothers on thalidomide were born with disabilities such as underdeveloped limbs and deafness.

Under the new policy, survivors will receive 250 thousand dollars compensation and 1 million dollars yearly for medical expenses.  

 

CJLO Top 100 of 2018

January 9 2019 //

Hear ye, hear ye! Gather round for CJLO’s top hundo of 2018!

OK, technically it’s the CJLO top 101 due to the tie at #100 but you get the point… I know it’s already a week into this so-called ‘new year’, but we mustn’t dismiss the past so soon as to commit cultural amnesia! Before we delve boldly into this strange future, let’s take a moment to reflect on the year that was in music at CJLO 1690 AM.

2018 was my first year as CJLO’s Head Music Director, and it’s been a privilege to serve. Happily, I am able to report that as a station we played tons of great music this past year. Our #1 record of 2018 by a landslide is ‘In a Poem Unlimited’ from U.S. Girls, aka Meg Remy. Her second record for 4AD captured the hearts of the indie world, flexing pop potency, lyrical depth, and righteous grooves. I had the good fortune of seeing U.S. Girls both at SXSW and Sappyfest in 2018, and they are perhaps an even more powerful force live than recorded; goosebumps and shakin’ rumps every time.

Our year-end chart can be seen to reflect a more general trend in 2018 of female artists and female-fronted bands coming to dominate campus and community radio, with women leading the way on 77% of the year’s NACC charts. It’s about time; Indie rock has been calling for this for a while now. The emergence of Riot Grrrl is now decades in the rearview mirror, and it's been 20 years since ally and luminary Jim O’Rourke sang: “women of the world take over, ‘cause if you don’t the world will come to an end; it won’t take long”. Certainly, much work remains to make the world a more inclusive and equitable place, but perhaps this shake up in college radio rulers is cause for optimism in these sordid times. I for one have always believed that underground art, music, and thought leads the way in cultural transformation, and that lasting change is just as likely to spring from the bottom up as it is to be imposed from the top o' the pops.

Of course, it wouldn’t be CJLO without staunch support for our incredible local talent: Ought, Helena Deland, Silver Dapple, Suuns, Tunguska Mammoth, Choses Sauvages, Jai Nitai Lotus, and Tess Roby were all in heavy rotation, just to name a few. This is not even to mention the shameless self promotion of our own ‘Burned In The Oven’ Compilation which landed at #2. Speaking of comps, stay tuned for a fresh one this year in honour of our 20th anniversary, which will feature 20 artists who have graced our studios! Also, a special shout-out to Spectral Wound at #4 – a truly killer black metal band featuring our outgoing production director Patrick McDowall. As an exceedingly enjoyable person to work with who expertly recorded literally hundreds of sessions, he will be sorely missed. To hear some of his work check out the aforementioned comps! I should mention also that the fact SW is #4 was not influenced by him personally - he’s a dude as humble as he is talented.

Without further ado here’s our 100 most played artists of 2018, along with an audible version via Spotify playlist that runs from #100 – #1. A few releases were left off the playlist if they were not on Spotify or date back to 2017. Kudos to Andrew W. for painstakingly amalgamating our chart data for the entire year, and Angelica C. for the stellar graphic!

*Our charts are compiled from actual airplay, broadcast live on 1690 AM in the Montreal region, as well as via our website at www.cjlo.com,  denotes Canadian Content

RANK           ARTIST                                                             ALBUM

1              U.S GIRLS                                                     IN A POEM UNLIMITED

2              VARIOUS                                                       CJLO 1690AM PRESENTS: BURNED IN THE OVEN: VOLUME 2

3              MITSKI                                                                 BE THE COWBOY

4              SPECTRAL WOUND                                     INFERNAL DECADENCE

5              OUGHT                                                          ROOM INSIDE THE WORLD

6              PEACH KELLI POP                                       GENTLE LEADER

7              TUNGUSKA MAMMOTH                               BREATHLESS

8              SUUNS                                                          FELT

9              CANCER BATS                                             THE SPARK THAT MOVES

10            MICHAEL RAULT                                          IT'S A NEW DAY TONIGHT

11            DILLY DALLY                                                 HEAVEN

12            PREOCCUPATIONS                                     NEW MATERIAL

13            YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN                      DIRT

14            THE GREAT SABATINI                                 GOODBYE AUDIO

15            HELENA DELAND                                         ALTOGETHER UNACCOMPANIED VOL III & IV

16            SILVER DAPPLE                                           MOODY BOOTS

17            NAP EYES                                                     I'M BAD NOW

18            SOCCER MOMMY                                                CLEAN

19            FUCKED UP                                                  DOSE YOUR DREAMS

20            CHOSES SAUVAGES                                   CHOSES SAUVAGES

21            GREBER                                                       CEMETERY PRESTON

22            ASTRAL SWANS                                          STRANGE PRISON

23            TESS ROBY                                                  BEACON

24            COURTNEY BARNETT                                       TELL ME HOW YOU REALLY FEEL

25            JAI NITAI LOTUS                                          AFFIRMATIONS

26            CLOUD NOTHINGS                                            LAST BUILDING BURNING

27            DIRT CANNON                                             WHAT EATS YOU

28            SLOAN                                                          12

29            CADENCE WEAPON                                   CADENCE WEAPON

30            IDLES                                                                 JOY AS AN ACT OF RESISTANCE.

31            HEATHERS                                                  MIDNIGHT IS A PLACE

32            PONCTUATION                                           MON HERBIER DU MONDE

33            BIRDS OF PARADISE                                 ESTO AMOR

34            OH SEES                                                            SMOTE REVERSER

35            VANTABLACK WARSHIP                           ABRASIVE PULMONIC SPEAK

36            BLACK MILK                                                      FEVER

37            FRIGS                                                          BASIC BEHAVIOUR

38            PARQUET COURTS                                          WIDE AWAKE!

38            LIE                                                               HOUNDS

40            KURT VILE                                                        BOTTLE IT IN

41            JENNIFER CASTLE                                   ANGELS OF DEATH

42            VALLENS                                                   DIMMED IN MY DISPLAY

43            WASHING MACHINE                                 WALK IT BACK

44            LA LUZ                                                              FLOATING FEATURES

45            LOOK VIBRANT                                        THE UP HERE PLACE  

46            HER'S                                                                INVITATION TO HER'S

47            FAITH HEALER                                          TRY ;-)

48            GRAND ANALOG                                      SURVIVIAL EP

49            SNAIL MAIL                                                      LUSH

50            CAULDRON                                               NEW GODS 

50            STRIKER                                                   PLAY TO WIN

52            HOT SNAKES                                                  JERICHO SIRENS

53            LONELY PARADE                                    THE PITS

54            CHANHAYS                                              THE CREEPY EP

55            LOW                                                                DOUBLE NEGATIVE

56            CHANHAYS                                              HERE

57            DEAD CENTURIES                                  RACE AGAINST TIME    

58            ALVVAYS                                                  ANTISOCIALITES            

59            HELENA DELAND                                   ALTOGETHER UNACCOMPANIED VOL I & II

60            SHEM G                                                   ONE OF MANY

61            TIM HECKER                                           KONOYO

62            GHOST                                                           PREQUELLE

63            BERNICE                                                 PUFF: IN THE AIR WITHOUT A SHAPE

64            WAAHLI                                                   BLACK SOAP

65            FREAK HEAT WAVES                            BEYOND XXXL

66            DUSTED                                                  BLACKOUT SUMMER

67            RITUAL MASTER                                    A HORRIFIC RETURN

68            SWEARIN'                                                      FALL INTO THE SUN

69            SHANNON SHAW                                         SHANNON IN NASHVILLE

70            KEN MODE                                             LOVED

71            MELLEVON                                            COVET

72            LITTLE JUNIOR                                      HI

73            KRISTIAN NORTH                                 THE LAST ROCK N ROLL RECORD

74            BORN RUFFIANS                                  UNCLE, DUKE & THE CHIEF

74            HOP ALONG                                                 BARK YOUR HEAD OFF, DOG           

76            WAKE                                                     MISERY RITES

76            JOCK TEARS                                        BAD BOYS

76            BOYGENIUS                                                BOYGENIUS

79            SHAD                                                     A SHORT STORY ABOUT A WAR

80            INTERPOL                                                   MARAUDER     

81            ANVIL                                                   POUNDING THE PAVEMENT

82            CHAD VANGAALEN                            LIGHT INFORMATION

83            JO PASSED                                         THEIR PRIME

84            DEVON WELSH                                   DREAM SONGS

85            CHANCE THE RAPPER                             FOUR NEW SONGS

86            ODONIS ODONIS                                NO POP

86            CHASTITY                                           DEATH LUST

88            THE DIRTY NIL                                   MASTER VOLUMES

89            CAR SEAT HEADREST                            TWIN FANTASY

90            ANDREW WK                                            YOU'RE NOT ALONE

91            ARTSON                                                    BRAVE STAR

92           JUDAS PRIEST                                          FIREPOWER

93           BEACH HOUSE                                         7

93           BASEMENT REVOLVER                    HEAVY EYES

95           NIGHTSEEKER                                   3069: A SPACE-ROCK SEX ODYSSEY

96           STEPHEN MALKMUS                               SPARKLE HARD

96           JESSICA MOSS                                  ENTAGLEMENT

98           DEVIN TOWNSEND                            OCEAN MACHINE - LIVE

98           RYAN PLAYGROUND                         16/17

100         JESUSLESFILLES                             DANIEL

100         CALVIN JOHNSON                                   A WONDERFUL BEAST

 

The Force Academy: Montreal’s Star Wars Themed Activity Centre

December 29 2018 //

 

As a child of the 80’s, let’s just say that I grew up surrounded by Star Wars products, be it school notebooks, shirts, coloring books, posters, trading cards and stickers, SW-related TV specials (yes, I saw the Ewok Adventure’s initial airing), or of course, the toys. I’ve always found the franchise wonderful, as it attracts diehard fans of all ages.

To begin, I will admit that as fantastic as the phenomenon is, I am not a diehard fan of Star Wars: I am a Trekkie (yes, I know…). However, this never stopped me from watching anything Star Wars related. Us Trekkies love to explore, which was kind of the theme of Star Trek. And so, when I was offered a chance to review Montreal’s very own SW-themed activity center, The Force Academy, I was delighted.

I invited my co-worker along for the ride. He’s also seen all the movies, but is a casual fan. I didn’t invite a diehard fan to avoid a biased review.

The building itself seems unassuming. There are no land speeders or droids parked in the lobby. We really had to double-check to make sure that we were in the right place. When we made our way up to the venue, we were already pretty impressed. It’s a large dojo with plenty of room to move around. The space is slightly dark with some colored lights, giving it a somewhat cinematic feel.

So what did I think about the activity itself? 2 words : Innovative and awesome!

Not only did I find it cool to wield lightsabers (they make noises when swung), but you actually get a very complete workout. I, myself, am a person who frequents the gym 3-4 times a week and I even had a hard time keeping up with all the drills. The program starts with your Jedi-master/sensei teaching you the basics (feet position, how to hold a lightsaber, general house and safety rules). Once that is out of the way, welcome to Jedi-Bootcamp!

No, you do not have to do jumping jacks or jump through tires, but the exercises given to you are equally as challenging and difficult. You will have to simulate a fight, while constantly jumping up in the air (to avoid a leg strike) and dropping to your knees and the ground (in order to teach you that the fight continues even if your legs get cut off/injured in battle) and jumping right back up. I find that the fighting-style itself is a combination of different styles of fencing and martial arts, which is cool because the idea behind the whole activity is to introduce you to real combat. The saber itself is also a bit heavy, definitely not one of those cheap ones that you buy from Wal-Mart, so wielding one continuously for a good hour actually makes your arms sore (your dominant arm will definitely feel it). At the end of the lesson and drills, you and your partner will be instructed to come up with your very own battle choreography using the techniques that you’ve learned.

Once you’ve shown the choreography to the instructor, you will be told to fight your partner in a lightsaber duel. Not only do you use your weapons, but you are also allowed to use “The Force” to push your opponent back, which gives the training a bit of that sci-fi element to it. You are not allowed to hit your opponent harder than a soft tap, therefore, it is highly unlikely that you will be injured or even hurt via a blow from the saber. The duel is quite safe.

I love the idea and the resulting possibilities that can arise from this activity. The Star Wars geeks of my era were mostly out-of-shape people à la Kevin Smith. Enter The Force Academy: the one SW-themed activity where their uber-fanhood cannot save them. No matter how much Star Wars paraphernalia they own, how many obscure trivia questions they can answer, or how many times they’ve seen anything related to Star Wars in their lives, none of that will prepare them for The Force Academy.

I loved it and will definitely be back, however, I’ll be sure to eat a full breakfast on the day of my next booking. This is rather intense training, especially for those who sit in front of a computer all day. Come prepared and ready to sweat!

I hope that word of The Force Academy spreads like wildfire and that they eventually open more locations. If there is any wayy to lure the Star Wars uber-geeks out of their dens and pursue physical exercise/combat training, then this is it. In fact, it might actually be their only hope.

Mike Vo, or DJ Mister Vee, is the host of CJLO’s Beats from the East.

CJLO Best of 2018

December 22 2018 //

This incredibly long year is coming to an end. If you read any music publications, you've probably noticed it's list season. A season full of controversy, hot takes, safe choices. Just in time for last minute Christmas gifts, here is what the wonderful people at CJLO liked the most this year.

Francella Fiallos - Station Manager and Host of Superconnected, Monday 11 a.m.

Best Albums

  1. Hubert Lenoir - Darlene
    A beautiful, bouncy discovery for me early on in the year that has remained in constant rotation. Hubert Lenoir is a huge force to be reckoned with, so it’s hard to believe that he’s just getting started.

  2. U.S. Girls - In A Poem Unlimited
    It took a while for this album to grow on me, but sometimes genius takes a long time to travel back to you. Meg Remy successfully blended synthy no-wave, disco beats with lyrics about patriarchy and systemic oppression. For me, a winning combination.

  3. Booji Boys - Unknown Pleathers
    Pledging my forever standom to Halifax’s Booji Boys.

  4. Pusha-T - DAYTONA
    I’m not a fan of long (read: bloated) albums, so I was pretty excited to hear an eight-track LP from PUSHA-T. To me, it was a long-awaited antidote to the sprawl found in most modern rap music, most notably with Drake. Also, the first track “If You Know You Know” slaps so hard.

  5. Fucked Up - Dose Your Dreams
    Speaking of sprawling, the latest Fucked Up record is a beast. Complex and layered, while taking influences from several genres that often don’t come to mind when you think of Fucked Up. The last track alone features vocals from Lido Pimienta and Mary Margaret O’Hara, two of my personal high priestesses.

  6. Janelle Monae - Dirty Computer
    Still mad this record did not get Best New Music. To what end, Pitchfork?

  7. THE CARTERS - EVERYTHING IS LOVE
    This record convinced me that Beyonce may be a better rapper than her husband Jay-Z. My one critique of this record was that Beyonce and Jay-Z were not called THE KNOWLES-CARTERS.

  8. Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy
    It’s true that the record is a bit front-loaded, but who among us did not expect - even demand - to hear “I Like It” at any party during the summer? And then “Bodak Yellow.” And then “Bickenhead.” And at that point, you might as well just play the whole record and then hit repeat.

  9. Jeremy Dutcher - Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa
    One of the most stunning records made in ages that confronts the listener with important issues such as language, colonization, and the connection between a people and its land. The 2018 Polaris Prize winner.

  10. Sloan - 12
    A strong offering from Sloan, a band that has never once made a bad record. Do they already have a song in which they tell listeners that if it feels good, do it? Yes. Does their new song about doing what feels good, feel good? Absolutely.

Honourable Mentions:

  • Salomé Leclerc - Les Choses Extérieures
  • S.H.I.T.? - What Do We Stand For
  • Mitski - Be The Cowboy
  • La Force - La Force
  • Brookside Mall - Brookside Mall
  • Jennifer Castle - Angels of Death
  • Bonjay - Lush Life

Best Songs

  1. Hubert Lenoir - “Fille De Personne I-III” - Darlene
    My Donna Summer meets Black Sabbath meets David Bowie dreams have come true.

  2. Ought - “Desire” - Room Inside the World
    Probably tied with Habit for the best Ought song to date.

  3. U.S. Girls - “Time” - In a Poem Unlimited
    It’s a cover, but U.S. Girls makes it entirely their own. My Talking Heads meets ABBA dreams have come true.

  4. Helena Deland - “Perfect Weather for A Storm” - From The Series of Songs “Altogether Unaccompanied”
    I love a good crunchy guitar riff.

  5. Bonjay - “How Come” - Bonjay
    Alana Stuart’s vocals are unbelievable in this song.

  6. Charlotte Day Wilson - “Doubt” by - Stone Woman
    Another vocal stunner showcase.

  7. Janelle Monáe - “Make Me Feel” - Dirty Computer
    If you don’t play this song and then not play Kiss by Prince right after, I don’t even know who you are.

  8. Amen Dunes - “Blue Rose” - Freedom
    My Simple Minds meets U2 dreams have come true.

  9. Jennifer Castle - “Crying Shame” - Angels of Death
    I never relished in shame as much as I have listening to this song.

  10. THE CARTERS - “APESHIT” - EVERYTHING IS LOVE
    I mean, have you REALLY seen a crowd going apeshit?

Best Discoveries of 2018*

*Not bands making records in 2018, necessarily.

  1. Hubert Lenoir
    Talented, brilliant, show-stopper, never-before-seen, once-in-a-lifetime.

  2. DEVO
    I long dismissed DEVO as a novelty band because “Whip It” is both notorious and ludicrous. But, I finally heard the first DEVO record, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, and was blown away by the pulsating, frenetic, nervous energy.

  3. The Clean
    A college rock band from New Zealand making music in the 1980s that’s more enjoyable to listen to than R.E.M. (a hot take, I know.) Their first record, Compilation, has such haunting, mesmerizing songs, such as “Tally Ho” and my personal favourite “Point That Thing Somewhere Else.”

  4. Mister Yellowman
    A reggae star best known for a song called “Zungunzungunzungunzeng,” but really shines through in his debut album, Mister Yellowman.

  5. The Nerves
    High-powered power-pop from L.A. The creators of the song “Hanging on the Telephone,” a song about being left on read with a crush, I think.

  6. Salome LeClerc
    One of the spookiest debut albums I’ve heard. A lush album with vocals that feel like heavy fog descending in the night.

  7. LIZZO
    The people’s rapper. The people’s flautist. The people’s Ursula. LIZZO for World Queen.

Best Obsessions of 2018*

*Not necessarily records or bands from 2018, not ranked either

  1. Queen
    Bohemian Rhapsody, the film, is infuriating because of how wildly inaccurate it is. “Bohemian Rhapsody”, the song, is forever dope.

  2. Metallica
    Covered Queen and won a Grammy! But, I revisited the band late this year after binging (but not purging) Metallica documentaries, of which there are several. I think I have listened to “Eye of the Beholder” off of ...And Justice For All 50,000 times in one night.

  3. Sloan - Twice Removed
    An album I asked my friends to listen to so that they can appreciate finer details such as the lyrics to the song “Penpals” and Jay’s vocals in “Snowsuit Sound.” Officially requesting this to be on my tombstone: “It’s not the band I hate, it’s the fans.”

  4. The B-52s - The B-52s
    “Rock Lobster” isn’t even the best song off the record. I would put my money on “Dance This Mess Around.”

  5. The Replacements
    I read Trouble Boys by Bob Mehr and I fell very much in love with these frustrating, obfuscating weirdos from Minneapolis. Every Replacements record to me is perfect, even All Shook Down.

  6. Ringo Starr
    The Beatles, ranked:
    1. Yoko Ono
    2. Ringo Starr
    3. John Lennon
    4. George Harrison
    5. Pete Best
    6. Billy Preston
    7. Paul McCartney. (Don’t @ me.)

  7. Prince
    Another weirdo from Minneapolis who made incredible records. I once had to DJ an art gallery drag show and my instructions were to play “artsy, quirky, oldie, contemporary songs.” So naturally, I played a lot of Prince.

  8. Steely Dan
    People around CJLO (read: Allison and Zach) are starting to know me as The Steely Dan Person, which is such an honour.

  9. Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
    Celebrated its 20th anniversary this year and its quirkiness still lives on in the hearts of outcasts in high schools everywhere. When I first heard this album in 11th grade, I didn’t really understand the appeal. But upon further reflecting on the time that was 1998, a (kind of) pre-internet, post-grunge world, it’s bizarre to me that here was this album with a bagpipe jam, lyrics about Anne Frank, and loving Jesus Christ. I’ve thought a lot about this record, maybe more than any of the records listed here.

Allison O’Reilly - Program Director and Co-Facilitator of the CJLO Women’s Collective

Top 15 Releases

  • American Pleasure Club  - A Whole Fucking Lifetime of This

  • Soccer Mommy - Clean

  • Booji Boys - Unknown Pleathers

  • Jeff Rosenstock - POST

  • BBQT - ALL FOR SHOW

  • Rotten Column - Are We Not Bags

  • Cloud Nothings - Last Building Burning by

  • Swearin’ - Fall Into the Sun

  • IDLES - Joy as an Act of Resistance

  • SOPHIE - Oil Of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides

  • Superchunk - What a Time To Be Alive

  • Mitski - Be The Cowboy

  • Deafheaven - Ordinary Corrupt Human Love

  • The Body - I Have Fought Against It, But I Can’t Any Longer by

  • JPEGMAFIA - Veteran

  • Iceage - Beyondless

  • FRIGS - Basic Behaviour

TOP 15 SONGS OF 2018 AKA SONGS I PUT ON REPEAT A LOT

  • SOPHIE -  “Immaterial”

  • The 1975 - “TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME”

  • Cloud Nothings - “Leave Him Now”

  • Kurt Vile - “Check Baby”

  • Nap Eyes - “Every Time the Feeling”

  • Ryan Hemsworth - “Four Seasons”

  • Washing Machine - “Saint Rita’s Baby”

  • Mineral - “Aurora”

  • Playboi Carti - “Shoota (ft. Lil Uzi Vert)”

  • Parquet Courts - “Almost Had to Start a Fight/In and Out of Patience”

  • Motherhood - “Pick of the Pugs”

  • Frankie Cosmos - “Accommodate”

  • U.S. Girls - “Incidental Boogie”

  • Car Seat Headrest - “Bodys”

  • Camp Cope - “The Opener”

TOP 10 BEST SHOWS OF 2018

  • Radiohead at Bell Centre

  • Martha at The Clocktower (Ottawa Explosion Weekend)

  • Rotten Column and Washing Machine at the Sackville Legion (Sappyfest)

  • Hubert Lenoir at La Sala Rossa

  • Fiddlehead at La Plante

  • Yaeji at Centre Phi

  • Mitski at Club Soda

  • Superchunk at Bowery Ballroom

  • Thou at Saint Vitus

  • The Breeders at Theatre Corona

Most Memorable CJLO Moment of the Year

A three-way tie between the zine launch for SCORNED, our outrageously chaotic Big Shiny Tunes cover show, or my favorite metal band Pallbearer (!!!) doing a live session in the Oven. Every moment at CJLO is memorable!

Zakary Slax - Music Director & Host of Slax Trax, Monday 6 p.m.

10 LPs

  • Daughters - You Won't Get What You Want

  • Kamasi Washington - Heaven/Earth

  • La Luz - Floating Features

  • Lonely Parade - The Pits

  • Low - Double Negative

  • Noname - Room 25

  • Sleep - The Sciences

  • Stephen Malkmus - Sparkle Hard

  • Tim Hecker - Konoyo

  • Yo La Tengo - There's a Riot Going On

5 Trax

  • Bernice - "He's The Moon"

  • Rotten Column - "I'm a Bag"

  • Rick White - "Tomorrow"

  • Sick Thoughts - "Black Leather Glove"

  • Yee Grlz - "S.A.D."

Best CJLO Memories

Interviewing Jean-Hervé Peron of Krautrock legends Faust, Meeting the drummer of 60's garage rock obscuros 'The Zakary Thaks' and having him call out my stage name, and getting a photo with Nardwuar the Human Serviette

Andrew Wieler - Metal Music Director and Grade A Explosives, Sunday 4 p.m.

Best Albums

10. Ghost - Prequelle
Though I joke that this is by far the greatest 80's stadium rock record of the year, Ghost seems to be perpetually pulling a case of giving people what they didn't even know they wanted. Catchy, dark, and full of Satan, this album has is great though it does fall a bit flat at places.

9. The Ocean - Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic
Oh those crazy Germans and their superbly done albums about another one of the geologic periods of Earth's history. What will they perfect next?

8. A Perfect Circle - Eat the Elephant
A Perfectly solid album that feels like a logical progression. Not as good as their first two records, but it holds its own. But really "The Doomed" makes this record glorious and cannot be denied.

7. Mantar - The Modern Art of Setting Ablaze
Despite the bad grammar in the title, this record rocks hard the way Mantar has come to be known. A heavy, sludgy, and ultimately awesome record delivered by just two people. Oh Germany, what can't you do?

6. Pig Destroyer - Head Cage
Pig Destroyer make a truly ugly record that in its ugliness shows us great beauty. Sure it's slower than previous albums, but being a sludgy, Southern influenced bit of grime is really the shining part of this record.

5. Author & Punisher - Beastland
As an industrial kid, I always hold out hope that it will make a triumphant return, and Beastland reinvigorates my hope that new artists want to jump into the industrial realm and innovate. This record is Skinny Puppy in 2018, and nothing is wrong with that.

4. Dirt Cannon - What Eats You
Southern metalcore still lives and it is embodied by the fine gentlemen in this Quebec group. A bit short, but it makes up for its length with catchy hooks. If you're looking for a bit of a throwback or the second coming of Every Time I Die's The Big Dirty, look no further.

3. Harakiri for the Sky - Arson
Still one of the best "post black metal" bands releasing things today, Harakiri for the Sky is able to produce a heavy, haunting record. Again, this is just two guys, and between them and the fine NYC gents in So Hideous, whatever post black metal is sits in good hands. Deafheaven wishes they could make songs like this.

2. Coheed & Cambria - Vaxis I: The Unheavenly Creatures
After a dismal record about family, Claudio Sanchez finally puts out a record about space bullshit and it's pretty solid. Able to have great jams like "Walk Among Us" and "The Dark Sentencer" next to Prize Fighter Inferno-esque things like "Unheavenly Creatures" really shows the varied ability of the band, and they are better off for it.

1. Zeal & Ardor - Stranger Fruit
It's hard to be original, and Zeal & Ardor is doing more original things than anyone has any right to. Mixing elements of black metal and Southern slave spirituals to a sound that I am calling "Blackened gospel," this second record somehow manages to still sound original even as it gives us more, albeit with more polish, of the first. It even manages to throw in some social commentary starting with the album title. If you slept on this and the last record, you need to get on it, because it is great.

Honorable Mentions

Gost - Garruth
Do you like black metal vocals in your harsh electronica? Then Detroit's Gost has you covered.

CJLO Presents: Burned in The Oven: Volume 2 - It felt wrong of me to put this in the top 10 since I worked on it, but I would be remiss if I didn't take another opportunity to push a record that we at CJLO made thanks to so many bands coming in and rocking out in our recording studio. You can judge how much you love it by going to CJLO's Bandcamp and downloading it for free dollars.

Most Memorable CJLO moment:

A tie between CJLO bringing Destroyer of Light to play at Piranha and Pallbearer stopping by and doing a session in the Oven.

DJ Lady Oracle - Hip Hop Music Director and Co-Host of The Limelight, Saturday at 6 p.m.

Best Albums

  • The Internet - Hive Mind

  • Jai Nitai Lotus - Affirmations

  • Aiza - Adieu

  • Anderson .Paak - Oxnard

  • Bas - Milky Way

  • J Cole - KOD

  • Shad - A Story About War

  • Marco Polo Masta Ace - A Breukelen Story

  • Black Thought - Streams of Thought

  • Stimulator Jones - Exotic Worlds and Masterful Treasures

Favourite Single

  • Childish Gambino - “This is America”
Best Shows

  • Rapsody at Female Hip Hop Showcase SXSW

  • Jai Nitai Lotus Album Launch at Espace Knox

  • H.E.R. at MTELUS

 

Holden Carroll, Electronic Music Director and Host of Multiple Tabs, Wednesday at 11 a.m.

Great Releases of 2018:

Assorted Trax of 2018:

Mixlist 2018:

* denotes hosted by Multiple Tabs

Autotuned Soundcloud Single of the Year:

Alexandre Denis - Mag Editor & Host of Transmission, Tuesday 11 a.m.

Best Albums (in no particular order)

  • Brockett Parsons - The Brockettship

  • Kamaal Williams - The Return

  • U.S. Girls - In a Poem Unlimited

  • Ought - Room Inside the World

  • Yonatan Gat - Universalists

  • Jon Hopkins - Singularity

  • Shopping - The Official Body

  • Superorganism - Superorganism

  • Lydia Kepinski - Premier Juin

  • Knife Knights - 1 Time Mirage

Best Reissues and Rediscoveries (in no particular order)

  • Ayalew Mesfin - Hasabe (My Worries)

  • John Coltrane - Both Directions at Once

  • The Beatles - The Beatles

  • Bob Dylan - More Blood, More Tracks

  • Amnesty - Free Your Mind

Best Concerts

  • Yonatan Gat/TEKE::TEKE at Distorsion Psych Fest

  • Ought/Snail Mail at Theatre Fairmount

  • Shopping at Bar Le Ritz PDB

  • IDLES at Theatre Fairmount

  • Bush Tetras at Pop Montreal

  • Femi Kuti & The Positive Force at MTELUS

  • !!! at Montreal Jazz Festival

  • Tough Age at Brasserie Beaubien

  • LCD Soundsystem at Place Bell

  • Lady J and the Jazz Cigarettes at Casa Obscura

Angelica - Host of BVST, Wednesday at 7 p.m.

This year, I'm flipping my list on its head a little bit. Instead of favorite albums and tracks to taste, I'm picking my favorite tracks (in no particular order) in hopes that you might like them enough give the rest of the record a try! I've even made it easy for you - you can listen to (almost) all of my song picks on a playlist.

  • Andrew W.K. - “Music is Worth Living For" from You're Not Alone
    I heavily considered just making this squealing, synthy insanity, repeated ten times over, the entirety of my list for this year, mostly  ̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶j̶o̶k̶e̶ because it's such an epic, over-the-top ode to persevering by the king of partying (and positivity).

  • Ghost - "Pro Memoria" from Prequelle
    Upping the ante with full-on 70s style piano-heavy pomposity, this song has everything I fundamentally hate: keys, strings and clean vocals. That said, I can't not include a song whose chorus is "Don't you forget about dying / Don't you forget about your friend Death / Don't you forget that you will die". Inspirational.

  • Zeal & Ardor - "Ship On Fire" from Stranger Fruit
    Once again combining black metal elements with Satanic spirituals, this song adds a dancehall stomp to the mix to great effect. By the time the monastic chants chime in, intoning spells from a 15th century grimoire (!), you'll be a believer.

  • Nashville Pussy - "Testify" from Pleased to Eat You
    This is about as Southern-fried as it gets... organs, church choir choruses and finger-lickin'-good guitar melt together in a high-energy handclapper that'll have you rolling in the pews.

  • Nightseeker - "Thunder and Lightning" from 3069: A Space-Rock Sex Odyssey
    This song sounds like it straight up time-traveled from the early 70s directly into my life, and transcends its FUBAR joke band origins as well as the mostly cock-rock bombast of the rest of the record (which is still excellent). Slot this one in between "Radar Love" and "(Don't Fear) the Reaper" for the roadtrip of your life.

  • Monster Magnet - "When the Hammer Comes Down" from Mindfucker
    Faint shades of T. Rex's "Children of the Revolution" tinge this colossus, which is fitting for Monster Magnet's signature 70s spacemetal sound. Packed wall-to-wall with swagger, Dave Wyndorf knows the key to rock is to not fix what ain't broke, and this song, and the album it's pulled from, is working just fine.

  • Le Kraken - "Orgue" from De paille et d'or
    An extremely late entry to the list, these Montrealers are back with their first new record in six years, and it's a monster. Their signature super-heavy post-metal sound is back, and I forgot how much I missed the dueling vocals, which absolutely pummel this track.

  • ASG - "Lightning Song" from Survive Sunrise
    Bringing desert rock to the Wilmington, NC coastline since 2001, I've always loved this band's shining, soaring stoner sound, polished to perfection on this track. Unrelenting riffs with a sunbleached haze, this will bring a bit of summer to your coldest days.

  • Dirt Cannon - "Hire Consciousness" from What Eats You
    This year's list seems to have collected quite a few motivational tracks, and this one is perhaps the granddaddy of them all. "Today, if I'm busy doing / I won't get caught thinking / And I'll thrive", scream the lyrics, over Southern metalcore breakdowns that hearken back to simpler times, when skinny jeans and circle pits were all that mattered.

  • Spectral Wound - "Slaughter of the Medusa" from Infernal Decadence
    Living up to its album's name, this song manages to sound majestic and terrifying in equal measure. This is black metal without the bullshit, a pure distillation of the genre with riffage for days. Listen to it here.

In honorable mentions, plenty of other bands had great releases this year, including Clutch, High on Fire, High Priestess, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, King Witch, Behemoth, Psychedelic Witchcraft, and Zeke!

Most Memorable CJLO moment

Without a doubt, my most memorable CJLO moment of the year was our live broadcast from the Heavy Montreal site. In a picturesque garden surrounded by flowers, we talked about our experiences at the festival while bands stumbled in and out to be interviewed live on air. There's no better way to spend a Sunday afternoon! On a personal note, after attempting (and failing) to see Monster Magnet live for the better part of a decade, it finally happened for me this year, and it was everything I had hoped for!

Alex - Host of Ashes to Ashes, Tuesday 1 p.m.

Top Albums of 2018

  1. Lydia Képinski - Premier juin

  2. Kali Uchis - Isolation

  3. Bagarre - CLUB 12345

  4. For Esmé - Righteous Woman

  5. Fanny Bloom - Liqueur

  6. Cam Maclean - Wait for Love

  7. Buddy - Harlan & Alondra

  8. Let's Eat Grandma - I'm All Ears

  9. Ragers - Raw Footage

  10. Cadence Weapon - Cadence Weapon

Honourable Mentions

  • Ariane Moffatt - Petites mains précieuses

  • Choses Sauvages - Choses Sauvages

  • George Clanton - Slide

  • Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour

  • Metric - Art of Doubt

  • Yes Mccan - OUI (tout, tout, tout, toutttte)

Top EPs of 2018

  1. Helena Deland - From the Series of Songs "Altogether Unaccompanied", Vol. I-IV

  2. LaF - Hôtel délices

  3. Bad Nylon - Bébé t'es unique

  4. Marie-Gold - Goal : Une mélodie

  5. Dylarama - Certified Cutie

Sylvain Verstricht - Host of The Rest of Us, Tuesday 7 p.m.

Top Pop Albums

  1. Hatchie - Sugar & Spice

  2. MorMor - Heaven’s Only Wishful

  3. Half Waif - Lavender

  4. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour

  5. Florence + The Machine - High as Hope

  6. Helena Deland - From the Series of Songs “Altogether Unaccompanied” Vol. I & II

  7. Rae Morris - Someone Out There

  8. Mistki - Be the Cowboy

  9. AURORA - Infections of a Different Kind (Step I)

  10. MGMT - Little Dark Age

Top Pop Singles

  1. Mitski - “Nobody”

  2. Kacey Musgraves - “High Horse”

  3. Florence + The Machine - “Hunger”

  4. AURORA - “Forgotten Love”

  5. Hatchie - “Sugar & Spice”

  6. MorMor - “Heaven’s Only Wishful”

  7. Taylor Swift - “Getaway Car”

  8. Flower Face - “Baby Teeth”

  9. ATTLAS - “Want”

  10. The Goon Sax - “We Can’t Win”

Top Concerts

  1. Beverly Glenn-Copeland at La Sala Rossa

  2. Limp Wrist at  La Sala Rossa

  3. Let’s Eat Grandma at Bar Le Ritz PDB

  4. Jessica Moss at Casa del Popolo

  5. Hatchie at Bar Le Ritz PDB

  6. Kraus at l’Escogriffe

  7. Moses Sumney at La Sala Rossa

  8. Girl Ray at Théâtre Plaza

  9. Drip at Bar Danse Entre-Nous

  10. Cheap Wig at Casa del Popolo

Sarah Boumedda - Host of Hallyu Central, Wednesday 2 p.m.

Top 10 Albums of 2018

  1. NCT- NCT 2018 EMPATHY
    NCT’s concept, as a group, is fascinating: while all (eighteen!) members belong to the supergroup NCT, they are then divided into smaller performing units, or groups of themselves, according to a variety of criteria and exploring a wide range of genres, from cheerful teen pop to intricate urban hip-hop. While subunits such as NCT Dream or NCT 127 have put out great music this year as well (the latter’s first full album also being included in this list), it is NCT 2018 EMPATHY that takes the cake for me as best album of the year, as it regroups all eighteen members in all their various units to explore NCT’s skills both in musicality and performance potential. To be fair, the rest of this list might be stronger in terms of music—but NCT’s strength as a group goes far beyond their talent as singers, rappers, and performers; it also takes root in their wondrous versatility, and NCT 2018 EMPATHY couldn’t have been a better way to prove it.

  2. DAY6 - Shoot Me or DAY6 - Unlock
    It’s impossible to choose. As I’m writing this, DAY6 is set to release yet another EP, titled Remember Us, and it definitely would have made this list if I had had the chance to hear it beforehand. There’s an undeniable pull to each and every DAY6 song there exists that always speaks of honesty and raw talent, and the tracks on both Shoot Me and Unlock are no exception. I find it hard to have just one favourite band, but if I had to choose, DAY6 would take the title, no questions asked.

  3. Coeur de Pirate - en cas de tempête, ce jardin sera fermé.
    Béatrice Martin. Queen of music. Queen of being a woman. Queen of being French-Canadian. Queen of turning herself into a meme on the Internet, owning up to that image, and still remain a socially aware and outspoken individual, using her platform to talk with people while also shining light on issues that are dear to her heart and important to discuss. The album is a masterpiece and includes Béatrice’s most honest lyrics to date—and the best music, too. What a woman. I’m in love with her. You should be, too.

  4. Jorja Smith - Lost & Found

  5. Shawn Mendes - Shawn Mendes

  6. NCT 127 - Regular-Irregular

  7. EXO - Don’t Mess Up My Tempo

  8. Daichi Miura-  Sphere

  9. Khalid - Suncity (EP)

  10. Troye Sivan- Bloom

Top 10 Songs of 2018

  1. NCT U - “Baby Don’t Stop”

  2. DAY6 - “Falling”

  3. EXO - “Ooh La La La”

  4. Coeur de Pirate - “Combustible”

  5. NCT 127 - “Fly Away With Me”

  6. DEAN - “instagram”

  7. TEN - “New Heroes”

  8. DPR LIVE - “Action!” Featuring GRAY

  9. Red Velvet - “Bad Boy”

  10. Jorja Smith - “The One”

Honourable mentions (albums)

  • Colde - Wave (EP)

  • Milk & Bone - Deception Bay

  • Roosevelt - Young Romance

  • SALTNPAPER - More Than Just Circles

  • Jung Ilhoon - Big Wave (EP)

  • EXO-CBX - Blooming Days

  • Now, Now - Saved

  • YESEO - Damn Rules

  • divin’ - The Puzzle of Time (EP)

  • Deepshower - COLORS (EP)

Omar Sonics - Host/Producer of Hooked on Sonics, Thursday  6 p.m.

Top albums  

  1. Fiddlehead - Springtime and Blind

  2. Soccer Mommy - Clean

  3. Low - Double Negative

  4. IDLES - Joy as an Act of Resistance

  5. Grouper - Grid of Points

  6. Culture Abuse - Bay Dream

  7. Kelly Moran - Ultravolet

  8. Pusha T - Daytona

  9. Soft Moon - Criminal

  10. Spiritualized - And Nothing Hurt

  11. Mariah Carey - Caution  

  12. Beach House - 7

  13. A Place to Bury Strangers - Pinned

  14. Drug Church - Cheer

  15. Fucked Up - Dose Your Dreams

  16. Ovlov - Tru

  17. Tinashe - Joyride

  18. The Beths - Future Me Hates Me

  19. mewithoutYou - [Untitled]

  20. Superchunk - What a Time to Be Alive

Honourable Mentions

Nick Schofield, Failure, Deafheaven, Slow Mass, Playboy Carti, Jeff Rosenstock, Chastity, Hot Snakes, Daughters, Cardi B, Sumac, Spectral Wound, Janelle Monáe, Glenn Jones, Frigs, Kali Uchis

Favourite Tracks

  1. Soccer Mommy - "Your Dog"

  2. Fiddlehead - "Lay Low" & "Poem You"

  3. Tinashe - "Stuck With Me" featuring Little Dragon

  4. Let's Eat Grandma - "Hot Pink"

  5. Iris - "Away"

  6. Chastity - "Children"

  7. Culture Abuse - "Calm E"

  8. IDLES - "Colossus"

  9. Mariah Carey - "Giving Me Life" featuring Blood Orange & Slick Rick

  10. Our Girl - "Being Around"

  11. Low - "Poor Sucker"

  12. Mitski - "Nobody"

  13. Cigarettes After Sex - "Crush"

  14. A Place to Bury Strangers - "Never Coming Back"

  15. Ella Mai - "Boo'd Up"

  16. Slow Mass - "Suburban Yellow"

  17. FRIGS - "Talking Pictures"

  18. Carly Rae Jepsen - "Party For One"

  19. Cloud Nothings - "The Echo of the World"

  20. Snail Mail - "Heat Wave"

Favourite Shows  

  1. Fiddlehead at La Plante

  2. Afghan Whigs at Danforth Music Hall

  3. Grouper at Sala Rosa

  4. IDLES at Fairmount

  5. A Place to Bury Strangers at Fairmount

  6. Radiohead at Bell Centre

  7. Wolf Parade at Sala Rosa

Most Anticipated Record of 2019   

Chromatics - Dear Tommy

Paul Lafond - Contributor, Hooked on Sonics, Thursday  6 p.m.

Top albums  

  • Coombes, Gaz - World's Strongest Man

  • Low - Double Negative

  • Mastersystem - Dance Music ( MOST LISTENED)

  • Failure - In The Future Your Body Will Be The Furthest Thing From Your Mind

  • Thom Yorke - Suspiria Soundtrack  

Favourite Shows

  • Moses Sumney at La Sala Rossa (2018-07-03)

  • Foo Fighters at Festival D'été De Québec (2018-07-09)

  • Beck at Place Bell (2018-07-10)

  • Radiohead at Centre Bell (2018-07-17)

Favourite Films  

  • Suspiria

  • The Night Comes For Us

  • Upgrade

  • Annihilation

  • You Were Never Really Here

  • Chuck Steel: Night Of The Trampires

Dr, Nana Dawson-Andoh - Contributor, Hooked on Sonics, Thursday  6 p.m.

Top albums  

  • Kamasi Washington -  Heaven and Earth

  • Khruangbin - Con Todo El Mundo

  • Tune-Yards - I can feel you creep into my private life

  • Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Hope Downs

  • Saintseneca - Pillar of Na

  • Phosphorescent - C’est La Vie

  • Robyn - Honey

Honourable Mentions

  • Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Sex & Food

  • Santigold - I Don't Want: The Gold Fire Sessions

  • Meshell Ndegeocello - Ventriloquism

  • La Luz - Floating Features

Favourite Tracks

  • Childish Gambino - “This Is America”

  • Neko Case - “Last Lion of Albion

  • Parquet Courts - “Almost Had to Start a Fight/In and Out of Patience”

  • Kamasi Washington - “Fists of Fury”

  • Young Fathers - “In My View”

  • Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - “Talking Straight”

  • Saintseneca - “Frostbiter”

  • Robyn - “Honey”

  • Father John Misty - “Mr. Tillman”

  • Khruangbin - “Evan Finds the Third Room”

  • Meshell Ndegeocello - “I Wonder If I Take You Home” (cover of Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam)

  • Cat Power - “Woman”

  • The Decemberists - “Once In My Life”

Simon Howell - Contributor, Hooked on Sonics, Thursday  6 p.m.

Top albums  

  1. Tropical Fuck Storm -  A Laughing Death in Meatspace

  2. Rolo Tomassi - Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It

  3. The Amazing - In Transit

  4. Natalie Prass - The Future and the Past

  5. Low - Double Negative

  6. Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino

  7. Foxing - Nearer My God

  8. Zeal and Ardor - Stranger Fruit

  9. Mournful Congregation - The Incubus of Karma

  10. Let's Eat Grandma - I'm All Ears

  11. Donovan Wolfington - WAVES

  12. Pianos Become the Teeth - Wait for Love

  13. Kero Kero Bonito - Time n' Place

  14. Hot Snakes - Jericho Sirens

  15. The Armed - Only Love

  16. Tomb Mold - Manor of Infinite Forms

  17. Drug Church - Cheer

  18. Yob - Our Raw Heart

  19. Joyce Manor - Million Dollars to Kill Me

  20. The Beths - Future Me Hates Me

Favourite tracks

  • The 1975 - "I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)"

  • Sarah Mary Chadwick - "Sugar Still Melts in the Rain"

  • Cupcakke - "Quiz"

  • Lana Del Rey - "Venice Bitch"

  • Fucked Up - "Normal People"

  • Hop Along - "Prior Things"

  • Lonnie Holley - "I Snuck Off the Space Ship"

  • Kitten - "I Did It!"

  • Loma - "Black Willow"

  • Mitski - "Between the Breaths" ft. Xiu Xiu

  • Kacey Musgraves - "Space Cowboy"

  • Meg Myers - "Numb"

  • Protomartyr - "Wheel of Fortune" ft. Kelly Deal

  • Rae Sremmurd - "Powerglide" ft. Juicy J

  • Marc Ribot - "Bella Ciao" ft. Tom Waits

  • Jeff Rosenstock - "USA"

  • Screaming Females - "I'll Make You Sorry"

  • SOPHIE - "Faceshopping"

  • Andrew WK - "Music is Worth Living For"

  • YG - "Suu Whoop"

Sarah Velk - Host of Sunglasses Inside, Wednesday 12 p.m.

TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2018:

  • King Krule – The OOZ  

  • Helena Deland – From The Series of Songs "Altogether Unaccompanied" Volumes I-IV

  • Puma Blue – Blood Loss

  • Mac Miller – Swimming

  • Mitski – Be The Cowboy

  • Peach Pit – Being So Normal

  • Her's – Invitation to Her's

  • Beach House – 7

  • Jorja Smith – Lost & Found

  • Snail Mail – Lush

Most memorable CJLO moment of the year

Big Shiny Tunes 2018

Aviva Majerczyk - Host of The Alley, Wednesday 4 p.m.

Top Albums

  1. IDLES - Joy As An Act of Resistance.

  2. KIDS SEE GHOSTS - Kids See Ghosts

  3. HMLTD - Hate Music Last Time Delete EP

  4. Blood Orange - Negro Swan

  5. Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel

  6. Corey Gulkin - All Things I’ll Forget

  7. Against All Logic - 2012 - 2017

  8. SOPHIE  - The Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides

  9. Tony Molina - Kill The Lights

  10. Denzel Curry - TA13OO

Top Tracks

  1. IDLES - “Danny Nedelko”

  2. boygenius - “Me & My Dog”

  3. Kids See Ghosts - “Feel The Love”

  4. Courtney Barnett - “Need A Little Time”

  5. Hop Along - “One That Suits Me”

  6. Helena Deland - “Claudion”

  7. Car Seat Headrest - “Sober to Death”

  8. Hatchie - “Sugar and Spice”

  9. Iceage - “Pain Killer”

  10. Look Vibrant - “Numb Your Spirit”

Honourable Mentions

  1. Mitski - Be the Cowboy

  2. Hinds - I Don’t Run

  3. Waahli - Black Soap

  4. Let’s Eat Grandma - I’m All Ears

  5. Look Vibrant - The Up Here Place

  6. U.S. Girls - In a Poem Unlimited

  7. Kali Uchis - Isolation

  8. The Marias - Superclean Vol. 1

Favourite Show:

Albert Hammond Jr. with The Marias @ L’Astral

Chris the Frog - Host of Sewer Spewer, Monday 12 p.m.

Best Montreal Albums

  • The Great Sabatini - Goodbye Audio
  • Chemical Way - Chilling Spree
  • Spectral Wound - Infernal Decadence
  • Vantablack Warship - Abrasive Pulmonic Speak
  • The BCASA - I Don’t Friggin Give a Heck!
  • Grimskunk - Unreason in the Age of Madness
  • Dopethrone - TransCanadian Anger
  • Tunguska Mammoth - Breathless
  • Mountain Dust - Seven Storms

Hood Rats - Trash Party

Best Canadian Albums (outside of Montreal)

  • KEN Mode - Loved
  • Cancer Bats - The Spark That Moves
  • Fucked Up - Dose Your Dreams
  • Greber - Cemetery Preston
  • Sinner - Sanity In the Mouth of Hell

Best International Albums (outside of Canada)

  • Author & Punisher - Beastland
  • Cult Leader - A Patient Man
  • Skating Polly - The Make It All Show
  • Pagan - Black Wash
  • Pig Destroyer - Head Cage

Most Memorable CJLO Moment

Performing an industrial noise cover of Kid Rock’s “Only God Knows Why” with Sean of Sublime State of Doom for Big Shiny Tunes 5 Fundraiser

Hunter Walwaski, Co-Host of The Iron Club, Monday 2 p.m.

Top 10 Albums of 2018

1. Ripped to Shreds - 埋葬
2. Tomb Mold - Manor of Infinite Forms
3. Taphos - Come Ethereal Somberness
4. Ulthar - Cosmovore
5. Torture Rack - Malefic Humiliation
6. Hyperdontia - Nexus of Teeth
7. Skeletal Remains - Devouring Mortality
8. High on Fire - Electric Messiah
9. Diabolic Force - Praise of Satan
10. Extremity - Coffin Birth

Top 10 non-album singles, EPs, demos, and splits of 2018 (artist-album):

1. Bog Body - “Through the Burial Bog”
2. Coffin Rot/Molder - Split
3. Snorlax - Splintering Demo
4. Tomb Mold - Cerulean Salvation
5. Undergang/Gorephilia Split EP
6. Sleep - "Leagues Beneath"
7. Crurifragium/Abysmal Lord - Crurifragium/Abysmal Lord
8. Draghkar - The Endless Howling Abyss
9. Cadaveric Fumes/Skelethal - Heirs Of Hideous Secrecies
10.毒蠱  - Demo II

Most Memorable CJLO Moment

This was my first year at CJLO, as we started our show in November. I'm still pretty new at this, but my favourite moment has to be running my first "show" with Allison and getting to press all the buttons and move all the faders and such. So much power!

Phil Aveline - Host of Turn On The Darkness, Wednesday at 2 p.m.

Top 10 Albums of 2018

  1. Haken - Vector
  2. Mellevons - Covets
  3. Steven Wilson - Home Invasion (Live at Royal Albert Hall)
  4.  Architect - Holy Hell
  5. Between the Buried and Me - Automata
  6. Obscura - Diluvium
  7. Tesseract - Sonder
  8. Palm Reader - Braille
  9. Ghost - Prequelle
  10. Slugdge - Esoteric Malacology

Best shows of 2018

  1. Wintersun at Club Soda
  2. Steven Wilson at Olympia
  3. Insomnium at Foufounes Electronique
  4. Revocation + Rivers of Nihil at Foufounes Electronique
  5. Tesseract at Club Soda
  6. Heavy Montreal 2018
  7. The Contortionist, Palm Reader and The Dali Thundering Concept at O'Sullivan's in Paris
  8. Nightwish at Metropolis
  9. Any of Ashbreather’s shows this year
  10. Mellevon's Memorial show

Jacob Carey - Co-Host of Trappin’ in Traffic, Tuesday 5 p.m.

Best Albums

  1. Travis Scott - Astroworld

  2. Various Artists - Black Panther: The Album

  3. Lil Baby & Gunna - Drip Harder

  4. J. Cole - KOD

  5. Pusha T - Daytona

  6. Post Malone - Beerbongs & Bentleys

  7. Drake - Scorpion

  8. Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy

  9. Lil Wayne - Tha Carter V

  10. XXXTentacion - ?

Best Artists

  1. Drake

  2. Travis Scott

  3. Post Malone

  4. Cardi B

  5. Lil Baby

  6. Kanye West

  7. Swae Lee

  8. Gucci Mane

  9. Young Thug

  10. Offset

Rookie of the Year

  1. Trippie Redd

  2. Juice WRLD

  3. Lil Baby

Biggest Disappointment

  1. Kanye West & Kid Cudi - Kids See Ghosts

  2. Playboi Carti - Die Lit

  3. A$AP Rocky - Testing

Most memorable moment of CJLO

Unexpectedly starting my own hip-hop radio show with an awesome classmate and co-host.

Louis Pavlakos - Co-Host of Trappin’ in Traffic, Tuesday 5 p.m.

Best Albums:

  1. Kids See Ghosts - Kids See Ghosts

  2. Saba - Care for Me

  3. Pusha T - Daytona

  4. Travis Scott - Astroworld

  5. Mac Miller - Swimming

  6. Tierra Whack - Whack World

  7. ODIE - Analogue

  8. Blood Orange - Negro Swan

  9. Brockhampton - Iridescence

  10. Kali Uchis - Isolation

Honorable Mentions

  • Vince Staples - FM!

  • Smino - Noir

  • Earl Sweatshirt - Some Rap Songs

  • THE CARTERS - EVERYTHING IS LOVE

  • Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy

Best Songs

  1. Kids See Ghosts - "Reborn"

  2. Childish Gambino - "This is America"

  3. Pusha T - "The Games We Play"

  4. Travis Scott - "Stargazing"

  5. ODIE - "North Face"

  6. Drake - "Nice for What"

  7. Saba - "Life"

  8. Cardi B - "I Do (feat. SZA)"

  9. Kali Uchis - "Just a Stranger (feat. Steve Lacy)"

  10. Daniel Caesar - "Who Hurt You?"

Best EPs

  1. Lou Val - Lonely in Paradise

  2. Black Thought  - Streams of Thought Vol. 1

  3. Curren$y x Freddie Gibbs - Fetti

  4. Young Thug - On the Rvn

  5. Zach Zoya - Misstape  

  6. Jack Larsen - Push-Ups

  7. Cautious Clay - Blood Type

  8. THEY. - Fireside

  9. Ravyn Lenae - Crush

  10. Lucky Daye - I

Remi Caron - Host of At The Movies, Tuesday 9 a.m.

Best albums of 2018 (In No Particular order)

  • Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Hotel & Casino

  • Beach House - 7

  • THE CARTERS - EVERYTHING IS LOVE

  • Death Cab for Cutie - Thank You For Today

  • Gorillaz - The Now Now

  • J. Cole - KOD

  • Jack White - Boarding House Reach

  • Pusha-T - Daytona

  • Lily Allen - No Shame

  • Kids See Ghosts - Kids See Ghosts

Discovery Album of the year

  • The Walker Brothers - Night Flights

Most Anticipated Records of 2019   

  • Kanye West - Yhandi
  • Vampire Weekend's new album

Best Soundtracks and Scores (In No Particular order)

  • Anna Meredith - Eighth Grade

  • Colin Stetson - Hereditary

  • Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper - A Star is Born

  • Matthew Herbert - Disobedience

  • Jonny Greenwood - You Were Never Really Here

  • Cliff Martinez  - Game Night

  • Daniel Pemberton - Oceans 8

  • Cody Carpenter, Daniel Davis & John Carpenter - Halloween

  • Hans Zimmer - Widows

Favourite Track

Colin Stetson - “Reborn” - Hereditary OST

Best Films

The year is not over yet but these films are the best so far. If I can find a thematic element for this years list it is the tenacity and perseverance of these characters.

10. A Quiet Place Dir. John Krasinski
9. Roma Dir. Alfonso Cuarón
8. Isle Of Dogs  Dir. Wes Anderson
7. Mid 90’s Dir. Jonah Hill
6. Won’t You Be My Neighbour? Dir. Morgan Neville
5. Sorry To Bother You Dir. Boots Riley
4. BlacKkKlansman Dir. Spike Lee
3. Hereditary Dir. Ari Aster
2. You Were Never Really Here Dir. Lynne Ramsay
1. Widows Dir. Steve McQueen

Nicholas Di Giovanni - Host of CJLO Sports, Monday at 3 p.m. and The Calcio Guys, Tuesday at 2 p.m.

Best Concordia University Sports Moments of 2018

  1. Women's hockey: Wins RSEQ championship; finishes third at nationals.

  2. Men's rugby: wins second-straight championship and goes undefeated for two years.

  3. Men's hockey: Anthony Beauregard sets Concordia record with 60 points in season.

  4. Men's hockey: Captain Philippe Hudon carries Stingers on his back in playoffs.

  5. Women's basketball: Team ranks third in the country after going 4-12 last season.

  6. Football: Offensive lineman Maurice Simba ranks among top prospects in the country.

  7. Wrestling: Team finishes second at nationals.

  8. Women's hockey: Former captain Marie-Joëlle Allard drafted by Les Canadiennes; second captain in a row drafted by them.

  9. Men's basketball: Stingers make finals for first time since 2012, lose to McGill

  10. Women's soccer: Imane Chebel plays for Algerian national team in April

Pages