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CJLO X SXSW 2024: Metal Music Preview

Ah yes... after a break for... some reason that I forgot that is DEFINITELY still NOT happening as you are reading this right now, CJLO is heading back down to SXSW for the first time since 2019.

 
Now, I've stated in the past that metal does not seem to be a priority for SX, so how is it this year?

It's actually worse than previous years.

At time of writing, (February 29th) there are seven bands that include "metal" as one of their two genres. But there are countless genres you can dive into via the SXSW Schedule, so let's expand our search and I'm sure there will be more. We'll add... "nu-metal", "hard rock", "industrial", "stoner", "screamo", "drone", and this year's clear winner in the sub-genre wars, "hardcore".
And now we have.... 21 artists, so let's start recommending.

Zheani is an Australian native who is mixing hyperpop and metal and its honestly really grating and fantastic. If you like her, you'd probably like the hip-hop with nu metal flavoring from UK's Crae Wolf, so check them out.

Flatspot Records is doing a showcase of some of their hardcore bands, so if that's more your flavor, you can check out End It, Day by Day, Buggin, Kharma, Life's Question, and probably the biggest draw of these, Santa Cruz's Scowl.

 

For my money Range Magazine is doing the best of repping Canadian heavy music of all stripes including a showcase with the grindy prog from Wake, some Indigenous hardcore from Toronto's Indian Giver, weirdo punk from Saskatoon in the form of Grimelda, and some straight punk from right here in Montreal from NOBRO.
But, as always, none of this compares to the unofficial portion of SXSW for finding the heaviness.

 

Of course this year has another edition of Stoner Jam, which once again has more than thirty bands performing including Greenbeard, Hashtronaut, Thunder Horse, and the organizers, Duel happening at The Far Out Lounge on Thursday. It's quite the trek from downtown Austin, but definitely worth it if you like your riffs big and fuzzy.
In fact, the Far Out Lounge also has a show happening Sunday with more of a punk focus featuring Tear Dungeon, Spoon Benders, Grocery Bag, and more, so if you're staying until Monday, check out the Two Stager Rager.

 

Now if you'd prefer to "shop local" with your metal, you can check out one of the Austin metal showcases, one at Come and Take It Live on Tuesday (SXSE: Metal Showcase), and the other at my personal favorite venue in Austin, The Lost Well, on Friday (Austin Metal Showcase).
 

But, much like SXSW, I like more than just metal, so here's some bonus bands that you might want to check out if you are heavily inclined. Don't worry, I'll take the hit here. You don't need to expose that you're a metal poser. Just don't tell any of your trve kvlt friends you listened to any of these so you keep your cred.

- UK's more goth version of Royal Blood, Tigercub, will be at SX and if you didn't listen to one of the top records of last year with Perfume of Decay, you are really missing out
- Irish rockers Therapy? will be laying down a set and I'm hoping they play a large chunk of Troublegum since the record turns 30 this year
- Speaking of Ireland, The lone band brave enough to put "industrial" as a genre is Belfast's Chalk who are mixing it pretty well with punk to make a more aggressive post-punk that you could easily see playing a stage next to Skinny Puppy in the 90s
- Of course Chalk will pair nicely with the noisy, industrial-esque mixed with hip hop sensibilities that Enola Gay is putting down, which is convenient since they're playing together at the British Music Embassy on Thursday
- Ho99o9 will be on hand to show why Death Grips isn't the sole owners of the industrial hip hop crown
- Wolves of Glendale construct some pretty funny, story driven tracks that I'm looking forward to laughing at and rocking along to

 
Tune in Sunday March 10th if you want to hear what some of these sound like on Grade A Explosives from 4 - 6PM.

 

Andrew is CJLO 1690AM's Metal Music Director and the host of Grade A Explosives, Sundays 4PM-6PM

 

Squid @ Club Soda

Post-punk is a very broad genre of music. After emerging from punk in the late 70s in the United Kingdom, it saw punk rock mixed with several other elements from different genres that were unconventional within the punk context.

In the band Squid’s case, it is easy to hear some math-rock/midwest emo influences with the presence of odd time signatures and glassy guitar tones throughout most of their songs. Their use of bass and lead synths, seen throughout both of their albums, Bright Green Fields and O Monolith, provide a constant ambience to their music while their drummer and lead vocalist, Ollie Judge, keeps a tight groove and provides an ecstatic vocal performance. Judge's vocals are very punk-reminiscent, with heavily distorted screaming that adds deep emotion and tone to each song. 

However, there is nothing else consistent about the band. In fact, Squid’s charm comes from their inconsistency as, safe for Ollie and the band's keyboardist Arthur Leadbetter, other bandmates Anton Pearson, Laurie Nankivell, and Louis Borlase, are constantly switching the instruments they’re playing. Both Leadbetter and Pearson often shift between guitar and bass, while Pearson also works the synth and his guitar pedal knobs to provide ethereal embellishments and presence to their music. Laurie, although primarily their bass player, also works the trumpet excellently throughout songs such as “Documentary Filmmaker” and “After the Flash,” and Leadbetter mainly works the keyboard, while occasionally picking up the cowbell, tambourine, gong, and some stringed instruments.

It is an understatement to say that the band is extremely diverse, and they take advantage of their vast musical knowledge to constantly create something new. All of this makes it possible for Squid to create beautiful ambient melodies that either precede, follow or merge into gritty and groovy punk rock segments.

While Squid’s music is highly ambitious, incorporating versatile layers of sound feeling like they could fall apart at any moment, it is exactly that organized chaos that led to their performance at Club Soda feeling like a seamless transition from listening to them on record. 

Opening with their song “Swing (In a Dream),” the band members' sheer musical talent and professionalism was demonstrated with how well executed each nuance that makes the album version sound so great, as well as the whole concert being one of the most well-mixed shows I’ve been able to attend in recent months. This combined perfectly with the countless moments of live improvisation that the band would include, each being vastly different from the other. 

Squid performed some of their first hit songs which first began putting them on the post-punk map including “The Cleaner” and “Narrator” and many off their new sophomore release, O-Monolith, but a surprising portion of what was played were deeper cuts off their earlier EPs. One of these deeper cuts being the track “Broadcaster” where Judge steps off his kit and performs with a microphone directly in front of the crowd, providing excellent stage presence as he wandered around the stage with a completely different personality, where instead of looking focused and calculated on the drums he could fill the song with a playful and intimate atmosphere.

Ending the setlist by performing “The Blades” was an unbelievable musical moment that I’ll remember very fondly and kept up the momentous energy that could be felt throughout the entire show. While many of the fans in the audience chanted for an encore since they had yet to play “Pamphlets” which had been a staple at many of their prior shows, they unfortunately did not, which gave some slight disappointment but left me knowing that I would undoubtedly attend their next concert and I highly recommend anyone who enjoys watching expertly played live music to do the same.

CJLO X SXSW 2024: Festival Preview

This year, the team at CJLO is returning to SXSW in Austin, Texas for the first time since 2019! With a festival where the whole world seems to meet over the span of just 9 days, where does one even begin?

We here at CJLO want to bring the best new talent back to you here at the station! As Head Music Director, I’ve meticulously analyzed and dissected the schedule to find the most exciting performances, talks, and special events!

First, let’s talk about the Jaded presents Friends:Forever Showcase presenting the best in Asian talent from across the globe! Se So Neon and Thuy are headlining, but there are about a million and one other great artists you won’t want to miss. There’s Alice Longyu Gao, Subsonic Eye and Ako to name a few, not to mention Canadian and CJLO favorite Pony Girl as well. 

While we’re on the subject of emerging Canadian talent, we should talk about the amazing artists from Montreal who will be proudly showing what our city is made of. Mothland and M for Montreal will be presenting Corridor, Population II and N Nao, while POP Montreal will be presenting Janette King, Sorry Girls, NOBRO, La Securite, and the list goes on! Canada House will also showcase Shaina Hayes, Le Couleur, Living Hour and you guessed it, so much more!

This year, SXSW is platforming bold female singer-songwriters whose latest releases have been powerful, personal, and have flipped all conventions on their head. Mali Velasquez, Frances Chang, Eliza McLamb and Folk Bitch Trio are some of these innovative artists. But if you’re more of a shoegazing indie rocker, you’ll be stoked to see Dry Cleaning, Bar Italia, and Horse Jumper of Love shred up the scene. 

With all this happening at once, how will CJLO staff survive? Good question! You’re just going to have to stay tuned!


Lisa Rupnik is the head music director at CJLO and co-host of The Last Stop. She is also an avid record collector, a “no nonsense” film lover and feels that her personality can be best defined by her two favourite bands: YMO and Sparks.

 

Ichiko Aoba: Nothing Short of a Breathtaking Performance at Théâtre Beanfield

Critically acclaimed Japanese indie folk artist Ichiko Aoba performed here in Montreal this Friday, February 23rd at Théâtre Beanfield. Known for her minimalistic pastel album covers, the singer-songwriter released her debut album entitled Kamisori Otome in 2010. Ichiko’s music is predominantly melodic, mostly guitar and piano-based, and takes heavy inspiration from the original soundtracks of classic Studio Ghibli films. You can see this influence on Ichiko’s most recently released LP, Windswept Adan. The album, which is sung entirely in Japanese, stands out from the rest of her discography by illustrating a world using dramatic instrumentals, stunning vocal performances, and recordings of the wilderness which ties together a thematically consistent and truly unique record. I would encourage everyone reading to give the LP a listen, any language barrier which may present itself does not take away from the masterclass storytelling present in Windswept Adan. Throughout many tracks, the sound of windchimes and waves crashing against the coast can be heard, but I find them most prevalent in “ohayashi,” which demonstrates perfectly how Aoba uses musical motifs in her storytelling. “Chi no Kaze” is a track off this album that more closely resembles her original style of music as well as her live performances, if you want to get a vibe of what her music might sound like in person.

Opening for Ichiko Aoba, Skullcrusher, a New York State-based indie folk artist. She sang mostly songs from her recently released LP Quiet the Room, and started the show off with a comforting atmosphere. The audience was seated for the entirety of both shows, and besides between the Skullcrusher and Aoba sets, there was no intermission. This concert was the perfect place to have seats, as it gave the audience more opportunity to focus solely on the performance and to be truly enthralled by the show at hand.

As soon as Aoba walked from the backstage, you could tell it was going to be an amazing performance. As she walked to her microphone and set up her guitar, cheers roared from the audience, she hummed to herself so quietly that the mics almost couldn’t pick it up. Plugging in her guitar, an extremely loud reverb erupted the venue, and without even flinching, she continued to hum and set up her space. Her demeanour captured the audience’s full attention, and after a few minutes had passed, she began to sing. Throughout the show, she would mimic the sounds of birds and waves with only her voice. At some points, I had to squint to see if she had started to play the flute, but alas, it was her voice. Despite only being herself and a guitar for most of the show, every song sounds distinct from the last. She used her six strings as a drum, a bass, and a normal guitar all at once at some points. Even when taking a break to drink some water, she couldn’t resist making a beat by clanging the lid against her bottle. Aoba’s stage presence was unlike anything else I had ever seen, her bone-chilling vocals as well as her utter instrumental talent somehow paled in comparison to her oozing confidence, humour, and pure joy she conveyed the rest of the night. It truly seemed like there was nowhere she’d rather be. At one point, she stated in between songs “Let the treasures in your heart always protect you.” I found the entire performance a beautiful reflection of how her childhood has influenced her artistry today, especially that quote. And I found myself in a very nostalgic state throughout the entirety of the show, without having ever heard of Ichiko Aoba before this week. 

If you haven’t heard of Ichiko Aoba already, you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you don’t listen to her music. It was an amazing opportunity to see her live, and if you ever get the opportunity to see her yourself, take it! Alternatively, her next city on this tour is Singapore, and I’d argue it might be worth the money on plane tickets for a second viewing.

Seum Live at CJLO

Montreal manages to produce a bunch of loud, angry, aggressive, noisy, sludgy bands, and, due to the nature of the city, sometimes those bands don't even come from the city itself. Such is the case with the French expats contained within the seedy underbelly of Seum.

Last year, on March 12th, right after the release of their latest record, Double Double, the trio came into the CJLO studios and performed a live session inside our recording studio, The Oven.

But, because they are unquestionably diligent, and love you so much that they want to provide you with as much music as is possible, they have taken this session and are releasing it on their Bandcamp so you can enjoy the delightfully disgusting sounds that they produce.

In order to celebrate this occasion, here's an interview that the band did with Andrew from Grade A Explosives (Sundays 4 - 6PM) in March 2022, right as they were about to release their Blueberry Cash EP.

While you listen to that, head on over to their Bandcamp so you can download and / or just generally be ready to listen to the session right after listening to the interview, or you can listen to one part of the interview, listen to the session and then listen to part 2. Hey look, you made your own radio show!

Taverne Tour 2024 Day 3: Synth Pop, Shoegaze, and Snacks Across Plateau Mont-Royal

Taverne Tour 2024 came to a close Saturday, February 10th, marking the end of the weekend’s festival which stretched all over the Plateau Mont-Royal neighbourhood. There were plenty of bands to see over the three-day event, and CJLO was able to see a number of the featured acts, including: Marontate, Yves Jarvis, HAWA B, R. Flex, Glowing Orb, Jetsam, and more. 

However, with many shows selling out, barring any access to press, we were forced to alter plans and decide which shows to attend last-minute. Without offering day or weekend passes, this is definitely not a festival you can decide to attend at the last minute, as most of the out-of-town acts, and even many shows consisting of all local bands who play often in Montreal, were hitting venue capacity.

Despite that, due to Taverne Tour’s extensive lineup, there were always multiple concerts to choose from at any given time, and CJLO was out on Boulevard Saint Laurent on Saturday to end the festival. 
 

It was an exciting night for Montreal synth pop vampires Night Lunch as they headlined their own show at La Sotterranea. With their dark, gothic stage presence in this underground club, one couldn't help but compare the scene to Bauhaus' iconic intro of the film The Hunger or Nick Cave’s brooding and lonely song at the heart of Wings of Desire. As they struck their first notes, the band had already set the tone for the evening to play their more upbeat and danceable tracks. This was welcomed by the bobbing crowd who seemed to yearn for something with excitement. With just bass, drums and synths, there was a spotlight on Lukie Lovechild’s vocals. But the music truly became full fleshed when the singer picked up the guitar and drove the songs home with a puzzle piece fit solo. Similar to New Order or other bands of that era that made use of minimal equipment and production, Night Lunch’s strength comes through with their off center perspectives and quirks. They ended the set with their version of a stadium anthem “God Bless The One I Love” who’s hook I’m sure was hummed by many concert goers on their commute home.   

- Lisa: Music Director and host of The Last Stop

 

Bummed that my not-so-swanky press wristband couldn’t get me into the recently sold-out Ducks Ltd. album release show, I decided instead to start the night at a packed Casa del

Popolo, where I caught Ontario-based band Your Grandad. The three-piece act, donning sunglasses inside the venue, played a short set of jangly, discordant punk tunes, reminiscent of Parquet Courts and more upbeat Black Country, New Road tunes. The band started with their track titled “Your Grandad” which set their show on a funny, almost meme-ing tone that carried throughout. Next up on the bill was Empty Nesters, the shoegaze-influenced act of Montreal musician, Eric Liao. It seemed much of the crowd was there to see this band, as there was a major push to the front as their set began. The band got off to a rocky start with sound difficulties on the second guitar, but once those were quickly remedied, the band played a solid set of droney indie tunes which the Casa crowd nodded and swayed along to.

Hopping over to La Sotterranea, the day’s theme of sunglasses indoors continued as local band Night Lunch took the stage at 11:00PM, playing a set with Booster Fawn, as Daniel Romano’s Outfit had to pull out at the last minute. Night Lunch put on a clean and swanky show, featuring synth-heavy tracks that had the audience dancing and even singing along (there seemed to be several Night Lunch superfans up front).

After Night Lunch, I trekked south to Le Ministere for the promise of free pizza and New York post-punk at Taverne Tour’s midnight closing party. After a mandatory coat check, which confused and angered many attendees, Le Ministere filled up with concert-goers and many musicians who had performed earlier that night. The crowd waited in anticipation of the food, but seemed unsure of how exactly this event would run. Are we eating in the pit? But, shortly after all six members of TVOD (Television Overdose) took stage, the energy was back up as the band jumped straight into their brash, sweaty set. Just in time, Taverne Tour employees started walking through the crowd with open Pizza Pizza boxes; this punk show had cater waiters. As the show went on, TVOD vocalist Tyler Wright’s stamina never waned, as he writhed across the stage, swigging from his glass of red wine, and pouring water on himself. TVOD’s music is catchy and anthemic, and this party was the perfect way to end off the weekend’s festivities. 

- Aviva: Magazine Editor and host of The Alley

 

Taverne Tour 2024 Day 2: Intimate Shows Across Genres

On day two Taverne Tour 2024, Montreal’s Plateau neighbourhood was packed with concerts to attend. With acts like TEKE::TEKE, Yves Jarvis, Family Man, Janette King, and more running February 9th, the city’s music fans were out and about Friday night catching a myriad of shows. 

CJLO staff were out on the town for the second day of the festival, seeing just some of the shows Taverne Tour had to offer.  

 

Among the varied lineup of Taverne Tour that can go from hardcore to hip hop, the festival offers intimate performances for folk fans as well. If you happened to be browsing for records at the Plateau’s Aux 33 Tours on Friday night, you were lucky enough to stumble upon a free concert by Yves Jarvis put on by the festival. 

As the lights went down towards the back of the store, we could see a very humble setup from the eclectic performer. Just him, a classical guitar, 

and a little food stand where we could see the artist donning slippers on his tapping feet. Jarvis, known for his atmospheric and dense production, offered a different interpretation of his songs, perhaps as they were originally written, and gave us an insight to his skill as a writer and player. The frequent changes and lack of formal structure in his playing gave nods to influence from the great complex folk artists such as Joni Mitchell. One of the most fascinating moments was his performance of “Bootstrap Jubilee,” a prominent single and a fan favourite. Again, by removing the production elements of the track the audience was reintroduced to a song they thought they knew, but now understand much greater. Much like a meaningful conversation with a friend. 

Such a unique experience and a treat for longtime fans, Yves Jarvis’ performance was a true demonstration of artistry and authentic expression done simply with a voice and a guitar.

- Lisa: Music Director and host of The Last Stop
 

Day two of Taverne Tour featured a co-presentation from Montreal music magazine Also Cool at venue Casa del Popolo. I was only able to catch one act during this performance, but in the end, I’m glad that one happened to be local electro-pop music producer Lola 1:2. As she walked onto the stage, you could sense her nervous excitement. Admitting to being a bit anxious about the show, Lola 1:2 was immediately endearing, as she set up her laptop on a stool, hair partially covering her face. She manually picked every track she played off of her computer, singing along with a wired mic, and dancing across Casa’s small stage. While playing her songs, Lola 1:2 had a strong command of the audience, with her dreamy vocals and danceable pop tunes, which played as a funny counter to her more shy presence in the silences between tracks. Yet, the audience was right in her grasp, as a few groups of younger attendees stood right at the lip of the stage, dancing feverishly to every song. After what was supposed to be her final song, the audience clapped and yelled for an encore, atypical for a festival set, and Lola 1:2 obliged, playing her track “Always I dare.” 

While only having one song released to the public, it was apparent from this Taverne Tour showing that Lola 1:2 made a lot of new fans that night at Casa del Popolo. 

- Aviva: Magazine Editor and host of The Alley

 

Day two of Taverne Tour fell on a suspiciously warm February night. Even if it was blizzarding, nothing would stop me from heading to La Sala Rossa to see Feeling Figures, DANA, and Sweeping Promises. I wasn’t the only one thinking this, as I was heading into the venue, you could see Saint-Laurent was buzzing from Taverne Tour shows taking place all over.

By the time I got to Sala, Feeling Figures were already a few songs into their set and the venue was packed. Feeling Figures had released their debut record Migration Magic on both K Records and Perennial Records just a few months prior, and judging by how they performed on this night, they were at the top of their game. The sound in Sala that night was fantastic, and both lead singers Zakary Slax and Kay Moon’s vocals were clear and strong in the mix. The band plowed through songs such as “Don’t Ever Let Me Know” and “Pour Un Instant,” the audience firmly in their grasp. By the time their set was done, everyone in the crowd wanted more, this reviewer included. 

In order to satiate our thirst for more raucous tunes, Columbus, Ohio’s DANA came out just in time. Right out the gate, the crowd was enamoured by their blend of psych-tinged fast noisy punk. Two things made this band instantly memorable: lead singer Madeline Jackson’s mesmerizing stage presence, and her use of everybody’s favourite early 19th century electronic instrument, the theremin. Never have I seen a theremin used in a punk context quite like this. As the band fell into one of their many noise jams, Jackson made their theremin wail to an inch of its life. By the end of their set, I was exhausted from the intensity, but after two great sets, I was ready to rally for the headliner.

I’ve been a fan of Sweeping Promises since 2020, when they dropped their fantastic debut record, Hunger for a Way Out. They have since followed this up with 2023’s Good Living is Coming For You, and I wondered how these songs would sound live. Would this three-piece match the tightness and intensity found on their two records? Spoiler alert: yes, of course they did, and more. Most impressively, lead singer Lira Mondal’s vocals were spot on, never missing a note, and sounding like an exact duplicate to the album’s recordings. Guitarist Caulfield Schnug’s guitar work was impressive, filling the space and driving the set forward, keeping the audience on our toes. Sweeping Promises played for almost an hour, going through most of their catalogue. Despite the set length, the near-capacity crowd at Sala was begging for more, demanding an encore. Exhausted, but thoroughly satisfied from a full night of pure rock bliss, I used that as my cue to leave.

- Allison: Station Manager and host of Transistor Sister

The New State of (House) Jazz: Berlioz at Le Studio TD

When U.K. DJ and producer Berlioz announced a tour earlier this year, I knew I had to cover his set at Le Studio TD. I’ve been a fan of Berlioz for just over a year, discovering his music on TikTok, as most of his fans have. Seeing that his entire discography, only going back two years, consisted of no more than eight tracks, I expected to be met with a fairly small crowd and a fairly easy night, and I couldn't have been further off. 

Upon arrival at the Place des Arts venue, I was greeted with a line that spanned almost a full block, even 45 minutes after the doors had opened. The venue itself was crowded, with both the floor and mezzanine area bustling with an eclectic mix of Montreal's finest; anyone from senior jazz heads to Gen-Zers clutching Berlioz LPs (I counted 6!) Thanks to this I was able to get a variety of expectations as to how this show was going to go, soured only slightly by the 45-minute wait for the U.K. DJ and his jazz trio to make an appearance.

From there, however, it was all smiles, as Berlioz and crew slid through the DJ's relatively small discography with nonchalant, funky ease. Berlioz ran the drum machine, laying down groovy house 808s and retro cinema vocal samples over some classic jazz loops, both heavily prominent on tracks “jazz is for ordinary people” and “nyc in 1940”. Accompanying Berlioz on stage was a live jazz trio, made up of Matt Carrillo on sax, RC Williams on keys, and Sharay Reed on bass, a standard saxophone jazz trio. Each getting their turns to improvise while maintaining the format of the Berlioz originals, this live instrumentation added a lush level to the already bustling and lively house jams. While this is not common for a DJ set, it works to give Berlioz his unique brand of performance, crafting live house jazz on his own terms. 

Berlioz performing live on stage seems to represent a new frontier for music. Since his start only a year and a half ago, Berlioz has garnered most of his fanbase through the internet, specifically TikTok, with his limited discography of only 8 songs being used in over 50,000 videos. Traditionally, this early in a career, one would be playing smaller venues, local gigs with maybe a festival feature. Berlioz however, is playing sold-out shows and touring internationally without even having an album out. In this age of equalized music representation across all fronts, where artists, new or old, can gain international levels of fame overnight, it's more important than ever to grip an opportunity and never let it go, and that seems to be exactly what Berlioz has managed to do here. Regardless of genre standards, Berlioz is showing exactly what someone with passion and a good ear for funk can accomplish: some lush, vibrant, downtempo jazz, that anyone from music heads to ordinary people can enjoy. Listen to Berlioz’s 2023 EP jazz is for ordinary people here.

 

Sam Kitch is the host of You Might Like This, Tuesdays 11:00AM-12:00PM

Taverne Tour 2024 Day 1: An Energetic Kick Off To The Festival

Taverne Tour was back last week with dozens of concerts happening across several Plateau Mont-Royal venues. From February 8th-10th, venues Casa del Popolo, L’Escogriffe, La Sala Rossa, Quai des Brumes, and more hosted a packed line-up of Canadian and international artists, including: Ducks Ltd., Janette King, Laurence-Anne, Population II, SUUNS, Safia Nolin, and many more. 

On Thursday, CJLO staff attended a few of the shows Taverne Tour had to offer.

 

Over at Casa del Popolo, the theme of the night was audience participation and floor gymnastics with R. Flex and HAWA B. At 8:30PM, Toronto electro-R&B artist R. Flex took the stage as the room started slowly filling up with audience members trickling in from the seated bar side of the venue. By the third song in, the singer began to truly open up, shedding the apprehension they initially seemed to have. The rest of the set was a sexy, high energy, party of a show, with R. Flex practically spending more time within the crowd than on the stage itself. For the track “Inhale” the singer slinked down into the crowd, falling to their knees, and finally belting while lying on their back. Through the rest of their set, R. Flex would sing right into the faces of concert-goers, and twerk to some of their more catchy club bangers. R. Flex’s set was full of highly-danceable tracks performed by an artist who truly knows how to command an audience, even in the sometimes-claustrophobic space of Casa del Popolo.

Up next was local Montreal artist HAWA B. With accompaniment on keys and saxophone by Felix Petit, Hawa B put on a soulful genre-bending show. Hawa B has a knack for connecting with an audience, as her French banter was witty and confident, poking fun at an audience member for sneaking out to the bathroom and playing with Petit by getting him to repeated tap a pre-set on his keyboard that said “HAWA B” in an echoey, distorted voice. During the set, Hawa B brought up local rapper Greg Beaudin to perform “Brokest Rapper You Know”. Beaudin, HAWA B, and Petit all had great chemistry, dancing across the stage with each other. Later, HAWA B also came down into the crowd, toting the stool she had been crooning on to instead dance with, flipping her nearly-floor length braids. HAWA B’s full voice, beautifully-layered jazzy instrumentals, and quietly confident stage presence made this show a necessary go-to for this Taverne Tour. 

- Aviva: Magazine Editor and host of The Alley

 

It takes a lot to get me out of the house in February. Truly the darkest, cruellest month, ideal for hunkering down and catching up on your endless YouTube ‘Watch Later’ queue. However, there are a few things that will drag me out of the house with minimal kicking and screaming, and that’s a rad mixed-genre punk show, like the one put on by Taverne Tour on their opening night. All the punks gathered at La Sotterenea to bear witness to the stacked lineup of Dirty Milk, Jetsam, and Glowing Orb

Starting off the night were post-punk weirdos Dirty Milk. This band shares members with a few other local acts (Child Actress, Family Man), and after seeing their name around town, I was excited to check them out. They did not disappoint; right out the gate, they commanded the crowd’s attention with their offbeat stage presence and angular riffs. Lead singer Lukas Beneteau-Forgues’s voice matched perfectly with the disco-influenced post-punk tracks, coming straight from the school of Mothersbaugh. I was most impressed with the rhythm section, as bassist Joshua Linnen’s infectious energy on stage kept us all on our toes, and drummer Bryan Thomas kept perfect time alongside the bizarre riffage. After a good twenty minutes of dancey punk jams, they ended their set with an improved noise and sound effect jam, prompting more than one ‘what the fuck?’s being uttered from the crowd. This was a highlight for me. Keep your freak flag waving proudly, folks.

Following this set were Montreal’s powerviolence heroes Jetsam. Full disclosure: I’m obsessed with this band. I can’t come from a neutral place as a reviewer should. Not only does this band master the hardcore tinged powerviolence sound, but they take it further, incorporating surprising switch ups, spoken word pieces, and moments of pure catharsis. This night’s set was no exception. Lead singer Jack Solar held the crowd’s attention as they blazed through their set, often jumping from the stage and joining those of us on the floor. Bassist Neon Dubé’s was electrifying, leading me to often wonder, how can just one bass hold such a heavy, full tone? It was masterful work. In the middle of their set, Jack stopped the music to discuss trans rights in this country, stating the fascists in this country are leading a genocide of trans folks, not unlike the genocide we’re seeing in other parts of the world, namely Palestine. They spoke with such passion, the audience couldn’t help but be hypnotized. Political powerviolence with a purpose, for the people. I don’t think anything could be better.

It was a hard set to follow, and hardcore punks Glowing Orb did a good job of keeping the energy in the room up. Before the set, my friend hyped this band up as best he could, saying “They have an actual orb!” Well folks, it’s true: there was an orb, though smaller than expected, but it was indeed glowing a menacing red. Menacing is how I would describe this set, as they worked through tracks from their latest release Subterranean Prison with an aggressive flair. Their lead singer, often throwing himself on the floor, screamed and thrashed, inspiring a surprisingly raucous mosh pit. However the set felt quick, I guess not surprising for a hardcore band, and before we knew it, this eclectic and exciting start to Taverne Tour came to a close as we shuffled onto Saint-Laurent for a much-needed post-gig dart.

- Allison: Station Manager and host of Transistor Sister

Frost Children at La Sotterenea: An Energetic Double Header

Frost Children is a musical duo currently based in New York City. The act consists of siblings Angel and Lulu Prost, who both have solo music, but their collaborative efforts have brought them the most success. The siblings produce genre-bending music, with their newest album, Hearth Room, released in November of 2023. Hearth Room is a stark contrast to their prior work, demonstrating the duo's diversity and alternative indie sound. Their other 2023 album, SPEED RUN, features hyperpop, glitchcore, and techno tracks. Frost Children have stated that Skrillex and Alex G are some of their musical influences, showing the wide range of audiences to which their music may appeal. The opening two tracks on SPEED RUN contain an incredible transition between them, and I highly recommend listening with headphones. On February 6th, at La Sotterenea, Frost Children performed in Montreal.

Frost Children’s Double Headed Tour incorporates songs from both albums, giving spectators a concert that feels like two. Starting with songs from Hearth Room, Lulu, and Angel go offstage and change costumes, preparing everyone mentally for SPEED RUN. While they do that, a projector shows pictures of adorable dogs with the words “LETS F*CKING GO” repeated over and over. With their iconic songs from both albums and a couple of other classics, their show leaves the audience feeling extremely satisfied with the performance.

Frost Children's on-stage charisma and energy is evident in every song they perform. The crowd’s engagement was unlike any other concert I have been to. During one of their songs, the duo asked for two audience volunteers to play instruments alongside Angel, Lulu, and their drummer Eden Pacheco. In another song, “Fox Bop,” an audience member was brought on stage and sang alongside the duo, while everyone was dancing and having fun. Even on a Sunday night, Frost Children was able to entice everyone in the audience to accompany them on an emotional journey. Songs from Hearth Room, such as “Marigold” and “Oats From a Mug,” brought both tears and laughter. Songs from SPEED RUN such as “SERPENT” and “LET IT BE” generated an atmosphere of bouncing off the walls with dance. 

After seeing Frost Children as an opener for George Clanton in 2023, it was awesome to see how they formatted their show, and I highly recommend listening to their albums! They also have a remix of the song “Even It Out” by Fever Ray which is one of my favourite songs of all time.

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