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HEAVY METAL BOOK CLUB: To Hell and Back Again: Part I by Varg Vikernes

February 6 2024 //

 

No.
 
 
Read previous installments of Angelica's Heavy Metal Book Club here:
 
Angelica hosts BVST every Wednesday at 7 - 9 PM on CJLO. Tune in for the best (& worst) rock'n'roll, country, punk & metal!

Joey Valence & Brae Unleashed Retro Riffs and Modern Beats at Le Ministere

January 30 2024 //

The frigid Canadian weather became the butt of many jokes throughout the night as Joey Valence & Brae took the stage on January 26th 2024, charming the audience with witty quips about the Great White North. 

The dynamic duo from Pennsylvania dropped their debut single in 2021, signalling the start of their music-making adventure. They bring a vibe that's worth keeping tabs on, with their knack for blending an old-school groove with today's prominent internet culture, creating a musical ride that appeals to folks of all ages. Picture a mix of Beastie Boys, Rage Against the Machine, and your favourite video game soundtrack. Timeless and bang-up-to-date, Joey Valence & Brae craft a sound that's as catchy as it is diverse.

From start to finish, the energy in the venue remained at an all-time high, with no dull moments in sight. The artists maintained an infectious enthusiasm that resonated with the audience, keeping them on their feet throughout the entire show. 

A notable theme of the evening was the artists' emphasis on their independent journey, proudly highlighting their lack of a record contract. They shared anecdotes about their grassroots rise and the freedom it afforded them in pursuing their unique blend of sound, and more importantly, focusing on quality over quantity as they just recently celebrated their first album titled Punk Tactics released in early September of 2023. 

The camaraderie between the two performers, who had forged a deep friendship in their freshman year at Penn State University, was evident in their on-stage synergy. Their shared love for old-school favourites such as Prodigy and Run D.M.C resonated throughout the venue, creating a nostalgic yet refreshing vibe. As the performance unfolded, the energy took diverse forms – from lively mosh pits igniting during their punk-infused anthem "Start a Fight" to the crowd breaking into a rave-like dance frenzy in response to their futuristic electronic track "Drop." These contrasting moments showcased the versatility of their sound and the audience's enthusiastic response, making for an eclectic and unforgettable experience.

The crowd was treated to a unique spectacle when the artists invited them to showcase their talents, turning the concert into an interactive experience.The stage transformed into a melting pot of creativity with a freestyle exposé, a worm dance competition that had the audience in splits, and a b-boy breakdance number that left everyone in awe. The duo's decision to involve the crowd brought a sense of community and inclusivity, turning the concert into more than just a performance.

Many expressions of love, appreciation, and gratitude flowed freely from the performers, creating a genuine connection with the audience. Yet, when the music started, the atmosphere transformed into an electrifying wave of hype, showcasing the artists' dedication to delivering a memorable performance. This blend of personal connection and energetic showmanship left concert-goers with a lasting impression of a night filled with laughter, talent, and the celebration of independent artistry.

Industrial Hip-Hop at it's Finest: a Night with Armand Hammer

January 30 2024 //

If you have paid attention to the underground Hip-Hop scene in the past decade, Armand Hammer will be a familiar name to you. The industrial Hip-Hop duo, comprised of New York MCs Billy Woods and Elucid, have been touring their critically acclaimed 2023 release We Buy Diabetic Test Strips since October. Their stop at Bar le Ritz this past Sunday was a fantastic display of the scenes' respect for these two cult legends. 

The sold-out Montreal crowd was a strange one, very telling of Armand Hammer's diverse fanbase; an eclectic mix of fans, some of whom have been listening to both the rapper's solo and collaborative work for over 10 years, and others who had heard nothing past the singles. This made for interesting energy, as the intimate venue was packed from stage to bar, a seemingly rare case for the underground Hip-Hop scene in this city.

What really pulled the crowd together was the electric opening performance from Quinton Barnes, a Montreal multi-hyphenate who is supremely talented in production, singing, writing and rapping. With a sound reminiscent of early JPEGMAFIA works, sprinkled with inspiration from artists like Injury Reserve and Armand Hammer, the young artist blessed the crowd with a brief 15-minute performance. Jumping from the brutally industrial queer anthem “Wild Man”, to the synth-heavy rnb cut “Arouse”, Barnes delivered a performance that reminded me of watching Teezo Touchdown open for Tyler, The Creator’s 2021 tour; a true artist, someone who has put in unimaginable time and effort honing their craft, on the verge of blowing up. By all means, Quinton Barnes is a veritable talent powder keg. 

Barnes' unbridled energy made for an interesting switch to the thought-provoking, gloomy tone that would continue for the rest of the evening. Still, if anyone can pull off a shift like that it's Armand Hammer, and pull it off they did. Coming out of the gate with 4 songs off of We Buy Diabetic Test Strips, then subsequently launching into a wide collection of older songs, features, and both rappers’ solo work, the duo spat bar after bar of profound lyricism accompanied by some of the gloomiest, dirtiest beats to ever grace Bar le Ritz.

The sound crafted by this legendary duo feels violently disjointed and jarring, with both woods’ and Elucid’ flows and lyrics twisting and contorting through bone-shaking instrumentals with a sort of industrial grace. The best example of this was the performance of “Trauma Mic,” off of the duo's newest 2023 release. On the foundation of the blaring 808 patterns that visibly shook the stage, both rappers spit bleak verses, chronicling their own hopeless reflections on the current state of Hip-Hop. Despite the dreary atmosphere, there remained an energy in the venue that I have found present at most of Montreal's underground Hip-Hop shows; an air of respect and appreciation for the pure artistry of the duo's music. While the genre that Amand Hammer operates under is not the type of music to bust a move to or to break into a mosh pit to, the crowd seemed more than happy to nod their heads and absorb the undeniable talent and industrial charisma that oozes from woods’ and Elucid’s hypnotic performance. 

Although underground Hip-Hop may not be for everyone, it would be foolish for any enjoyer of music to write off the genre-bending phenomenon that is Armand Hammer. In the words of a 56-year-old dad accompanying his teenage son to the show this past Sunday, “I had no idea what to expect, but god did those guys kick ass.” Check out Armand Hammer’s new album, We Buy Diabetic Test Strips here, and billy woods’ collab album with producer Kenny Segal, Maps here. 

 

Photos by Maureen Elisa

 

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

 

CJLO YEAR END TOP 100 OF 2023

January 29 2024 //

Well, here we are in 2024 and after 25 years CJLO 1690 AM is stronger than ever! This past year we felt the love from our unstoppable community raising over 12,000$ for our funding drive! We booked over 25 sessions and had countless interviews with artists from the Montreal scene and abroad. Need proof? We released our mixtape Baked in the Oven Vol. 5 that features raw performances from innovative artists!

We also kept doing what we do best and that’s bringing good music to you! This chart shows the top 100 albums that were played by our DJs over 2023. Elisapie grabbed the number 1 spot with her album Inuktitut. DJs couldn't get enough of these introspective versions of popular songs sung in her mother tongue. Up at number 2 is Red Moon in Venus from the ever evolving Kali Uchis, whose 2024 release is already gaining momentum on our charts. At number 3 was Infinity Club from BAMBII who dominated both our electronic and hip hop charts as well. 

The rest of the list features incredible releases from Montreal groups such as Karma Glider, Night Lunch, Markus Floats, Sunforger and TEKE::TEKE. But also highlighted groundbreaking international acts such as yeule, Sampha, Armand Hammer oh and this group called 100 gecs?

Enjoy perusing this list and make sure to check out our Spotify playlist to discover what we think could be some of your new favorite artists!

Can’t wait for what’s in store for 2024!

 

  1. ELISAPIE - INUKTITUT

  2. KALI UCHIS - RED MOON IN VENUS

  3. BAMBII - INFINITY CLUB

  4. KARMA GLIDER - FUTURE FICTION

  5. FIREBALL KID -GAS STATION

  6. NIGHT LUNCH - FIRE IN THE ROSE GARDEN

  7. MOOCH - WHEREVER IT GOES

  8. MARKUS FLOATS - FOURTH ALBUM

  9. EMILIE KAHN    - MAYBE

  10. LA SECURITE - STAY SAFE!

  11. YEULE - SOFTSCARS

  12. BEVERLY GLENN-COPELAND - THE ONES AHEAD

  13. JAAW - SUPERCLUSTER

  14. TOUGH AGE -WAITING HERE

  15. WEDNESDAY - RAT SAW GOD

  16. SUNFORGER    - SUNFORGER

  17. TEKE::TEKE - HAGATA

  18. TURNSTILE & BADBADNOTGOOD - NEW HEART DESIGNS EP

  19. KIMMORTAL - SHOEBOX

  20. HAVIAH MIGHTY - CRYING CRYSTALS

  21. U.S. GIRLS - BLESS THIS MESS

  22. SEUM - DOUBLE DOUBLE

  23. TOBI - PANIC

  24. SLOWDIVE - EVERYTHING IS ALIVE

  25. YOCTO - ZEPTA SUPERNOVA

  26. BOYGENIUS - THE RECORD

  27. BODYWASH - I HELD THE SHAPE WHILE I COULD

  28. VANTABLACK WARSHIP - LAST OF THE HARDMOUTHED POETS

  29. SAMPHA - LAHAI

  30. ANDY SHAUF - NORM

  31. ARMAND HAMMER - WE BUY DIABETIC TEST STRIPS

  32. DAIISTAR - GOOD TIME

  33. BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD - LIVE AT BUSH HALL

  34. ANIMAL COLLECTIVE - ISN'T IT NOW?

  35. TAXI GIRLS - COMING UP ROSES EP

  36. VANILLE - LA CLAIRIERE

  37. MITSKI - THE LAND IS INHOSPITABLE AND SO ARE WE

  38. MAC DEMARCO - ONE WAYNE G

  39. UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA - V

  40. WAAHLI - SOAP BOX

  41. FIDDLEHEAD - DEATH IS NOTHING TO US

  42. NOBRO - SET YOUR PUSSY FREE

  43. DEAD QUIET - IV

  44. SWEEPING PROMISES - GOOD LIVING IS COMING FOR YOU

  45. FEIST - MULTITUDES

  46. FROST CHILDREN - HEARTH ROOM

  47. BLACKBRAID - BLACKBRAID II

  48. BIG|BRAVE -NATURE MORTE

  49. JESSY LANZA - LOVE HALLUCINATION

  50. NATION OF LANGUAGE - STRANGE DISCIPLE

  51. BONNIE TRASH -HAIL, HALE!

  52. ALLISON RUSSELL - THE RETURNER

  53. LUMIERE -GLAM

  54. NORA KELLY BAND - RODEO CLOWN

  55. SUFJAN STEVENS - JAVELIN

  56. THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS - CONTINUE AS A GUEST

  57. SUPER PLAGE - MAGIE A MINUIT

  58. YU SU - I WANT AN EARTH

  59. VARIOUS ARTISTS- TURNED TO STONE VOL 7

  60. PRIVATE LIVES - HIT RECORD

  61. ANDRE 3000 - NEW BLUE SUN

  62. LAURENCE-ANNE - ONIROMANCIE

  63. TIGERCUB - THE PERFUME OF DECAY

  64. CROSSED WIRES - ELLIPSIS

  65. FREAK HEAT WAVES - MONDO TEMPO

  66. KY - POWER IN THE PHARMACY

  67. YO LA TENGO - THIS STUPID WORLD

  68. COMPUTERWIFE - COMPUTERWIFE

  69. ABSOLUTE LOSERS    - AT THE MALL

  70. POPULATION II - ELECTRONS LIBRES DU QUEBEC

  71. SORRY GIRLS - BRAVO!

  72. JAIMIE BRANCH - FLY OR DIR FLY OR DIE FLY OR DIE (WORLD WAR)

  73. DEBBY FRIDAY -GOOD LUCK

  74. LUGER - REVELATIONS OF THE SACRED SKULL

  75. RADIANT BABY - PANTOMIME (DELUXE)

  76. SEUN KUTI & BLACK THOUGHT - AFRICAN DREAMS

  77. FEVER RAY - RADICAL ROMANTICS

  78. 100 GECS - 10,000 GECS

  79. HOLY WAVE - FIVE OF CUPS

  80. MUNYA - JARDIN

  81. SASHA CAY -SPIN

  82. KAYTRANIME -KAYTRANIME

  83. SOPHIE OGILVIE -COMING UP, CROCUS

  84. HOTLINE TNT - CARTWHEEL

  85. FUCKED UP -ONE DAY

  86. KELELA - RAVEN

  87. HELENA DELAND -GOODNIGHT SUMMERLAND

  88. DINNERS -DOMINO

  89. APOLLO SUNS - DEPARTURES

  90. SLOW PULP - YARD

  91. ALVVAYS - BLUE REV

  92. PARAMORE - THIS IS WHY

  93. SWEETMESS     -EVERYTHING'S FINE

  94. SLOW LEAVES -MEANTIME

  95. BRAIDS -EUPHORIC RECALL

  96. THE TELESCOPES-    EXPERIMENTAL HEALTH

  97. RED MASS - VOL 6 THE EVIL OF OUR COLLECTIVE MIND

  98. SAMWOY - AWKWARD PARTY

  99. DEADBOLT - DEADBOLT

  100. DVTR - BONJOUR!

 

** Red highlight indicates Canadian artists

 

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

Charlotte Cardin - Une semaine à Paris EP Review

January 25 2024 //

In mid-November of 2023, Montreal’s very own Charlotte Cardin released her Francophone EP, Une semaine à Paris following the singer’s week-long stay in the French capital. The short and sweet 4-track work was released after the drop of Cardin’s second studio album 99 Nights, and continued her careers’ upwards trajectory. Une semaine à Paris encapsulates the intense passion within Cardin’s relationship with actor Aliocha Schneider and the ebbs and flows of emotional intimacy. 

Cardin’s discography is one of versatility in language, genre and execution. Ergo, Une semaine à Paris was not the first of the Quebec born singers’ venture into French pop music. Cardin’s career has remained consistently in forward motion since her 2013 debut on Montreal’s La Voix, the francophone extension of popular talent show The Voice. While her early-day singles and EP’s offered Canadian listeners a taste into Cardin’s wildly expressive vocals, it was the singer's inaugural studio album that launched her career to a broader audience. Phoenix, released in 2021, includes Cardin’s first ever track to chart in the top 50 on the Billboard Hot 100, “Passive Aggressive”. The work marked a pivotal shift in attention towards Cardin’s music however, her success with the album was truly showcased at the 2022 Juno Awards where Cardin became the most-nominated artist at the event, and brought home two armfuls of awards. 

While some in Cardin’s acclaimed position would have allowed such success to fuel their egos and hinder their creativity, she instead took her wins as a sign of creative evolution. Cardin’s now well-seasoned originality exuding from Une semaine á Paris is a testament to her intentional ignorance of industry pressures that surface during an uprise of success. 

Delving into the EP, Cardin and Laylow’s collaboration “Real Love” lures listeners into a complex, emotionally taxing relationship written against a slowed trap beat and deep bass. The production and mixing of Cardin’s vocals create a ghostly sensation mimicking the romantic exhaustion. In such; Cardin’s verses and chorus are quickly met with contradiction in that of Laylow. The back and forth between the two translates to Cardin’s explanation of miscommunication and uncertainty.

Cardin’s evident catharsis did not stop with “Real Love”. The singer's French version of her recent hit “Confetti” speaks to her need to shield her struggles, instead portraying a joyful facade. While the track remains the same as that on 99 Nights, its French translated verses gives it an edge against the track's hard hitting club beat. Similarly, “Feel Good”, an upbeat dance track, illustrates the power of passion and intimacy towards one’s self image, accentuating Cardin’s confident alter-ego. Finally, the work ties perfectly together with a heartfelt slowdown, showcasing Cardin’s delicate falsetto. “Un peu trop” speaks to obsession within a relationship; wanting so badly to be loved by a person and thus doing anything to attract their attention. In its entirety, Une semaine à Paris later became an extension of Cardin’s 99 Nights Deluxe, perfectly tying up Cardin’s sophomore album and giving listeners a little extra post-album release. Une semaine à Paris pays homage to Cardin’s bilingual background and provides listeners with the conflicting back-and-forth relationship album that was missing amongst the works of sheer heartbreak.

The Lives of Documents: Photography as Project at The CCA

January 24 2024 //

“The photographic object has a beauty of itself, but it cannot become a sacred object,” says co-curator Bas Princen, in the video introduction to “The Lives of Documents: Photography as Project” at the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA). As its title suggests, the exhibition proposes a consideration of photography as a project, rather than an object. Deconstructing the link between the immediate and the objective that permeates conceptions of documentary photography, co-curator Stefano Graziani underscores the personal position of the photographer in regard to what is being photographed: no matter the pretext of objectivity inherent in the medium, the photograph is engrained with its creator’s method, with a particular way of seeing the world. It is with this in mind that I enter “The Lives of Documents,” where I am constantly reminded of my own interested approach to art.

With a focus on the photographic process, “The Lives of Documents” examines the contemporary role of photography as a means of architectural representation through a selection of photographic projects which illustrate personal perspectives and challenge the documentary nature of the medium. Conceived as a display of open research, the exhibition unveils the behind-the-scenes of the making of a photographic object: works from the 1960s to the present are displayed together with unpublished projects, historical and research documents, books, interviews, conceptual texts, publication mock-ups and photo book dummies.

Through its exploration of photography as an investigation of architecture, the exhibition connects photographs that serve as research tools to propose a certain vision of built and natural environments. What makes this exploration successful is its unvarnished portrayal of the creative process. In the first room, the viewer is greeted with a collection of photographs by Stefano Graziani and Bas Princen taken during studio visits and research phases spanning from December 2021 to December 2022. Displayed on a table-like surface rather than hung on the museum walls, the photographic objects offer a sensory encounter akin to that of the creators’ during the archival process. Positioning visitors not merely as passive observers but as active participants, this intimate and tactile experience blurs the boundaries between 'viewer' and 'creator.' As visitors are invited to engage with artworks, encouraged to leaf through accompanying books and materials, and let in on the creative process, the show successfully demystifies both the space of the artist’s studio and the making of the photographic object. 

Placing works that diverge in form, content, and methodology in a communal space, the show heightens the contrast between the artists’ intentions and thus grants further importance to the subjectivity behind the making of each photograph. The contrast between Tokuk Ushioda’s My Husband (2022), a collection of images which exude a nostalgic familiarity reminiscent of family snapshots, and Bernd and Hilla Becher’s Framework Houses of the Siegen Industrial Region (1960-1972), an attempt at “an objective and neutral documentation” of the disappearing industrial landscape of Europe and North America, is all the more striking through the works’ spatial proximity. Deliberately creating a clash between artists by juxtaposing diverging works, the exhibition underscores the presence behind the camera.

Jeff Wall’s Dominus Winery (1999) is a work that explicitly points to this ‘presence’. This large-format photograph of the Dominus winery in Yountville, California, built by architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, was commissioned by the CCA on the occasion of the exhibition "Herzog & de Meuron: Archaeology of the Mind" (2002). Although it more strongly resembles a landscape photograph, it is precisely the fact that the building is not the focus of the work that makes Dominus Winery a successful architectural photograph. By distancing himself from the building, Wall is able to capture the very essence of the Dominus winery, which is inextricably tied to its setting. The infinite perspective of the vineyards and mountains, and their harmony with the building, which is barely visible in the distance, suggest a fusion of architecture and landscape. The strict regimentation of the vineyard complements the carefully measured character of the building, further reinforcing their connection. Moreover, through his choice to take a circular image with a small lens, Wall leaves a black border on the image, making the intermediate of the camera visible. The circle thus represents the limits of the lens, suggesting that, in the making of an image, there is always something left out. This reminder of the mediated photographic representation and its distinction from reality permeates the exhibition as a whole.

Indeed, as I travel through “The Lives of Documents,” I am invited to question the idea of neutrality in art and art history by considering the reflective nature of artworks, which not only mirror cultural values and ideologies inherited by their creators but also reflect each viewer’s own bias. This reflective nature is put forth in the exhibition through a strategic arrangement of LED light fixtures, carefully positioned in parallel with the displayed artworks as to cast reflections on the glass casings. The persistent interplay of light not only reminds the viewer of their own position, as the reflections shift in tandem with their steps, but it also disrupts any attempts at capturing secondary images within the exhibition space. Notably, the viewer is unable to capture a planar photograph without inadvertently disclosing their vantage point, the radiant lines crossing out the captured artwork in a brilliant visual metaphor.

Framed as part of the CCA’s efforts to redefine “the role of photography within the field of architecture,” “The Lives of Documents: Photography as Project” successfully questions conventional understandings of photography and art more broadly. By refusing to sanitize the artwork and mystify the artistic process, curators Stefano Graziani and Bas Princen refute the sanctity of the photographic object. Moreover, by underscoring both the artist’s and the viewer’s biased positions, the exhibition calls into question the documentary nature of the medium, exposing the photograph as a mediated object rather than a representation of reality. 

 

The Lives of Documents—Photography as Project is presented in the Main galleries of the CCA until 7 April 2024. Admission is free for students.

CJLO'S BEST OF 2023

December 23 2023 //

Every year at CJLO we ask our staff, DJs, and volunteers to tell us all their favourite things of the past year. Much like 2023 itself, this list is an eclectic mix. Join us for recommendations of albums, songs, films, snacks, and other experiences you may have missed this past year. Happy New Year from your favourite campus-community radio station!

Allison O'Reilly - Station Manager and Host of Transistor Sister

Top 10 Best Albums of 2023

1. Cartwheel - Hotline TNT

2. This Stupid World - Yo La Tengo

3. Life Under the Gun - Militarie Gun

4. Live at Bush Hall - Black Country, New Road

5. Rat Saw God - Wednesday

6. Desolation's Flower - Ragana

7. Scaring the Hoes - JPEGMAFIA / Danny Brown

8. Sunforger - Sunforger

9. Migration Magic - Feeling Figures

10. Stay Safe! - La Securite

 

Honourable Mentions

i've seen a way - Mandy, Indiana

Gas Station - Fireball Kid

softscars - yeule

Live on Cool Street - Tha Retail Simps

Guts - Olivia Rodrigo

SAVED! - Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter

And The Wind (Live & Loose!) - MJ Lenderman

10.000 gecs - 100 gecs

 

Best Musical Gems of 2023

The release of The Replacements' Tim (Let it Bleed edition) with the fantastic Ed Stasium Mix, getting the chance to see Beyonce during the legendary Renaissance Tour, and finally getting the chance to attend Calgary's Sled Island Festival.

Cameron McIntyre - Program Director and Host of Half-Time

Top 10 Jazz Releases

1. Lockdown - Aaron Leaney, Guy Thouin

2. Fly or Die, Fly or Die, Fly or Die ((world war)) - Jaimie Branch

3. Tony Allen JID018 - Adrian Younge, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Tony Allen 

4. Flowers In The Dark - Kofi Flexxx

5. Black Classical Music - Yussef Dayes

6. Puna - Oiro Pena

7. Welcome to Hell - Joseph Shabason 

8. Oshki Manitou - Chuck Copence 

9. Kurena - Kurena Ishikawa

10. Businessless - Sick Boss 

Aviva Majerczyk - Magazine Editor and Host of The Alley

10 Best Local Releases (Unranked)

I Held the Shape While I Could - Bodywash

Gloam - Maybel

Indian Cowboy - Love Language

Bravo! - Sorry Girls

GOOD LUCK - DEBBY FRIDAY    

Half Moon - Corey Gulkin

Everything’s fine - sweetmess

La clairiere - Vanille

Lover, or Whatever - Kieran Campbell

Gas Station - Fireball Kid

 

Other Albums I Loved This Year

This Stupid World - Yo La Tengo

Rat Saw God - Wednesday

Erotic Probiotic 2 - Nourished By Time

Valley of Heart’s Delight - Margo Cilker

Laff It Off - Pony Girl

Deep is the Way - Gena Rose Bruce

And The Wind (Live and Loose!) - MJ Lenderman

everything is alive - Slowdive

Cartwheel - Hotline TNT

Why Does The Earth Give Us People to Love - Kara Jackson

Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd - Lana Del Rey

Flying Wig - Devendra Banhart

Heaven is a Junkyard - Youth Lagoon

Lisa Rupnik- Head Music Director and Co-host of The Last Stop

Well, well, well it’s that time of year again where we take our larger-than-life experiences and summarize them into tiny bullet-point lists. Granted, I’m one of those people who do this all year round, but that’s beside the point! This year is particularly special for me as it’s my first year working as Head Music Director here at CJLO! I loved discovering so much new music from my work, but I got the best recommendations from our DJs and what they’ve been spinning on air. What can I say? We’ve got great taste! These are the albums that kept me company throughout the year and have already taken up residence in my personal library. Here's who I consider the masters and the innovators, the best of 2023!

1. 12 - Ryuichi Sakamoto

2. The Girl is Crying in Her Latte - Sparks

3. Ooh Rap I Ya - George Clanton

4. Sweet Justice - Tkay Maidza

5. Softscars - yeule

6. The Ones Ahead - Beverly Glenn-Copeland

7. Lahai - Sampha 

8. A Host for All Kinds of Life - Green-house

9. Ticket to Fame - Decisive Pink

10. Invaluable Vol. 1&2 - Delilah Holiday

DJ Samuel ‘Thee’ Roberts – Host of Whip Appeal

Favourite Canadian Hip Hop/R&B Tracks of the Year

“Love Song” - 143

This debut single made me an instant fan of Toronto R&B vocal group 143 with a sound reminiscent of classic 90s groups like Jodeci and 112.

“Man on Fire” - JAHKOY

JAHKOY moves the ethereal Toronto alt-R&B sound forward with inventive production and a great sense of melody.

“Thug Passion” - K. Forest

I’m a sucker for jangly MIDI acoustic guitar synths and a catchy chorus, this dominated my playlists this year

“Inhale Exhale” - CHUNG feat. Cotola, Kyilah & Mike Shabb

Local rapper CHUNG dropped a fantastic LP in September with Chung Shui II, this posse cut being the highlight for me. CHUNG’s effortlessly chill flow, gorgeous psychedelic production from Cotola and some great features from fellow Montrealers Kyilah and Mike Shabb.

“Roll Up the Rim” - Nicholas Craven feat. Estee Nack & Raz Fresco

If you like the boom bap sound of artists like Griselda, check out local producer Nicholas Craven’s work. This track samples some lounge-y muzak providing a relaxing soundbed for Estee Nack and Raz Fresco to drop hard bars atop of.

“Lover/Friend” - KAYTRANADA & Rochelle Jordan

This duo’s latest collaboration fits perfectly with the current revival of early 90s house music in the mainstream; a club banger that got me through the last batch of final essays this term!

“Thank God” - Mike Shabb

MTL legend Mike Shabb dropped three full-length projects this year which is insane! This track is one of my favorites for the sparse reggae-influenced beat and Mike’s cocky flow.

“Time Out” - TOBi

TOBi fuses Soulquarians-style neo-soul with jazz rap for a unique funky sound that doesn’t really have any contemporary in the Canadian scene right now. Love this track.

“10 Freaky 10’s” - Akintoye

Don’t sleep on Akintoye. This Toronto rapper is primed for a crossover breakout soon with unique live-instrumentation production, a willingness to experiment with cadence and fluid lyricism layered equally with dark humor and social commentary.

“Stand Up” - Raz Fresco & Figub Brazlevic

These two Montreal hip hop artists dropped a great boom bap record with September’s 777 LP. This track is perfect for hyping up your morning commute or to just get energized.

 

Favourite Hip Hop/R&B Tracks (Not Can-Con!)

“Kingdom Hearts Key” - JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown feat. Redveil

Spotify says I listened to this track (and the rest of this album) over 100 times this year. Sounds about right! Unfortunately JPEG didn’t play this cut during his Osheaga set but hopefully next time!

“Talk to Me Nice” - Tinashe

Tinashe has continued to innovate in the R&B scene since leaving her mainstream pop career behind in 2019. Taking influence from IDM, glitch and art pop, she creates a dreamy mysterious tone that I’ve had on repeat since this dropped.

“Spirit 2.0” - Sampha

Sampha is a once-in-a-generation talent. It took over five years to release Lahai, his follow-up to his debut album; but tracks like this prove it was worth the wait. Creative, catchy and rewarding.

“The Hillbillies” - Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar

Can’t wait for the rumoured collaborative LP coming out next year from Kendrick and his cousin Baby Keem, who both killed it at Osheaga this year. Hearing Kendrick be goofy over a drill beat sampling Bon Iver wasn’t something I expected after last year’s emotional Mr. Morale LP, but I’m glad it happened.

“Double Trio” - By Storm

It’s easy to compare this first track from the surviving members of Injury Reserve after the tragic death of Stepa J. Groggs in 2020 to the similar reinvention of Joy Division into New Order; but it is a fair comparison. The duo evolve their sound into new experimental dimensions, creating emotional heft from free jazz samples and glitchy production.

“Cobra” - Megan Thee Stallion

An energetic hard-hitting rap-rock banger featuring a guitar solo that also happens to be about severe depression! Dope!

“Johnny Dang” - That Mexican OT feat. Paul Wall & DRODi

As a diehard fan of Southern hip hop, I was thrilled to see Paul Wall make a comeback this year with a feature on Texas rapper That Mexican OT’s sleeper hit “Johnny Dang”. A must-listen for fans of Swishahouse Records.

“Mosquito” - PinkPantheress

I’ve loved PinkPantheress’ music for a while now and am glad she’s continued to rise in fame since her surprise hit with Ice Spice this summer. The fusion of bubblegum pop with UK garage and 2000s R&B is already influencing other acts in the scene.

“Woke Up and Asked Siri How I’m Gonna Die” - Armand Hammer feat. JPEGMAFIA

Billy Woods and Elucid are the two best lyricists in hip hop at the moment, so a track produced by JPEGMAFIA is right up my alley.

“Critical” - RXKNephew

I am a big fan of NYC rapper RXKNephew, a rap provocateur unafraid to drop extremely out-of-pocket bars for comedy value as well as almost stubbornly refusing to stick with a single production sound. This track mixes his outrageous offbeat lyricism with a throwback Chicago house beat for a wholly unique sound.

Remi Caron - Co-Host of At The Movies With Iconic Sounds

Best Albums of The Year (No Order) 

Here are some of the albums that I listened to the most and quite enjoyed. It’s hard to classify them into a ranking. From pop, punk, to rock there is something for everyone on this list. However, if I had two albums I couldn’t live without this year it would be Feist with her return album Multitudes. I got to see Feist in concert at MTELUS this year which was a great show of the new and old tracks, especially the multidimensional “Hiding Out In The Open.” The track has to be one of the best songs and music videos that I have seen in a long time. It touches so many emotions through her lyrics and vocals. Also, it’s been a while since I have really enjoyed a Lana Del Rey record in full. The last one was 2014’s Ultraviolence. This year’s Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd took me some time to get into but grew on me after multiple listens. “Margaret” has to be one of my favourite songs of the year. It’s refreshing to hear and listen to a singer-songwriter who is not dating a football player, always in the limelight… no offence to Taylor. Her next project may have been hinted at as Del Rey was moonlighting as a waitress at a Waffle House this year. I cannot wait for her next album. Here are the rest of the albums in a non-order. 

1. Multitudes - Feist

2. Nouvelle Administration - Phillipe B

3. The Album - Boygenius

4. Missed Calls From Home - Ragers

5. Guts - Olivia Rodrigo

6. World Music Radio - Jean Baptist

7. Did You Know There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd - Lana Del Rey

8. The Love still held me near - City and Colour

9. Remember Never Before - July Talk

10. Javelin - Sufjan Stevens

 

Best Scores/Soundtracks (No Order)

2023 saw two great scores from Thomas Newman who I appreciate as both a classical and experimental composer when it comes to film. Devonte Hynes provided a great score to Master Gardner, a problematic film from Paul Schrader. Ludwig Göransson stepped in for Hans Zimmer on Christopher Nolen’s Oppenheimer. Needle drops in film were everywhere from Saltbun’s 00’s nostalgia to Coppola’s Pricilla with dreamy rock nostalgia. Two of my favourites where “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie especially the end where all the Ken’s achieve a harmony with Gosling and Anatomy of a Fall with “PIMP” from Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band. Maybe it was an obsession with Hip Hop culture that the song never gets mentioned but is played on repeat by the father or the fact that the son Daniel has a dog named Snoop. Finally, during the film’s trial, the song is brought up as a reference to a misogynistic song by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson which the husband was listening to before the accident. It is effectively used in the intro and once again on repeat as the investigators and the lawyers are trying to recreate the day the husband had the accident. 

1. Elemental and A Man Called Otto -  Thomas Newman

2. Infinity Pool - Tim Hecker

3. Master Gardener - Devonte Hynes

4. May December - Original compositions by Michel Legrand. Adapted and recomposed by Marcelo Zarvos

5. Killers of The Flower Moon - Robbie Robertson

6. Past Lives - Christopher Bear

7. Oppenheimer - Ludwig Göransson

8. Beau is Afraid - Bobby Krlic

9. Dream Scenario Owen Pallet

10. Poor Things - Jerskin Fendix

 

Best Films of The Year (Official Ranking as Far) 

Where do I begin with this list. Well maybe by stating that these are the best films of the year so far because the theatrical run is not over yet and my list will ever be changing until January. You can follow the ever evolving list on Letterboxd. Last film seen in theatres: December 13th, May December. 

1. Beau is Afraid dir. Ari Aster 

2. Killers of The Flower Moon dir. Martin Scorsese

3. The Holdovers dir. Alexander Payne

4. Past Lives dir. Celine Song

5. Oppenheimer dir. Christopher Nolan 

6. Brother dir. Clement Virgo (Technically was a 2022 release however got it’s wide release in 2023) 

7. The Boy and The Heron dir. Hayao Miyazaki

8. Spider Man Across The Spiderverse dir. Joaquin Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson, Kemp Powers

9. Barbie dir. Greta Gerwig

10. The Killer dir. David Fincher

 

Honourable Mentions

Astroid City dir. Wes Anderson 

Anatomy of A Fall dir. Justine Triet 

BlackBerry dir. Matt Johnson 

Dream Scenario dir. Kristoffer Borgli

May December dir. Todd Haynes 

Talk To Me dir. Michael and Danny Philippou 

Saltburn dir. Emerald Fennell

Maestro dir. Bradley Cooper 

John Wick: Chapter 4 dir. Chad Stahelski

You Hurt My Feelings dir. Nicole Holofcener 

Priscilla dir. Sofia Coppola 

I Like Movies dir. Chandler Levack (Technically was a 2022 release however got it’s wide release in 2023) 

Showing Up dir. Kelly Reichardt 

How To Blow Up A Pipeline dir. Daniel Goldhaber 

 

Best of Television

Saying Goodbye to Succession and Ted Lasso was very hard to do. I left the final episodes for one night in June when I was ready to watch both back to back. Both finales were great. Here are some other defining shows of the year for me: 

The Last of Us 

Succession 

Ted Lasso 

Beef

The Bear

Gabrielle Gagnon - Volunteer 

10 Favourite Montreal Hardcore releases of 2023 (in no particular order) 

Fuck You II - Gazm

Subterranean Prison - Glowing Orb 

S/T EP - Puffer

S/T II  - Ilusión

Total Nada II E.P. - Total Nada 

Coded Collapse - CPU Rave

Durex Fucks demo - Durex 

S/T - Deadbolt

Split - Glowing Orb/ Peeve 

Demo - Bruiserweight 

 

Honourable Mentions and Hardcore-ish Favourites

Demo -  Beef

S.W.E.A.T Songs - S.W.E.A.T

The Coming of Spring - Cloned Apparition 

World Powered - Cloned Apparition

Second Souffle - Béton Armé 

Primal Tomb - Primal Horde/ Scorching Tomb

Noël Perras AKA Djngame - Host of Chops, Spins, & Remixes

Top 10 Favourite Songs Discovered This Year and Played on Chops Spins & Remixes 

1. “Lucid” - YahMe2

Drum and Bass 

2. “Matches” - Ephixa & Stephen Walking (Mr FijWiji Remix) feat. Aaron Richards

Female Vocal Dubstep 

3. “I Love The Rain (Remix)” - Agon  

Dance 

4. “Magik of Love” - Andy Bliss feat. El Villano Muskal  

Future House 

5. “Make Dam Sure” - Adventure Club & Modern Machines feat. Saint Slumber

Future Bass 

6. “It’s That Time Of Year” - Delray MagikLov  

Funk  

7. “I Found Love on The Dance Flow” - 1hit 1der  

House  

8. “Whitney (ESSEL Remix)” - Rêve & Essel  

Pop 

9. “Back To You” - Illenium feat. All Time Low  

Future Bass 

10. “All Eyes On Me” - Bo Burnham  

Comedy

Clifton Hanger - Host of Brave New Jams

Ten concerts from 2023

Seeing as it is the end of the year here are what the folks at Brave New Jams think are ten enjoyable concerts from 2023, and a link to give them a listen. The shows are in no particular order other than being alphabetical.

1. Cabinet: April 17, 2023 Cafe Wha? New York, NY

Cabinet is a bluegrass band formed in 2006 that consists of Pappy Biondo (banjo, vocals), J.P. Biondo (mandolin, vocals), Mickey Coviello (acoustic guitar, vocals), Dylan Skursky (electric bass, double bass), Todd Kopec (fiddle, vocals) Jami Novak (drums, percussion) and Brian Gorby (percussion). One of the many highlights of this concert is the over ten minutes of epic jamming during "Silver Sun."

2. Circles Around The Sun: January 21, 2023  Brooklyn Bowl, NY

Circles Around the Sun is a Los Angeles based instrumental band that consists of Adam MacDougall on keys , Mark Levy on drums, Dan Horne on bass and 

John Lee Shannon on guitar.  The whole concert is one long spacey groove fest.   

3. Cowboy Junkies: July 27, 2023 Fox Theatre, Tucson AZ

Like all good things the Cowboy Junkies seem to get better with age. The line up has remained the same since their start in 1985 with Margo Timmins on vocals,  Michael Timmins on guitar, Peter Timmins on drums and Alan Anton on drums. The sound quality of the recording might not be the best but the music more than makes up for it.

4.  Joe Russo’s Almost Dead: June 4, 2023 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison CO 

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead is much more than just another Grateful Dead cover band.  This show features Joe Russo on drums and vocals, Tom Hamilton on guitar and vocals, Scot Metzger on guitar and vocals, Marco Benevento on keyboards and vocals and Dave Dreiwitz on bass. From "New Speedway Boogie" to "Terrapin Station", it's forty minutes of musical mayhem.

5. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: June 8, 2023 Red Rocks Amphitheatre Morrison CO

Just four days after Joe Russo’s Almost Dead blew up Red Rocks Amphitheatre they were able to rebuild the place just for King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard to blow it up all over again. From the first set "Evil Death Roll" and "Magma" and all of the second offered some great Gizzard Lizard.

6. Los Lobos: November 17, 2023 The Fillmore, San Francisco CA

2023 marked the bands 50th year and one of the few bands in which the members have pretty much remained constant with Louie Perez - Drums, Guitars, Percussion, Vocals; Steve Berlin - Saxophone, Percussion, Flute; Cesar Rosas - Vocals, Guitar; Conrad Lozano - Bass, Guitarron, Vocals; David Hidalgo - Vocals, Guitar, Accordion, Percussion;  Alfredo "Fredo" Ortiz - Drums/Percussion. 

7. My Morning Jacket: June 30, 2023 Westville Music Bowl, New Haven, CT  

The band formed in 1998 and hailing from Louisville Kentucky My Morning Jacket is Jim James on vocals and guitars, Tom Blankenship on bass, Patrick Hallahan on drums, Carl Broemel on guitar, and Bo Koster on keyboards. 

8. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong: May 26, 2023 Pop’s Farm, Axton, VA 

It was a late night for the band with the show starting at midnight but they must have taken a nap because the concert was full blast from start to finish. Greg Ormont on lead Vocals, Guitar; Jeremy Schon on guitar;  Ben Carrey  on bass and Alex Petropulos on Drums.

 9. Pink Talking Fish: October 28, 2023 Jeanne Rimsky Theater Port Washington NY

2023 marks the tenth anniversary of the band, which consists of Eric Gould on bass / Vox, Zack Burwick on drums, Cal Kehoe on guitar/ and Vox, Steve Learson on Keys / Vox. As their name implies, they play the songs of Pink Floyd, The Talking Heads and Phish in the oddest way imaginable.

10. String Cheese Incident: May 4, 2023 Salvage Station, Asheville, NC

Starting out in Colorado in 1993, String Cheese Incident have become jam band heavyweights. With Michael Kang on vocals and various stringed instruments, Michael Travis on drums, Bill Nershi on guitar, Kyle Hollingsworth on keyboards, Keith Moseley on bass and Jason Hann on percussion. This concert is a tale of two sets, the first is okay but the second is why people travel all over the US of A to see this band. (Who are affectionately known as “cheese-heads.”)

Alex Viger-Collins - Host of Ashes to Ashes

Best Releases of 2023

1.  Desire, I Want to Turn Into You - Caroline Polachek

2. Guts - Olivia Rodrigo 

3. The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess - Chappell Roan

4. This is Why - Paramore 

5. Ooh Rap I Ya - George Clanton 

6.  Euphoric Recall - Braids

7. Weathervanes - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit 

8. Love Hallucination - Jessy Lanza 

9. Normal - Blesse 

10. Gas Station - Fireball Kid 

 

Honourable Mention

10,000 Gecs - 100 Gecs

DJ Jazzy Maize - Host of The Castle

DJ jazzy maize’s 2023 favs and hates :)

2023 was a dairy-free Whopper burger of a whammy. 

2023 was a year of daily rollercoasters. 

of beautiful watery sunsets and extraordinary ice cream experiences. 

I enjoyed my ‘space for life’ botanical gardens and Biodome pass. I flew around the city on my blue bike. I spent so much time with my plants, in good and bad ways. 

Here are some things I enjoyed this year and some things I did not

Best colour: this washed-out sky blue followed me around this year. hex code: #90EFFF

Outsides: things outside that I appreciated this year:

Best swimming spot: (45.4558159, -73.5625119)

Longest streak of consecutive days swimming: 12 days (September 2nd —> September 13th)

Best forest: Parc Nature de la Pointe-Aux-Prairies

Best rewilded space: Boise Vimont

Best social media: alerting people around you to look at the moon

Best weather happenings: the ice storm (wheee) 

Worst weather happenings: wildfire smoke :(

 

Bike paths 

Best paved bike path: canal (could be better but is very pretty. It can be very windy though)

Worst paved bike path: Rue Glen going under Route 136, downhill potholes, evil. Avoid.

Best unpaved path: Petite Voie du Fleuve

Outside of Montreal honourable mention: Petit Train du Nord <3

Worst unpaved path: downhill gravel with a sharp turn and reckless teenagers at the bottom in  Parc Nature de la Pointe-aux-Prairies

Longest bike ride: 80km

 

Musics

2023’s Best Guitar Albums

Rat Saw God - Wednesday

Girl With Fish - feeble little horse

Lucky For You - Bully

The Window - Ratboys

Gush - 9Million

No One To Lose -  Roach

Computerwife -  Computerwife 

 

2023’s Best Electronic Albums

Soft Rock - Thy Slaughter

With A Hammer - Yaeji

mini mix vol.3 - Magdelena Bay

Hearth Room - Frost Children

Desire I Want To Turn Into You - Caroline Polachek

Rodeo Star - Cowgirl Clue

Jam City Presents EFM - jam city

Softscars - yeule

Beyond The Uncanny Valley - myst milano

INFINITY CLUB - BAMBII

10,000 gecs - 100 gecs

 

Best Singles

"Oral" - bjork and Rosalia

"GROUNDBREAKER" - umru and Warpster 

 

Most Surprising Release

New Blue Sun - André 3000

 

All of Charli XCX 2023 song releases ranked

“Welcome To My Island Remix”

“Speed Drive”

“Heavy by Thy Slaughter” (featured)

“Bottoms movie soundtrack” (particularly Yes No Okay)

“In The City feat. Sam Smith”

 

not even on the list

“2 die 4” - Addison Rae (I hate that song)

 

Best concerts

Best local performer: free Magi Merlin show at Diving Bell Social Club (rip)

Most emotional concert: Wednesday at Bar le Ritz

Best nonlocal performer: EDEN in Theater Corona

Best venue: Society for Arts and Technology (SAT)’s 306 degree domed projection room

 

Body doing body things

Worst tummy ache: December 14th :(

Worst headache: August 4th :(

Worst healthcare experience: Concordia calling me telling me I might have a UTI and to drink cranberry juice about it

Best healthcare experience: midnight MRI lady telling me she’ll still put me in the tube despite my appointment not existing (Hopital Notre Dame)

 

Drinkies

Best drink: Casa del Popolo’s dark n stormy

Worst drink: raspberry Smirnoff vodka injected (like, with a needle) into red Kool-Aid pouch (it was a genius idea but I don’t like Kool-Aid)

 

Foods

Best food by Concordia’s downtown campus: the Hive’s vege-pate reuben sandwich

Best coffee near downtown campus: vanilla oatmilk latte by Mick at Myriad

Best loyola food: Souvlaki George’s gyro pita (order: gyro pita)    

Best (vegan) ice creams: Calem by the canal (order: pandan and coconut)

Best (vegan) soft serve: Hoche Glace (order: chocolate waffle cone with vegan marble dipped in 54% dark chocolate and rainbow sprinkles)

 

Books

These books did not necessarily come out in 2023 but i did read them in 2023.

Best memoir: This is My Real Name by Cid V Brunet - queer Canadian stripper memoir. So many trigger warnings. so good.

Best fiction: Ministry of the Future by Kim Stanely Robinson (2021)

Best self-help book: Wheel of Consent by Betty Martin and Robyn Dalzen (2021) 

Best non-fiction book: Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer (2003)

Best reread: Grendel by John Gardener (1989)

Worst book: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

Most disappointing book: Letter to a Young Farmer by Gene Logsdon (started with barn critiques, ended up being racist??)

 

Movies

Also not necessarily released in 2023 but was watched in 2023

Most immersive experience:  Stop Making Sense (1984/2023) at Cinema Moderne

Most inspirational: How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2022)

Best nonfiction: Discordia (2004)

Best sci fi: T-Blockers (2023) @ Fantasia Film Festival

Best rewatch: NOPE (2022)

Best feel good: Bottoms (2023) (out of all the bathrooms I’ve used this year, this Cineplex pee palace was the one with confrontational transphobia)

Worst movie: Cocaine Bear (2023) watched in French

Omar Sonics - Host of Hooked on Sonics 

20 Fave Records of 2023

everything is alive - Slowdive 

Metta World Peace - Soft Kill 

Death is Nothing to Us - Fiddlehead

i've seen a way - Mandy, Indiana

Cartwheel - Hotline TNT

GOOD LUCK - DEBBY FRIDAY

Sunforger - Sunforger

Bird Machine - Sparklehorse

Still Life in Decay - FACS 

Life Under The Gun - Militarie Gun

Nature Morte - BIGIBRAVE

Fourth Record - Markus Floats 

Rat Saw God - Wednesday

After The Magic - Parannoul

Red Moon in Venus - Kali Uchis 

Lucky for You - Bully 

Power Is The Pharmacy - Ky 

Sit Down for Dinner - Blonde Redhead 

Adrift - Andrew Sisk

Blondshell - Blondshell 

 

10 Fave Songs of 2023

"alife" - Slowdive

"Trouble" - Soft Kill

"Name of God" - Mustafa

"Sullenboy" - Fiddlehead

"Needs" - Tinashe

"Sun Spots" - 9Million

"Monterey Canyon" - Samiam

"Very High" - Militarie Gun

"Sunblock" - Barnacle

“Your Spit" - Ian Sweet

 

5 Fave Local Squirrels

Chuckles

Rusty

Slim

Fat-face

Steven

 

5 Fave Sodees

Maine Root Mexicane Cola

Cherry Dr Pepper

Maine Root Sarsaparilla

Virgil's Black Cherry

Canada Dry Cranberry Ginger Ale

Josh Dimakakos - Host of Psychic Ceremony

Top 10 Albums of 2023

1. Tight Ass Goku Pictures -  Timeout Room

2. Good Lies - Overmono 

3. Good Living is Coming For You - Sweeping Promises

4. Hit Piece - Tony Price

5. A Blaze in Time - Erang

6. Live on Cool St. - Thee Retail Simps 

7. Sword & Circuitry - Quest Master 

8. Migration Magic - Feeling Figures

9. Super Snooper - Snooper

10. Ooh Rap I Ya - George Clanton

Eric Wider - Host of Patch Note

Favourite Albums of 2023

Album of the Year: Wallsocket -  Underscores

Every time I put Wallsocket on, it gets its hooks further into me. This is the second album by April Harper Grey, aka Underscores. It’s bolder, and more ambitious than her first, plunging into concept album territory and refining her alternate sound. It’s loud and full of energy, but also finds the time for subtler moments where April explores the boundaries of the town of Wallsocket, Michigan she sets the album in. The biggest compliment I can share is that whenever I start listening to any one song in the tracklist, I always find myself listening to it all the way through. 

3D Country - Geese

“God of the sun I’m taking you down on the inside'' Cameron Winter proclaims in the first three seconds of the opener “2122.” It’s this same bizarre post-apocalyptic theme that is a constant in Geese’s new album, 3D Country. Put simply, it’s an album packed with super engaging rock music. The album keeps an energetic grip throughout its runtime, elevated through its use of backup singers. It’s always fun when an album doesn’t take itself seriously, and how can you argue against Geese with the lyrics “we could live in the sea, just you and me, and those fishes in-between?” 

Everything Harmony - Lemon Twigs

I have a weird issue where I find it hard to go back to the classics. There’s an infinite amount of music that’s come before me, it’s easier just to stick to new releases. I plan to amend this eventually, but for now, listening to Everything Harmony will do. It’s a throwback to 70’s music, the kind of stuff that would slot right in with my parent’s collection. Every song is incredibly memorable, whether it’s the lyrically dissonant “In My Head”, or tragically sweet “Still It’s Not Enough.” It’s some of the most addicting music you’ll hear this year. 

Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? - McKinley Dixon

Add jazz instrumentals to rap songs and I’m sold. It’s all the better then that McKinley Dixon goes further than this, constantly throwing in curveballs to keep the audience on their toes. The borderline experimental "Mezzanine Tippin’" comes to mind, taking a detour into darkness early on. Sweltering saxophones, pianos and drums are gorgeously performed throughout the entire album, giving the perfect backdrop for McKinley to perform with. Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? finds itself celebrating the life of a friend, and despite touching on heartache, grief and trauma, ends up feeling as if it’s letting a light in.

Lahai - Sampha

Lahai is ethereal. It is a labour of love that has managed to maintain its soul no matter how much it was tinkered with. Sampha’s voice remains beautiful as always, and so does the production. There is such a focus on keeping just the essential elements of each song, highlighting the beauty in each drum pattern or piano note. So much of Lahai makes you feel like you’re floating, but “Jonathan L. Seagull” is the closest to heaven I’ve come listening to any music this year. 

In the End It Always Does - The Japanese House

Amber Bain’s second album is light and airy, it’s the kind of music the best indie-pop is. Putting on this album is like throwing on a stranger's blanket: you haven’t grown up with it but it’s comforting all the same. ITEIAD is focused on love, and how it feels to fall out of it. Songs such as “Morning Pages" do a fantastic job at recounting memories but never feeling like a slog. Every now and then there are lyrics that go straight for the heart, with, “no one’s ever gonna love me, like this dog lying in my lap”. It’s a truly great album. 

The Brightest Days - Origami Angel 

It’s perplexing, staring out into the beach on a sunny day and feeling like nothing. On Origami Angels’s new mixtape, The Brightest Days, they distill this feeling down and translate it into a series of thick guitar riffs in and way too relatable lyrics on a tight 22-minute project. All their music has a shimmer to it, but there’s something about The Brightest Days that harkens to summer like nothing else they’ve released before. Maybe it’s the ukulele. 

Live at Bush Hall - Black Country, New Road

Maybe it’s unfair to put this on the list. The band has stated they don’t consider this as an album, but more of a live concert (which it is). With that said, it’s still an excellent snapshot in time and worth considering. Live at Bush Hall sees the now six-piece Black Country, New Road playing music over the course of three nights, blended to get the best performances out of each show. As corny as it sounds, it’s a showcase of the power of friendship. Having their lead singer leave earlier in 2022, the art-rock band has split up vocal duties among three of the members, each bringing a unique flair to the song they perform. It’s extremely smart and technical, but never leaves behind the emotional weight of their previous work. If you were to watch this, the first listen has to be the concert film itself, there’s truly nothing like seeing great musicians perform live.

10,000 gecs - 100 gecs

Recently there was a post on Twitter that picked up momentum: a clip of the song "Money Machine" by 100 gecs with the caption “i won’t forget some of u guys used to like this.” Taking a step back and perceiving it from someone else’s perspective, I get where they’re coming from. It’s grating music, overblown and not really focused on anyone liking it except for Laura Les and Dylan Brady themselves. But if you like it, odds are you really like it. 10,000 gecs is filled to the brim with capital B bangers, from the sample filled "Dumbest Girl Alive" or the always clipping "One Million Dollars." I’m fortunate enough to be one of the lucky ones who enjoys this absurd music. 

World of Hassle - Alan Palomo 

I’m not sure if I’ve ever listened to a more fun, funky album this year than World of Hassle. Alan Palomo used to go by Neon Indian, but he’s shed that moniker and has now released his first album under his own name. Every song is full of shimmering, perfectly constructed synth work that finds its place in each mood it goes for. It’s also a truly funny record in moments such as “Big Night of Heartache” which sees Palomo bargaining with a partner, claiming his tears are just the byproduct of a spicy meal. His vocals are great as always, singing in his native tongue of Spanish for a good portion of the runtime. It’s the perfect music to listen to if you find your head is in some serious need of bops. 

 

Bonus: Albums I’m sure are good that I’m embarrassed I haven’t gotten around to listening to

Rat Saw God - Wednesday

Javelin - Sufjan Stevens

I Killed Your Dog - L’rain

Maps - billy woods and Kenny Segal

Girl with Fish - Feeble Little Horse

Integrated Tech Solutions - Aesop Rock 

Desire, I Want to Turn Into You - Caroline Polachek 

Andrew Wieler - Metal Music Director and Host of Grade A Explosives

10. The Crotals - Conjure - A big ole sludge fest from a three-piece from Switzerland. This record feels heavy and has a real foreboding atmosphere to it, and if that isn't enough, it probably has the best incorporation of horns into sludge I've ever heard on "Taenia", with the greatest respect to KEN Mode, who is also doing a great job in the same field.

9. JAAW - Supercluster - Supergroup featuring members of Therapy? (who had a subpar record this year), Squarepusher, Petbrick, and Sex Swing, this is called a "post-industrial” record. I don't know about that, but it's damn good and calls back to the best 90s industrial stuff (read: the best Therapy? era) and gives it a flavour from today.  

8. Humanity's Last Breath - Ashen - Jeeeesus christ, this record is fucking heavy. If you have bass turned up for the device you're listening to this on, you should probably turn it down or your speakers and ears will be crushed with what's coming out. But, if that would scare you away, it isn't juuust heavy; it manages to also have good melodies that are present... just underneath the pure seething rage. Hey, that's kind of an apt metaphor for 2023 in general.

7. Tigercub - The Perfume of Decay - It's no surprise that I like this, being that fellow UK band Royal Blood, whose first and second records were excellent, become a slightly darker Imagine Dragons knockoff recently, and this band is basically doing what they're doing with a bit of Spotlight's darkness mixed in. Your inner goth will thank you for listening.

6. Green Lung - This Heathen Land - After the fantastic stadium rock opus of Prequelle, Ghost hasn't been hitting as much as I'd like. Luckily, UK's Green Lung are here to give their best Ghost impression along with some stoner rock flare. Honestly, if you can listen to "Maxine" and not enjoy it, you're probably dead inside, and not in the cool way.

5. Spotlights - Alchemy for the Dead - This is some tasty doomgaze from this NYC trio that manages to have some interesting arrangements and instrumentation in the mix. They toured with Baroness this year, and the sound at Corona... oh, sorry "Beanfield", didn't do them favours. If they want to come back and play Turbo Haus again, though, maybe they can stop by CJLO and do a session. Not saying... just saying...  

4. Mutoid Man - Mutants - Steven Brodsk, lead singer and main songwriting mind behind this band has been busy between Cave In, joining Quicksand, and returning to Converge for the team-up record with Chelsea Wolfe, but among all that, he still found time to make this record. Mutoid Man has always been catchy but this record really outdoes their previous works. If you want some heavy rock and/or roll and still be able to sing along, this is probably the best record you could ask for.

3. Svalbard - The Weight of the Mask - UK's post-everything band Svalbard puts out another stellar record, this time with the backing of Nuclear Blast, so good for them. If you're a fan of everything from Mogwai, to Touche Amore, to Harakiri for the Sky, there is something on this record that will interest you. Hell, it's probably up your alley if you're into heavier shoegaze as well. Just a great record from a consistently great band.  

2. Wayfarer - American Gothic - I know, Panopticon is the gold standard for mixing folk with black metal, but it doesn't quite capture the "Western" feel that Colorado's Wayfarer is able to get on this record. The record is a bit uneven, with the first part being the heaviest, and then becoming way more mellow at the end, but that's all totally fine for me.

1. Sleep Token - Take Me Back to Eden - I mean... can it get better than this? If it can, then, I suppose it would be a case where I just kill myself directly after listening, knowing full well that life has hit a peak. Mixing elements of djent, black metal, RnB, pop, and hip hop, this record treads ground that no other metal record has tried, and if there is a band that does anything close to this, I want to know about it. And look, is this album above critique? No. But if you're one of these people saying this is the downfall of all metal, or that it's only liked by "fake metalheads", why don't you just, I don't know, shut your mouth? Some people don't want to hear the same thrash chords or blast beats every day of their lives, and frankly, if this gets ANY young people into one of the oldest skewing genres, I am totally for it.

 

Honourable mentions

KEN Mode - Void - Those good Canadians still punching you in the face with sludge.

Lethvm - Winterreise - Belgium post-doom that is alternating between breathy and heavy

Pil & Bue - Special Agents - A very good... grunge... pop?... yeah, let's say that, form the "most northern band on the planet".

Liturgy - 93696 - I have never gotten Liturgy up to now, so if you're like me, maybe give this a shot

Raum Kingdom - Monarch - Irish proggy doom that has a real mean streak to it

Racetraitor - Creation and the Timeless Order of Things - Some unique hardcore from a band that used to have Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy in its ranks

3teeth - Endex - Modern industrial of the highest order

68 - Yes, And... - Weirdo rock at its finest

Vvon Dogma I - The Kvlt of Glitch - The mastermind behind Unexpect puts out a glitchy weirdo metal album, so basically Unexpect with electronics

Angelica Calcagnile - Art Director and Host of BVST

Another year, another set of favourites in no particular order. Want to listen to the tracks to taste that I've selected from each of these records? Check out the playlist here.

Debby Friday - Good Luck

Also one of my favourite live shows this year, 2023 belongs to Debby, whose flawless album synthesizes your every dark desire and hidden regret into ten perfect crystalline confessions. Track to taste: "Let U Down"

Bonnie Trash - Hail, Hale!

At three songs and barely 15 minutes long, the biggest critique of this beautifully sparse and haunting new release from the Toronto twin twosome is that it's too damn short. Track to taste: "Shades of You"

Dusk - Rethrenody

Costa Rican industrial black metallers Dusk consistently release some of the most frightening music you can imagine, and this downtempo reinterpretation of their 2019 punisher Threnody proves that being slower and softer doesn't mean any less scary. Track to taste: "Threnody II"

Tigercub - The Perfume of Decay

This record was a sexy surprise, dark and brooding and full of whispered promises. With a hair pull and a cab ride home, this record will touch you where it matters without overstaying its welcome. Track to taste: "Swoon"

JAAW - Supercluster

If the collective screaming of our last few years was collected, charred, corroded and cut into eight digestible chunks it would sound a lot like this delicious nightmare. Track to taste: "Rot"

Acid King - Beyond Vision

It's been eight years since Lori S. and friends blessed us with a record and this one crawls and soars and burns lovely and slow. A trip, in every sense, so pack yr bags. Track to taste: "90 Seconds"

Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs - Land of Sleeper

Doing the heavy stoner psych thing the way only the English can, Pigs x7 bring the kind of gut-rattling low end I can't stop coming back to. Track to taste: "Big Rig"

Dead Quiet - IV

Vancouver's own returns with another rock record that's soulful without being sanctimonious, dripping in organs without being gothy, and familiar without being tired. Track to taste: "Dying to Live Again"

Bog Monkey - Hollow

Just 'cause it crunches doesn't mean it can't boogie, as is proven over and over again here. Can doom metal be... catchy? Can it be... dancey? Yes and yes, see for yourself. Track to taste: "Trip"

Wayfarer - American Gothic

They call this "black metal of the American West" and it does exactly what it says on the tin. If you were ever hoping for a little more yeehaw with your yeeeearrrgghhhh then this is exactly what you need. Track to taste: "The Cattle Thief"

Nina Przr - Co-Host of Dreamscapes

Top 10 dream symbols of 2023 (in no particular order)

Eggs, water, crocodiles, cheese, clothing( imbued with special powers), disintegrating or malfunctioning architecture(stairs, houses), trains that become dragons, floating/levitating/flying, old women, friendly giant skulls with a puppet show inside.

 

No order special mention

waking up from a dream remembering a new song you just invented in the dream, sleep paralysis naps in Canadian history class,  donnie darko, Frank from Donnie Darko and also rabbits in general, Tarot for Change by Jessica Dore, Alie Ward's Ologies, Dreams and the Underworld by James Hillman, 10000 Dreams Interpreted by Pamela Ball, Dream Scenario(?- we haven't seen it yet but we are intrigued and will report back), the interview with Matt Johnson where he says he directs movies like everyone is trying to remember a dream together, the moon (at all percentages of illumination). 

 

BVST Goes Santapalooza XII: The 12 BVSTs of Santapalooza

December 20 2023 //

Surprise, it's Santapalooza! More specifically it's BVST Goes Santapalooza XII: The 12 BVSTs of Santapalooza on CJLO 1690AM! Join BVST host Angelica as she's joined by special guest Matt Kiernan for an annual heaping helping of carefully curated Christmas music surprises! Tune in tonight December 20 at 7pm ET and get all your holly jollies!

Tim Baker Does What He Does Best: Bringing Holiday Cheer

December 16 2023 //

Christmas came early as Canadian indie musician Tim Baker brought much-needed holiday merriment on a dreary, icy Tuesday in Montreal. Playing solo to a packed house at the Salle de Gésu, the former Hey Rosetta! Frontman - who is touring on the strength of his new EP Along the Mountain Road - proved to be the perfect tonic for the all-too-real pedagogical and commercial stresses prevalent in December.

Le Gésu’s 425-seat amphitheatre, located in the basement of a Catholic Church, proved to be an appropriate location for Baker’s brand of songcraft, drawing together a catechism of his own imageries while playfully merging tradition with his trademark sense of wonder. Though decidedly not a pontiff, Baker presided effectively over the delighted crowd, no doubt energized by opening act, Haley Heynderickx. The Oregon singer-songwriter’s modest, soft spoken style may have appeared counterpoint to the crowd’s fervent energy, but her introspection and sheer musicality made for an effective gangplank to Baker’s own brand of emotive folk rock.

Emerging in high spirits, the singer’s vocals were in fine form amidst the sparse setup of two guitars, one banjo, a keyboard, and a wonderful Kawai Grand piano provided by the venue. Baker deftly alternated between instruments, maximizing their output while bringing a low-tech approach to the proceedings, going so far as to tape down keys on his keyboard for effect. The resulting drone gave a gravitas to the moving “New Key” off his latest EP Along the Mountain Road.

The Saint John’s-based Baker, who is a Concordia University alum, admitted that being in Montreal was a bit of a homecoming while regaling the audience with anecdotes of how the city informed his writing and songcraft. Bringing a looseness, and a confidence that made the evening feel more like a festive gathering than a formal concert, a lax intimacy was evident in Baker's banter with the audience, clearly comprised of more than a few Newfoundland expats.

While Baker’s output with Hey Rosetta! and as a solo artist have involved lush, sweeping arrangements, and sophisticated audio productions, the stripped-down versions of his recorded output put special emphasis on the core spirit of the songs themselves. Though Baker’s lack of orchestral support went noticed, particularly on his gorgeous use of brass on new release “Pilgrims,” fans were forgiving, even serving as an impromptu choir for certain selections, like the catchy melody of “Some Day” off of his powerful 2022 album, “Festival” or fan favourite “Red Heart.” 

Getting progressively looser as the evening transpired, Baker felt free to experiment with instruments and lyrics, leading to welcomed mistakes, while sustaining an atmosphere of endearment. Strapping on some sleigh bells and concluding with a rousing rendition of Hey Rosetta’s infectious holiday jingle “Carry Me Home” only helped fill hearts with yuletide cheer, as attested by the smiling faces exiting out into the cold reality of a mid-December eve.

 

Donald is host and DJ of Eastern Promises Thursdays at 1:00PM

The Japanese House Brings Sunshine to Montreal @ Le Studio TD

December 15 2023 //

This past June, Amber Bain a.k.a The Japanese House released not just a great indie-pop record, but one of the best albums of 2023. Featuring co-production by George Daniel of The 1975, as well as contributions from Katie Gavin of MUNA, Charli XCX, and Matty Healy (also of The 1975), her sophomore album In the End It Always Does is a triumph in focus. Every instrument, lyric, and vocal fits perfectly in place over the forty-five-minute run time. Gorgeously produced, deeply personal and moving, ITEIAD shows Bain in peak form. To support her stellar album, Bain has been on an extensive tour across the United Kingdom and North America, with Montreal being the third to last stop. Joining her on tour is Quinnie, fresh off the heels of releasing her debut record earlier in the year, which garnered the attention from Pitchfork and DIY Magazine. 

For an opening act, you couldn’t ask more from Quinnie. It was an understated performance; she with two friends, sitting down and happily playing guitar. Despite singing at a relatively high pitch, I would hesitate to describe her vocals as sweet. The amount of honesty conveyed through her lyrics tinged them with just a hint of darkness, but not distractingly so. Quinnie and her bandmates were soft-spoken and charming, throwing out her broken tambourine parts midway through the performance and joking about guitar tunings. Highlights of their setlist included “man,” with its sharp and catchy lyrics (“no amount of nail polish could paint you a good man”), as well as the viral “touch tank,” which received a visceral reaction from the crowd. It was the start of winter, but her music gave the feeling of the changing seasons: the coziness of fall or the hope that comes with spring. 

If there was one word to describe how The Japanese House came across, it would be grateful. Whether it was grateful to be playing yet another sold-out show, or just grateful to be nearing the end of a lengthy tour, Amber Bain was not faking her spirit. It’s the kind of joy that engages the audience, pulling them into your world but still human at the end of the day. She wasn’t too chatty but she wasn’t too quiet either. That same spirit came through in the music. 

There was a blend of that same tightness present on the album but with a newfound looseness. “Friends” was already kind of a party anthem, but now with hundreds in the room and five instruments playing live (including a saxophone!), it felt more like that than ever. The use of crowd vocals in songs such as the opener “Sad to Breathe or Over There” was strong, replacing Bain's original background vocals with backing from her bandmates, giving warmth and texture only possible in a live setting. 

There were some setbacks, though. While the vocals were utilized well in “Over There,” the gentle nature of the song was contrasted heavily with drums that were too loud for the ambience it goes for. On the other hand, it felt like a missed opportunity not to replicate the noisy vibes of “Dionne” (originally featuring Justin Vernon of Bon Iver) and play it straight instead. Fortunately, the night ended with a high, piercing straight through the heart with a stunning encore rendition of the album’s closer, “One for sorrow, two for Joni Jones.” “Sunshine Baby” wrapped the night on a bow, and that was that. After playing thirty-six shows, I just hope Bain and her bandmates get some rest, it’s clear they deserve it.

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