A few days before Quinton Barnes was set to perform at Casa Del Popolo, I listened to Quinton’s most recent project, Black Noise, an album characterized by the unsettling cacophony of orchestral instruments inspired by Miles Davis, overlayed over an otherwise beautifully produced album. On the day of the show, I woke up at 6 in the morning to catch a rideshare from Ottawa to Montreal.

We made it to 2026! Every year it feels like CJLO is getting bigger and better. From filling our schuedule from 10AM-10PM, to multiple packed concerts, to the most successful funding drive in station history, 2025 had a lot to be proud of. As we look back on 2025, lets also give a nod to all the amazing local, underground, and otherwise just awesome albums our DJs have spun in the past year. From the explosive rise of Geese, to new albums from station legends like No Joy and Kestels, to Ribbon Skirt's miraculous run, holding down both the #10 and #1 spots, CJLO kept its finger on the pulse all year long. 

Most people have at least one artist they tell themselves they must see live one day. Some years they just don’t come to your city, or the dates don’t work out, or the album releases don’t come as often as you’d hoped.

It's beginning to sound a lot like Santapalooza on BVST! For the 14th year in a row, Angelica is joined by special guest Matt Kiernan for another trip through the freshest new Christmas music you've never heard before.