Magazine

Independent, provocative, now! The CJLO Magazine is the resource for features, reviews, and interviews. Established in 2004, and run by dedicated CJLO volunteers, the magazine covers the latest and best in local and international music, art, theatre, film, festivals, and more!


Festival 77 Montreal in Pictures

1. Californian band Joyce Manor. Barry Johnson (left) Matt Ebert (right)

Celebrating forty years of punk music, Festival 77 Montreal slammed into Parc Jean-Drapeau. The weather was perfect, the festival site with two stages, a record fair, poster exhibition and movie house was a busy place. 

The city of Montreal was well represented by The Pale Lips, which got the festival started, hardcore punk band Genetic ControlThe Kingpins and powerhouse Barrasso. The Creepshow also brought their unique brand of psychobilly to the festival. 


Pitchfork Festival 2017: A Review

Festivals can be a truly polarizing experience. On one hand, there are a lot of unknown variables that can lend themselves to a bad time. Not so friendly weather, band cancellations, poor planning, and endless lines at food stands and bathrooms. On the other hand, there’s nothing quite like watching your favourite artists in the great outdoors, the freedom to be as much (or as little) part of the action as you like, and just the feeling of warm air and summer vibes that connect you with the rest of the attendees in a way you just don’t get inside a closed venue. While Pitchfork Festival has a history of strong line-ups and excellent organization, I still wasn’t sure what to expect, it being my first time attending.


Fantasia 2017: Week 3 - The Final Lap

Normally, by the final week of the Fantasia Film Festival, I am trying to catch up on everything that I have missed in a long marathon run of the festival. Sadly, with work and the real world being a demise to my film viewings, I only got around to seeing two viewings. These are probably the two biggest Hollywood fare films that the festival offered up this year.

Atomic Blonde


Fantasia 2017: Week 2 - The Midnight Run

The start of the second week of the Fantasia Film Festival, brings in the rhythmic pacing of trying to squeeze in as many movies as you can. This is not the final marathon, however I have tried my best to map out my run with screeners and theatre viewings. The theatre viewings are varied between the Fantasia setting, and the big multiplex for the big releases. As previously stated, I would like to see most of the documentary films that the festival has to offer as a core concentration. 

Darkland


Lakes of Canada Come Out of Hiding to Play Osheaga Opening Party

Montreal’s own Lakes of Canada have been on a bit of a hiatus lately. After months on the road, Jake, Conor, Sarah and Caleb have been in the realm of the musician’s existence that privileges long days in the studio over long nights playing to noisy rooms. Luckily for us though, an offer to play a slot at the opening party of one of their favourite festivals coaxed them out of seclusion. 


The Hillside Music Festival in Pictures

01. Happy Hillside is a common greeting at the festival.

The thirty-fourth edition of Hillside Music Festival took place over the July 16th weekend. Taking place over three days in the scenic Guelph Island Lake, this edition of the festival holds up with the best acts and lives up to its history of over thirty years. The theme this year at Hillside was resistance.

It is through resistance that we can build stronger communities and stronger bonds. We must resist the lines of thinking that tell us to separate ourselves along gender or racial lines, or that tell us we’re too different to get along.


CJLOXJFL: AUNTY DONNA'S SMOOTH MOVES TAKE MONTREAL BY STORM

Australian comedy group and YouTube sensations Aunty Donna took Montreal by storm with their outstanding 3 man variety show at The Mainline Theatre. People from all across Canada came to Montreal to watch Mark Samual Bonanno, Broden Kelly and Zachary Ruane perform their incredible first show in the city. Aunty Donna’s super smooth moves captivated their audiences and it’s no surprise that they made the cover of this week’s Montreal Gazette!


CJLOXJFL: DEBRA DIGIOVANNI IS CANADA'S SWEETHEART

Canada’s sweetheart Debra DiGiovanni made her 9th appearance at The Just For Laughs Festival with her hilarious solo show at Place des Arts! DiGiovanni provides her audiences with an energetic hour of delightfully dark, self-deprecating humour. DiGiovanni enthusiastically delivers such vivid, relatable jokes that will make you laugh so hard you’ll cry!


Fantasia 2017: Week 1 - The Brisk Jog

Week one of the Fantasia Film Festival for me is more of a brisk jog. Trying to allocate my time for work, social conventions of television viewing parties, and other festivals seemed to get in the way of an avid movie watcher as myself. However, I found the time to catch a few screenings. Here is a quick rundown of this first week of cinema extravaganza. 

 

A Ghost Story


REVIEW: Wolves by Rise Against

It seems like many bands seem to have a law of diminishing returns on subsequent albums. Oh... perhaps I shouldn't have lead with my direct opinion of what Rise Against has been doing as of late. Oh well, too late to edit now.

Rise Against first appeared on my radar with their third record, Sirens Sound of the Counter Culture, and then created a bonafide masterwork with The Sufferer & the Witness two years later. Since then, every album has been circling the closer to the drain of mediocrity and I am none too happy about it.


Pages