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!


From Local to Legend at POP Montreal with Masters of Soul: Mavis Staples, Clerel and Hanorah

Every now and again, a performer stops through Montreal bringing not just a prowess and artistry that impresses, but a living, embodied history. On Sunday, September 29th at the Rialto Theatre, POP Montreal offered one such show. Mavis Staples - a woman who worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King alongside her father and sisters as part of The Staples Singers, sang in President Obama’s White House and has collaborated with everyone from Bob Dylan to Hozier - graced the Montreal audience with the divine power of gospel, soul, and blues.


Q&A Interview with Sara-Claudia Ligondé

September 25th, 2019 marked the premiere of Being Black in Canada, a documentary film project that was part of the Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF). As stated on the website, the festival was created in 2005 by the Fabienne Colas Foundation and is currently the largest Canadian film festival entirely dedicated to black realities from all four corners of the world. The project featured fifteen short films centered around telling black stories from the perspective of young black Canadian filmmakers based in Montreal, Toronto, and Halifax.


Look Vibrant Performs One Last Time at POP Montreal

The night at The Diving Bell Social Club was set to be a big deal, it was Montreal’s very own Look Vibrant’s last show during the POP Montreal International Music Festival. A funky weird strange and transformative band that was constantly changing its skin, released their new album, Cherish Everything; a cumulative album of all the human stories and souls that inspired the band members. While this was Look Vibrant’s last show, they promised to be back with new music in the future.


Montreal International Black Film Festival

Celebrate Black filmmakers at Montreal’s International Black Film Festival! The festival will be taking place from September 24 to September 29. For the full schedule, check out the MIBFF site and take a look at their special events.

Look out for content on MIBFF on the CJLO site. 


Guerilla Toss at Bar Le "Ritz" PDB, September 15th 2019

Sitting in the back of the room in Montreal’s Bar Le Ritz PDB, I got the perfect picture: a crowd full of hipsters, multi-colour lights swirling, and five musicians performing in perfect tandem. Accompanying them was a projection which included collages containing images of, for one, their Samoyed altered by psychedelic visual effects. 

A Guerilla Toss show is more of a ritual than a performance. The band wants you to party and dance, but they make sure you listen to the broader message. Lead singer and violinist Kassie Carlson uses her love of poetry and literature to compose lyrics that tackle serious topics such as depression and mental health. 


Talking the United Nations Associated Films Festival with Host Grace Byrne

This Saturday, September, 21st, Yellow Pad Sessions will be hosting the United Nations Association Film Festival (UNAFF), titled Images & Nations at The Mccord Museum. This festival aims to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The festival was conceived in 1998 by Film Critic and Educator Jasmine Bojic. The documentary films screened are from international film makers covering such issues as human rights, environmental themes, women’s Issues, refugee protection, homelessness, racism, universal education, war and peace.
 

Photo Gallery: A First-Person Look into Quebec’s Festival De Musique Émergente (FME)

Photo gallery can be found at the end of the article.

The city of Rouyn-Noranda in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Quebec hosted the 17th edition of Festival de Musique Émergente, otherwise known as FME. The festival hosts a wide array of artists from different genres, of both emerging and popular status. For reference, Rouyn-Noranda is seven hours North of N.D.G and has a population of just over 42,000 people - 400 of which volunteered to help with the four-day festival.


Album Review: Tomb Mold - Planetary Clairvoyance

Hot on everyone’s minds right now are Tomb Mold, Toronto’s Bloodborne-infused flagship death metal band. They are currently reigning supreme once again this summer with their third full-length, titled Planetary Clairvoyance, which is debuting alongside a North American tour. Their sophomore record, Manor of Infinite Forms, released a year ago in similar fashion alongside an admittedly smaller set of shows, but nonetheless to high critical acclaim.


Heavy Montreal Wrap-up 2019

Once again, the CJLO metal crew took to Parc Jean Drapeau for another incredible edition of Heavy Montreal. Here's a recap of the team's highlights.

 

Chris The Frog from Sewer Spewer - Mondays 12:00 to 1:00 PM


Vendou Finds His Voice on Latest EP

Montreal rapper Vendou may be releasing his third EP in a year and a half, but Trèdou, the artist’s latest EP, might be the one where he found his voice.


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