Magazine

The Distortion Psychfest returned to Église S-E-J du Mile-End May 9 to 13 2018 for its third edition. The festival showcases some of the best psych, garage, and noise bands from Montreal and beyond. This years edition kicked things off with a double release party — Tel Aviv→New York guitarist Yonatan Gat’s latest LP Universalist, and Montreal band TEKE::TEKE’s debut EP Jikaku. Sheenah Ko which I unfortunately missed, opened the show filling in for Chris Forsyth, and Sunwatchers took care of the music for the after party.

Canada’s largest and longest running urban music collective Kalmunity celebrates 15 years of unity this week with a pool of talented story-tellers, spoken word poets and singers, including the organization’s declared National Treasure, D’Bi Young Antifrika.

The world-renowned dub poet and storyteller began her journey in the city of Montreal with the Kalmunity’s original members, the majority of which are still a part of the collective today. “To the people in this room, this is who I have become and for that, I say thank you,” the artist said to a crowd full of spectators at Petit Campus on Wednesday, May 2nd.

Under the name Dylarama, Mathias Pageau writes pop songs made from a collage of disparate styles that nevertheless blend naturally together.  The beginning of 2018 started off with a bang for Dylarama, with the release of his first EP for Lisbon Lux Records, entitled Certified Cutie, and the chance to perform in Paris with label-mates Paupière.  Dylarama kindly took the time to talk with CJLO about the roots of the project, filming a music video in New York City on two iPhones, and the dream of having his own clothing line.

June 2004, Verdun Auditorium. Once a tour stop for massive acts like The Clash, Metallica, Black Sabbath and Nirvana, by the 2000s, the venue remained mostly unused, other than for minor hockey. The first—and last—show I would ever see in Verdun was The Darkness, touring their massive debut album Permission to Land. I don’t remember too many details from that night; only that it seemed everyone I knew was there, and we all had an incredible time. I don’t believe there have been any other shows at Verdun Auditorium since. Certainly, it went out with a bang that night.