When I heard Loving, a small Canadian band from Victoria, British Columbia, was playing Montréal's iconic Foufounes Électrique, located in the heart of the Montréal nightlife district on Ste Catherine Est, I knew I had to grab tickets. Loving’s music has been a staple in my playlists for years, with quaint, lullaby-esque melodies by producer and multi-instrumentalist, David Parry, and ever-comforting and relatable lyrics by brothers, Lucas and Jesse Henderson. Their radiantly nostalgic sound is like a taste of home, and as their name suggests, you can practically hear the love emanating from the heart of the band.
Despite Foufounes Électrique’s hardcore punk roots, the intimate venue, with its mere 615-person capacity, was the perfect fit for the band to play. Loving’s soft, folk-pop songs felt like a hug. I hadn’t realized until the show just how popular they had become, however, the crowd they amassed was certainly impressive and made me reflect on how far they have come as a band. They currently boast 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify, but they still managed to carry their small-town spirit and folk roots through their sound.
While their set list prominently featured songs from their recently released (February 2024) album, Any Light, such as “No Mast,” “Medicine” and “Uncanny Valley,” the band treated their fans to a few of their early classics as well. The energy level of the gently swaying crowd intensified noticeably when they served up crowd favourites, such as “Sweet Fruit,” “Forgot Again” and “Bowlly Goes Dancing Drunk into the Future,” from their self-titled debut album, Loving, as well as songs like, “Only She Knows” and “Visions,” from their album If I am Only My Thoughts.
Despite the band's virtually nonexistent between-song banter, they were clearly a group of very dedicated musicians. In contrast, their opening act, Fog Lake (Newfoundland’s Aaron Powell), was far more engaging with the crowd. He played a few of his entrancing, airy pop singles, such as, “Almost Fantasy” and “Dinosaur,” as well as a heartfelt cover of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” (a personal all-time favourite song of mine) in honour of Young’s songs being put back on Spotify. Each brought a different quality through their music and crowd engagement, but both were incredibly technically adept and created an atmospherically beautiful sonic landscape.
Loving’s sound and vocal quality were pitch-perfect, nearly identical to their recorded sound but amplified. The beat from the drums, played by Justin Devries, added heft to their otherwise light and airy instrumentals. This intriguing juxtaposition added dimension to their tracks and imposed a different quality from their recorded music. Despite Lucas Henderson departure from the band to pursue personal musical projects upon the release of their latest album, there was no noticeable gap in the quality of the interpretations of the album tracks.
Watching Loving grow steadily as a band over the years, I am excited to see where this new album and chapter takes them. The Canadian double bill of Fog Lake and Loving made for an enchanting evening, leaving me in a dream-like state as I left the concert into the snowy and numbingly cold March Montréal night.
Otoboke Beaver is a Japanese Punk band from Kyoto and one of my favourite bands of all time. According to its members, the band performs a "fast-paced and aggressive style of punk-rock" with "frequent changes in rhythm and tempo" and "gang vocals". They have a plethora of personal music influences, including Japanese rock, hardcore punk, and Japanese pop music. Their music features a combination of all of them, representing musical innovation.
In February 2023, I was looking for a concert to attend for my friend's birthday. We discovered Ratas En Zelo, who were opening for Otoboke Beaver, at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City. I had never heard of Otoboke Beaver before, but their colourful album covers, quirky song names, and hardcore punk sound piqued my interest. The concert was one of the greatest I've ever seen, and Otoboke Beaver returned to Montreal a year later. On March 19th, Drinking Boys and Girls Choir opened for Otoboke Beaver at the Théâtre Beanfield. The band's powerful instrumentals and gentler vocals made them the ideal crowd-warmer for OB.
The energy in the room was electric as Otoboke Beaver went on the stage and waited to begin their show. The band's stage presentation and crowd interactions were unique and delightful. Guitarist Yoyoyoshie would frequently tell the crowd, "I love you," and experiment with the French language. Singer Accorinrin gave a statement encouraging us to buy merchandise (and I did) since the band "wanted our money." The bit kept going in between songs, and they even have a song called "Let's shopping after show". In between songs, she would warn the audience to "shut up" as we applauded and played the silent game.
Waiting until utter quiet fell over the room, each time a new song began, the mix of voices, instrumentals, and sheer energy caused the entire audience to cheer and dance passionately. With Kahokiss on drums and Hirochan on bass, the ensemble's energies come together in a display of talent.
The audience was diverse in terms of ethnicity, age, and personal style. A mix of grunge and eclectic outfits, with expressive patterns and vibrant colours. I chose to wear a combination of the two looks because I think it best captures the essence of Otoboke Beaver as a band. The mosh in the crowd was easy to navigate, with a designated pit. I could step in and out whenever I pleased, and have plenty of room to dance. They are self-proclaimed "pound-cake" girls who provide an entirely new viewpoint to punk music. Some of my favorite songs are “YAKITORI,” “S’il vous plait”, “datsu. hikage no onna”, and “yobantoite mojo”.
The same week I saw the band, my sister saw them in New York City. I asked her to share some of her experience with seeing them live; to show the universally epic performance that Otoboke Beaver gives.
I went to see Otoboke Beaver for the first time at Knockdown Center in New York City and it was epic. Though it’s the biggest indoor venue they’ve played, the crowd was fully enamoured with the band's every move as they led the “quiet game” and chanted: “We are the champion”. The pit was exciting and playful, there was a real feeling of camaraderie in the crowd. As for the band: this group is an absolute unit. They’re incredibly skilled musicians who are still so raw and fun. Otoboke Beaver is proof “Punk’s Not Dead!”
- Eliana Ballman
Fourteen years since Stereolab released its last studio album, its leading lady Laetitia Sadier can still draw a crowd. Fans stood shoulder to shoulder all the way to the door on Saturday night at Bar Le Ritz PDB for the Montreal installment of Satier’s Rooting for Love Tour. With her gentle floating vocals and esoteric mid-song dances, a solo Sadier wooed audiences at the Ritz, performing songs spanning her career.
Part of the indie wave of the 90s, Stereolab is best known for their politically motivated lyrics masked by playful melodies and their use of vintage recording equipment. Sadier along with Tim Gane have been the band’s longest-standing members, in a partnership that has lasted since 1990.
Calling on influences from Krautrock (experimental rock from 1960s and 70s West Germany) to Bossa Nova and 60s lounge music, the band’s sound evolved over the course of ten studio albums. They brought something different to the indie scene with lyrics that ranged from quirky to informative. In particular, Laetitia’s songwriting has been influenced by the French philosophical movement of the Situationists, but Stereolab’s music was also imbued with a certain playful levity, i.e. their fourth album Emperor Tomato Ketchup. Their tunes have been sampled by a number of artists (such as Tyler, The Creator and J Dilla), and inspired other contemporaries like Pavement and Sonic Youth.
Sadier continued with the politically motivated references when she embarked on a solo musical adventure back in the late 90s, christening herself Monade. Her first solo album under this name Socialisme ou Barbarie: The Bedroom Recordings, was a nod to the French radical libertarian group of the same name. On Saturday, Saider had the audience swooning after performing the first track off the album, looping dreamy French verses while she took a moment of pause to showcase her trombone skills.
Since performing under her own name, Sadier has released a number of albums that expand on her previous ideas about society and politics. In her latest album, Rooting for Love, Sadier doesn’t miss the chance to imbue her lyrics with a message. Sung in both French and English the songs indicate a sort of holistic yearning. The first track “Who + What” expresses longing to move past the confines of cerebral existence, she sings “thinking with whole body, understanding who and what we can be.” “The Inner Smile” is an ode to organs, a song of gratitude, she implores the audience to “Smile at the parts you’re aware of and those you’re not.”
Laetitia in her 30-year career has gone to lyrical places where most people in the mainstream don’t venture, from Marxism to organ appreciation, showing an activist’s approach to music. I left the venue with a sense of appreciation for Laetitia’s honesty in both her stage presence and lyrics. And as per her instructions in “The Inner Smile,” I have been working on a more appreciative relationship with my spleen.
“Conjugate with the earth beneath… sit and smile today, smile, smile at your spleen, inundate it with light and be serene… Feel your organs smiling back.”
Photos by Joel Tourout
Remi interviews Adrian Wills about his film A Quiet Girl streaming on the National Film Board of Canada's website as of March 25th. In A Quiet Girl, adopted Montreal filmmaker Adrian Wills discovers, on camera and in real time, the startling truths of his complex beginnings in Newfoundland. Shocking details drive Wills to the core of his birth mother’s resilience, and ultimately his own. In this moving feature documentary that combines 16mm footage and contemporary images with deeply personal conversations, Wills’ voyage transforms from an urgent search for identity into a quest to give a quiet girl her voice.
At The Movies (With Iconic Sounds) is heard every Tuesday Morning from 8-9 AM only on @CJLO1690AM and www.cjlo.com.
If you thought that maybe the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza is too hot an entry point for a review of a rock show, you'd probably be right. That is, of course, unless it's a review of the last Gwar show. For the last forty years, Gwar has gone where most entertainers fear to tread, meting out cartoonish blood-soaked hyperviolent retribution on a wide variety of villains. Having already savagely murdered Jesus, Satan, Hitler, Bin Laden, Reagan, Trump, Obama, Clinton (both), various popes, and an extensive assortment of politicians and entertainers, ripping Benjamin Netanyahu's face off should perhaps have been expected. Nonetheless, I was still surprised that they chose to tackle the most politically contentious situation of our current time. The audience bristled with discomfort when a dummy of a Jewish child was brought onstage and it wasn't entirely clear where this particular skit was headed. Then came Netanyahu, abusing a dummy of a Palestinian child. "Don't you have a hospital to bomb?", taunted a band member, while another lamented "And they call us monsters. You know you're in trouble when the safest place for a child is on stage with Gwar."
Brkn Love with Royal Tusk and The Sunset Drip at Bar Le Ritz PDB / March 8, 2024
"Everyboooody... rock your boooody... everybooooody... Backstreet's back, alright!"
On the rainy eve of Friday, March 15th, soulful singer-songwriter Allison Russell graced her motherland of Montreal at Studio TD. Russell’s presence in the music industry has flourished within the last few months following the release of her second studio album The Returner on September 8th, 2023 and Grammy win for her song, “Eve Was Black” in February. Russell has since gained significant praise for the album's integrity to its “expression of black liberation,” self-love and trust in life’s journey. What has been eye-opening to those following Russell’s career is that as the artist’s fame has prospered, her drive to create music ingrained with core values of equality, justice, and positive change, has only strengthened. The Returner Tour is a gratifying illustration of Russell’s consistent advocacy.
Initially supporting Hozier’s Unreal Unearth Tour, The Returner Tour has traversed across the United Kingdom, United States, and now seeps into Canada. The energetic and colourful show is backed by an all-female band composed of independent artists and tour musicians Elenna Canlas on keys, Ganessa James on guitar and bass and Caoi de Barra on drums.
Introducing the evening with a transformational performance was Indigenous Oji-Cree artist Aysanabee, a member of the Sucker Clan of the Sandy Lake First Nation. If audiences had not yet had the pleasure of encountering Asynabee’s gut-wrenching vocals and deep-cut lyricism, Friday’s performance would have left them in a sea of disbelief. Aysanabee’s set redefined the art of soulful music; his soul was quite literally dealt out to each listener for them to cradle gently. His solo rendition of the originally collaborative track “Come Out” featuring Raye Zaragoza, pushed boundaries in the vocalist's tone, pulling the audience into his realm of heartbreak through his deepened, harsh vocalization. While his honest performance surrounding Indigenous rights, heartbreak and trauma offered trust and education to listeners, Asynabee’s personable and humorous exchanges with his audience created a surreal connection amongst those in the venue. As Aysanabee walked from the stage during an upheaval of applause, an audience member turned towards their partner and confidently whispered, “I’ll remember that.'' It was evident that Aysanabee could not have led the audience into Russell’s set in a better fashion.
Palms sweat in anticipation of Russell’s appearance on stage. Five, ten, fifteen minutes went by and the primarily Boomer and Gen X audience longed for a breath as they chanted Russell’s name incessantly. As she finally appeared in all her glory, Russell began her set playing the flute in a snake charmer-like manner, and smoothly transitioned into a tribute song to Montreal, “4th Day Prayer.” Her performance had every audience member clapping alongside the “Queen of Westmount Park”. Russell’s sound reached all four walls of the intimate venue as the singer spoke interchangeably in English and French. Amongst her musicianship, Russell’s kind-hearted demeanour radiated as she took multiple chances to praise every individual on stage, not solely as her band members, but as individuals independent of her tour with their own musical endeavors.
In silence and tranquility, Russell took a moment to speak regarding her personal experience with abuse within her adoptive home. The bewildered expressions written on audience members' faces illuminated their shock at witnessing the artist before them speaking so sincerely and openly about her trauma. “We can break the cycle,” Russell stated with concrete conviction. It became clear audience tears had been masked by their sway into Russell’s upbeat song which followed.
Not a single moment throughout The Returner show felt superfluous. Even during a sound issue, Russell made use of her time with her audience. In nearly complete acapella with the exception of a quiet and smooth synth, Russell played a new, unheard song, that gave the Montreal audience a privilege like no other as their ears took in the inaugural performance of, “A Cautionary Lullaby.”
Russell’s connection with her audience was uncanny, so much so that moments of pure dance and jive were quieter than the silence evoked by Russell’s raw vulnerability. The Returner Tour radiated the colourful tone of Russell’s sound of soul, funk and pure passion, with more than a hint of positive change. A show of Allison Russell’s is truly one never to be left unheard.
You may have seen the bright pink and blue posters of the Fika(s) Festival around the city. As a Scandinavophile, I was surprised when I learned that this is a Scandinavian and Nordic cultural festival, in Montreal no less. Ta fika means to take a coffee break in Swedish, and the Fikas(s) festival proposes a series of films, talks, performances, games, and other events from March 9th to 15th.
As a dilettante student of Swedish, I opted to attend the Swedish Choir of Montreal’s event on the 10th at the Monument National on Saint Laurent, near the gates of Chinatown. It’s very rare that I should ever have the opportunity to practice my Swedish, let alone in song, and so I seized the opportunity. The Swedish Choir has been around most likely since the 70s, when immigrants from Sweden started to arrive as the country began to internationalize some of its companies. Composed mainly of Swedish-born people but including some others raised in Canada, they sing folk songs from the Middle Ages all the way up to the hits of recent times. Of particular interest is the annual Lucia Day concert, on December 13th, Sweden’s “other” Christmas.
The room was already dim when I entered, with candlelight, and fifty-some people in attendance. There were orange-zest scones on offer at the side. No coffee as far as I could tell, but a treat nonetheless. The choir would be performing songs from the TV mega-event Melodiefestivalen, on air since 1959, attracting some of the viewership on Swedish television. This annual event, a kind of pageant to vet candidates for Eurovision, is an interesting representative of Swedish culture. The choir director stressed that the key to Melodiefestival songs is their catchy tunes and sentimental motifs (love, beauty, togetherness). For those acquainted with Sweden mainly through, say, Scandinavian noir crime shows, as I am, this is not what one might expect of the country. Think of ABBA, not of the horror film Midsommar or the grey skies over Malmö, and you’re closer to the mark. Indeed, ABBA’s big break was at Melodifestivalen in 1974 with “Waterloo.” I actually don’t know ABBA well; it wasn’t something that was on in my house. But for anyone interested in the history of pop, Sweden’s gift for pure-melody and kitschy pop songwriting is the beginning of a story that goes from ABBA all the way to Spotify, and beyond in both directions.
It’s difficult sometimes for contemporary audiences to get on board with “sentimentality.” It can also be a struggle to get them to sing along, as was the goal at this event. It was amusing to see Swedish lyrics spelled out French-style to give the Francophone audience a hand in singing. All in all, it was a pleasant hour or so listening to some of the hits from the Melodiefestival catalogue. Who knows, I may join the choir and brush up on my Swedish.
If you are interested, the choir is recruiting, men and women. I do not know how much Swedish is necessary to participate, but the email is as follows: svenskakorenmontreal@gmail.com
Tack för att läsa!
Photo by Maia Sunnberg courtesy of Fika(s) Festival
Cal is the host of Hellespont, Tuesdays 2PM-3PM on CJLO 1690AM
It’s been 5 years since I last went to SXSW and I am excited to get back to this cool city and awesome festival. There are a lot of artists this year that I do not recognize which is what is going to make this festival fun as I am sure there will be a lot of cool discoveries. Here are some artist I see in the lineup that I want to check out.
One of the artists in the lineup is Baby Kahlo, a female rapper representing Baltimore. Another female artist I will be checking out is Cha’keeta B, from Austin TX, whose style is smooth with lyrics that hit you in the face. Another female artist all the way from Taipei Taiwan, is Lex the Lexico. She has a fun, brainy flow over beats that take me back to the 90s and beats that could be played on one of CJLO’s Alt rock shows.
I’m also going to checking out some R&B artists. One artist I want to see is Latir, who is described as an Alt-Indie R&B artist who has combined his love for Hip Hop, old School jazz and electronic into his musical style. I checked out his 2023 album Daydreams and Desires and his sound is definitely something J-Nice would play on our show The Limelight.
Another artist who I was pleasantly surprised to see Canada’s-own and friend of The Limelight Janette King. This artist has been on our show several times, she is a talented songwriter and producer and has a beautiful soulful voice, so I know I am in for a good performance.
And finally we have Audrey Nuna from Manalpan, New Jersey who has an indie pop/R&B vibe. I checked out her song "Starving" featuring Teezo Touchdown and immediately added her to the list.
As a DJ myself, I cannot go to a music festival without catching a few DJ sets. I will be checking out Ace representing the U.K. and host of Radio 1Xtra who will be dropping some funky grooves. I also have ASHMAR on the list who’s a singer-songwriter and producer from Austin, who will be dropping a funky, Hip Hop DJ set.
These are just some of the artists I see in the lineup. There will be a lot more discoveries as this is the magic of going to showcases. I am excited to share which artist you have to check out when I get back from SXSW.
Amrew Weekes aka Lady Oracle is a co-host of The Limelight, Saturdays 6-8 p.m.
As most of my loyal listeners would know, this past October I attended ADE in Amsterdam. It was my first music conference anywhere, let alone an entire continent away.
While this even is less focussed on the electronic music scene, and doesn’t have as many big names as ADE did (anyone else went to the Scantraxx Alchemy of Sound, I Am House’s event, the Black Hole Recordings label party or Charlotte de Witte’s secret location rave?), there are definitely plenty of events to be excited about at SXSW this year!
Here are the top events of each day that I’m the most excited to see:
March 13th
N:Force at Kingdom
Nils Hoffmann at Coconut Club
Justin Hawkes at Kingdom
Totalement Sublime at Swan Dive
March 14th
Nhạc Gãy at Empire Control Room
Bubele Booi at Speakeasy
Hinako Omori at Seven Grand
Tay Powers at Revival Coffee
March 15th
Jason Voltaire at Central Presbyterian Church
HIEN at Empire Control Room
Aïsha Devi at Central Presbyterian Church
Arexibo at Empire Control Room
Aside from what I mentioned above, I will be checking out a bunch of the events in Austin from the 13th of March until the 15th. Who knows, maybe a different event will completely shatter my expectations and be the most memorable event of the festival. If I don’t see you there, I’ll also be checking out the AVA Recordings label party when I get back to Montreal (if the plane landing time permits) - after all, I’ll have some catching up to do with my friends.
It’s International Women’s DJ (IWDJ) 5th edition, March 5-8, 2024, at CJLO and we could not be more excited to share specially curated mixes by these amazing DJs!
Tuesday, March 5th, 2-4pm starts off with a beautifully “mellow by nature” mix by UK’s Marshmello followed by Italy’s Mantis with broken rhythms and captivating vocals from all over the globe.
Wednesday, March 6th, 3-5pm we pick it up with global bounce starting with STE at 3pm followed by La Chikh at 4pm. Both DJs repping Paris, France and both sets are guaranteed to make you move!
Thursday, March 7th, 7-9pm we continue with electronic grooves, classic house, disco and more! Starting at 7pm, Morocco’s dj/producer Stranger Souma followed by Belgium’s producer/dj UNOS at 8pm!
And to close our IWDJ broadcast Friday, March 8th, 8-10pm with Gabon’s DJ Lady Beyond, however new to the scene her set brings heat and invigorating rhythms, followed by Mexico’s Ali Gua Gua’s set inspired by Latin rhythms and sounds, post tropical mood.
Stay tuned to CJLO.com