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In an age where new music is plentiful and ever-changing, the excitement of nuanced sounds can be tainted by one’s struggle to determine whose album to play next. The bottomless pit that is today’s music streaming services can exacerbate the daunting task of finding what you really want to listen to. Sure, now, with Spotify’s Smart Shuffle and Apple Music’s For You playlists, listeners get a taste of what could pique their interest, but what about the smallest hidden gems from the local scenes? 

CJLO Radio has always advocated for Montreal’s up-and-coming artists. The exploration of genres on CJLOs radio shows are endless, and often pluck out under-the-radar musicians. This April, CJLO has shoved its foot into the door of folk music programming. This month’s “New Roots” concept will showcase nothing but folk, shining a spotlight on music made by local community artists, for the community. 

To kick off folk music in April, CJLO hosted three Montreal folk artists at mai/son this past Friday. Hidden in plain sight in the Mile End neighbourhood, mai/son’s external complexion is a run-of-the-mill Victorian-looking home. I would know; I’ve lived five minutes away from the building for the last 6 months, walking by it every other day, and never once judged its character. However, the venue’s nonchalant exterior is nothing but a facade for the beauty that lies between its walls. While maintaining its homely atmosphere, mai/son has made space available for local artists to display their art in the gallery walls scattered throughout the property. The space’s intimate and cozy setting makes for a truly unique and memorable atmosphere. 

On Friday, April 4th, CJLO presented Hanako, Holly Mclachlan and girl with dream, three exceptional talents of the Montreal music scene. As audience members crept inside mai/son, it was apparent that newcomers were struck by the unprecedented warmth the house offered.  After many explored the character of the venue, guests gathered by the stage in anticipation of the opening set. 

The evening began with a set by Hanako Brierley, more commonly known as folk singer and bassist Hanako. Of Japanese-Canadian origin, the singer-songwriter’s work continues to evolve as she makes her way towards her third studio album. 

Offering a bit of old and a bit of new, Hanako performed a live debut of her 4-track Japanese EP, KakoBako, as well as an unreleased track, “Let Me Drive You”. The singer’s soft-spoken lullaby of a set perfectly set the intimate tone for the evening. Audience members sat cross-legged on the floor, eyes wide in awe of Hanako’s truly raw and emotional lyricism. Listeners swayed and held onto each other’s hands tightly, and it became apparent how serene the collective audience experience was. 

After a brief intermission, the audience was introduced to Holly Mclachlan. Mclachlan’s storytelling through electroacoustic production, blunt lyricism and spoken word shines brightly on her most recent album, Faith Adventure. During the event at mai/son, the singer took the opportunity to deeply engage with her listeners, fixing one’s gaze on the enunciation of her every word.   

Settled in between a bassist and violinist, Mclauchlan’s set perfectly encapsulated the eclectic musicality of her artistry, giving listeners nuanced, colourful folk. Her live rendition of “angel cardzzz” was hard-hitting and truly introduced listeners to her gritty tone. As she pulled out a special acoustic guitar, the singer spoke of the instrument’s supernatural qualities, elucidating the guitar’s “cursed” character. 

McLachlan’s trio was also joined by a spontaneous fourth member, an old friend visiting Montreal who brought his bongos and tambourine along for his adventure. The harmony that manifested from Mclachlan’s spur-of-the-moment decisions illustrated how comfortable she was in her music. As the quartet dove into, “South Dakota’, the sound shifted from experimental to a more traditional folk style. With a catchy melody, Mclachlan had audience members singing the lyrics back to her and swaying along to her strum pattern. Mclachlan’s rambunctious crescendos and complete engagement with the music truly embodied her sound. 

To close the show, Concordia Alumni Chrissy Lawson arrived at the Mai/son stage performing as girl with dream. I was fortunate enough to sit down with Lawson after the show to further explore what drives her as a folk-rock artist. She spoke of her early exposure to music, participating in her Pentecostal church’s youth music group and immediately being drawn to the stage. This led Lawson to perform for congregations of 800 people at just 14 years old. 

Since then, Lawson has dipped her toes into a plethora of musical endeavors. The artist has worked with different groups including indie-rock bands Dresser and Ribbon Skirt, and has explored various unnamed solo work prior to girl with dream (we’ll let fans fester over that one). 

Her most recent EP, Tell, divulges Lawson’s innate writing abilities. Her vulnerability and open dialogue surrounding heartbreak, hardship and self-identity give those struggling a place to feel heard and find a sense of belonging.

Amidst her hectic touring schedule, Lawson continues to exude strength as she rips apart some of the most confessional and thought-provoking themes in her music. In our conversation, Lawson explained, “I’m putting some really serious stuff and really serious feelings out there…I want to strip away those layers, the pretense of performance…”  Lawson’s passion and grit exuded from her life performance at mai/son. girl with dream truly held audience members in the palm of her hand. The softness of her vocals against the deep hum of her bass further illustrated the catharsis she feels in her performance. 

During her set, Lawson took a moment to bring attention to Quebec’s upcoming federal election: “It’s super important to show up this year and vote” she proclaimed. In our later conversation, Lawson admitted that this statement was premeditated with the strongest of intentions: “There is a contingent of people in society that like, kind of want to see me dead, and like, as a trans person, I don’t really get the opportunity to not be political.” Lawson stood strong in her statement during her set at mai/son, believing that as a performer, she holds an obligation to stand from her growing platform and urge listeners to make thoughtful actions when it comes to politics.  

In its entirety, CJLO’s celebration of Folk music at Mai/son this past Friday gave voice to three artists whose performances left chills and sparked introspection. For every indie-folk lover who finds themself searching for a modern reincarnated 60s' folk, change your channel over to CJLO 1690AM.

    In June of 2022, Kraftwerk made an appearance at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier for a grandiose multimedia concert. My friend and I considered going, he being a much bigger fan of the early Kraftwerk stuff than I. Ultimately, we decided that a band 55 years into their career, with only one original member remaining, would deliver a lackluster performance that could not possibly warrant the extremely high ticket price. His uncle ended up going in as our surrogate while we did whatever else instead. Upon returning, this uncle, whose scathing critiques of concerts have long been a point of interest for me and this friend, claimed that it was possibly the greatest show he’d ever seen in his entire life. This left us scattered and remorseful, as we were quick to assume that 2022 must be the final tour of such an old group, and our chance to ever see the pioneers of synth-pop live had passed us by due to our neglect.

    Upon seeing an advertisement for Kraftwerk’s 50th anniversary of Autobahn tour, and a brand-new date listed at the same venue, this time, we declared we would not miss our chance.

    This would mark my first ever concert at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier. The extravagant interior, coupled with the equally extravagant age of the crowd, turned the show into much more of an event than a typical concert. There was no opener to speak of, which would guarantee Ralf Hütter and his associates free reign over their whopping 2-hour setlist.

    The band’s introduction on stage set the scene for what was to come with nearly four entire minutes of a robot voice rising and falling over flashing lights. As the whole room cut to black, the band stepped outside and onto their four perfectly aligned podiums at the center. They and the podiums were contoured with full-body neon green Tron suits, which would continue to add visual splendor to the entirety of the performance.

    The set-list was largely composed of the hits from their late 70s to early 80s output, with no shortage of Autobahn tracks. Many cuts were remixed to feature a large amount of synth soloing and sprawling improvisation. Songs like those off Tour de France Soundtracks were modernized in a way that would not be out of place at a rave in 2025. Songs like Radioactivity and Computer Love were a great reminder of how thematically ahead of their time the band was. A world relying on the connectivity of computers would have been pure science fiction in the pre-internet days that Kraftwerk made their come up, and seeing them present these themes with the same whimsical tone of 80s synth candy now that this computer world has become a reality is both alienating and bizarrely reaffirming. The 20-minute encore of tracks from the grossly underrated album Techno Pop was also a welcome surprise.

    The visuals accompanying the band were as important as something with a title like ‘multimedia tour’ entails. Ranging from black and green monochrome computer graphics to bizarre, hypnotic 3D geometry, every song had its accompanying piece of digital art. The 15-minute version of “Autobahn” was decorated by a minimal, colorful animated Volkswagen driving down the famous German highway in tastefully dated CGI. Tour de France was given a montage of vintage black and white cycling footage.  By the two-hour mark, the band began exiting the stage one by one, finally leaving Ralf Hütter alone to celebrate the legacy he’d created as the final member of one of the most influential bands of the 20th century.

Picture this: official St.Patrick's night on a Monday, after the first of many sunny springtime weekends in Montreal. Everyone came alive these past few days, eagerly crawling out of our winter cocoons. Spring welcomed us back with the classic Irish cheer they speak of, and this energy was palpable as ever outside of Bar le Ritz, a reliable spot for weekday shows. The crowd was a melange of people, loud with conversation after a seemingly long day of celebration. Impatiently watching the band set up, it felt as if a song was being communally held in. 

Casually, they walk onstage they, Hovvdy, indie pop/rock duo, a long way from Texas. Fronted by Charlie Martin and Will Taylor, the twang in their voice immediately catches my ear. Their humility fills the room in a comforting way as they settle on stage. Starting off with some songs from their most recent self-titled album, vibes were immediately picked up. With “Make Ya Proud”, the crowd came alive. In a brief moment of silence as they tune their guitars, Taylor says, “You gotta rock… in order to roll” followed with a laugh; it seemed to be as much of a surprise to him as it was to us. 

Along with the energy, the music was just really a wonderful listen. I think there’s something about hearing it live, but their country roots were really distinct. The guitar riffs and classic melodies felt as if they held decades of delight behind them. The piano was especially notable; it felt like the heart of the songs. Hovvdy manages to feel simultaneously generational and innovative, heard especially in “Bubba” as Martin puts down the guitar for a moment and meets the microphone head on. Playing with voice distortion, while subtle, it felt almost ballad-like; the haziness allowed for another level of vulnerability to come through. Many moments basking in this fresh sound and all of a sudden the percussion shakers come back in. I really noticed their versatility - keen ability in combining different aspects of genres in such an artful way. This same sense was felt watching Martin and Taylor as the charming duo they are. Their synergy on stage was seamless; as they switched back and forth from main vocals, harmonies and adlibs, you could hardly tell when one began and the other stopped. With the drawn-out and echoed vocals reciting heartfelt lyrics, I can only really describe it as sweetness. I only built as the night carried on; Martin motions back as we sing along, smiling with some especially eager fans in the crowd. As they played their hit song and album title “True Love”, the repetition of the line; ‘do you believe what I say, that I’m the man I say I am?’, reverberated throughout the room. As many of their songs are, this one was especially romantic, sincere and effortless. 

I found myself transported to what I imagine a small southern town to be like. Reflecting on memories that weren't my own, I felt elusively nostalgic. Chatting with fellow showgoers later that night, it is agreed that that is the magic of this duo. They have such a distinctive emotional effect that was felt even more viscerally that night. From their candid lyrics and instrumental story building to the chemistry with each other and the surrounding space, Hovvdy’s creation and sharing of music is, to put it simply, loaded with love. 

Closing out the night with “A Little”, the album closer felt only right and made even more perfect with the extended instrumental finish, one last touch of melodies, leaving us uplifted. Since then,

as the cold eases up, I’ve found that music follows foot. There is lightness in the air and in my headphones, particularly with their most recent release with Runo Plum, “Shooting Star”.

Hundreds of students gathered in front of Dawson College to protest against the Quebec minister of higher education’s investigation into course content about Palestine at the province’s CEGEPs.

Last month, minister Déry admitted to intervening in the content of a French-language course about Palestinian culture at Dawson.

Students called for an end to the investigation and Déry's resignation. Riot cops surrounded protestors throughout the entire march. Protest ended near McGill without any arrests.