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We are sad to hear the news that a former volunteer, broadcaster, and promotions director at CJLO, Danny Leo, suddenly passed away earlier this year.  Those who knew Danny will certainly remember his incredibly friendly and lively personality - Danny was such a positive presence during his time at the station, and being around him elevated everyone's mood.  Deepest condolences to his family and friends, and to all past and present CJLO volunteers who remember his effervescent vibe.

If you can, please donate in Danny's memory to a local charity organization that supports women of domestic violence, rehabilitation, and housing.  You can choose a local charity from this website: https://amiquebec.org/women/

Remi interviews Anne-Claire Lefaivre, spokesperson for the National Film Board of Canada about this year's edition of Black History Month programming.

Entering a dreamscape where reflection and exhilaration entwine, Inhaler presents their much-awaited third studio album Open Wide. Where Inhaler’s earlier albums (It Won’t Always Be Like This and Cuts & Bruises) were heavily rooted in indie rock tradition; big choruses, driving guitars, and a polished but live-feeling production, Open Wide feels more layered, and unpredictable. It carries a sense of urgency as if the band is reaching for something beyond their grasp. 

Inhaler took a risk by enlisting Kid Harpoon as the producer for Open Wide, and it paid off, helping to create their most daring album to date. Harpoon, who is well-known for his collaborations with Florence + The Machine and Harry Styles, is known for fusing modern, sleek production with organic instrumentation, and this influence is clear throughout the album. 

Kicking off the album with something almost nostalgic to their old sound is “Eddie in the  Darkness”. The track is both haunting and inviting—it doesn’t explode onto the scene but instead pulls you in slowly, setting the tone for an album that thrives on exploration and emotional depth. 

“Your House” is one of the album’s more immediate moments—an indie rock anthem with flair; shimmering guitars, a backing choir and a driving beat, reminiscent of their earlier work but with a smoother, more refined edge. “A Question of You” takes a dreamier, more introspective approach, built around swirling synths and melancholic vocals. Whereas everything about “Billy Yeah Yeah Yeah” feels designed to get people moving. It's the type of song that seems unstoppable and doesn't let up until the very end, whether it's the addictive vocal delivery, the driving beat, or the punching guitar riffs. 

Despite its sonic evolution, this record still delivers those cathartic moments that Inhaler  fans love. The album's most emotionally impactful tracks, “Even Though and Again”, combine some of their most heartfelt lyrics with simple composition. It's a vulnerable moment that highlights the band's development; not every song has to have a huge chorus to make an impression. — “It's life,  it's heavy, tears at your sleeve sometimes. It's gold, it's glory, after the battle lines. And you'll love too soon, too soon it'll be removed. Let's go at this again. Again," (Lyrics from Again). 

Elijah Hewson’s performance on “Open Wide” is undoubtedly his most versatile and nuanced to date. He balances the confidence and energy of his earlier work with a newfound restraint and emotional depth. As the band broadens their sound and Hewson pushes his voice to new heights,  this vocal development reflects the album's musical development. 

In the context of the album, “All I Got Is You”, “Still Young” and “The Charms” sit at an interesting crossroads. They tend toward a more optimistic sound, which feels almost refreshing for the collective. Songs that seem effortlessly cool at first glance yet have a lasting impact. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the charm is in the subtlety.

Thanks to guitarist Josh Jenkinson — one of the biggest shifts in “Open Wide” is its greater emphasis on rhythm and feeling rather than perfected chords. Where their previous albums relied heavily on driving guitar lines, this album leans into deeper, more hypnotic rhythms. Bassist Robert Keating and drummer Ryan McMahon play a more central role in the album’s sound, often providing the foundation while the guitars and synths weave around them. 

“X-Ray” and “Concrete” prove to be the most daring and sonically adventurous tracks on Open Wide, marking a significant departure from Inhaler’s signature anthemic indie rock. “Concrete” is one of the most intense and heavy tracks in the album. The song evokes a feeling of distress and chaos with its frantic energy and elevated tempo. In contrast, “X-Ray” uses its atmosphere, groove, and hypnotic rhythm to pull the listeners into a much darker and more electronic space. 

Closing an album is just as important as opening it, and with “Little Things”, Inhaler deliberately chooses to leave listeners on a reflective yet quietly powerful note. While their previous records ended with roaring finales (It Won’t Always Be Like This’ “In My Sleep” and Cuts &  Bruises' “Now You Got Me”), “Little Things” feels like a soft exhale rather than a dramatic climax. It’s reflective and filled with a sense of a bittersweet closure, bringing Open Wide to an end not with a bang, but with a deep exhale. 

With Open Wide, Inhaler proves they’re not just repeating the past. Though they are moving forward, changing, and reinventing their sound, there is a hint of nostalgia throughout the record,  but not in a way that makes it feel stuck in the past. Open Wide wants to be felt just as much as it is heard. 

Listen to Open Wide here

ConUHacks held its ninth edition of its annual hackathon on February 1st and 2nd. The 24-hour coding competition is put together every year by HackConcordia, Concordia University's hackathon society and student-run group and it is open to anyone older than 18.  Teams of participants have 24 hours from 11 am Saturday to 11 am Sunday to submit their project. There are also general challenges offered by ConUHacks and sponsor challenges that make teams create a more targeted project

But ConUHacks is not just a hackathon.

“We have also the career fair,” says Sabine Hleiss co-president of HackConcordia. “We give the participants the chance to network with the sponsors we have. We also have workshops.”

Some workshops at the event were given by Major League Hacking (MLH) and trading firm DRW. 

“We also have some activities such as a spicy noodle challenge,” says Hleiss.

A team of CEGEP students called We’d Rather Not Say worked on an AI tool for Far West duels. 

“We're trying to make an AI that would detect and give you instructions when to turn around,” says Samuel Bergeron. 

We Rather Not Say came to the hackathon to improve their skills.

“We want to start being more competitive in the informatics field,” says Beregon. “So, we thought it would be a great opportunity for us to come here.” 

The team did not win any prizes. However, they did say they were proud of their accomplishments on their project submission page.

Cache Me If You Can, a team of Concordia and Polytechnique undergraduates, were ready for the challenges. Lizzie Gudino says their idea is to create software to help airport businesses with optimization. 

“So around flights, they'll know the rush time, and it also helps a lot for waste management, and in general, because it's better to know the different trends and how they can optimize the amount of people coming for sales,” says Gudino.

Although the team did not win a prize for their main project, they did win “Best Social Media Post” in a mini competition to create a LinkedIn post sharing their hackathon experience, project, and key takeaways. 
Code Alchemist was the final team that spoke to CJLO. They worked on an AI tool that was designed to look at bank accounts and spending data to provide users with tailored financial advice. 

“We are really close friends and we wanted to build a project together,” said Sadath Roshan. “We thought, what better platform than just attending a hackathon together.”

Adding to why they signed up, Pankaj Deep Sahota says, “Plus on top of it, you get to learn a lot of new technologies within 24 hours."

Their project won a mini competition for the best use of Lovable, an AI tool that generates code from input ideas. It got the team interview opportunities with Lovable for Customer Success roles. 

This year the event saw over 800 participants. The number of projects submitted and completed was 179.