With the recent release of their highly anticipated new album, La La Land, the Plants and Animals show proved to be a pretty hoppin’ Thursday evening at Amigos Cantina. This turned out to be an understatement, with a sold out crowd on hand to witness the Montreal band’s return to Saskatoon.

Having just hosted my radio show, Faster, Leonard Cohen, Die! Die!, I made it to Amigos just in time to see the last couple songs of opening band, Vancouver’s Said the Whale. Even at that point, the crowd filled the bar, raising the relative humidity of the joint to near dangerous levels.

After Said the Whale finished, I made my way to the stage, staking out a nice spot to shoot a couple photos. I figured since I was beside — not in front of — the stage-side speakers, I’d be OK sound-wise. As soon as the band struck note one, I knew I was gravely mistaken. It was, in a word, very, very loud.

I did manage to get a few shots before escaping to quieter pastures, so have a look at a couple of them below:

Posted by: The Jay of Spades, host.

All photos (c) 2010 Jason Allen

Local promotion team Vive Music celebrated its second birthday this past Saturday with ViveFest 2, a Sask/Alberta-centric indie rock festival.

The event went down at the Saskatoon German Concordia Club’s temporary home at the corner of Main St. and Dufferin. The venue lent itself well to the festival, featuring two floors of music, with performances bouncing back and forth, so there was never a real lull in the action. Even while bands played on downstairs, the main stage was occupied by entertainers such as slam poet Charles Hamilton, fiddler Ryan Spracklin and flautist Sam Mitchell.

The basement stage featured Saskatoon’s Sexy Mathematics, Jeanette Stewart & the Brodeo and We Were Lovers, with Halifax’s Paper Beat Scissors, Edmonton’s Eamon McGrath, Saskatoon’s Feral Children and Calgary’s Women taking the upstairs main stage duties.

Staying true to form, Eamon McGrath formed his stage band the day before the show, with local musicians Tyson McShane and Barrett Ross sitting in. Not one to pass up a chance to record, McGrath and band cut a five-song limited edition live ep before the festival. There might be some left, but you’ll have to ask Vive.

The highlight of the evening was Feral Children, whose mind-melting set of psychedelic rock n’ roll solidified their spot as one of Saskatoon’s best bands.

Check the photos below:

Eamon McGrath

Feral Children

Women

Posted by: Jay Allen, Program Director.

All photos (c) 2010 Jason Allen

Well folks, it’s official. CFCR is taking over the internet. It won’t be a hostile take-over, we’ll be gentle. But make no mistake about it, if you are looking for information about anything and everything awesome in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and beyond, go no further than CFCR.ca.

As you can see, we have a lot of exciting guests coming chat and perform on the Afternoon Buzz. We are so happy and proud to be able to support musicians, from local and up-and-comers to established acts and bonified indie rock stars.

Be sure to check out our Programming Schedule to guide you through our outstanding lineup. If you are new to CFCR, start at Green Eggs & Ham and just leave the radio on all day long. If you’re a seasoned community radio vet, be sure to check back to the blog for information on the newest programs and hosts gracing our airwaves.

If you have feedback on our new web-stylings, feel free to drop us a line at cfcr@cfcr.ca. It’s always great to hear from our listeners, at home and abroad. Thanks for your support! Without you, CFCR wouldn’t exist, so let’s be friends forever.

Hey everyone! AVL here, dropping you the first of many, many interesting and captivating blog entries to come out of CFCR’s Music Department!

Spring is here, and new releases are falling from the sky… rising from the ground… appearing on your plate at breakfast. Albums making (air)waves at CFCR as of late are The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night, Yukon Blonde S/T and The Morning Benders Big Echo (which you can read all about in our CD Review section!). Be sure to stay tuned to the blog to find out what’s arrived at the station, and check out our weekly chart to see what music floats our proverbial boat(s).

If you like rockin’ albums AND seeing bands live (crazy concept, I know…), stay in touch with our live music calendar for all the latest. Whether it’s a band touring in a bus, or a 1978 GMC Van with shag carpeting, it’ll be on there. Just a couple of the shows to get excited for include:

Apr 30^th – Amigos – The Besnard Lakes w/ Hollerado

May 26^th – Louis’ – The Sadies w/ The Pack A.D

June 29^th – Amigos – Sleepy Sun w/ Guests

That’s it, that’s all. Hope you like the new features on the site. We’re striving to keep you in the know/up to date/turn you into a know-it-all. Enjoy!