The night of Rich Aucoin

I was going to write a review about The Arkells' live show, held at Sugar last saturday night. But, unfortunately, that plan fell through. And the blame rests solely on the shoulders of Rich Aucoin.

But allow me to take a step back.

It all started a few months ago, when the Schlesbian said something along the lines of "Hey, who wants to go see the Arkells in a few months?"

About three seconds after saying "Sure, I'd love to spend twenty bucks on a ticket to go see the Arkells!" I said "Hey, who are the Arkells?"

I was played a clip of one of their songs, listened to it for a few seconds, and figured, meh, why not? This was, more or less, my only knowledge of the band heading into their show. But I've gone into live shows with even less foreknowledge of the band, so this was really nothing new.

I got to Sugar early enough that I was able to strike up a friendship with the bartender - enough that he decided he was going to give me double rye and gingers (that were really triples) for the price of a single. As I am not a very charismatic individual, I believe this once again proves my theory that simply talking to your bartender (and a generous tip) will pay dividends down the road.

I met up with some friends, and we had a few drinks and discussed the events of the day. We noted that we were "the old guys" in the crowd - the average age seemed to be around 20, which is odd when it's not an all-ages show. But, whatever... it was bound to happen sooner or later.

Then, Rich Aucoin, the opener, came on stage. And let me just say - gah. He had a projector that played little homemade videos that accompanied his songs. He made sure to let the audience know the lyrics to each song, so they would join in on the singing. He played simplified dance music that was adorned with indie-punk style repetitive vocals. He held an arclight in one hand so that the crowd could always see him. And he just projected the utmost neediness I've never seen in an opener. Ever.

Even when he did cool stuff - like taking a parachute out and letting the crowd play with it while he sang a song - it failed to catch me, because he was using far too many props to accompany piss poor music. Timing your banter in between songs so it syncs up with your multimedia presentation so you can have a "conversation" with Antoine Dodson (dude, that was so last year!) is probably the lamest thing in the world - it just shows that you have absolutely no musical improvisation skills!

Also, skinny white guys should never wear muscle shirts. I am guilty of this, too, but I don't wear them in front of large crowds.

The best part? At the end of the show, he put up his phone number, so people could text him with feedback on his show and ask for free copies of his music (even though he was tryign to sell his music in the merch section). This so reeked of neediness that Squee and I sent him some very disparaging texts that I feel sort of bad about, after the fact.

Of course, by the end of the show, I was pretty drunk - I needed something to get me through the worst opener ever, and the bartender was doing his best to speed things along. Not to mention the point in the night where eighty dollars of shots were downed by a handful of people in only thirty seconds (true story).

I watched the first three songs by the Arkells, and don't remember them at all. I do remember stumbling out of the club and going on a random adventure with my brother that was just a little shy of epic. So I guess I can thank Mr. Aucoin for that, at least.

Dan Mangan: "Oh Fortune" (2011, Arts and Crafts Records)

I've been a bit lax in my music reviews lately. Not because I haven't been listening, but mostly because I've been, well, lazy. But I digress.

Dan Mangan's latest offering has a wonderful little notice in the fine print, which reads "If you acquire it for free, and you enjoy it, please to a live show and bring a friend. If you paid for it, you should still come a show - but know that you are exceptionally wonderful".

How nice. While it has little to do with the album itself, it's something I like to see.

This is new territory for Mangan - it's no longer music built around an acoustic guitar. Gone are the country/folk phrasings of Postcards and Daydreaming, or the horns and radio-friendly indie accessibility of Nice, Nice, Very Nice. This is an album with a heavy dose of strings, organs, and atmospheric omnichord bits. Mangan also takes a stab at the electric guitar this time around, most particularly on "Post War Blues", an album that is about as distinctly "un-Mangan" as I can imagine.

It's also not very good. But it's the only song that I really dislike on the album, so maybe that's something. The other big stab at electric guitar works, "Rows of Houses", is actually really good - probably my favourite track on the album, in fact.

The album opens up with an honest to god waltz with "About as helpful as you can be without being any help at all", and then progresses into a moody piece called "how darwinian". The long-standing Mangan fan is probably going to be a bit confused by the first few tracks - it's not until the fourth track, "if I am dead" that we begin to hear that folksy Mangan-type song we all know and love. And we don't hear something that has any sort of cheer until we get to the fifth track, "Daffodil", which has an old-timey feel I definitely like.

Actually, the album really warms up after "Daffodil", with many great folksy songs that return to Mangan's roots while still being experimental enough that he's not just treading old ground. The title track, "Oh Fortune", is a great example of this, with a train-chugging riff that has an old-time rock and roll sound combined with that west coast indie feel we all love.

In all, it's a moodier version of Mangan. He's always had sad lyrics - this time around, the sounds tend to match those lyrics. Really, it's less rock and roll, and more blues. Less whistling, more wailing. And so on, and so forth. Try listening to the album-ending "Jeopardy" and trying to remain cheerful ("Where did I go?/what is this sorrow? where did I go? what am I doing?")

Bottom line? This isn't nearly as happy as his earlier work, but it's still a work that is absolutely creative and worth listening to. Rather than having you tapping your feet to infectious pop ballads, you'll be sipping coffee and thinking about lost loves and those who have left us. It's an album worth checking out, whether you buy it or find it for free. And in either case, do what the fine print says, and check him out live.

And bring a friend.

20. Mother Mother, "Eureka" (2011)

Hometown: Quadra Island, British Columbia
Notable Songs: 'The Stand', 'Problems', 'Getaway'

Didn't I just review this, like, a month ago?

Yes. Yes I did. But that doesn't mean it shouldn't be included in this list, so here goes again.

Last time I talked about this album, I was unsure exactly what I felt about it. Now, a few months down the road, I can tell you with certainty that the album accomplished what it set out to do - it created a unique sound that is electric, quirky, and exciting. And while it's not always my cup of tea, there are definitely many tracks that worm their way into my head.

Of course, if the past few weeks have taught me anything, it is that my three picks for 'notable tracks' are completely off. I expect all sorts of comments telling me how I should have included the dance-able 'Baby Don't Dance' or the new wave-influenced 'Original Spin' or the rocky 'Simply Simple' as notable tracks.

And fair enough, I say. Because all of those songs (and others on the album I haven't mentioned ) are great. Way I see it, if people are telling me I picked the wrong "notable tracks", it means the artist has done a very good job at creating - because so many tracks on it are good. And Eureka (which means "I Found it" in latin, a very apt title for this breakout piece) is damn good.

19. Timber Timbre, "Creep On Creepin' On" (2011)

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario and Montreal, Quebec
Notable Songs: 'Black Water', 'Woman'. 'Too Old to Die Young'.

If you listen to CBC Radio 3 at all, you already know Timber Timbre already - they're sort of the darlings of 2011, it seems. And it makes sense why - moody, bluesy, folksy, and delightfully urban, the band has a sound that is delightfully unique and familiar all at once.

Timber Timbre have really put together an album that's absolutely blissful to put on in the background. It's music that is absolutely 'cool' to listen to, and I'm sure there are all sorts of college students out there who are busily playing this to impress the other poli-sci students as they partake of recreational drugs and time-wasting.

For me, listening to the groovy and wistful 'Black Water' brings me back to the days of lying on my bed with BB King playing in the background, happily being miserable listening to what my mother calls "Music to hang yourself to".

'Woman', meanwhile, is bluesy in the exact same way that Deep Purple was 'bluesy', and I mean that as a compliment. Timber Timbre does a cover of "Smoke On the Water" here that is actually, you know, good.

Creep on Creepin' On has those urban, almost R&B tracks interspersed with atmospheric stringed pieces such as 'Obelisk' and 'Swamp Magic'. Couple those with folksy tracks such as 'Too Old to Die Young', and you'd think you were listening to something hailing from decades ago, and not just a few months ago.

18. Arcade Fire "The Suburbs" (2010)

Hometown: Montreal, Quebec
Notable Tracks: 'Empty Room', 'Wasted Hours', 'Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)'.

I kind of feel guilty, listing an album that is very well known and has won international music awards. After all, when talking about great canadian records, doesn't that go hand in hand with obscurity?

If that doesn't make me a hipster...

...But good is good, and The Suburbs definitely deserves recognition, even if it's already been recognized in places just a tiny bit larger than my wee li'l blog.

The Suburbs, a tightly-recorded concept album centred around suburban living, brings up and revisits several musical themes, particularly the guitar tracks that open and close the album - 'the suburbs' and 'the suburbs (continued)'. While much it has that indie rock vibe that is all the rage these days, it does stray into some uncharted territories - my favourite track on the album, 'Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)', is a strange lovechild between indie rock and ABBA. And 'Month of May' is almost punk like in its intensity, only without the jackboots and atrocious fashion sense.

But if you're a fan of the danceable beats and original guitar licks that have justly made The Arcade Fire famous, you'll still find them herein. This is very much a record that makes you feel good, and one that you will find yourself getting lost within.

When I first started listening to the album, I did so with trepidation. How much of it was due to hype and the music media, and how much of it was actually good? Turns out, most of it was good - I had to admit this to myself after listening to it three times straight. I had been finding more and more excuses to put on my ipod and 'walk for a few more songs'.

17. Black Mountain "Wilderness Heart" (2010)

Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia
Notable Songs: "The Hair Song", "The Way to Gone", "The Space of Your Mind".

On my itunes list, Black Mountain is nestled right between the Black Keys, and Black Sabbath. Which, strangely enough, could probably be used as a shorthand to describe the group - they're not quite as heavy and riffy as Black Sabbath, and not quite as bluesy and pared down as the Black Keys. And this is, of course, a very good thing.

Black Mountain are this decade's version of Stoner Rock, with a liberal dose of indie, a touch of keyboard-driven new wave, and even a bit of acoustic hippiness thrown in for good measure. If you're not familiar with "Stoner Rock", think of 1970s hard rock without the guitar solos, focused around the rhythm section, and lacking the aggression of heavy metal. Or, as I describe it, pure musical bliss. I was a stoner rock fanatic for years. And Black Mountain has singlehandedly reminded me of just why I loved it so much for so long.

It's the perfect storm of detuned guitar awesomeness.

That being said, this album isn't "pure" or "classic" stoner rock, if there's really such a thing. In addition to the "typical" stoner sound, it has acoustic guitar lines, female vocals, and atmospheric keyboards that manage to NOT be "prog rock". This is a very good thing for me, because it's almost as if Stoner Rock was saying "look, Dave, we have that stoner sound you love... but we've added those indie things you love, too!".

In short, Black Mountain seems to be perfectly suited for me. And because of this, I've spent the last two days in my living room, in absolute musical bliss. Easily the best album I've heard in 2011. Even if you don't like hard music, you need to check out this album. Listen to a few tracks, and I guarantee there's something in here that will appeal to you.

Like I said before. A Perfect Storm.

15. Tegan & Sara, "Sainthood" (2009)

Hometown: Calgary, Alberta.
Notable Songs: 'Don't Rush', 'Red Belt', 'Someday'

What? You don't know Tegan and Sara? Seriously? These guys, while still lumped in with the "indie" crowd, are very much mainstream. It's been said that Tegan and Sara are must-have albums if you want to be taken seriously as a lesbian, these days.

This is a poor joke, but it's one I've heard far too many times. I wonder how many people don't listen to these great western Canadian musicians, simply because of their "gay connection"? Some people definitely think of Tegan and Sara Quin as the indie punk/rock version of Lady Gaga, which is a crying shame, because the music deserves a good chunk of praise that often gets swallowed up in favour of conversations on sexual orientation.

And I've fallen to the same trap, discussing their sexuality for two whole paragraphs before I even mention the music. This annoys me, because the music is great. Upbeat, uptempo, and just generally "up", it's music that comes from a lot of different places. It has an unabashedly simple lyrical structure that is undeniably folk, yet the electric guitars are punk and the electronics and drums are dance or "new wave".

This is an album that always gets me tapping my foot. It never drops into ballads, and instead follows the punk rock ethos of an increasing, frenetic tempo. While this album, due to my own personal tastes in music, will never make it to my top ten list of albums, the drive and energy of it all has made this a recent preference when it is time to clean the house or do dishes. It's dance music for grumpy gingers who hate dance music, that's for sure.

As for the lyrics, some are personal, some are quirky, and some are the usual post-relationship stuff. Mention of poker faces are kept to a blessed minimum, and they never whine about the manner in which they were born.

Wanna hear something cool? Even though they're identical twins, you can hear the difference in their voices. Listen to it on the tracks; it's a pleasant surprise.

14. We Are the City, "In a Quiet World" (2009)

Hometown: Kelowna, British Columbia
Notable Songs: 'Feel is a word', 'my old friend', 'Peso loving squid'

Confession time. I liked this band when I saw them live, and liked their album up until the song 'Astronomers', wherein the vocalist begins to question man's landing on the moon. This, for those who don't know, is one of my big pet peeves, and I wanted to hate the band then and there.

Luckily, I put my biases aside and listened to it a few more times. The beautiful piano lines, expansive drum rhythms, and incredibly tight guitar lines tie in together in a perfect example of "less is more". There is no bass guitar in this album, but you would never notice it until it was pointed out to you.

This is a rock album with just the right amount of experimentation, with occasional pink floyd and alt rock homages in the guitar lines. I know I'm not the only person to hear a Bryan Adams' tone in "Time, Wasted". (Hey, wasn't he from BC, too?) The reflective vocals have just the right note of melancholy, and the drums never try to get too fancy. It is an album that is at once heavy and soft, often with nothing more than a second's pause between gentle guitar lines and thunder coming down.

Ironic, I suppose, for an album titled "In a Quiet World". But then, in a quiet world, I'd feel like making a little bit of noise, too.

13. Library Voices, "Denim on Denim" (2010)

Hometown: Regina, Sasketchewan

Notable Tracks: 'Drinking Games', 'Haunt this House', 'Party like it's 2012'

The band describes themselves as 'Pop as Fuck'. They claim inspiration from The Talking Heads, The Violent Femmes, and Fleetwood Mac.

Yeah, that sounds about right.

I'd also add in a bit of The Strokes for inspiration - especially on the track 'Party like it's 2012', with stroke-like guitar lines and lines like "Party Like it's 2012, let's hear it for the Rapture!".

This is a band that comes with wry observations, catchy guitar and keyboard lines, and vocal cleverness galore. It is clean-cut in sound, and despite having something like seven members, nothing ever sounds extraneous. The band seems to know that less is more, and I can't wait to hear what the next full-length album (due out next month!) sounds like.

And, to make everything even better, they're coming for Rifflandia this year! You can bet I'll be up front and centre, singing along to 'Drinking Games', one of my favourite tracks of the last year.

12. The New Pornographers, "Moves" (2011)

Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia
Notable Songs: 'Moves', 'Crash Years', 'Your Hands (Together)'

I feel guilty with this review.

You see, those three "notable songs" up at the top there just happen to be the very first three songs of the album. Because of this, I'm almost afraid my reader(s) will accuse me of not really reviewing the album, and just picking the first three tracks as "notable".

It's not true. It's just that this is an album that starts off with such a huge bang that you have to give credit where credit is due. "Moves" is built around electric guitars and strings that sound like a modern version of 'Eleanor Rigby'. 'Crash Years', sung by the always amazing Neko Case, is your usual amazing New Pornographers' track, while 'Your Hands (together)' is, as the title suggests, the type of thing you will find yourself clapping along to.

Of course, as with any New Pornographers' album (they're all good), there are a lot more than three "notable tracks". 'A Bite out of my bed' is a weird combo of acoustic guitars and new-age synths (and strings) that really catches the ear, and the album-closing 'We End Up Together' is very much your anthemic rock ballad.

So, yeah, there are a lot of notable tracks. The whole album, with its sweeping string arrangements, simple yet effective guitar lines, and hand-clapping rhythms coupled with New Pornographer-style duets make this one of those albums that has a sound entirely its own.

The fact that the Pornographers have been doing that since 2001 should give you an idea of just how amazing (and underrated) they really are.

11. Hey Ocean! "It's easier to be somebody else" (2008)

Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia
Notable Songs: 'A Song About California', 'Alleyways', 'Moving On'

Hey Ocean! are a young trio from Vancouver, British Columbia. Fronted by the always adorable Ashleigh Ball and carried by two different guys named David (represent!), the band has an upbeat, pop sound that is well grounded in jazz. Basslines, guitar chords, and drumbeats all borrow generously from jazz traditions, resulting in a pop album that sounds considerably different than all of the other unique pop albums out there.

A big part of this is due to Ashleigh Ball's voice, the predominant voice on the record. Husky and yet seemingly paradoxically filled with joy, it is at once similar and completely different than, say, Amy Winehouse. This is a party album, filled with happiness even when it's sad. It is about love, the joy of life, and adoration of the world around us.

And of course, it seems to hit a chord among, well, everyone. For christmas, I put a few songs by the band on a CD I made for my mom. She put those songs on repeat, and begged me for a copy of this album. Strangely, my sister, who also had a few Hey Ocean! songs on her ipod, asked for more as well. As for me, this has been an album that's played in the background for the better part of nine months.

10. Christian Hansen and the Autistics, "Power Leopard" (2009)

Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta
Notable Songs: 'Cocaine Trade', 'Someone I Can Love', 'High School is Over'

This is one of those albums that you listen to, think you have an easy definition, and then realize it doesn't quite fit. I mean, this is obviously cheerful dance music, right?

Then you listen to the lyrics, and realize they're surprisingly dark considering the energetic nature of the beats. "Father Ray" is about church molestation; "Calypso Hippo" is about the overseas sex trade, and even the super upbeat "Cocaine Trade" is about the pointlessness of the mid nineties dance movement that this band is a nostalgic throwback to.

So what is Christian Hansen and the Autistics? For me, it's a band that frequently brings new readers to my blog. Everyone loves these cheerful throwbacks to the simpler times of nineties dance mixes and Rick Astley, after all.

If I had to settle on a definition, that's what I'd go with - Rick Astley with a better voice, better lyrics, and a bass line worth listening to. In other words, everything that Rick Astley is not, Christian Hansen is.

Aren't definitions tricky?

9. The Rural Alberta Advantage, "Departing" (2011)

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario (I know, it's weird. You'd think they were from, like, Alberta or something)
Notable Songs: 'Two Lovers', 'Muscle Relaxants', 'Coldest Days'

I can hear it now. "But Dave," all my non-existent daily readers loudly proclaim, "You already reviewed this album, like, two months ago!"

Yeah, so? It's a good album. And it deserves to be on this list. So shut up.

Since April, this album has been in fairly frequent rotation on my ipod. There is something about the album's energetic and simplified drum/keyboard/guitar rock offerings ("Stamp", "Muscle Relaxants", "Tornado '87") coupled with mid-tempo ballads ("Two Lovers", "Coldest Days", "North Star") that really pulls the entire piece into one cohesive whole.

In less hipster-esque speak, it's a damned good album, not just a collection of radio-worthy singles. Though you can no longer refer to this band's singles as being purely a hipster offering - they have had more market penetration these days than almost any band in Canada. You see, there was this little sports event called the "Stanley Cup Playoffs". And the R.A.A's single, "Stamp", was the background song for a beer commercial that featured very heavily in the TV timeouts. In other words, if you watchd the playoffs in Canada, you've already heard these guys.

Of course, hipster that I am, because the song was featured in a beer commercial, it is no longer "notable" in my book. Whoopsie doodle.

8. Imaginary Cities, "Temporary Resident" (2011)

Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Notable Songs: 'Say You', 'Ride this Out', 'Marry the Sea'

Okay. So pretty much at least once a week, I have to defend myself against people that accuse me of being a hipster. This is, of course, one of the many dangers inherent in writing a music blog. This post, unfortunately, is not going to help my arguments against being a hipster. Not one iota.

See, I'm currently reviewing an album that hasn't even been released yet. And, in case you don't know, that's kind of hipsteresque. Along with plaid shirts and ugly jeans.

In my defence, most of the album has already been released by the band on their CBC Radio 3 website. For what it's worth.

As for the album itself? Imagine deep, soulful R&B vocals, a la Nina Simone, paired with keyboards that masterfully straddle the border of "electronic" and "indie". Other instruments - drums, pianoes, even a guitar here and there - make guest appearances, but the main show is the interaction between classic vocals and new keyboards.

'Ride This Out', my favourite song so far, adds layer upon layer as it progresses, quickly accelerating into a frenetic climax that almost sounds out of place, considering the bluesy nature of the vocals. 'Marry the Sea' is this bizarre combination of 1950s pop rock and 1990s feminist alternative groups like the Cardigans. 'Purple Heart' is this moody, atmospheric piece that lives up to the song title as it explores the nature of being wounded. And 'Don't Cry' is the type of song Billie Holiday would sing were she alive today and fronting an indie band - I can't help but notice this song's similarities to Miss Holiday's 'Don't Explain', though maybe I am the only one in the world to do so.

In other words, this is an album that always seems to have one foot in the past and the other in the future. While I am unsure of the final product, or the exact track layout, of the samplings provided us, I can safely assume that the released product is going to be a true gift, and one that everyone should be very excited for. And, the true hipster I most assuredly am not, you can bet I'll be telling people I was listening to the band before their first album was released.

And you guys can, too.

7. Said The Whale, "Islands Disappear" (2009)

Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia
Notable Tracks: 'Goodnight Moon', 'Camilo (The Magician)', 'Black Day in December'

Fun fact: I have a playlist on my ipod called "Cheer Up Music". It's basically exactly what it sounds like - a list of tunes that I can put on that guarantee a good mood.

Almost half of the songs are by Said The Whale, a group from Vancouver that seem to specialize in making poppy songs that, to me, are a much better-crafted and lesser-known version of The New Pornographers. Songs often have a perfect combo of acoustic and electric guitars, coupled with perfect keys and drumbeats.

Islands Disappear, the group's second full length album, consists of more than a few laid-back songs that pick up in pace, until by the end you're smiling and tapping your feet along. I dare anyone to listen to 'Gentleman' and not be carried away by the happy chords. And 'Goodnight Moon', played on a ukulele that progresses into what can only be described as a "musical dance number", is the spiritual successor to everyone's favourite StW song, 'The Light is You".

Another fun fact: I have sung 'Goodnight Moon' unknowingly while in a grocery store. And people have looked at me and laughed. And I did not care.

Because I was happy.

6. Hollerado, "Record in a Bag" (2010)

Hometown: Manotick, Ontario
Notable Songs: 'Americanarama', 'Juliette', 'What's Everybody Running For (part II)'

I'm not going to talk about how this album comes in a ziplock bag. And I'm not going to talk about how that ziplock bag is filled with stickers, guitar picks, confetti, instant tattoos, and download codes for additional songs. I won't even mention the chinese fortune included.

Because I really should just talk about the music. That's kind of what music reviews should be about, right? Right?

Clever marketing aside, Record in a Bag is rather brilliantly put together. It's upbeat rock and roll, plain and simple. Bluesy rock guitar lines, pounding bass lines that really form the skeleton of every song, and infectious radio-friendly lyrics. This is a feel good rock album, without any of the layers of pretension that we so often find in the indie scene. These are just simple, honest songs that don't pretend to be anything else.

Also, just as a heads up - if you get a chance to see these guys live, do it. Drop everything and do it. Even if you don't like rock music. Even if you don't like electric guitars and shaggy drummers. Why? Because these guys have so much energy and joy in them, it is impossible to walk away feeling anything but musical bliss.

5. Dan Mangan, "Nice, Nice, Very Nice" (2009)

Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia
Notable Tracks: 'Road Regrets', 'Robots', 'Basket'

When I first heard Dan Mangan, I didn't think much of him. But for the better part of a year and a half since then, I've found myself continuously coming back to this album. Again and again. And then, just when I thought I was sick of it, I'd find myself listening to it once more.

Dan Mangan's sophomore album has poignant, soulful, and beautiful lyrics that are always introspective and insightful; occasionally humorous and occasionally cynical; and never settling for cliched observations or rhyming schemes.

This whole work is an original, through and through. Nothing is ever done in a typical fashion, putting new spins on old themes. For example, the drums in 'Road Regrets' begin complex and steadily decrease in complexity until the outro, which is a simple beat reminiscent of Queen or AC/DC. Or listen to the hand claps on 'Sold', or the style of the call-and-answering lyrics in 'The Indie Queens are Waiting'. Or the complete lack of a chorus or steady rhyming scheme in 'Robots'. Or...

And that's the whole album. Nothing is easily labelled. Acoustic guitar stylings in the folk vein, with ramblings into rock and roll, country, bluegrass, and that catch-all commonly known as "indie" - there is no one genre that this album can be shoehorned into. This is one of a kind, and I fully understand what my friend Kate means when she says she's afraid of Mangan's next release - it's hard to imagine anyone being able to top this album. But after at least forty complete listenings, I have faith in Mr. Mangan.

This is, plainly, a "must have" album. Anyone who hasn't sat through beautiful pieces like the layered 'Fair Verona' or the cleverly self-deprecating 'Et Les Mots Croises' is missing out on something beautiful.

'Nuff said.

4. Chromeo, "Business Casual" (2010)

Hometown: Montreal, Quebec

Notable Songs: 'Hot Mess', 'Night by Night', 'Don't Turn the Lights On'

The first time you listen to this album, you're going to have a hard time believing it came from 2010. In fact, the second time you listen to it, you'll have a hard time believing it came from 2010. The third time, too.

I still can't believe it.

This is an album rooted in the 1980s, coupled with the dance movement of the early 1990s. If you're familiar with early dance music from the time of MC-Hammer, or reverbed-up hair metal guitar solos, you know this album already. And if you know the lyrics to the "Ghostbusters" song by heart, I can assure you you'll love this album.

I am saying this is as a compliment. These are guys (a jew and a palestinian, the first time those people have ever worked together in the history of the universe, I'm sure) who are paying a homage to a lost art, and they maybe even cover a bit of new ground with it.

And people are loving it - this is a duo that is definitely up and coming, making new fans everyday. I'm sure many of these fans are similar to myself- people that listen and hearken back to a simpler time, singing along in the backseat while your mom drove you to swim practice.

Or maybe it's just me.

3. Jenn Grant, "Honeymoon Punch" (2011)

Hometown: Halifax, Nova Scotia

Notable Songs: 'All Year', 'Getcha Good', 'Walk Away'

This is a hard one to explain. I'd like to say it's pop music as sung by the girl next door... but that'd be a gross oversimplification, and an unfair one, at that. It's an album that has beautiful high notes sung over keyboards and drums that at time sound less like a pop album and more like a late-nineties industrial album.

Seriously, many of the keyboard-focused lines remind me of the days when I used to sit at home and listen to old homemade goth recordings... except Jenn Grant isn't singing downer songs about running mascara and bullies at school. She's instead singing remarkably upbeat songs. "Walk Away", for example, sounds almost like it was a pop song sung to instrumentals from a Skinny Puppy album.

Other songs sound a bit more "pop-like". "Getcha Good" is old school country in a lot of ways that reminded me instantly of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' cover of "Gone, Gone, Gone". And there are other songs that are carried by acoustic guitars or horn sections, in a more "traditional" Canadian indie vibe.

Moral of the story? This is an album that jumps genres readily, with everything kept together solely by Jenn Grant's crystal clear voice. Despite the variability of the tracks, and the genre switching, it has a unified voice that is remarkable. And dancingly upbeat. This is one of those albums you'll listen to a dozen times - and walk away smiling each time.

2. Forest City Lovers, "Carriage" (2010)

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Notable Songs: 'Tell Me Cancer', 'Pocketful of Rocks', 'Constellation'

Soft, folk-pop with a sharp lyrical edge, The Forest City Lovers are fronted by the lovely Kat Burns, whose latest album, Carriage, has lyrics that range from scathing attacks on hypocrites; the unsure nature of relationships; and love songs about being a tree.

There is an ethereal, ghostly quality to Burns' voice that echoes in the reverb soundscape crafted by the band behind her. This all combines to create the effect of a musical haunting - there is something spiritual and supernatural about the gentle acoustic chords and bare-bones electric approach.

This is very much a modern take on the old Canadian folk greats. Kat Burns is a modern-day Joni Mitchell, with an indie fashion sense and a throatier voice. While she can sing with acidic tinged beauty ("go tell your mother that you passed the test/befriended the good ones and fucked all the rest"), she still has her sense of humour, as in the final song, the poppy acoustic waltz 'If I Were a Tree' ("If I were a tree I'd give you wood/make you a dendrophiliac/I'd have a laugh because I could/oh my knots and twists are not for that").

As with all the great albums, there's a lot here. I've listened to it at least a dozen times, and I'm still blown away by the beauty to be found within.