The 33 hottest bands in Canada

33) Great Lake Swimmers
Tony Dekker has just had a strong year, from his release of the beautiful Bodies and Minds, to opening for an American favorite of mine, Akron/Family, all along their tour. I can't even imagine the big things '06 has in store for him. (Sucking A Lemon)

(Click here for "Moving Pictures, Silent Films")

32) Martha Wainwright
My pal Sarah Liss called it: The most-talented of the Wainwright children. (Pop (All Love))
Her acoustic show at the Drake earlier this year made me wonder why she even bothers with a backing band. (Adam Radwanski)

(Listen to her on Myspace)

31) Karen Kosowski
Better than all the Sarahs out there. Karen puts so much passion into her music, it’s hard not to feel as if you’re intruding on her. (Toronto Indie)

(Listen to her on Myspace)

30) The Deadly Snakes
Most of the times I've seen these guys, they haven't been the biggest act on the bill. But they're invariably the best. And Porcella is a pretty fascinating album. (Adam Radwanski)

(Click here for "Gore Veil")

29) Controller.Controller
Spooky music to dance to. (matthew, ihm)

(Click here for "PF")

28) Ninja High School
NHS, for playing some hella exciting live shows to having their new single and record ("By Purpose Not By Plan/It's Alright To Fight" + Young Adults Against Suicide) released on Tomlab. (Sucking A Lemon)

(Click here for a sample of "Shake It Off)

27) Jason Collett
After Idols of Exile, Jason should have named his touring band Broken Country Scene. His songwriting is aces, but the arrangements aren't your typical singer-songwriter fare. Speaking of the Scene, he's probably the guy in BSS you hear the least about, which is a goddamn shame. (From Blown Speakers)

(Stream some songs on MapleMusic)

26) Buck 65
The new record was criminally underrated. Buck 65 continues to challenge the listener's expectations and hopes for hip-hop. (Regulate The Voice)

(Stream some songs from his site)

25) Cadence Weapon
Son of the greatest Edmonton radio DJ ever (DJ T-E-D-D-Y), Cadence Weapon continues on with that tradition by being the most exciting hip-hop artist to come out of Canada in years. Global conquest is next. (Regulate The Voice)
This guy is going to be big. He's pretty steady as an MC, and as a producer he's amazing. If there's any justice in the world, Cadence Weapon is the future of Canadian hip hop. His beats are insane. The first track I heard of his was his remix of Ghostface's "Save Me Dear" (the original being one of my favourite hip hop tracks), and it gave me the same feeling I got the first time I heard Dizzee Rascal. Exciting stuff. (From Blown Speakers)

(Click here for Cadence Weapon's remix of "Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?")

24) Black Mountain
They toured with Coldplay?!? (Regulate The Voice)
If Coldplay did one thing this year that wasn't worthy of scorn and derision, it was this: getting Black Mountain to open for them, even though they'd likely scare the crap out of anyone who bought X&Y. (matthew, ihm)

(Click here for "Druganaut")

23) Islands

(Click here for Islands' Myspace page)

22) The Organ

(Click here for a few of The Organ's videos)

21) Magneta Lane
Instead of trying to make it in the States, they've gone straight for Japan. Have opened for Sloan and controller.controller, not to mention that I saw them at a Harry Potter book launch and they got all the little kids dancing. Their EP is still rocking my ass, with a new album to be released early next year. To top all that off, they're the best looking band in Canada. (I Am Mike and This Is My Heart)

(Visit Magneta Lane's official site for streaming audio)

20) Bell Orchestre
You have to see Bell Orchestre live to understand why they deserve to be here - they are bringing light airry jazz music with strings strings strings to the indie kids. Sara and Richard from Arcade Fire really get to show off their skills here and Recording A Tape The Colour Of The Light is fantastic; if it's not on '05 lists, it will certainly be making the rounds in early '06. In addition to that the group has the french horn player from Torngat, a wonderful group from Montreal who also deserve alot of praise. (Sucking A Lemon)

(Visit Bell Orchestre's website for a few MP3s)

19) The Fembots
The City is my favourite Canadian album of '05. (Adam Radwanski)

(Visit The Fembots' site to download an MP3)

18) The Dears
One of Canada's best live acts. (The Tear That Hands Inside My Soul Forever)

(Click here for The Dears' New Music Canada page)

17) The Cay
Jordan Himelfarb and Christine Maki have yet to make their magnum opus, but while the rest of Montreal tears itself apart with disco-stomp and winter-weather hollerin', there is something altogether magic in The Cay's knitted guitar-picking, in their modest kindly harmonies, in the sudden Byrne-like lurches of fierce and necessary feeling. (Sean, Said The Gramophone)

(Click here for The Cay's New Music Canada page)

16) Cuff The Duke
Desperately need to release a career-making live record. (Pop (All Love))

(Stream the album on Cuff The Duke's site)

15) Jon-Rae and the River
With their new disc Old Songs for the New Town, they have exploded all over the place. Other than that they are one of my favorite groups and I'm so happy to see them being successful. Their cd release show at the 'shoe back in august with Great Lake Swimmers, Akron/Family, and Lullabye Ark had to be -- and I'm sure many will agree with me -- one of the best shows of the summer. (Sucking A Lemon)

(Click here for Jon-Rae and the River's New Music Canada page)

14) Sunset Rubdown
The Rubdown is like Wolf Parade's attic - it's where Spencer Krug keeps his weird organs, the ones that cough up genies, the place for crippled songs and old bits and pieces. I think it may also be where he hides his secrets. (Sean, Said The Gramophone)

13) K-os
Sorry Kardinal, but k-os runs the (Canadian hip-hop) game. (Regulate The Voice)
The biggest Canadian rap concert ever. 'Nuff said. (I Am Mike and This Is My Heart)
It might not be the most storied honour, but is it time to concede that k-os is the best rapper this country's ever produced? (Pop (All Love))

(Visit K-os' site for streaming MP3s)

12) Death From Above 1979
Dance music for the rock set, with a live show that will pummel you into submission. And now they've gone and upped the ante by remixing other people's music. That MSTRKRFT remix of the new Bloc Party totally saved it. (From Blown Speakers)
They have one of the most powerful sounds in music. Plus, their appearance on Conan (with Max Weinberg joining in!) was the best thing I saw on TV this year (musically). (Regulate The Voice)

(Visit DFA79's site for streaming audio)

11) Frog Eyes

(Click here for Frog Eyes' New Music Canada page)

10) Destroyer
Canada's witch-doctor, ship-captain and bard. I saw a guy at a gig in Glasgow who looked like Dan Bejar. He kept yelling at the singer to "put your fuckin' heart into it". The yells didn't go away when the singer sang lounder, or stronger, or more torturedly. They went away when the man went to the bar and ordered two drinks and then just stood there, one lager in either hand, shaking his head. (Sean, Said The Gramophone)

(Visit The New Pornographers' site for Destroyer MP3s)

9) The Constantines
I really hate it when new records are described as "mature," but that's what happened to the Cons. Thankfully, they're aging well. (From Blown Speakers)
On Tournament of Hearts, The Constantines mixed sadness and restraint into their unique brand of rock, and came up with the best album of their careers in the process. (matthew, ihm)

(Click here for "Love In Fear)

8 ) Metric
Not so much for Live It Out, though I like it, but for the way they've managed - particularly with their live show - to make indie rock sexy and glamorous without compromising its integrity. (Adam Radwanski)
I might not ever love them as anything more than a singles band, but those singles are pretty fantastic. (Pop (All Love))

(Visit Metric's site for MP3s)

7) Stars
Dreamiest album of the year. Rapidly gaining popularity to the South of us by burninating at SXSE, getting played on The OC and opening for Death Cab. (I Am Mike and This Is My Heart)
They could use a little edge to them, but still... (Adam Radwanski)
I actually can't think of anything interesting to say about Stars. Just listen to their music. (From Blown Speakers)
I think they'll eventually out-sell both Arcade Fire and Broken. Possibly combined. (Pop (All Love))

(Visit Stars' site for streaming audio)

6) The New Pornographers
More poppy brilliance. (Regulate The Voice)
Twin Cinema didn't have that immediacy that the first two records had, but everyone already knew that Carl Newman could write a good hook. Twin Cinema was as a different kind of beast. That instant gratification gave way to songs that rely on subtlety, and might even be better. (From Blown Speakers)
I still don't think they've topped the singles off their first album, but "Bleeding Heart Show" comes close. (Adam Radwanski)

(Visit The New Pornographers' site for MP3s)

5) Feist
I can't wait for the point in time when all our moms love this record and we're listening to it over Thanksgiving dinner and Leisure Suite comes on. (Pop (All Love))
The thing about Ms. Leslie, is that you can play her music to pretty much anyone. Indie kids, obviously. But I know people who are almost strictly into hardcore punk who love Let It Die. My mom likes this record, my hip-hop loving exgirlfriend loves this record... honestly, it's a record for everybody. I know it was a 2004 release, but she toured her ass off this year, and that's where she's even better. Hearing the title track live, just Feist and guitar is just wow. (From Blown Speakers)

(Stream "Mushaboom" on Feist's Arts & Crafts site)

4) Final Fantasy
If any artist has amazed me this year, it is Owen Pallett. It feels like he came out of nowhere, although he didn't, that suddenly there was this artist of astonishing talent and original voice. It was like an alien landed on Mount Everest, equipped already with a deep knowledge of pop music, of composition, of Dungeons & Dragons. Owen's music reaches as deep and as recklessly as the country's more rockin' talents, and it's all performed with such ease and generosity that you'd think it was as easy as pushing your hair away from your eyes. (Sean, Said The Gramophone)
Canada's answer to Andrew Bird. "This is the Dream of Win and Regine" is one of my favourite songs. ever. (From Blown Speakers)
The video for "This is the Dream of Win and Regine"was great. His set at the Ottawa Bluesfest in July was great. Has A Good Home was great. Basically, everything Owen Palette did this year (and last year, if you throw in his work on Funeral) was great. (matthew, ihm)

(Visit Final Fantasy's site for MP3s)

3) Wolf Parade
They put out my favourite album of the year. Screw the Isaac Brock connection, it's way more exciting that they picked up Dante DeCaro after he left Hot Hot Heat. (From Blown Speakers)
Wolf Parade are like an experiment in self-combustion. I keep waiting for Spencer's hair to catch alight, for Hadji's laptop to melt, for Arlen to explode and for Dan, yeah for Dan's heart to be on fire. Literally. Because figuratively it already happens, at the right
moments: everything goes smoky and hot and the only thing you can be sure of is fire and song and that there are ghosts whirling drunken in the room. (Sean, Said The Gramophone)
The backlash may have come prepackaged, but "I'll Believe In Anything is singlehandedly more than enough to silence the naysayers. (matthew, ihm)

(Click here to download "Shine A Light")

2) Broken Social Scene
I really want the Arcade Fire fans and Broken fans to form separate and feuding groups, splitting the nation's indie kids down the middle. All of which would surely culminate in a cuddle party. Or monkey knife fight. (Pop (All Love))
Best album of the year, period. In a year from now, you will all agree with me. (I Am Mike and This Is My Heart)
Barely anybody thought they could top You Forgot It In People, but, not only did they top it, they blew that record out of the water with the new one. (Regulate The Voice)

(Click here for "Swimmers")

1) Arcade Fire
Rereleased their EP, crushed heads worldwide with their live show, played
with David Bowie ... just another year for the Arcade Fire. (Regulate The Voice)
How can anyone possibly argue that any other Canadian act had a bigger year? All right, maybe Nickelback. But only barely. (Pop (All Love))
I know...too obvious. But there's absolutely nothing like their live show. (Adam Radwanski)
I sit at my home in a room and I dream, dream, dream of a song called "Milk and Honey". It's by a band called Arcade Fire, and no recordings seem to exist. I've been listening to Arcade Fire for close to five years now and still there is no other group that grips me so firmly, that shakes me so hard, that so chimes me like a bell. There is no other group with a long lost song that keeps me up at night, that makes me sit at home in a room and dream. It's very sad, to know there's something beautiful you will never hear again. (Sean, Said The Gramophone)

(Click here for streaming audio)