Where: Toronto

What: Psychedelic Chamber Pop

Visit: www.hopefulmonstermusic.blogspot.com

If anything, I’m including Hopeful Monster in this issue’s showcase as a plea for Jason Ball to record another album under the moniker; however, fans of the playfully psychedelic indie-pop project shouldn’t hold their breath.

After all, it was six years between 2008’s Metatasking and 2002’s Hopeful Monster. While Hopfeul Monster might have a sparse resumé, Ball has extensive experience in Canada’s independent music scene, including stints playing with Lily Frost, The Wilderness, The Heavy Blinkers, and the Guthries.

Ball recorded the group’s first album while living in Nova Scotia, enlisting the help of members of Matt Mays & El Torpedo as well as those of his previously mentioned partners. Since then, he’s packed up and moved to Toronto where he recorded Metatasking. With Beach Boys-worthy harmonies and what can only be described as pure pop genius, Hopeful Monster is one of Canada’s best-kept rock n’ roll secrets. Ball, if you’re reading, consider this column an official plea to keep making music as Hopeful Monster, because nobody else is coming close to the sounds you’re capable of.

Ben Conoley is a freelance journalist living in Fredericton, NB. He has written for chartattack, Exclaim!, Alternative Press, and more. Ben is also a proud member of the Polaris Music Prize jury.

Where: Kelowna, BC

What: Progressive Indie Rock

Visit: www.wearethecity.ca

Kelowna, BC’s We Are The City is a quirky group of young men playing often-times moody indie-pop. The band consists of Cayne McKenzie on vocals/keyboards, David Menzel on guitar, and Andy Huculiak on drums.

Not feeling the need to enlist a bassist, the band still manages to pull together a full sound that can be as melancholic as Radiohead at one moment, and full of cabaret-style excitement the next. At times, their sound runs the risk of coming off as a little self-indulgent, but just as that thought enters my mind, the band pulls the million directions in which the song is seemingly traveling back to a focused conclusion.

The band’s debut album, In A Quiet World, has only been on record shelves since mid-January 2010, and while the band members certainly sound as though they’re still trying to figure out where they want to go, this critic is very interesting in seeing where they end up.

Where: Fredericton, NB

What: Alt-roots

Visit: www.sleepydriver.ca

Fredericton, NB’s Sleepy Driver may have just recently released their first full-length (2009’s Steady Now), but the roots/alt-country rock band plays with the confidence and skill of veterans. That’s probably because the band’s singer/songwriter has taken his time in assembling a group of proven New Brunswick musicians from various musical experiences and backgrounds.

The culmination of their styles isn’t too far removed from the recent re-emergence of ‘90s college rock in the vein of The Gin Blossoms and The Replacements (see “Like a Weapon”); however, they also flirt with a more roots-based sound on songs like “When The Lights Come On,” though even that song makes room for some horns. There’s also a noticeably dark thematic tinge to a lot of the songs, and despite the varying tempos, there’s enough consistency amongst the songs on Steady Now to leave any doubters behind.

It’s also one of the few albums I’ve heard that’s going to appeal equally to a fan of Pixies as it will to a fan of Johnny Cash, which anyone from a small town knows is essential to getting noticed in a small town. And get noticed they’ve done, picking up the Rising Star award at 2009’s Harvest Jazz and Blues festival in Fredericton.

Where: Antigonish, NS

What: Rock/Alternative

Visit: www.thedisengagement.com

Nova Scotians The Disengagement may not be at the top of their game yet, but now would be a great time to start paying attention to the band before they turn into the great songwriters they’re likely to grow into, if only because nothing beats telling people that you were a fan “back when…”

The band’s subdued indie rock isn’t far off from that of Elliott Smith or Built To Spill, with some songs taking a more up-tempo approach. It’s when they decide whether they want to keep making occasional attempts to sound like the Foo Fighters that will really determine just how good they become. Largely, though, The Disengagement play subdued indie-rock with just enough bite to stop you from wanting to engage in some serious shoe-gazing.

The band released its second album, Masters In Escapism, in September. Since then, it’s been kissing college radio charts from Antigonish to Kamloops. The band has a kind of sound that you don’t hear too often from band’s hailing from Atlantic Canada, so it’s nice to see it coming around. The Disengagement plans on touring Canada throughout 2010, which should give most of you a chance to check them out – so do it!

Where: Edmonton

What: Blues/Acoustic

Visit: www.doctorblues.com

Maple Blues Award nominee Marshall Lawrence walks the fine line of playing traditional delta blues while throwing in enough of his own touch to put a unique signature on the much beloved style of music.

Since his debut album, Where’s The Party, was released in 2003, Lawrence has become one of the country’s leading new blues payers, who are collectively injecting their own vibrant energy into the blues. While previous efforts have seen him playing electric guitar, 2008’s The Morning After was recorded solely with an acoustic, further demonstrating his willingness to continue to experiment with new ways to deliver what some might say is a timeless sound. It worked well enough, and he continued to use acoustic guitar for his most recent album, Blues Intervention.

While fans of the genre are no doubt familiar with Lawrence’s music, he has what it takes to win a crossover audience – a quality not found too often within popular music, but something Lawrence could very well possess.

Ben Conoley is a freelance journalist living in Fredericton, NB. He has written for chartattack, Exclaim!, Alternative Press, and more. Ben is also a proud member of the Polaris Music Prize jury.