Where: Montreal

What: Pop/acoustic

Visit: www.domesticcrisisgroup.com

Woah, where did this come from?

Domestic Crisis Group describe themselves as having a “great songwriting front” with “lyrics relevant to domestic drama that all can relate to.” I had already said to my computer, “Thanks, but I don’t really want to listen to music that reminds me of domestic issues.” But then I listened DCG, centered by Gen Blouin and Dane Ratliff, and there was no turning back.

The duo crafts absolutely beautiful music. Blouin’s vocals are clean, elegant, and inviting. Meanwhile, Ratliff’s guitar work is as much a product of his Texas background as it is lazy ‘90s acoustic college rock. They’ll convince you to lean back and relax just a moment before shaking you awake with how greatly they pull everything together.

Hey, if The Good Life can write an album about breaking up, and Hard Drugs can focus on two lovers on a path of self-destruction, there’s no reason we can’t fall in love with songs about domestic issues.

Sure, sometimes artists get a little caught up in being artists. They can forget that there are people who want to enjoy the art they make. Domestic Crisis Group comes close to crossing this line, but actually straddles it in the most beautiful of ways.

Where: Toronto

What: Hip-Hop/Rap

Visit: www.hiphopdropouts.com

Jamie P. might not have a clever name, but don’t let that fool you. The hip-hop MC has been honing his craft since high school, when he was freestyling in the hallways. His goal seems to be making simple, gimmick-free hip hop in the vein of the genre’s ‘90s sound.

Jamie’s focus on wordplay and naval gazing might remind us of the ‘90s, but there’s a real sense of contemporary production in his new songs. “Show ‘Em Up” has an industrial beat and grimy sound. You can almost feel the spit coming off the rapper’s lips as he shouts criticism of modern hip-hop. His lyrics, though, are sharp and full of references to current pop culture and the hip-hop scene in general. It’s too clever not to commend.

He’s not there yet, though. His bio sheet focuses a bit too much on who he’s worked with, which local DJs have spun his music, and what name he records under. If we could offer some advice to Jamie, it would be to focus on his music and let it speak for itself. If we could offer some advice to you, it would be to listen to his music, because it’s good. If he can turn his new songs into an album’s worth of music, then we’d really have something to get excited about.

Where: Toronto, ON

What: Rock/Pop

Visit: www.thecrafteconomy.com

The Craft Economy may call Toronto home, but the band’s members come from all over the country – Guelph, Montreal, Vancouver, and PEI, to be precise. Much like the band’s geographic roots, its sound is rooted in diversity. Alright, “diversity” might be a bit of a stretch, but The Craft Economy’s ’70s punk/’80s new wave/’00s danceable rock is a combo that’s tough to pull off, and rarely done well.

The Craft Economy sound young, snotty, and all too likable. They don’t only want to make you dance; they make you want to crawl inside your stereo and hug vocalist Linda McKenney, while high-fiving bandmates Scott Birke (guitar/synth), Jake Janzen (bass), and John Britton (drums). Their songs are filled with the kind of
optimism and outlook birthed by the city on a Friday night in the summer.

To date, the band has released All On C, an EP available for free download, which resulted in 5,000 people snagging a copy. They followed it up with Is On Your Side, which was released in 2008 and received justifiable acclaim from several Canadian media outlets.

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.

Where: Vancouver

What: Alternative/Electronic

Visit: myspace.com/sexwithstrangers

Warning: Sex With Strangers have a stupid name. Despite this, they are a highly enjoyable band, and you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you ignored them. The future-leaning quintet from Vancouver plays a unique mix of new meets dance rock – think a danceable version of a Depeche Mode/Killers hybrid. Sounds ridiculous, right?

However, the band’s new album, The Tokyo Steel, should see them continue to make natural gains towards a larger audience. The band was founded by vocalist Hatch Benedict and bassist Magnus Magnum, who previously played in punk band Harvey Switched, which would later change its name to The Switch. After releasing the well-received 2001 – A Rock Odyssey, the band found itself three years into a hiatus. That’s when Hatch and Magnus brought guitarist Wedge Beavers and singer Isabelle Dunlop onboard (drummer Dallas Archangel would join later). Their eventual creation was 2007’s A Future Tragedy, was followed the next year by The Modern Seduction.

The band is interesting and fresh enough to be attractive to hipsters, but not to the point of excluding the mainstream, no doubt in large part thanks to The Rapture and The Strokes. But hey, don’t just take my word for it. Spin recently named them one of their seven must hear bands. But please, take my word for it…

Where: St. John’s

What: Crust Folk

Visit: www.rockandroots.com

Who knew folk music could be so exciting?

While The Mountains & The Trees may play as a group from time to time, for all intents and purposes, the collective is the brainchild of St. John’s, NF’s Jon Janes.

The band’s use of banjo, guitar, mandolin, harmonica, bells, and drums comes together to create lovely lo-fi folk that could only have occurred thanks to artists such as Hayden, Iron & Wine, and Julie Doiron, who showed that it’s completely possible to be young and hip while still wanting to write music that fits best in a log cabin next to a wood stove or by a campfire on Victora Day long weekend.

At times, the band’s songs are extremely minimalist, while at others, a full range of instruments and vocal harmonies work their way in. At first listen, one can’t predict what direction a song will take. What’s great is that this adventurous quality persists through repeated listens.

The Mountains & The Trees have to date released two recordings – 2006’s Paper Or Plastic EP and 2007’s The Document. Janes also threw together a free promo EP called Hop, Skip & A Jump to coincide with the 2009 East Coast Music Awards.

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.