Die Mannequin 
Who: Die Mannequin
What: burn baby
Where: Toronto, ON
To Contact: Shull Management, Paul Shull 55 Rosevear Ave., Toronto, ON M4C 1Z1 (416) 778-7000, , www.myspace.com/diemannequin.

Care Failure doesn't play cute - in any sense, personally, musically or vocally. And, God, it's so refreshing. This is her life and if she fucks up, well, she'll write another great song or battle her demons again, or both. On her band Die Mannequin's EP, How To Kill, she played everything, except drums, which Death From Above 1979's Jesse Keeler took care of, since she hadn't yet put together a permanent band. Under the name MSTRKRFT, Keeler and partner Al P produced the four tracks, including radio-be-damned-rock smashes "Autumn Cannibalist" and "Donut Kill Self". The 19-year-old left home at 16 and had a tumultuous affair with hard drugs (she openly writes in her bio), but fortuitously came to the attention of the right people (from Harry Hesse to Keeler to EMI Music Publishing Canada to Shull Management) who wanted to give her a break, set her on the right path and direct her fire. And even if other teens can't relate specifically to her story, many will take heed. After all, what can young girls possibly glean from Jessica, Britney or even Beyonce? Care doesn't even have a booty!

Paper Moon
Who: Paper Moon
What: endearing
Where: Winnipeg, MB
To Contact: Endearing Records, (604) 773-0115, www.endearing.com, www.myspace.com/papermoonmusic.

On the band's second album, Broken Hearts Break Faster Every Day, the quintet-turned-sextet creates romantic light pop that seamlessly connects each song from "Turning Colours To Greys" to "Daytrip to Salzburg" to the closer. Produced by Brandon Friesen, and mixed and mastered by Greg Reely, its Six Pence None The Richer meets Stars style can entice the indie music lovers but also draw in the sophisticates (do yuppies still exist?). Formed in 2000, Paper Moon (it's surprising it can use the name) signed a publishing deal with Nettwerk Songs Publishing and has since collaborated with members of Nada Surf, Ivy and the Hermit, not to mention landed songs in some 20 films and TV shows. Most of the tracks on Broken Hearts are penned by the band, however, there are a few outside contributors, including Ivy's Andy Chase on "String Of Blinking Lights". The band is signed to Vancouver's Endearing Records, and distributed by Endearing Records/Fontana North. The line-up is Allison Shervernoha (vocals/guitars); Chris Hiebert (drums/percussion); Rob Rodgers (bass/vocals); John Wilson (guitars); Nicole Pielo (keyboards/guitar/violin/vocals), who all appear on the album, and Leslie Workman (keyboards/guitar/vocals).

Jay Bizzy 
Who: Jay Bizzy
What: get bizzy
Where: Halifax, NS
To Contact: Urbnet, PO Box 10617, 998 Bloor Street W., Toronto ON, M6H 1L8 (647) 271-7736, , www.jaybizzy.com.

Jay Bizzy (a.k.a. Jay Flemming) grew up in Shelburne, NS, where in 1999, the aspiring MC created an anthem for the town of about two thousand when he recorded "U R Shelburne When," popularized on Napster. Later, he moved back to his native Halifax, where local rapper/producer Classified helped him make his 2002 debut CD, Hard Rhymes In The Maritimes. The ECMA-nominated album gave him cred and he landed opening slots for the likes of The Game, Busta Rhymes, Kardinal Offishall, Rascalz, and Buck 65. On his second album, the 16-track The Ghost Of Jacob Marley, he offers to "take you on a trip to Nova Scotia/Show ya hip-hop the way yer s'posed ta." His tracks are eclectic, chilled and fun, ranging in flavor from the Jamaican interjections of "Get Busy On 'Em", featuring Rocky Ninja to the jazzy "The Party Crasher". Produced by Classified, Fresh Kils, Jorun, Beatmason, and Dexter Doolittle, 13 of the tracks were recorded at Beatmason's Stonecutter Labs, the other three at Classified's Halflife Studios.

Credit: Toronto-based music journalist Karen Bliss is the Canadian news correspondent for Rollingstone.com, and operates a Canadian music industry news column, Lowdown, at http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Lowdown. She also edits Gasoline, and contributes to Elle Canada, Audience, Tribute, Words & Music and others.

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