Sid Six 
Who: Sid Six
What: Catchy, hard-edged power pop.
Where: Toronto
Why: So you can say "I knew them when ..."
To Contact: Blam-O Records, (416) 926-9625; or Andrea Caldwell at Reverb Bookings, (416) 828-2164, .

Potential is a difficult thing to measure sometimes, so I often use this rule of thumb when listening to a CD: could I imagine hearing this music on the radio? In the case of Toronto modern rock outfit Sid Six, the thumb goes way up! Former Shadow Puppet Rob Joy formed Sid Six in 1997 along with guitarist Christian Collingham, bass player Jay Kralka and drummer Ryan McCaffrey. Joy, as singer and chief songwriter, possesses a voice as good as any presently on the airwaves, and better than some, his slightly nasally insinuation reminiscent of the Odds' Craig Northey. Strong songwriting underpins some of the catchiest indie rock heard in a while -- beefy choruses, hummable melodies, a crisp guitar-driven sound and lyrics that hinge on sci-fi themes and end-of-millennium perversity. "Our music tries to tell stories," says Joy. "Modern stories about culture these days, living in the year 2000, on the cusp of the millennium. Whether they be creepy stories or happy or funny stories, that's what we try to aim for, to take the listener on a journey." With songs as infectious as "Mysterio", "Spider" and "20 One", listeners will go along willingly. Having opened Toronto shows for Eric Burdon and played the Indieblast stage at some Cranberries/Collective Soul gigs, you should expect to see more from Sid Six in the immediate future. Their full-length album was just released in late March, and they plan to hit the road to support it. Catch them before they catch you.

Chanelle Dupré 
Who: Chanelle Dupré
What: Urban/Dance/R&B.
Where: Coquitlam, BC
Why: Not your average Dance Diva
To Contact: (604) 931-6309, FAX (604) 931-6304, or [email protected].

Coquitlam's Chanelle Dupré moves fast. Releasing her debut CD Make Your Move in October, 1999, it didn't take her long to start finding success. Her single "Always On My Mind" won a 1999 West Coast Music Award for Best Urban/Hip-Hop Release, and by this Spring she had four singles charting on the Toronto Dance charts. But Dupré is not your average Dance Diva. Formerly a classical musician, Dupré trained in voice and piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music. She has played violin, guitar, bass and percussion in various kinds of groups, including jazz and classical. She is also a serious student of dance, having studied tap, jazz, highland, ballet and modern. It was her love of dance that eventually saw her prance her way over to Urban/Dance music, and which guides her musical decisions. "I always look for a groove because I'm a dancer and I need the music to move me. I need to have a very heavy bass groove, a percussive groove, and I like to have a lot of percussion in my music." Writing the bulk of the music and lyrics on her CD, Dupré gets the groove going early with the opening, catchy-as-Velcro title track, and the sexy "Always On My Mind". A bouncy bass line and funky guitar propel "Something Over Me", and a light and airy cover of The Bee Gees' ballad "Run To Me" is a particularly impressive vehicle for Dupré's vocal abilities. Yes, she moves fast ... because she's got places to go -- mostly, up.

Tony Quarrington 
Who: Tony Quarrington
What: Bright jazz.
Where: Toronto
To Contact: Douglas Baxter, Cordova Bay/Ragged Pup Records Ltd., (250) 475-3625, ; or Tony Quarrington at (416) 532-4354, .

Tony Quarrington is a Toronto-based jazz guitarist who has played on about 60 albums as a session player and has produced more than 30 albums for various artists across several different musical genres. But One Bright Morning marks the first time he has stepped forward as a jazz band-leader. The Saskatoon-born musician had been saving up hundreds of jazz tunes he had written over the years, but had been kept busy working on other people's records, until it became a case of 'if not now, when?' "This is the music I've always loved most," Quarrington explains, "and I'm glad I finally got around to doing this album in particular. This was kind of an introductory album. I kind of designed it as a calling card." Helping him out on this project are some of Toronto's best jazz players, such as Kirk McDonald and newcomer Shawn Nykwist on saxes, Bernie Senensky and Brian Dickinson on piano, Kieran Overs on bass and Barry Elmes on drums. He also uses a second group configuration that features Kevin Turcotte on trumpet and Terry Lukiwski on trombone. Highlights include the gentle expansiveness of "Savannah/For South Africa", a truly sensual sound experience that puts you on the African plain (you can practically see the giraffes), as well as a salsa-fied run at the Thelonious Monk classic "'Round Midnight" and a charming take on "Hi Lilly Hi Lo". Quarrington says he hopes to make this an annual event. That's good news for jazz fans.

Credit: Jim Kelly is a Toronto-based freelance writer.

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