What: Country/Folk
Where: Milo, AB
CM Issue: January – February 2013
Visit: www.larryvannatta.com
Two-time Juno nominee Larry Vannatta blends traditional country and bluegrass with gospel and folk ballads to create a brand of country that’s easy to digest for nearly any fan of the sound. His working-class country anthems have earned him many accolades, including the European Country Music Association’s Songwriter of the Year distinction.

Vannatta has been releasing music since his debut, Second to None, came out in 1990. His most recent collection is 2012’s Working Class Man. The title is an accurate nod to his songwriting style, often singing about traditional country topics but managing to do it in an entertaining and fresh way. With smooth vocals and plenty of steel guitar, the songs are tastefully arranged and very pleasing. Listeners shouldn’t be surprised to find themselves singing along when one of his choruses repeats.

Not everyone loves country, but those who do should give the experienced and polished Vannatta a listen. You won’t be disappointed.

What: Blues Rock
Where: Chatham, ON
CM Issue: January – February 2013
Visit: www.thelonglots.com

Chatham, ON’s The Long Lots don’t make any attempts to hide their motives. The band, comprised of brothers-in-law Jay Amerlinck and Gary Jongbloed as well as cousins Jason and Jeff O’Rourke and Glenn Smith, got together to write classic rock and blues-influenced rock n’ roll. What they seem to have done is stumbled onto a formula that makes them seem like a southern version of Constantines – tailored for people who’d like a Constantines show if there was more Bud Light available.

While the band has the sound to appease classic rock and blues fans, there may be too much of that influence to win over any diehard indie rock fans; however, The Long Lots could potentially serve as a bridge from the radio rock sounds of Theory of a Deadman (for whom The Long Lots have opened) to more adventurous acts.

The band’s working class background, with lyrics about growing up in rural Ontario, make them seem very down-to-earth and approachable. Their last album was 2011’s In the Valley of Our Hearts, so we’re expecting something new soon. Keep your eyes open for when it drops.

What: Alternative Folk
Where: Montreal, QC
CM Issue: November – December 2012
Visit: www.zoeandthelostboys.com

Zoë and the Lost Boys provide an intimate coffeehouse take on alt-folk, infusing warm vocals and elements of jazz with those more typically associated with the genre. The group is anchored by Zoë Robertson, who has aligned herself with a quintet of musicians playing a range of instruments from fiddle and mandolin to the customary guitar and drums. This allows Robertson and crew to create music that’s rooted in folk and country but expands into places with more depth and a fuller sound than we’re accustomed to hearing with this style.

After self-releasing Joints in October of 2011, the group hit the road to support the EP, focusing mostly on Quebec and Ontario with a coveted slot at Canadian Music Week 2012 and taking up a second home in Kingston, ON along the way. While Joints is sold out of its initial print, the band has made its songs available for free download from their website, leaving anyone who hasn’t heard them out of excuses.

What: Punk / electro
Where: Vancouver, BC
CM Issue: November – December 2012
Visit: www.gfsandbfs.tumblr.com

Boasting a list of influences which includes Gang of Four, Soft Cell, Killing Joke, Death From Above 1979, Phil Collins, U2, and Metallica, Girlfriends and Boyfriends (GFBF) are well worth a listen.

The Vancouver glam-punk trio provides an irony-free hybrid of two genres that are rarely combined with any success. Not surprisingly, the band (consisting of Grant Minor, Peter Panovic, and Arun Iyer) can trace its DNA back to a Brit pop project that disbanded, making room for the members of GFBF to fuse an array of sounds into a product that should be as appealing to fans of Dead Milkmen as it is to fans of DEVO.

While they’ve yet to release a full length, GFBF have teased fans with 7-inches, EPs, and digital singles over the years. The music works well in such formats, and it’ll be interesting and likely a pleasure to see how it plays out on a full-length effort.

What: Americana/Rock
Where: Sherbrooke, QC
CM Issue: November – December 2012
Visit: www.harvestbreed.bandcamp.com

Sherbrooke, QC’s Harvest Breed play a completely enjoyable blend of folk, rock, and Americana that fans of the Avett Brothers and other contemporary ambassadors of the sound should have no problem getting into.

They’ve been making heads turn in their home province since the release of Everything Changes earlier this year, an effort that earned them a nomination for Best Folk Album of the Year at Quebec’s Indie Music Awards. Since the album’s release, Harvest Breed has also supported the album on stages shared with acts such as My Morning Jacket, Beirut, Dan Mangan, Patrick Watson, and more. While Montreal might be known as the primary exporter of music from Quebec, it’s clear that there are thoughtful and progressive songs being written in other corners of the province as well.