Trust are cut from the same rich, burgundy cloth as Purity Ring, Death in June and other starkly evocative minimalist sonic sorcerers.  A duo that gives voice to dark portents of things to come. — JW3

According to an online bio “Doldrums exists in a cultural void...the next stage of devolution.”  With that that rhetoric he better come up with a hit like "Whip It" pretty soon, so they can be playing big outdoor rock fests in 20 years! All kidding aside, Doldrums is kind of the like the yang to Grimes' ying. A bit choppier and aggressive, but just as weird and sick!

Alternating between French and English, Montréal’s own Jef Barbara plays a delicate and lovelorn style of synth pop. With fashion and sounds largely descended from the best of the '80s pop, Barbara manages to rise above pastiche and make something very much his own.

The newest band on Montréal’s Arbutus Records, Tops make distinctly soft rock along the lines of Heart or Fleetwood Mac. With their catchy, deceptively intricate arrangements, Tops are definitely a band to watch. — RP

We might as well call these guys Adam & the Amnesty International, since Adam Waito, Rebecca Lessard and Scott Johnson Gailey, have been working really hard on our basic human rights for well-crafted clever indie pop. Thank you for restoring our indie pop humanity. — MT

This local troubadour’s sandy-voiced storytelling matches lyrics resilient enough to stand alone as poetry with keening folk guitar melodies and sparse arrangements dashed with harmonica flourishes, dancing piano lines and gentle strings. -- er

My cousin Ben would be into this band. They're from Halifax and they play advanced music that's pretty and accessible, which Ben is into. My cousin Ryan might not be into this so much, but to be honest he has awful taste in music, so that's more of a compliment than anything. -- jt