Hear This! | Five Great Independent Canadian Artists (You're Just Not Listening To)

I'm a lot of things: student, writer, blogger... domestic goddess - but what you might not know about me is that for a very long time, I've been a DJ at CFRE Radio; the radio station located within the University of Toronto at Mississauga Student Centre. It's a pretty cool gig, and while I'm currently taking a break from doing my show (it's one of THOSE semesters where you have A BILLION THINGS to do and no time), one of the things people always ask who are interested in starting their own radio show is:

"Do you just play, like, whatever you want?"

A good question.

To which I always reply:

"Well, I do make my own playlists, but for each one of your shows - if you choose to do a music show - you have to play about 35-40% Canadian content."

This is the part in which they reply:

"That sounds so000 hard! What do you play, like, Nickelback and Feist?

While I have nothing against Feist, and only a few harsh things to say about Nickelback, this answer always shocks me. Not because these people I talk to have electrifying personalities (ha), but because people are completely unaware of the amount of great musicians we have in this great, great, GREAT country!

Canada: beaver habitat, America's hat

So, I figured I would write this post to let you know that I mean business! Before I die (or before I go to bed - I haven't decided yet),  I will make sure people who read this post know FIVE new CANADIAN artists that they can be proud to play on Boxing Day while thinking about our prime minister and wearing their fave pair of snowshoes. This will be really hard to put together. But I have faith.

And a poutine.

1. BRAIDS

PLAY: BRAIDS - "Lammicken"

BRAIDS, an experimental pop band from Calgary, Alberta, blew people away with their debut album, Native Speaker. Not only was the album shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize in 2011, but the album was lauded with praise for its pop sensibility and its avante garde sound. Songs like the above "Lammicken," opens with a low pulse, and electronic buzz. The subtle vocals of Raphaelle Standell-Preston, accompanied by harmonious backing vocals, startle the listener with its eerie, almost ghost-like presence. The constant pulse of the synth feels like a heartbeat and with Standell-Preston's voice pumping life into the song, it comes alive as a dreamy standout from their debut.

2. DVAS

PLAY: DVAS - "Ambient Room"

While I'm still unsure if DVAS is an acronym for something, this great Disco duo homegrown in Toronto have nothing but potential to be the best dance group of the 21st century. I'm serious. While the sound lands in the realm of disco - a sound that makes you think BeeGees and John Travolta - the two founding members, Jered Stuffco and Darren Veres also incorporate heavy dance and electronic elements into their production. Tracks like "Ambient Room," with its cowbells, handclaps, stuttering beats and undulating soundscape would only make Barry Gib cringe with jealously. Maybe even get him to shed a single tear.

3. Miracle Fortress

PLAY: Miracle Fortress - "Everything Works"

As a pop-rock group populating the colossal indie music scene that is Montreal, Quebec, you have to be good at what you do in order to get some attention. Miracle Fortress is definitely better than just good. With their second album, Was I the Wave?, the group took their minimalist electronic sound and integrated some commercial appeal, all while keeping in mind the cryptic water-evoking feeling of their album's title. Their sound is still just as gentle as a small ripple in a pond, but with the production of songs like "Everything Works" that crafts small hooks in every nook and crevice that isn't occupied by lead singer Graham Van Pelt's voice, there's enough power in the track to knock out the creepiness in Kelly Slater's face. And that's saying something.

4. Dinosaur Bones

PLAY: Dinosaur Bones - "N.Y.E."

Toronto doesn't need another example of its thriving music scene, but it's got one in the band Dinosaur Bones. Not only have the dudes of Dinosaur Bones rocketed to prominence with the release of their most recent release My Divider, but they've also just finished playing CMJ music festival in New York, and have a slew of shows lined up across Canada and the US. With tracks like "N.Y.E." the band continue to create defined tunes with wicked guitar arrangements. And with their live shows that have been defined as "captivating" and "radiant," they continue to build a niche in the growing alt-rock community.

5. The Weeknd

PLAY: The Weeknd - "The Zone (feat. Drake)"

If you haven't heard of any of these artists on the list, this last one might ring a bell. Not only is The Weeknd's Abel Tesfaye getting some serious attention on independent music sites like Pitchfork and Stereogum, but he's also carrying some serious influence in the mainstream hip-hop world. With his innovative use of conventional hip-hop sounds to make groundbreaking music, and his BBF relationship with rap powerhouse/Degrassi alum Drake, it's only a matter of time before Tesfaye breaks through the indie bubble and finally get some airplay on Flow 93.5. With two (free, downloadable) mixtapes under his own self-created XO label, one more blog post about Tesfaye won't hurt. Especially when it's promoting material that deserves the attention.

Now that I've educated you on the bands of our native land, do you have any favourite Canadian musicians of our own? Share your favourite home-grown artists in the comments below!