Elastic, eccentric punk-wave with some really rewindable lyrics. Plus they’re from Regina, which makes me giggle.
Dave Douglas
Douglas has played with some crazy kids (John Zorn, Cibo Matto, and Sean Lennon) and covered Rufus Wainwright. These remixes have a splash of electronic vermouth with a foundation of gin jazz and a little speed.
The Owls
Maria May and Allison LaBonne’s angelic duets herald heartbreak with exquisite simplicity (“there is only air/where I used to care”).
David Axelrod
Beats ‘n’ grooves originator. It’s to the point where he’s sampling himself.
Byrne
Slow down and smooth-out The Apples in Stereo and you’re getting close to Byrne, right down to the song’s title. Summer’s here, kids.
Roosevelt Franklin
Mr. Len (Company Flow) and Kimani Rogers (Masterminds) straight clownin’ with mad flavor.
The Sugarplastic
Yes, they’re still around, releasing songs one 7-inch at a time. Less XTC, less silly, but still plenty mischievous.
Fifth Hour Hero
Frenetic, hooky punk rock that lingers like a good sunburn.
The Advantage
The Advantage, well, they’re a cover band, pure and simple. The thing is, they only cover Nintendo tunes. Get ready to re-live hours and hours of wasted time as a teenager.
Ray Barbee
Mr. Barbee, a pro skater, makes music like he rides his skateboard: he finds his groove and gets all improv and jazzy on you.