Today we bring you the final installment of  Bands to Chase in 2010. These acts have been chosen based on advice from a selection of Toronto’s industry types, as well as from our own crystal ball. You may not have heard of all the acts, but hear us out and take a listen. In case you need to catch up, head back to Part One and Part Two, and check back tomorrow as we start posting our expert lists in full, insightful commentary included.

!ATTENTION!

Purveyors of real pop punk (think Propagandhi, Dillinger 4), !Attention! are injecting the punk scene here with good-times melodic riffage, gang vocals, youthy energy and nostalgia (Me, You, and Apple Shampoo). With most of its members hailing from the east coast, they are some of the nicest bloats you’ll ever meet and are part of a collective involving a gazillion projects (See the Bruce Springsteen-inspired Horses, NY hardcore inspired Fortune Teller, and formerly the garagey World War 1).  “It always seems like Canada is a couple years behind the trends in the USA. With that in mind, I think pop punk is finally starting to gain steam in the Great White North.  These guys are Toronto’s best in the genre,” says promoter Mark Pesci. Check their free demo on Toronto’s Juicebox Records. The boys tell us they’ll have another 6-track 7″ coming out this Spring on Labeled records, and they are sticking around the city for gigs (lucky for us) as their van died last month (not lucky for them).

THE WILDERNESS OF MANITOBA

The Wilderness of Manitoba seem to have hit the ground running. Looking past their groanworthy Rural Alberta Advantage aping moniker, this Toronto (yes, Toronto) indie folk collective has a real knack for creating mellow harmonies and gorgeous melodies. With just an EP to their name, the group has definitely hit the ground running, gaining support from the bafflingly CanCon-friendly UK publication, The Line Of Best Fit, and a potentially career-making opening slot for Wilco at the End of the Road Festival in England. They also have a small but dedicated following as veterans of the folk-friendly Delaware House venue, something we’re sure the band is surely hoping to parlay into some good old-fashioned hometown love.

TERRORHORSE

Following heavyweights The Black Dahlia Murder and Job for a Cowboy, Terrorhorse are part of a slew of millennium metal bands combining intricacies of math and death metal with the groove and vocal styles of hardcore (not to mention refusing the deathcore label, which insinuates break-downs and not much else and is shunned by metal’s progressive and technical-obsessed community). The TH hail from London, ON, and many times it’s the isolation of a smaller, nondescript city that breeds the deepest white-boy anger, an especially terrorizing thing coming from such a beefy front man. “Terrorhorse provides the attitude that grabs people’s attention,” says Ash of CHRY’s The Red Switch. “They also provide the earth shattering riffage that metal enthusiasts thirst for. The band is due out for a new record in the new year. Dig it.”

LISA BOZIKOVIC

The latest musician to emerge of the talent-laden Bellwoods Crew, Lisa Bozikovic released her debut album, Lost August, at the end of 2009 and it quickly drew the attention of local media and fans alike. The album features the production talent of fellow musician Sandro Perri and backup instrumentals by members of Ohbijou and Steamboat, but Lisa is most powerful when stripped to her soulful, expressive voice and her piano. It’s tough to reach this level of emotional intensity right at the beginning of a solo career, and as the year progresses it’s sure to attract a few diehards.

HOODED FANG/HUT

A youthful, upbeat pop “collective” that employs group vocals, handclaps and a cute indie chick playing the xylophone. Yawn, right? Well, no. Although these types of saccharine, energetic bands are a dime a dozen (or were, at least, a year or two ago), Hooded Fang manages to avoid the barf-factor by writing some of the catchiest hooks you’ll ever hear and delivering them with some genuinely clever lyrics. If it reflects the improvement of their live show and their brilliant horn-laced contribution to Friends in Bellwoods 2), then their 2010 full-length should definitely be something to look forward to. But if it’s still a bit sugary for you then try out Hut, the lo-fi side project from HF’s Daniel Lee, because, in the wise words of Bob Battams, “the city needs more cool post punk lo fi sounds.”

THE HUCKLEBERRY FRIENDS

This pick is our most mysterious. Little is known of the whereabouts of this all-girl tribal Moog-garage outfit, other than they are known to kick it with rockabilly experimenter Slim Twig. 21-year-olds Amanda, Hilary, and Siena are no friendly Vivian Girls, and perhaps their musicianship isn’t all there yet, but we see potential in their minimalism and psychedelic keys. “They have a single that’s coming out  that was recorded in a massive abandoned warehouse by James Anderson and it SOUNDS AMAZING. I might get in trouble for that one but who cares!” says Jon of Telephone Explosion records.

JEREMY GLENN

We can’t imagine this will go over too well with the punks, indie kids or metal heads, but if you are looking for a real underground genre, this is it: Electro RnB. For a pale suit-and-tied white man, Jeremy Glenn sure can get your hips moving. He blends Motown, soul, old-school house and 80s R&B reminiscent of Marvin Gaye – cheesy and funky good at the same time. His first single “Mysterious Lover” sounds like a surefire hit, if it gets to the right people, and will be released in early 2010, with a full-length Point of You dropping in late June on YYZ records (TMDP, Madrid, and up-and-comer Piper Davis).

Tags: !Attention!, hooded fag, hut, jeremy glenn, lisa bozikovic, terrorhorse, the huckleberry friends, the wilderness of manitoba

This entry was posted on Friday, January 8th, 2010 at 7:06 pm and is filed under BEST of 2010. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.