DOWN WITH WEBSTER - 'She's Dope'

Origin: Toronto, ON
Category: STUFFED CRUST PIZZA
Cherchez La Moose: I want to hate this band. Their name is annoying, their lyrics are vapid and cringeworthy, and they have nothing to say. Rich Girls, Your Man, and She's Dope are all about ...well, exactly what you'd expect, and their one foray into different subject matter resulted in a song called Whoa Is Me, where they told us how whoa they are. You know what, though? It's sunny out. Summer is approaching. I kind of like dumb summer music. Down With Webster knows how to write a catchy hook, I'll give them that much. Add a bit of depth to their formula and they could be something interesting. Maybe.

SIMPLE PLAN - 'Welcome To My Life'

Origin: Montreal, QC
Category: VOLCANO TOSS
Cherchez La Moose: This one's a no-brainer. Welcome To My Life may very well be one of the worst songs ever created. Every generation has their own angst-fueled bands to identify with - mine were Limp Bizkit and Slipknot, back in the late 90's. I'm not sure if there has ever been a band as obvious and manipulative as Simple Plan though. I couldn't believe what I was hearing when this song first came out. I actually thought that they were parodying themselves. A little part of me dies every time I hear the singer whine about "big fake smiles and stupid lies." Can 13 year olds not see through this?

D'EON - 'Transparency'

Origin: Montreal, QC
Category: STUFFED CRUST PIZZA
Cherchez La Moose: D'Eon is an emerging artist in the Montreal indie scene. He recently released a split LP with another buzz-generating newbie named Grimes, who directed this video. I actually love Transparency; it's strange, retro, hypnotic, and quite interesting lyrically. The video, unfortunately, is a piece of coal in a Christmas stocking. It's a wet fart on a rainy day. It's just lame. I understand that they probably didn't have much of a budget to work with, but that isn't the problem - the video reeks of pretentious Montreal hipsterdom. I want to hear more from d'Eon though; not only does he have a cool sound, but he has the talent to back it up (he is a classical pianist). 

K-OS - 'Crabbuckit'

Origin: Toronto, ON
Category: NORTHERN ELIXIR
Cherchez La Moose: K-os is long overdue for a Northern Elixir. Crabbuckit isn't my favourite from 2004's awesome Joyful Rebellion, but it's the song that many consider to be his breakthrough, at least in terms of mainstream appeal. Stylistically, it was on a different level when it came out. I bought the album and realized on first listen just how special an artist K-os is. Every song sounded totally different from the next, but they were all quite good. It feels like his star has faded in recent years, but K-os is still releasing albums. In fact, his single 4, 3, 2, 1 from 2009's Yes! is one of his best ever. He doesn't seem to be slowing down, so hopefully his audience can keep up.

NELLY FURTADO - 'Promiscuous'

Origin: Victoria, BC
Category: NORTHERN ELIXIR
Cherchez La Moose: Did Nelly Furtado sell out on her 2006 album Loose? You bet. Something funny happened though - her new image and sound worked so well that pretty much no one held it against her. Promiscuous was a smash hit that propelled both Furtado and Timbaland back into the spotlight. It doesn't hold up quite as well these days, but at the time, it was the freshest thing on the market. Maneater and Say It Right were just as great, but Promiscuous started a trend and introduced a new phase in Timbaland's career as a producer.  

MOTHER MOTHER

Origin: Quadra Island, BC
Category: EMERGING ANTLERS
Cherchez La Moose: It's Mother's Day, and I am writing an entry on Mother Mother. Clever? I wish - I didn't even recognize the coincidence until 10 seconds ago. These guys have been in the grind for a while now, and they have earned their stripes for crafting consistently quirky indie rock across three albums. If you haven't heard their music, but you're a fan of The New Pornographers, give Mother Mother a chance. They're awesome; you won't regret it.

THE ORGAN

Origin: Vancouver, BC
Category: LOST IN THE WILDERNESS
Cherchez La Moose: Although The Organ only released one album, they managed to develop a strong cult following and make their mark on the Canadian indie scene. They were ripping off The Smiths before most other bands in the 2000's started ripping off The Smiths, so The Organ gets props for that one. Katie Sketch was more than a poster child; her sexuality and androgynous look grabbed headlines (and also landed her some high profile modeling gigs), but her voice was quite powerful and well-suited for the music she was making. Memorize The City is what I consider to be their best single; I wish we could have heard more.

THINK ABOUT LIFE

Origin: Montreal, QC
Category: EMERGING ANTLERS
Cherchez La Moose: Think About Life isn't really 'emerging' - they have been scene favourites in Montreal for over five years. They were one of the bands that didn't blow up alongside Wolf Parade, Stars, Arcade Fire, etc. during the mid-2000's Montreal Explosion. With 2009's Family, these guys proved that they're worthy of recognition. Their album launch was a huge party, with probably the biggest turnout that I've ever witnessed for a local indie show. Graham Van Pelt's side project Miracle Fortress has been a big success as well; he released his new album this past week. 

ESTHERO - 'Heaven Sent'

Origin: Stratford, ON
Category: NORTHERN ELIXIR
Cherchez La Moose: Esthero has had an interesting career. She was never a household name, but she always managed to come to mind because of her X Factor and a few great singles from 1998's Breath From Another. Her sophomore album arrived in 2005 to mixed reviews. Although it wasn't a commercial success, Esthero still stood out from the crowd thanks to her willingness to follow her own path and fuse styles regardless of their trendiness. She is still finding lots of work these days, but it is mostly behind the scenes in the music industry. Heaven Sent is getting Northern Elixired because it is an oddball single, the music video is fantastic, and because it's just so....Esthero. 

THE MOFFATTS

Origin: Tumbler Ridge, BC
Category: STUFFED CRUST PIZZA
Cherchez La Moose: The Moffatts were basically the Canadian version of Hanson. They didn't do much to distinguish themselves - I'll Be There For You sounds almost identical to MMMBop. These groups had another thing in common - they were both quite a bit better than their detractors ever wanted to admit. These guys were excellent live performers before they even entered high school. All four of them have great voices, and although their current projects have slipped under the radar, they are all still pursuing music. This video is undoubtedly a cheese explosion; it's funny to watch though, and there's something kind of infectious about just how happy and enthusiastic they all seem. 

THE GANDHARVAS

Origin: London, ON
Category: LOST IN THE WILDERNESS
Cherchez La Moose: Not only is this band underrated, but this song is very, very underrated. It's interesting, unique, melodic, and a strange but awesome choice for a single. I always remembered this video for the creepy, Nine Inch Nails-esque image of the guy in the chair, but it took a while longer for me to really connect to the music. I'm happy to say that it has aged well. The Gandharvas went their separate ways years ago, but the bass player is now singing in the excellent Raised By Swans. 

MASSARI

Origin: Ottawa, ON
Category: VOLCANO TOSS
Cherchez La Moose: Massari's Real Love has over 27 million views on YouTube. How did this happen?! His awful videos were in pretty heavy rotation on MuchMusic, but I guess I never realized how many people were into them. This song is beyond generic, and the video is painful to sit through. Massari literally looks like he's made of plastic. The felt pen facial hair and unmasculine Dior shades don't add to his sex appeal. 1:48-1:51 is too ridiculous to be hot. All that we're left with is a sermon on "real love," and when it comes from a guy this narcissistic, I just don't buy it. 

SHALLOW NORTH DAKOTA

Origin: Hamilton, ON
Category: LOST IN THE WILDERNESS
Cherchez La Moose: BEST.SINGLE.EVER.

LEN - 'Steal My Sunshine'

Origin: Toronto, ON
Category: STUFFED CRUST PIZZA
Cherchez La Moose: Steal My Sunshine was Len's one good song; it was pretty much an anthem for Summer 1999. I like the fact that this band has a brother-sister coalition, and that neither of them look like musicians. Too many artists get caught up in fashion, as if they're afraid that they won't be seen as credible if they aren't sporting the right look. Unfortunately for Len, they are extremely cheesy, and this song basically screamed One Hit Wonder the moment it blew up.

SKY - 'Love Song'

Origin: Montreal, QC
Category: NORTHERN ELIXIR
Cherchez La Moose: Sky hit it big in the late 90's with their album Piece of Paradise, and Love Song was their crowning achievement. The duo split up soon after, and although a new singer joined the group and another album was released, they failed to recapture the spotlight. Love Song is interesting in that it's a great pop song that has aged pretty well, yet at the same time, there is something unmistakably 1999 about it.