REMY SHAND

Origin: Winnipeg, MB
Category: LOST IN THE WILDERNESS
Cherchez La Moose: Remy Shand's Take A Message was unlike any other song on the radio when it was released back in 2002. It was a huge breath of fresh air. He sold a lot of records, won a Juno, received a Grammy nomination, then vanished. Oh and he married one of the singers from that lame Sugar Jones pop group. Is he still making music? No one seems to know. It's a shame; he really had something great going on with his debut album The Way I Feel, and I think that a lot of people saw longevity in him.

JUST FOR LAUGHS GAGS

Origin: Montreal, QC
Cherchez La Moose: Just For Laughs Gags is one of the greatest Canadian TV shows of all time. Every single episode is hilarious. I always watch this show on Air Canada flights, and holding in my laughter is excruciating as I try to avoid waking the other passengers. When I first moved to Montreal, I secretly hoped that I'd stumble into a prank on this show - but of course, it only happens to the people who least expect it. These guys have pulled off so many clever pranks that it was hard to choose just one for Moose Tracks, but this waterpark clip is way too awesome not to post. 

EMMA MCKENNA

Origin: Toronto, ON
Category: EMERGING ANTLERS
Cherchez La Moose: Although it's just a prediction, I can see artists like Emma McKenna finding success in the next few years. We are going to tire of larger-than-life, style over substance pop divas and get into edgy, raw and opinionated female rock singers. McKenna is off to a good start; her debut LP Run With It was released earlier this year on Labrys Recordings, and the press is starting to show interest. Her music reminds me a bit of early PJ Harvey. She used to play in a riot grrrl band named Galaxy with friend Katie Stelmanis, who I also recommend you check out. 

JAPANDROIDS

Origin: Vancouver, BC
Category: EMERGING ANTLERS
Cherchez La Moose: I found these guys on MySpace back in 2008. Their page was averaging about 4 hits a day. Their blog posts sounded a little disgruntled - it kind of seemed like they were going to break up soon. I thought to myself 'man, I hate this industry. So many good bands like this never get the credit they deserve and end up throwing in the towel.' SURPRISE! They blew up a year later. Glowing reviews in Pitchfork, Spin, and The New York Times. Huge online fanbase. Successful tours as headliners. They even had Montreal hipsters jumping around and shouting out the lyrics when I saw them live. Check out their album Post-Nothing, it's a winner.

STEREOS

Origin: Edmonton, AB
Category: VOLCANO TOSS
Cherchez La Moose: I have back hair. In other news, Stereos are still topping the Canadian charts and melting 11 year old girls' hearts with their brand of spineless too-bubblegum-for-Disney pop anthems. This video is for their artistic tour de force, Throw Ya Hands Up. Good Charlotte was just starting to fade from our memories....and then Stereos came along, ripped off their poser punk fashion, wrote some even more vapid songs, found a singer that looks exactly like Miley Cyrus' brother from Metro Station, and started to dominate the sharts. Oops, charts. I'm sure these guys would argue that they're "just in it to have fun and make people smile" or something. I don't buy it.

I MOTHER EARTH - 'One More Astronaut'

Origin: Toronto, ON
Category: NORTHERN ELIXIR
Cherchez La Moose: As much as I love Used To Be Alright, Levitate, No Coma, and Another Sunday (the list goes on), One More Astronaut is the track that always stands out in my mind as being this band's shining moment. It's catchy and perfectly written, the production still sounds amazing, and the music video is one of their most memorable. I used to be in love with the glittery stars dangling in the background in Edwin's shots; I even tried to replicate them, cutting out cardboard stars and covering them in tinfoil for my bedroom. If you had forgotten about I Mother Earth, make sure to check out 1996's Scenery and Fish, still an awesome album.

LESLIE NIELSEN

Origin: Regina, SK
Cherchez La Moose: I am not going to give you a Wikipedia overview of Leslie Nielsen's life. I am not going to list off his numerous accomplishments and name all of the awesome movies that he starred in. I am simply going to give you this five minute clip from Wrongfully Accused. It proves that this man is a legend. The part at 4:15 when the mischievous train peaks out from behind a rock almost made me die laughing when I was younger. Watching it again today, it still delivers. His brand of humor is timeless; R.I.P. Leslie Nielsen.