DIAMOND RINGS - 'Wait & See'

Origin: Oshawa, ON
Category: STUFFED CRUST PIZZA
Cherchez La Moose: Ignore the blog praise - Diamond Rings is cheesy and kind of overrated. John O'Regan is definitely a talented guy though, and it's pretty clear that he knows how ridiculous his act is. I think I'm just ready for the style-over-substance movement from the late 2000's to end. O'Regan has X Factor, there's no doubt, so I can understand why the media is excited about him. Wait & See is my favourite single from his debut album Special Affections, and I'll admit that the hipster in me kind of wishes that I could have been in the final scene of the video, carrying Michael Jordan through the crowd.

OUTLIERS

Some bands just don't fit in. They aren't old enough to be Lost In The Wilderness, not new enough to be Emerging Antlers, a bit too obscure for a Northern Elixir - no classification works. The following bands have all created something great though, and something that I am quite fond of. 

GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS - 'Bodies And Minds'

Origin: Wainfleet, ON
Category: OUTLIER
Cherchez La Moose: My first Outlier pick was going to be Halifax band Wintersleep, but their video for Sore does not have an embed code. I don't mean to take anything away from Great Lake Swimmers though, also a great band. This song came out right when the folk revival was blossoming. These guys put on a really good live show, they are worth checking out.

MAGNETA LANE - 'The Constant Lover'

Origin: Toronto, ON
Category: OUTLIER
Cherchez La Moose: Magneta Lane's The Constant Lover is the kind of fun, catchy indie rock single that falls through the cracks as the years pass. It stuck with me though, not only because I love its Strokes-y groove, but because I saw it almost every day on MuchMusic back in my third year of University. It brings back good memories, plus it makes me wanna dance. Win-win situation!

CADENCE WEAPON - 'Sharks'

Origin: Edmonton, AB
Category: OUTLIER
Cherchez La Moose: Cadence Weapon burst out of the gates in beast mode back in 2005 with his debut album, the cleverly-titled Breaking Kayfabe. His biggest single was Sharks, and it was accompanied by one of the best Canadian hip-hop videos of all time. 

MONEEN - 'Start Angry...End Mad'

Origin: Brampton, ON
Category: OUTLIER
Cherchez La Moose: Moneen released some awesome stuff in the early 2000's, but they eventually became overshadowed by bands like Alexisonfire and Billy Talent. This video for Start Angry...End Mad couldn't be more awesome if it tried. Every time I watch it, it reminds me that life rules.

TRICOT MACHINE - '25 Decembre'

Origin: Trois-Rivieres, QC
Category: OUTLIER
Cherchez La Moose: 25 Decembre is such a great song. It sounds a bit like Sufjan Stevens, but Quebec-ified. It's one of several singles they've released that have me convinced that they deserve more recognition.

BRYAN ADAMS - 'Thought I'd Died And Gone To Heaven'

Origin: Kingston, ON
Category: STUFFED CRUST PIZZA
Cherchez La Moose: Was Edwin's sensitive moment with a dolphin in his Alive video not cheesy enough for you? Try computer generated dolphins emerging from a giant field of wheat. If you have been craving some electric blue lately, this video for Thought I'd Died And Gone To Heaven has more than enough to satisfy you. I'll tell you what though, I have nothing else to say about this one. I like a lot of Bryan Adams' older music, and this song is actually one of my favourites. 

EDWIN - 'Alive'

Origin: Toronto, ON
Category: STUFFED CRUST PIZZA
Cherchez La Moose: Edwin's solo career as a whole felt kind of cheesy, but his video for Alive is a hall-of-famer. A lot of people like this song, so I guess Edwin's attempt at making a universal, relatable feel-good anthem was a success. I bought his debut album and heard this song before it was released as a single. After seeing the video, I was never able to take the song seriously again. Literally everything in this video is good for an unintentional laugh, but Edwin's tender interaction with a dolphin in the middle of the ocean takes the cake. CHEESEcake. Bahaha.