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.: FEBRUARY - MARCH 2005

- Karen Bliss

As in previous years, it's tough picking 10 new Canadian acts to watch. Because some past picks such as Graph Nobel, Jully Black and Public still haven't put out albums, we've changed our criteria. This year's list (in alphabetical order) is comprised mainly of artists who have just put out albums or are on the sched. Honourable mentions (just not enough room for everyone) go to Jordan Cook, Martha Wainwright, Ghosts Of Modern Man, Only Forward, Hedley, The Novaks, Wintersleep, The Bloody Mannequins, Kasual Evans, Welcome Karma, The Junction, The Reason, Protest The Hero and Dead Letter Dept. Also watch for solo debuts from Hugh Dillon (ex Headstones), Brian Byrne (I Mother Earth), Ryan Thomas (Serial Joe) and Emily Haines (Metric).

(Vancouver)

This guy really is bent, or at least his songs are. MapleMusic signed this character-driven storyteller after witnessing his 2004 North By Northeast show. The full album, Blam!, produced by Chin Injeti, mixes country, folk, hip hop and rock, but the draw is his outlaw odes, each worthy of its own movie. Told in a cool ravaged country and western talk-twang, his fiction covers drugs, guns, murder, love and the wrong side of the law. A five-song sampler drops this month with the album to follow in May.

(Toronto)

Out of the ashes of Grade, Zyon and New Day Rising, The Black Maria debuted in 2003, and has since opened for Queens Of The Stone Age, MxPx and The Distillers. From Grade's association with US indie Victory, label president Tony Brummel signed The Black Maria after taking in its Toronto show in May 2004. The guys - lead vocalist Chris Gray, guitarists Kyle Bishop and Alan Nacinovic, bassist/keyboardist Mike De Eyre and drummer Derek Petrella - cut Lead Us To Reason with Yellowcard producer Mike Green. First single is 'Betrayal'. The band has been opening for Sum 41 nationwide.

(Vancouver)

Britt Black (a.k.a. Brittin Karroll) is in the vein of Velvet Revolver, The Ramones and any band with that straight-ahead NY/London rock brashness. At 10, she co-wrote 'Violence' on Bif Naked's I Bificus album, and, at 13, co-wrote for her own band, LiveOnRelease, which made two albums, four videos, and landed 'I'm Afraid Of Britney Spears' in the movie Dude, Where's My Car? At 18, she played lead guitar for Bif before recording her own album with her co-writers, dad Peter Karroll and Todd Kerns. Backed by guitarist Cole Schleppe, bassist David Dandy and drummer Tom Terrell, the album is set for release May 3 on Bif's Her Royal Majesty's Records. First single is 'Jet Black Heart'.

(Ajax, Ont.)

When the sociopolitical punk band capped its Unity Tour at Toronto's Opera House last fall with its Underground Operations labelmates, it sold out: 800 strong. What's more, Jesse Colburn (guitar, vocals), Mark "London" Spicoluk (bass, vocals), Adam Cyncora (guitar) and Aaron Verdonk (drums) did it without radio play, just rallying cries to individuals who want to have fun and change the world. Formed in '97, Closet Monster has released four indie CDs and now has distro through Universal Music Canada. The latest EP, We Re-Built This City, includes 'Mamma Anti-Fascisto (Never Surrender)', a piece of advice from the Italian fascism-fighter herself - to keep doing what they're doing. Next up are contributions to OCAP and War Child charity comps, and a new full-length this summer.

(Winnipeg)

This hardcore band's first CD, 2002's Turn It Around, sold some 15,000 copies in North America on So-Cal indie Facedown. Now on Victory in the US and Winnipeg's Smallman/Warner Music in Canada, the follow-up, Wake The Dead, was produced by Bill Stevenson (Descendents, Black Flag) and Jason Livemore, and hits on February 22. Comprised of vocalist Scott Wade, ex Figure Four guitarists Andrew Neufeld and Jeremy Hiebert, drummer Kyle Profeta and bassist Cliff Heide, CBK continues to tour globally, and will hit North America with Bain and With Honour in March/April. A full Canadian tour will follow in late April/early May.

(Hamilton, ON)

Walkers Line guitarist/law student Pat Leyland played his boss, lawyer Chris Taylor, demos from this metal band. Taylor, in turn, played them for Greig Nori, who signed the band to his Sony BMG Canada distributed label, Bunk Rock. The band - singer Jon Howard, guitarists Kyle McKnight and Rich Howard, drummer Adam Matthews and bassist Eric Papky - played its first show ever this past December at Hamilton's The Underground and is currently finishing new material. They are talking with metal producers to cut its debut album, due out this year. A four-song demo is available for $5 from www.threatsignal.com, featuring 'Rational Eyes', which reached No. 1 on garageband.com's international metal chart last April.

(Welland, ON)

Fronted by Serena Pruyn, 23, the band is a throwback to vintage rock & roll with wailing Joplinesque vocals. In one year, it managed to go from playing covers to originals, and signed to New York's TVT (distributed by Universal Music in Canada). Intrigued by this little blonde thing commanding attention from drunken barroom patrons, the industry came out in droves. Not too proud to welcome outside writers, the band (rounded out by guitarist Nicolas Lesyk, bassist Greg Zack and drummer Allan Colavecchia) is also seeking a hands-on producer able to make its slamming bluesy rock songs memorable. An album is due in the late spring.

(Toronto)

The 17-year-old son of noted folk musician Brent Titcomb was signed by Sony Music Canada's former head of A&R, Michael Roth, after he caught the teen performing with his dad at Toronto's now defunct Bamboo Club. Best described as a guitar-based singer-songwriter, he has been performing since age 2, landing his own shows at 12. Titcomb, who plays guitar, fiddle, steel pan, mandolin and some bass and piano, wrote some of the songs on his self-titled debut himself but also collaborated with Tom Wilson (Junkhouse, Blackie & The Rodeo Kings), producer/songwriter Bill Bottrell (Sheryl Crow, Madonna) and Pierre Marchand (Sarah McLachlan). Album is out now; the first single, 'Sad Eyes', is already top 10.

(Toronto)

Jason Rochester was signed to MapleMusic in 2003 after taking top prize at Toronto urban radio station The Flow's Soul Search contest. In 2003, MuchMusic put his indie cut 'Do It (Like We Do It)' into heavy rotation. Juice also penned the 'Basketball City' theme on Sportsnet/Raptors Television and won Universal Music Canada's My Block remix contest for 'Too Long'. Finally, his 19-track debut album, A New Day, drops March 22, with a positive assortment of hip hop, soul and reggae. Performing with a DJ and hypeman, he opened nationwide for Obie Trice last year and has just supported Chingy. The "a.k.a." business is a pain, but there's another Juice in the States.

Kyprios - Say Something scans 9000 units*
Audrey de Montigny - Audrey scans 18,000 mainly in Quebec
No Warning - Suffer, Survive comes out in America on Linkin Park's imprint Machine Shop last October and on Bunk Rock/Sony BMG Music in Canada this January
Out Of Your Mouth - Draghdad scans 14,000 units. The band is working on the follow-up
Daniel Powter - Still signed to Warner Bros, his self-titled album will soon be released in France. No North American date scheduled
Public (Chris Stopa) - Still signed to Hollywood but album not yet recorded
Kyle Riabko - The EP is released through Sony Music Canada last summer; full-album due late April
Social Code - Year At The Movies scans 6000 in Canada
Stabilo - Cupid? EP scans 20,000. Band plans to record and release a full-length this year
Starfield - Self-titled album released on Sparrow/EMD; concentrated on US Christian market
* All sales figures courtesy of Nielsen SoundScan Canada

(Winnipeg)

This former teen country singer released her eponymous debut in 2000 on Warner Music Canada. Now 22 and signed to EMI Music Canada, she reemerges with an adult pop recording, Chasing The Sky, produced by ex Philosopher King Jon Levine (Nelly Furtado, Jacksoul). Due March 8, it features the single 'Homeless Heart', written by Desmond Child (Aerosmith, Ricky Martin) and Andreas Carlsson (Bon Jovi, Celine Dion). Stott, who also plays piano, started singing in church at age 3, then alongside her musician brother and dad. She landed a development deal in '96, then a full-blown contract in '99, and went on to share stages with Chantal Kreviazuk, Burton Cummings and others. Stott is the support act on Kalan Porter's current 37-date tour.