Evan Voytas
“We'd Be Good Together”
We thought this was the perfect lead-off track. Playful harmonies and catchy hooks; these are Evan Voytas’s trademarks. He hops genres and maintains a sound that half classic, half something completely new. Like the lyric ‘you and I, we’d be good together', let your ears fall in love with this song. Genre: indie pop. Good on a mixtape with Shins, Oh No, Oh My!
www.myspace.com/evanvoytas
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Emma-Lee
“Jealousy”
Emma-Lee’s poppiest song off Never Just A Dream, this honky-tonk piano jangler sings about that emotion that gets the best of us sometimes. A smooth and sexy voice and a song that is sure to get your foot tapping. Genre: Jazzy pop. Good on a mixtape with Feist, Ingrid Michaelson.
http://www.myspace.com/emmalee
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Mardeen
“Telephones”
Anyone looking for a song for a cell phone commercial? Look no further. Great combination here of a heavy driving bassline, a unique choice of melody direction and memorable lyrics. Genre: Indie Rock, Alt Pop. Good on a mixtape between Weezer and Built To Spill.
www.myspace.com/mardeen
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Mayor McCa
“One Million Songs For You”Could this be some old John Lennon love song that got lost at Abbey Road? Probably not, but it sure makes us think so. A beautifully melody, sweet endearing lyrics and the perfect accompaniment of waltzy strings. No song is perfect, but this one hits home with the right message. Genre: Singer/songwriter. Sounds good on a mixtape with The Beatles. www.myspace.com/mayormcca
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The Meligrove Band
“Halflight”
We can’t wait to send you the new album from Mississauga, Ontario’s The Meligrove Band. Here’s the song we couldn’t forget, Halflight: a spastically driven indie-anthem full of crashing cymbals, distorted bass and carefully crafted melodies. Bearsuit album most likely to blow minds? Yup. Do you like the whistling in the end? Genre: Indie Rock. Sounds good on a mixtape with Tokyo Police Club and The Arcade Fire.
www.myspace.com/meligroveband
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Paper Moon
“What Are You Going To Do With Me”
I call this the hard edge of extreme poppiness. Paper Moon never disappoint when it comes to blending sweet and soft harmonies with well written poppy chord progressions. Maybe for a montage scene in a teen movie? Genre: Twee pop. Sounds good on a mixtape with The Cardigans, Stars.
www.myspace.com/papermoonrock
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Black Diamond Bay
“New Soldier”
We’re 7 songs in and I’ve mentioned the Beatles for the 2nd time. Well, I can’t help but think of them when it comes to Black Diamond Bay’s New Soldier. A real classic feel to how the vocals come across or how the drums sound driving this song. Stick around until the conclusion for the band singing ‘Just shed some soul on us’. Sounds good on a mixtape with The Beatles and something from your Dad’s record collection.
www.myspace.com/blackdiamondbay
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Saturna
“Springboard”
A building instrumental song with ethereal ‘oohs and aahs’, Edge-esque atmospheric guitars and a simple piano melody floating overtop. Good song for driving fast and watching the world go by. Genre: shoegaze. Sounds good on a mixtape with Jesus and Mary Chain or Slowdive.
www.myspace.com/saturnahq
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Markattack
“My Very Own Sunshine”
You’d swear you’ve heard this song from a Wes Anderson movie. It’s got that indie-charm that’s really getting noticed these days. Cute lyrics and a playful toy piano melody, here’s a song that's going to make you smile.
www.markattack.ca
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Brent Randall
“This House”
Brent Randall (with the help of his backing band, the Magnificent Pinecones) delivers a lush arrangement that’s part sleepy, part poppy. Striding forward while looking back to earlier influences, here’s a chorus that sounds classic. Genre: Orchestral pop. Sounds good on a mixtape with The Carpenters, Harry Nilsson.
www.myspace.com/brentrandall
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The Coast
“Killing Off Our Friends”
Don’t let the title fool you, this is a pretty optimistic song. For fans of peppy indie pop with layered guitars, a driving beat and boy/girl vocals on the chorus. Their best song live and a standout on their debut album Expatriate. Genre: Indie Rock. Sounds good on a mixtape with The French Kicks and Ra Ra Riot.
www.myspace.com/thecoastmusic
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Morgan Doctor
“Silver City”
Here’s a song led by moody strings, organ and backed by an intricate rhythm. In the Sync world, either a background score or destined to feature in the scene. Genre: Acoustic Ambient, Down-tempo. Sounds good on a mixtape with Do Make Say Think and Tortoise.
www.myspace.com/modoctor
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The Dunes
“Los Angeles”
Our best bet for a top 40 hit, here’s Toronto band The Dunes with a song about the city of angels. If those horns on the chorus don’t grab you, I’m not sure what will. Genre: Alt Rock. Sounds good on a mixtape with Coldplay and REM.
www.myspace.com/thedunesrock
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Lily Frost
“Is It Just Spring?”
‘Do you love me or is it just spring?’ Lily asks in this Bossa Nova inspired lounge number. A shaker-ing beat, a plucking electric guitar progression and the sweetest sounding voice. Genre: Lounge, singer/songwriter. Sounds good on a mixtape with Keren Ann or French-pop
www.myspace.com/lilyfrost
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Evan Voytas
“The Yellow World Of “83”
A new take on a classic sound? Droning vocals and guitars, or hazy overdriven pop coming across a tad bit sleepy. We think it bridges that gap between an indie esthetic and dream pop. Unique. Genre: indie rock, shoegaze. Sounds good on a mixtape with M83 and Buddy Holly
www.myspace.com/evanvoytas
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Junetile
“Paralyzed (instrumental)”
We think this song is the soundtrack to when you’re dreaming. Backwards guitars, building crescendos, wavy atmospherics. An oscillating dreamscape. Genre: downtempo, dream pop. Sounds good on a mixtape with Zero 7.
www.myspace.com/junetile
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Peter Katz
“Dangerous”
An acoustic ballad from Toronto’s singer/songwriter Peter Katz, reminding us that love can be dangerous but is always worth pursuing. Genre: acoustic folk. Sounds good on a mixtape with David Gray or Hawksley Workman.
www.myspace.com/peterkatz
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Emma-Lee
“Until We Meet Again”
I picture this song as the soundtrack to a fairy tale, perhaps Tinkerbell singing about Peter one day coming back to Neverland. Lush strings and orchestration, this time putting aside her jazzy voice for a sultry croon. Good on a mixtape with Norah Jones or Feist.
www.myspace.com/emmalee
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Sinewave
“Exploded Nodes”
Close your eyes for a minute and think of what INXS might have sounded like if they were into trip hop. Yeah? Hypnotic, mesmerizing and totally chilled out. Wait for that wall of guitar atmospherics near the end. Genre: trip hop, down-tempo. Sounds good on a mixtape with RJD2 or sedated DJ Shadow.
www.myspace.com/sinewavesite
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DD/MM/YYYY
“I'm Still In The Wall”
This is what the kids love right now. Echoed vocals, chaotic instrumentation, looping guitar licks and a marching beat like a pulsing heart. This song grew on me and I’m convinced there’s somewhere on the screen where it will work perfectly. Genre: experimental. Sounds good on a mixtape with Battles or Animal Collective.
www.myspace.com/ddmmyyyyy
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