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 | | Since the formation of Thrice in 1998, Dustin Kensrue was most notably known as the lead singer, lyricist, and guitarist for the well-regarded Irvine, California post-hardcore quartet. |
 | | Formed in St. John's, Newfoundland, in 2005 around the talents of Tim Baker (vocals, piano, guitar), Adam Hogan (guitar), Josh Ward (bass), Phil Maloney (drums), Kinley Dowling (violin), and Romesh Thavanathan (cello), explosive indie rock sextet Hey Rosetta! craft emotionally resonant rock anthems that echo Brit-pop outfits like Hope of the States and the Veils while channeling the orchestral rock of Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene. |
 | | Richmond, VA-based singer/songwriter Rob Huddleston, known for his work with the punk band Ann Beretta, also showcases his abilities with slowed-down folk-influenced material. |
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 | | While growing up in Vancouver, songwriter Dan Mangan immersed himself in his parents’ record collection, paying special attention to albums by Nick Drake and the Beatles. |
 | | Neverending White Lights is a collaboration of sorts between Daniel Victor and a host of Canadian and American vocalists that got its first exposure in 2005. |
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 | | With a name that fits a Nova Scotia-based band rather well, Wintersleep formed in 2001. Initially, they were part of the Nova Scotia label and artists' collective Dependent Music, which released their first two albums, 2003's Wintersleep and 2005's untitled full-length, as the band was just getting rolling. |
 | | With his high-pitched vocals and prolific songwriting, singer Anthony Green had a hand in many bands throughout the 1990s and 2000s, including Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer, Saosin, Circa Survive, the Sound of Animals Fighting, and several smaller projects. |
 | | Joel Plaskett is a Canadian singer, songwriter and musician whose music fuses the energetic melodies and hooks of power pop with the muscular strength of hard rock; as he once quipped, his music "combines the best of Big Star and Led Zeppelin. |
 | | An indie rock outfit based in Vancouver, Said the Whale was formed by Ben Worcester and Tyler Bancroft. |
 | | The story of Canadian singer/songwriter Hawksley Workman is equally compelling whether you take it as fact or fantasy. |
 | | Born Matthew Thomas Skiba, Matt Skiba was originally born in Chicago but relocated to a suburb at the age of three. |
 | | A group formed in the off time (that is to say, on hiatus) of the band Days Away, Good Old War -- named from a selection of "parts" of its members' names -- was launched by Days Away's Keith Goodwin and Tim Arnold. |
 | | Young Man crafts a dreamy atmosphere of layered vocals, airy guitar, and looped drums around founder Colin Caulfield's contemplative lyrics. |
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 | | Built on the solid, classic rock foundation of three-part harmonies and dual guitar leads, Canada’s the Sheepdogs blend Southern boogie rock, groove-based psychedelia, and bluesy barroom swagger into a modern rock & roll revival. |
 | | Playing smart and amiable folk-rock with an alternative edge, biting wit, and a jazzy sense of sophistication, Mother Mother hails from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and true to their name they started out as a family affair. |
 | | Canadian singer/songwriter Sam Roberts released his first true debut in 2002, following a popular demo he had made in Montreal. |
 | | Canada became a hotbed for indie rock in the early 2000s, with multiple bands finding their footing in cities like Montreal and Ottawa before spreading their music to other areas. |
 | | The Vancouver, Canada, group called the MGB, or the Matthew Good Band, formed in 1995 and quickly began stirring things up in the Canadian world of music. |
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 | | Angus & Julia Stone's intimate folk music is anchored by the band's namesake siblings, with percussionist Mitch Connelly and bassist Clay McDonald adding their own contributions to the mix. |
 | | Carving out a space somewhere in the middle of garage punk snarl, shoegaze haze, and Krautrock grooves, Chicago's Disappears feature Brian Case (also of the Ponys and 90 Day Men), Boas members Graeme Gibson and Jonathan van Herik, and Damon Carruesco. |
 | | Cocoon are an English-language folk-pop duo from France whose full-length album debut in 2007 garnered critical acclaim and commercial success internationally. |
 | | Singer/songwriter and poetic improviser Gordon Downie is one of Canada's most treasurable artists. Since 1983 he's fronted Kingston, Ontario's beloved trad rock band the Tragically Hip, and Downie's lush and charming lyrical stories have garnered the Hip many fans across the globe, particularly in pockets of New York and Michigan. |
 | | Formed in 2003 by five high school friends, Gilbert, AZ's Lydia quickly set to make a dent in the local scene with their poetic and tender take on indie rock. |
 | | Specializing in a classic-sounding Southern rock/Americana style that emphasizes songs and danceable kinetics over empty hipness and trendy pop gimmicks, J. |
 | | Guitarist Shaun Verreault, drummer Safwan Javed, and bassist Earl Pereira all went to the same Saskatoon high school in Saskatchewan, a Canadian prairie province known for agriculture. |
 | | Eccentric indie rock band Maps & Atlases feature Erin Elders (guitar), Shiraz Dada (bass), Chris Hainey (drums), and Dave Davison (guitar/vocals). |
 | | One of Canada’s leading alternative rock bands of the 90s, the Matthew Good Band was based around the central figure of singer-songwriter Matthew Good (b. |
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 | | Brooklyn, NY-based pianist, singer, and songwriter Lia Ices was born and raised in Connecticut, where she began playing piano at the age of five, although she didn't discover her penchant for songwriting until years later while studying at N. |
 | | A Belgian girls choir with a modern rock twist, Scala held their first rehearsal in April 1996, when the group's membership topped out at 18 singers. |
 | | Young Bloods formed as a solo project for frontman Joey Arena, who began writing the band’s fiery, guitar-driven emo pop anthems during the summer of 2008. |
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 | | In 1998, a group of four young Canadians from Antigonish, Nova Scotia, decided to form a serious rock band. |
 | | With an ear for Brian Wilson-esque harmony, the irreverently named Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. swirl indie pop, folk, and electronic elements into one breezy package. |
 | | Yukon Blonde is the new name adopted by the Kelowna, Canada, band formerly known as Alphababy, which had served as both the opening act and backup band for Jon-Rae Fletcher and toured extensively in its native country. |
 | | First Aid Kit are a Swedish duo comprised of sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg, whose vocal harmonies and woodsy, folk-influenced songwriting take influence from the likes of Fleet Foxes and Joanna Newsom. |
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 | | The eclectic Toronto blues-rock outfit Big Sugar was primarily the project of singer/guitarist Gordie Johnson, who teamed with bassist Terry Wilkins and drummer Al Cross to record the group's 1992 self-titled debut LP. |
 | | Emotionally charged, stadium-ready indie rock outfit We Are Augustines was formed in 2009 by Billy McCarthy, Eric Sanderson, and Rob Allen after the dissolution of the similarly themed Pela. |
 | | Montreal-based indie rock trio Plants and Animals formed in 2004 around the talents of Warren Spicer (guitar, vocals), Matthew Woodley (drums, percussion, vocals), and Nicolas Basque (guitar, bass, vocals). |
 | | Before launching his career as an acoustic singer/songwriter, Ben Howard grew up in South Devon, England, where his mother’s collection of folk records helped instill a love for Joni Mitchell, Donovan, and Richie Havens. |
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 | | Created in 2000 out of the ashes of pop band the Pets, this trio spent 15 months in the studio and other assorted areas to record its debut album, Combing the Clouds, a reference to a Pink Floyd song. |
 | | Soul and R&B singer Charles Bradley definitely didn’t arrive as a recording artist by taking the easy route. |
 | | Named after a line from Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, Two Hours Traffic are a Canadian indie rock band that blends influences like Big Star, Nick Lowe, and the Cars. |