Nadja - The Boat

Washes of sonic swirls of noise, seamlessly fusing the shoegaze template with the industrial-dissonance of Merzbow and The Swans. Almost like being overwhelmed by vaporous tides of energy, that's beautiful as opposed to threatening.

Sarah Shafey - The Supermarket

A vibrant, eclectic combination of vocal-jazz, orchestral-folk, and showtunes. Shafey's evocative RnB vocals, heavenly soul, the centrepiece to lush strings, fluid keys, vivacious rhythms, each song unfolding before your ears, infusing the spirit of another era and combining it with contemporary pop. A delicious slice of life, essence of beauty, beaming rays of musical sunshine in this rather dreary world.

Clouds That Look Like Things - Rancho Relaxo

Inspired indie-rock, space-bound gems that's both high-powered and hypnotic at the sametime. Darcy is a captivating frontman, and the music is an outpouring of exhuberant energy that truly defines young, upstart bands rising in the TO scene.

The Blankket & Band - Sneaky Dee's

A potent stew of The Boredoms, Spacemen 3, and Can. Hypnotic cascades of noise, disarming blissed-out rhythms, erupting in a sonic crescendo of mass destruction. A primal trance-inducing ritual, fuzzed-out and euphoric, in all it's glory.

Organic Funk - The Mansion

A trio that combines talent and enthusiasm, raw rhythmic jazz/funk/rock fusion, topped-off by a bustling stage presence. Adventurous and high-energy, booty-shaking grooves celebrating music. A full-on blast of sweet mojo proving it don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing.

Toronto Independent Music Awards - The Phoenix

Got to hand it to founder/executive producer Daniela Oliva who has been putting on the TIMA's for four years. With various TO awards shows annually, it's hard to encompass every band (winners included Dame, Shobha, Jadea Kelly, Lori Nuic, Pavlov's Dogs Orchestra) It's no Polaris Music Prize, but recognizing home-grown talent, putting on an ambitious glitzy-event and honouring local artists, can only foster a genuine and thriving music scene. Plus the winners are bestowed with a plaque resembling a Gold Record Award. Now that's cool.

Dead Sexy Sheila - The Silver Dollar

A trio that unleashes a blitzkrieg of garage-punk-glam, the type of pounding energy of The MC5. This is a raw, snarling, hard-edged guitar sound that embodies that Kick Out The Jams spirit. This is the guts of rock 'n roll rebellion, the authenticity found in The Stooges and the New York Dolls. Passionate, carefree, and loud.