John Butler Trio – Good Excuse

The John Butler Trio have a habit of constructing catchy rhythms and mixing them with ingenious lyrics. Sounds like a good combination to me. Good Excuse, from the album Grand National will have you tapping your feet in no time. A talented group of musicians, The John Butler Trio has won a permanent spot on my playlist.

Blue Man Group – Sing Along

Yes, I know. Dave Matthews again? What can I say? The man is brilliant. This time he’s teamed up with Blue Man Group to create the addictively simple song, Sing Along. Dave Matthews distinctive voice combined with the different sound of the Blue Man Group is heavenly. You can find this song on the Blue Man Group album The Complex. There are a lot of talented guest artists throughout the album. Definitely worth the time. Also, if you’ve never seen the Blue Man Group live, do it the next chance you get. It’s an experience not to be missed!

Jurassic 5 – Work It Out

Jurassic 5 tapped the shoulder of Dave Matthews to create a brilliant sound with the song “Work It Out.” Dave Matthews has given what would be an above average rap / rhythm song that little push into the category of extraordinary. His voice is perfect for the chorus. Let the beat take you away.

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly – Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. Sounds simple enough. Let’s go! Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly is an awesome name for an English band that creates even better music. Pick up Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager, or at least give the title track a listen. Give it a chance. I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Final Fantasy – He Poos Clouds

Drawing lyrics from D&D and video games, Canadian musician Final Fantasy creates interesting, unique melodies. His album, He Poos Clouds, won the inaugural Polaris Music Prize, an award given out to the best Canadian album of the year, judged on artistic merit. The title track from He Poos Clouds will make an interesting addition to any playlist. The song is, in its own way, brilliant.

Dave Matthews Band – Funny The Way It Is

I must admit, I was somewhat disappointed with “Stand Up”, the album from the Dave Matthews Band a few years ago. But, being a big Dave Matthews fan, I was excited to hear of a new album coming this summer, “Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King.” I was even more excited to learn that the new single, “Funny The Way It Is,” was available. I first checked it out on MySpace, then found it as a free download from the Dave Matthews Band website. I’ve been listening to it practically nonstop. The song has a different sound, but reflects classic Dave Matthews at the same time. I love it. The seeds of anticipation have been sown. Let’s hope they blossom into something amazing.

Chantal Kreviazuk – Wonderful

Chantal Kreviazuk is another goddess of Canadian music. Her song, Wonderful, is an uplifting relationship song, regardless of your current relationship status. It’s captivating beat and lyrics make this song a gem among gems from her album “Ghost Stories”. Chantal is a wonder vocalist and an amazing pianist. Her husband, Raine Maida, frontman of Our Lady Peace, is also ridiculously talented. I envy their children who are going to grow up with so much talent potential around them, should they choose to take advantage of it. In the meantime, you should take advantage of Chantal’s talent and check out Wonderful. This song is currently streaming on her MySpace page.

Serena Ryder – Little Bit of Red

Serena Ryder, a rising star in Canadian music and across North America, recently released her album “Is It OK”. With this album, Serena has created a barrel of brilliance. The song I refer to here, Little Bit of Red, will have you bouncing to the rythm and coming back for more. There’s no surefire way to describe Serena Ryder – her music is a mixture of folk, country, and adult contemporary (having recently won the award for best Adult Contemporary album at the 2009 Juno awards for Is It OK). Regardless of how you classify her music, you must make sure that you classify it as “wicked awesome” or some other simiarlly corny adjective. C’mon, your playlist could use a little bit of red.

Bloc Party – Halo

I must admit, I was late hopping on the Bloc Party band wagon, but with their latest album, Intimacy, I must say, I’m not only along for the ride, I’m the driver. I can’t get enough of these guys. Intimacy seems to be on constant loop on my playlist. One of my favourites is Halo. Check it out. But fair warning – it’s dangerously addictive. The whole album itself is definately worth a listen.

Pilot Speed – Put The Phone Down

Pilate, the band that had a huge hit with “Into Your Hideout” 5 years ago or so, is back with a new name, Pilot Speed. Their new album, Wooden Bones, is being released in April, and the first single of f the album, Put the Phone down, is to put it simply, melodic genious. Simple rythm and lyrics make it easy to put this hpynotic song on loop and let it take you away. It is currently streaming on their MySpace page. Check it out.