Since this is such an international forum of people who should have good musical taste, why don't people list their top five favourite artists and albums from their homeland, since many artists are well known and respected within their borders, but unknown throughout the rest of the world.

I will start with CANADA:

Ron Sexsmith - either RON SEXSMITH or BLUE BOY
* A GREAT singer-songwriter with beautiful melodies and lyrics (a mix of Bob Dylan, Randy Newman, Marshall Crenshaw)

Rufus Wainwright - either RUFUS WAINWRIGHT or POSES
* A very unique and funky, sometimes cabaret style songwriter with a great voice. Very melodic.

Sloan - ONE CHORD TO ANOTHER
* The best Beatles-influenced band in at least a decade. Again, very strong melodic songs, with a perfect mixture of Beatles, Beach Boys, CCR and AC/DC

Joel Plaskett - IN NEED OF MEDICAL ATTENTION or DOWN AT THE KHYBER
* A great country tinged rock n' roll singer. Possibly the best rock live show around. Check him out if he visits your town.

The New Pornographers - MASS ROMANTIC
* This is a supergroup of high profile West-Coast artists, members of Zumpano, Destroyer, and the lovely and talented Neko Case. This album is great sugar sweet pop, with the unbelievable single 'Letter from an Occupant'

Other great bands: the Weakerthans, the Rheostatics, the Guthries, the Constantines, the Inbreds, the Flashing Lights, Julie Doiron, Godspeed You Black Emperor.

And the classics: Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, RUSH(!), the Band, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, kd lang, Tragically Hip.

This is not to mention the wealth of amazing French Canadian music (JEAN LELOUP!!!).


I would love to hear suggestions from countries all over the world.

The New Pornographers - MASS ROMANTIC
* This is a supergroup of high profile West-Coast artists, members of Zumpano, Destroyer, and the lovely and talented Neko Case. This album is great sugar sweet pop, with the unbelievable single 'Letter from an Occupant'


Hey! Love this album...I'm not from Canada but much props to your choices...esp this one.

I love Neko Case & Her Boyfriends! I've seen her live twice in the past year...FURNACE ROOM LULLABY & THE VIRGINIAN are incredible albums. Is she Canadian???

Neko is an American who has been thoroughly adopted into the Canadian music scene. Her 'boyfriends' are often prominent Canadian musicians, and she recently released a record of some of her favourite Canadian songs. Her label, Mint Records, releases all kinds of West Coast groups.


One artist I forgot to mention, but who is really one of the unheralded geniuses of hip hipo at the moment, is Buck 65, previously known as Stinking' Rich, from Nova Scotia. Radiohead have recently taken a liking to him, and rumours of a collaboration have been floating around of late. He makes all his own beats and has some of the most amazing rhymes you've ever heard. His albums 'Vertex' and 'Man Overboard' are both incredible. If you like classic sounding yet somewhat experimental hip hop, and if you like Kool Keith, you have to check this guy out. You can read reviews of his stuff and get his albums at www.hiphopinfinity.com, a nice hip hop site.

recently some kind of new rockscene is spreading over germany. quite interesting stuff, in some cases very unique. but i don't listen to german bands that much. my fav? mmm, let's say: THOMAS D. "LEKTIONEN IN DEMUT". very dark electronica, he's a member of a famous german hiphop-band named DIE FANTASTISCHEN VIER. very different from his old stuff i think but i guess it's quite unknown. i like it alot.
i recently discovered that ALEC EMPIRE is also from germany. also very dark, some kind of NINE INCH NAILS - and he almost looks like a Reznor lookalike. i think i'll keep an eye on that

USA:

PRINCESS SUPERSTAR: Cuz she strips down to a red white and blue bikini in concert. Can't get more patriotic than that, unless you own a golden lasso and an invisible plane. Which, who knows, she probably does.

olivershouse said:

you forgot BARENAKED LADIES a GREAT canadaian band!!!