CJLO - The Ones to Watch Series

Originally published in the CJLO Magazine.

The music geeks at CJLO 1690 AM pick who they think are going to make a significant impact on music in 2013.

Part 1 by CJLO Magazine Editor and Twee Time DJ Stephanie Dee

The Adam Brown (Montreal)

West-island kid Adam Brown released Even the Skies Are Blue way back in 2003, got a band together, and toured around Canada until 2007; but things seemed to stop so suddenly after Shawn Petsche (of WIBI fame) moved away to Alberta and Marc-André Grondin became a big movie star. Oh, but did you know that the music never ceased? A few impromptu shows popped up during this long "hiatus", and Adam and friends have been shedding blood, sweat, and tears recording in and out of studio ever since. Now here's the good news: it all wrapped up on November 20th, and now we must pull our resources together to get this unnamed The Adam Brown album released in 2013. Who's with me?

Bleeding Rainbow (Philadelphia)

The tracks "Pink Ruff", "Drift Away", and "Waking Dream" from Bleeding Rainbow's forthcoming album Yeah Right (due in January 2013) have already surfaced online, and it's apparent that these Philly kids have really been working out the Reading Rainbow kinks. Their sound has evolved leaps and bounds from their humble, lo-fi indie-pop slash dreamy slash minimal beginnings into something more rich and polished. The really good move: Sarah Everton is off the drums and high on vocals. That, plus the addition of two new members, is just what the band needs to go from opening (most recently for A Place to Bury Strangers) to headlining in 2013.

C T Z N S H P (Montreal)

C T Z N S H P has received quite a lot of attention from local indie-circles this year—playing festivals like POP Montreal, the CMJ Music Marathon, and most recently M pour/for Montreal—but life requires more than just being in the right place at the right time, or chance meetings with the right people. Jesse, Scott, and Florent are comrades with enough musical talent, integrity, and feeling to reach far beyond the same old bill at the same old venue playing for the same old friends. Check out a preview from the upcoming debut album Doom Love on bandcamp, and keep your eyes and ears open for more in early 2013.

DIIV (Brooklyn, New York)

Their debut album Oshin hit the CJLO charts for quite a while this summer, but I was completely clueless about DIIV until I saw them at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in October. Thanks, Knitting Factory, for rejecting my CMJ badge at the King Tuff show, otherwise I never would have seen these Brooklyn natives rock out. During the show all I could think was, "Wow, this is serious. They are gifted!" The band performs so effortlessly, it's as if Zach, Devin, Andrew, and Colby could play their instruments long before they even learned to walk. I have a really good feeling that in 2013, music by DIIV is going to be playing on the iPods of everyone else who is still clueless about them, and if another album surfaces… GET READY FOR THE EXPLOSION. Nirvana-style.

Allie Hanlon (Ottawa)

You may know her as the drummer from the Ottawa garage-band The White Wires. Maybe you caught her back in 2011 banging the skins for Nobunny, or opening for JEFF The Brotherhood as her alter-ego Peach Kelli Pop. Perhaps you've even seen the video for Peach Kelli Pop's super-catchy tune "Do the Eggroll"? Heck, there's even a freaking President's Choice peach pie that bears her image! Seriously, if you haven't heard of Allie Hanlon yet, it's time that you climb out of that mainstream cave of yours and listen to some indie-pop. Allie is constantly touring Canada and the United States as Peach Kelli Pop or playing drums in various other bands, and she just released a new self-titled album at the end of November (currently distributed by Bachelor Records in Europe, and soon to be released in the US on Burger Records). So if you like indie-pop and garage tunes, be sure to check out this rad chick on December 20th when The White Wires play L'Escogriffe. Next year, when she becomes very popular in Europe, you can tell everyone you discovered Allie Hanlon first. That's some great indie-cred right there, huh?

Nubians (Montreal)

I first caught these guys when they opened for White Lung at Casa del Popolo back in July, and let me tell you: Nubians has one sick drummer. Check out their raw and loud self-titled punk rock album on bandcamp, and stay tuned because they're going to do a guest spot on Twee Time in 2013. Sam from the band sent me the following message: "I think I speak for all of us in saying we would be majorly stoked to do a guest-host. We all have a lot of records and a lot to say".