Toronto Bands To Watch in 2010

It's becoming increasingly more difficult to keep on top of all of the great new sites and blogs emerging throughout the city of Toronto and the surrounding area these days, much like the scene itself. Richard Trapunski is a writer for one of the good ones, a site called Resonancity. The site's mandate is to cover the Toronto music scene on a very local level, and from what I've read so far, it's doing an excellent job. The site has recently published its list of Toronto-area bands to chase for 2010 and Richard has asked several local music buffs (including myself) to contribute some their thoughts and choices. The final list was as diverse a list as I've ever seen, and it was good to see such variety. The final list of 20 acts was divided into three parts and they can be found here: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

For my list, I decided to go beyond some of the more obvious choices in favour of some of the ones that are still hovering quite below the radar right now, but given the current musical climate here in the city, still have a good shot at breaking out in the year ahead. And here they are, in no particular order:

The Davey Parker Radio Sound (pictured above)

Thanks to The Hoa Hoa's and The Disraelis, the Toronto psych rock scene is finally starting to get some recognition, which means that this band from the right side of Parkdale should be raising a few eyebrows in the new year. Their live shows are apparently getting better and raunchier with every blast and the city seems to be poised and ready for their high octane, fuzzed out, bluesy guitar sound. [Myspace]

Hut

I'm sure that Daniel Lee's main project Hooded Fang, along with the all ages showcases that he provides as part of Daps Duo, is going to be keeping him plenty busy throughout the upcoming year, and I don't even know if this lo-fi side project of his is something that he's working hard to expand upon or not, but I do know that Hut continues to be recording new material, and hopefully that will translate into a full release with accompanying live shows because the city needs more cool post punk lo fi sounds. [Myspace]

Pick A Piper

Each show brings them closer and closer to being one of the most exciting bands in the city, eliciting a rapturous response every time. Their psychedelic percussive onslaught is just so intoxicating that they are sure to garner even more enthusiasm as they embark on an east coast tour in March. [Myspace]

Clothes Make The Man

I remember being seduced by CMTM's rocking blend of raw emotional energy and smooth musical ability all the way back in 2006 when I reviewed their debut album for the (now defunct) indie music project. After basically forgetting about them for a couple of years, I saw them again in '09 and was blown away by how much they had progressed. They have a new album poised and ready for release and from what I've heard, Ryan Mclennan's throat tearing rasp is sounding stronger than ever. [Myspace]

Krupke

Although they're still pretty new, Krupke is a band that continues to impress with every show that they perform. At first listen, they can be a bit jarring since they're so difficult to pigeonhole into any one category. But this is not a case of a bunch of amateurs banging on pots and pans and proclaiming it art. These are multi talented instrumentalists indeed, and I think that, although a bit of an adjustment period may be in order for the average listener, their ambitious nature may be just enough to win people over. [Myspace]

Jen Polk has recently posted her picks, and all of the expert lists, with full commentary, will be posted as a secondary article over at resonancity.com.