If there 's one thing the musical acts on the following pages have in common—apart from being among the best in the city—it 's that each is serving its own muse without regard for the whims of tastemakers.

From circuit-frying techno-punk to creaky-floorboards alt-folk, and from heartfelt indie rock to neck-snapping metal, these are the sounds that make a night out in Vancouver a sonic adventure.

If this diversity means that the local scene has no obvious hook on which out-of-town observers can hang a label (there is no “ Vancouver sound” for Pitchfork or Gorilla vs. Bear to blog about), so be it. These artists are developing just fine away from the glare of the mass-media spotlight.

And when one of them does break out of the underground to ascend to the heights scaled by the likes of Black Mountain and the New Pornographers, you can watch their Letterman appearances and stadium-band opening slots smug in the knowledge that you knew them first.

We rounded up a few of our favourites and got them to tell us about the places they 'd love to eat when someone else is paying, the legends that have always rocked their worlds, and who they 'd love to mack on when no one else is watching.

The members of Said the Whale, Cradle to Grave, and Modern Creatures leapt onto the Media Club stage for an impromptu version of Nelly's deathless “Hot in Herre” . Rebecca Blissett photo.

Said the Whale

As one of Said the Whale 's two singer-guitarists, Tyler Bancroft contributes to a very Vancouver brand of collegiate indie pop with just a hint of West Coast Trail granola, as heard to good effect on the group 's new Howe Sounds/Taking Abalonia album.

Best local act, other than your own

“ Hey Ocean!, absolutely. Their live show is absolutely amazing, and on top of that they 're amazing people and great drinking buddies. We 've done a bit of touring with them, but it 's not just a loyalty thing; I really mean that as an answer.”

We just found Chad Kroeger 's platinum card. Where are we eating?

“ Thai Away Home [3315 Cambie Street]. Our drummer [Spencer Schoening] works there, and I used to work there, and [singer-guitarist] Ben [Worcester] used to manage it, so that 's our restaurant, for sure.”

With apologies to Katy Perry, which local musician 's cherry ChapStick would you like to taste?

“ We 'll give this honour to our number-one man crush, Dan Mangan.”

Tearing yourself away from your MySpace page can be hard. What gig this past year made you glad you did?

“ We were absolutely smitten with the Born Ruffians. I know that 's kind of cheating, because we played that show, but it wasn 't our part of the show that impressed us at all, it was their part of the show. And that was at the Media Club [March 26]. We absolutely had no idea what to expect. They just came out and tore it up. And their songs are amazing.”

We 've pulled some strings and you 're opening for your all-time favourite act. Who 's topping the bill?

“ The Beatles. It seems like kind of an obvious choice. The earlier Beatles, partly because they all got along and were friends then, and partly because the Beatles biography I 'm reading right now I 'm only halfway through. I 'm at 1964.”

Best club to spot hipster hotties in their natural habitat

“ We 're not that cool, so we don 't get that out much, but definitely I 'd say the Media Club is the best by far. I think the sound is awesome and I think the management is really good. And they just have friendly staff and good shows. I 've been there a ton in the last year.”

> John Lucas

Cradle to Grave

Apparently the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at Blaine, Washington, aren 't big fans of the screaming, groove-heavy thrash metal that Cradle to Grave creates. Currently promoting its second studio album, Texas Medicine, the quartet was denied entry to the U.S. on the eve of a scheduled West Coast tour last month. That gave vocalist Greg Cavanagh extra time to ponder the merits of his hometown.

Best local act, other than your own
“ I 'll go with a band called Terror Syndrome, made up of guys from the Devin Townsend Band. They 're really heavy and awesome. I 've never seen them live, but I got their new CD [Terror Syndrome], and it just kills. It reminds me of where I 'd like to go with our music.”

We just found Chad Kroeger 's platinum card. Where are we eating?

“ My favourite restaurant is Aaron 's Restaurant [17665 57 Avenue], out in Cloverdale. It 's a small Italian restaurant, family-owned and -operated, and it 's been there since I was a kid. I order the hot spaghetti with shrimp every time. I hate diversity.”

With apologies to Katy Perry, which local musician 's cherry ChapStick would you like to taste?

“ There 's a singer named Kasey Lee McCullough in White Rock whom I 've seen at coffee shops and private parties. She 's got an amazing voice with pure spirit and heart.”

Tearing yourself away from your MySpace page can be hard. What gig this past year made you glad you did?

“ The Drive-By Truckers [Biltmore Cabaret, June 27]. I 'd previously seen them at bigger venues, but they 're one of the ultimate live bands with their three-guitar attack, and we were five feet from the stage.”

We 've pulled some strings and you 're opening for your all-time favourite act. Who 's topping the bill?

“ Johnny Cash. We wouldn 't exactly fit the bill musically, but to be on the same stage would be something I 'd never forget. I loved Walk the Line, and I thought Joaquin Phoenix should have won best actor.”

Best club to spot hipster hotties in their natural habitat

“ I don 't get out to many clubs. I got stabbed outside the Red Room at a buddy 's show a couple of years ago. It wasn 't cool. That said, the Cambie [312 Cambie Street] is usually full of pretty cool-looking chicks on the weekends.”

> Lucas Aykroyd

Modern Creatures

If you 've ever wondered what cute animals, boredom, and disappointing adults sound like on vinyl, just ask Modern Creatures ' singer-bassist Nikki Hebert to play Thick Thick Black. The debut EP from the gloomy East Van punk trio is like a sonic grab bag chock full of weird influences and chaotic energy.

Best local act, other than your own

“ Zombie Pistolero and His Guns. It 's the solo project from Aaron [Sommerfeld], formerly of the Petroleum By-Products. It 's misanthropic desert pop and it will break your heart.”

We just found Chad Kroeger 's platinum card. Where are we eating?

“ All India Sweets Buffet [All India Sweets & Restaurant, 6507 Main Street] and we 're getting chai tea too! They have a yellow curry with pakoras in it and it 's right by my school.”

With apologies to Katy Perry, which local musician 's cherry ChapStick would you like to taste?

“ Kim [Chan] Pink Noise, Katie [Doyle] from Vapid”¦ The list goes on. Everyone in Vancouver wears such pleasant lip balm!”

Tearing yourself away from your MySpace page can be hard. What gig this past year made you glad you did?

“ The best show of the past year was at Pub 340 [June 8]. It was a Music Waste show and it was Modern Creatures, Mutators, Adjective, and my favourite, Mattress. Any show Mattress plays is amazing. He kind of acts like he 's praying when he sings, and he 's just really quirky and his singing reminds me of Iggy Pop off of The Idiot.”

We 've pulled some strings and you 're opening for your all-time favourite act. Who 's topping the bill?

“ Either David Bowie or Ziggy Stardust. Bowie is just my favourite artist—he 's amazing. I think everyone knows it.”

Best club to spot hipster hotties in their natural habitat

“ Ice Cream Social at Shine [Mondays at Shine Nightclub] because all the hipsters act like they 're at a '60s homecoming dance.”

> Jenny Charlesworth

Those hard-drinking rock 'n ' roll animals in Hit the Bricks, Invasives, and Painted Birds learned new ways to soak up their last drops of beer at the Biltmore Cabaret. Angela Fama photo.

Hit The Bricks

Hit The Bricks vocalist Chris Gonneville is a pretty easygoing guy when you get him on the phone. Things are different on-stage, however, as the front man is just as likely to viciously flail his fists in the pit as he is to furiously scream and spit in your face. The group 's rough and ready Two Thousand Hate demo is a seething blitzkrieg of terror-thrash that has cemented its place in the local hardcore scene. Along with his band mates—guitarists Andy Placek and Mike Coutes, bassist Brad Collis, and drummer Jay Kehoe—Gonneville is, thankfully, making Vancouver punk a threat again.

Best local act, other than your own

“ For our genre of music it 's got to be Keep It Clear. I used to be in bands together with some of them, so just watching your good friends get out and play what they want to is great. Our bands play together; it makes me feel good.”

We just found Chad Kroeger 's platinum card. Where are we eating?

“ We 're going for Buffalo wings at Wingnuts [4444 Main Street]. If you haven 't been there, it has every flavour of wing you can imagine, they have deep-fried Mars bars for dessert, and they also have a liquor licence. They 've got this one wing that mixes barbecue sauce and hot sauce—oh, man.”

With apologies to Katy Perry, which local musician 's cherry ChapStick would you like to taste?

“ Every minute of every day, it 's got to be [Keep It Clear singer] Andy Patillo. He 's foxy; he 's Today 's Man. He 's got a vegan potbelly and he sort of looks like a girl. I 'm into it.”

Tearing yourself away from your MySpace page can be hard. What gig this past year made you glad you did?

“ It was Trapped Under Ice, Terror, and Death Before Dishonour at the Sweatshop [July 30]. I got to see a bunch of bands that I 've been into for a while. It was an all-around awesome show. There were a lot of people there, and there was absolutely no bullshit. It 's pretty normal for those bands to play bigger shows, so it was great to see them at the Sweatshop.”

We 've pulled some strings and you 're opening for your all-time favourite act. Who 's topping the bill?

“ We 'd be opening for AFI during their Black Sails in the Sunset era. That was the high point of that band for me, before they slowly declined into something that I don 't fully understand anymore. I saw them play a few times when they were touring on that record and they were amazing. We wouldn 't fit the bill, but that 's why it would be so fun.”

Best club to spot hipster hotties in their natural habitat

“ To find the hipster hotties you have to be where ½ Alive is going to be that weekend, like at Pub 340 [340 Cambie Street]. But if you just want to go out and see some good-looking people, you can go anywhere on Granville, really.”

> Gregory Adams

Invasives

The tightest rock band in the city is working the familiar jazz-punk territory of Nomeansno or Jawbox, but Invasives punch from the mathematical into the visceral with an almost obscene amount of force. And while the band 's latest self-titled album is one thing, as a live experience, drummer Hans Anus, bassist Adam Slack, and vocalist-guitarist Byron Slack offer something only marginally less explosive than the Tunguska Event of 1908.

Best local act, other than your own

“ Right now I 'm smitten with Adelaide. I guess you call them folk-rock? When I saw them I was, like, ”˜Everyone is growing up faster than I am, because I 'm still yelling and screaming. ' It 's very refreshing.”

We just found Chad Kroeger 's platinum card. Where are we eating?

“ As much as I 'd love to go somewhere more expensive, I just have no experience going to those places, so I 'll invite all of the Drive to come to Memphis Blues [1342 Commercial Drive].”

With apologies to Katy Perry, which local ]musician 's cherry ChapStick would you like to taste?

“ I have to say Tom Holliston [of Nomeansno]. He 's a well-dressed guy, he has a wonderful sense of humour, and he 's a gentleman. And I think this answer will make him more uncomfortable than it will make me.”

Tearing yourself away from your MySpace page can be hard. What gig this past year made you glad you did?

“ Qui at the Plaza Club [September 16, 2007]. There was about 20 people there, and it was awesome to see David Yow just hanging out with everybody in the building. It was just rad.”

We 've pulled some strings and you 're opening for your all-time favourite act. Who 's topping the bill?

“ All three of us have picked this band called C.AARMí‰, from Sweden. They 're very mysterious. They 're like the punk-rock band that I 've always wanted to hear. Super-tight, really aggressive, but they have a great sense of humour. Their riffs are so stupid, but it 's incredible that their riffs have never been written before. A huge influence on us.”

Best club to spot hipster hotties in their natural habitat

“ I 'd say Hoko 's [362 Powell Street]. That place is a lot of fun, and it seems that 's where all the hip kids hang out. Even when I 'm amongst the hip kids that are my age, I feel really out of touch, though. I don 't know if I will ever be cool.”

> Adrian Mack

Painted Birds

With his band, the Painted Birds, singer-guitarist Dominique Fricot makes emotionally charged and memorably melodic rock. The quartet 's debut album, So Much for the Rain, is an unabashedly heart-on-sleeve collection of intelligently crafted songs.

Best local act, other than your own

“ I definitely have to say Ladyhawk, although they don 't play at home enough.”

We just found Chad Kroeger 's platinum card. Where are we eating?

“ I think I 'd probably go somewhere like Gotham Steakhouse [615 Seymour Street]. I honestly don 't really know fine dining in Vancouver very well, so let 's go with that one. I do like steak, and I 've heard that you can cut the steak there with a spoon. That alone just astounds me. I 'd probably just need to cut the steak and I 'd be like, ”˜Okay, we can go. ' ”

With apologies to Katy Perry, which local musician 's cherry ChapStick would you like to taste?

“ Hannah Georgas. It 's the music, obviously, but I have a nose thing. Yeah, I have a nose fetish, I have to admit. There 's a certain type: if it 's a bit bigger—like, the Greek thing. If you look on the cover of the Georgia Straight from last week [August 28–September 4], the girl who 's on the front [Gillian Bennett], that 's a nine out of 10. That 's a wonderful nose. There 's something about a nose; it doesn 't frame the face, but it 's a lovely centrepiece.”

Tearing yourself away from your MySpace page can be hard. What gig this past year made you glad you did?

“ I just saw Radiohead a few nights ago [at Thunderbird Stadium on August 19], but all I can think of is how much better it was in Seattle. They 're always amazing, but it 's amazing how much the crowd can make the show. The last time I saw Radiohead in Vancouver, it was a bunch of really serious fans, but this time—I think it was because maybe they 're attracting more of the masses—there was tons of drunk people, and people shoving and being loud and, like, heckling and stuff. It was just like, ”˜What the heck is going on? We paid $80 for this. ' But then we went to Seattle and it was like, ”˜Okay, these people all came to watch a show. This is great. ' ”

We 've pulled some strings and you 're opening for your all-time favourite act. Who 's topping the bill?

“ Sam Beam of Iron and Wine. We might strip it down a little bit. I could imagine his audience being a pretty intimate thing, and I 'm a huge fan of Iron and Wine. It 's like comfort food for me.”

Best club to spot hipster hotties in their natural habitat

“ I really like the Biltmore [395 Kingsway]. Good stage, good lights, good vibe.”

> John Lucas

While hanging out at the Cannery, the members of A Pale Blue, Kellarissa, and Certain Breeds discovered exactly what kind of bait it takes to land “ the deadliest catch” . Rebecca Blissett photo.

Certain Breeds

It 's about damn time that the summer is over. As great as Certain Breeds ' self-titled debut may be, chances are you 're more likely to give its icy synth-wave a spin on dreary November nights rather than when you 're kicking it on Third Beach. With winter just around the corner, vocalist Jennifer Riego and the rest of the macabre quartet—drummer Corey Woolger, cellist Leanne Chapman, and keyboardist David Reynolds—will surely be bundled up in black while electrifying the city with their eerie tunes.

Best local act, other than your own

“ I saw Lord Beginner recently and I think they 're really good. I like the fact that at first they seem folkie, but then they slip away from folk into these crazy psych riffs. I also think their vocals are beautiful. There are three singers, two male and one female, and they harmonize so well.”

We just found Chad Kroeger 's platinum card. Where are we eating?

“ Guu—it 's a Japanese restaurant. There 's one on Thurlow [838 Thurlow Street] and one in Gastown [375 Water Street. They have a deep-fried brie dish with mango sauce that 's really amazing.”

With apologies to Katy Perry, which local musician 's cherry ChapStick would you like to taste?

“ I think its Rick O 'Dell, the bassist from Taxes. He 's a very charming, handsome man.”

Tearing yourself away from your MySpace page can be hard. What gig this past year made you glad you did?

“ It was definitely the Beach House show at the Media Club [March 19]. I just love them. The girl has amazing vocals and they have these really good, hooky riffs, even though they 're super simplistic.”

We 've pulled some strings and you 're opening for your all-time favourite act. Who 's topping the bill?

“ Roxy Music! They are my favourite band of all time. They 're really talented. Their music is so textured and smooth.”

Best club to hipster hotties in their natural habitat

“ I like Pat 's Pub a lot. I like the movies of beavers that 'll play while you 're singing karaoke there.”

> Gregory Adams

Kellarissa

Vancouver indie obsessives might not know the name Kellarissa yet, but odds are they 're familiar with the artist behind the one-woman, keyboard-centred project. Over the past few years, Larissa Loyva has done time with such acts as P:ano and the Choir Practice. With her debut disc, Flamingo, she breaks out on her own, mastering everything from stately chamber pop to neon-splashed postwave.

Best local act, other than your own

“ Ice Cream, for the good tunes and cute girls. It 's funny because I 've never actually seen them play. I 'm very lazy about getting out to shows.”

We just found Chad Kroeger 's platinum card. Where are we eating?

“ The Cannery [the Cannery Seafood House, 2205 Commissioner Street]. It 's got the amazing seafood and service and views. I like the seafood platter for two. It 's got lobster, crab, oysters, scallops, mussels, and any two types of fish.”

With apologies to Katy Perry, which local musician 's cherry ChapStick would you like to taste?

“ Ian Wyatt 's. He 's a musician and intellectual. And he 's smoking hot, too.”

Tearing yourself away from your MySpace page can be hard. What gig this past year made you glad you did?

“ I was going to say Bjí¶rk [Deer Lake Park on May 23, 2007] but that happened over a year ago. It 's still that exciting in my mind. So I 'll say Laura Barrett at Blim [197 East 17th Avenue] back in May [May 16]. She 's an amazing one-woman band with really smart songs. She plays the kalimba—a little thumb piano—and an organ foot-pedal thing. It totally blew my mind.”

We 've pulled some strings and you 're opening for your all-time favourite act. Who 's topping the bill?

“ This already happened. It was when the Choir Practice opened up for Jarvis Cocker. Pulp is my favourite band of all time. But if it were to happen just for me, I 'd love to open for PJ Harvey if she ever came to support her most recent album, White Chalk. I 'm not the hugest PJ Harvey fan, but I 'm a huge fan of that record.”

Best club to hipster hotties in their natural habitat

“ The Cobalt [ 917 Main Street ] on Wednesdays. That 's Fake Jazz Wednesdays, when you get all the freaks and people who are interested in hearing new stuff.”

> Mike Usinger

A Pale Blue

If you 're lucky enough to have caught one of A Pale Blue 's two shows in 2008, there 's no doubt they left an impression on you. The five-piece group, fronted by Alberta native Brock Allen, recalls classic Canadiana such as the Band and Gordon Lightfoot, with a healthy nod to “ Thunder Road” –era Bruce Springsteen and Exile on Main St.–era Rolling Stones. The group 's debut record, AM Gold, was originally conceived as a solo work for Allen, but the addition of keyboardist Shira Blustein, drummer Galen Rigter, guitarist Jon Reddit, and bassist Andy Bond has made Allen 's chugging, laid-back tunes sparkle.

Best local act, other than your own

“ Bonkers. It 's the loudest atrocity ever. It 's kind of Jon [Reddit 's] thing. It 's just ridiculous and loud. It has to be someone 's else 's band? Okay—anything by Leah Abramson. We just played a show with Lord Beginner, and I really like them, too.”

We just found Chad Kroeger 's platinum card. Where are we eating?

“ The Afghan Horsemen [202–1833 Anderson Street]. Kebabs and veggie platters. Yes, sir!”

With apologies to Katy Perry, which local musician 's cherry ChapStick would you like to taste?

“ Ashley and/or Amber Webber. You can 't argue with twins.”

Tearing yourself away from your MySpace page can be hard. What gig this past year made you glad you did?

“ I saw the Sadies at Richard 's on Richards [October 13, 2007] . It 's always a good idea to leave the house. It 's amazing to see what they do, and they do it so well.”

We 've pulled some strings and you 're opening for your all-time favourite act. Who 's topping the bill?

“ I 'd like to resurrect Townes Van Zandt and the original members of the Band as the backing band. They could play ”˜Columbine ' or ”˜Don 't You Take it Too Bad ', maybe.”

Best club to spot hipster hotties in their natural habitat

“ Ummmmmm”¦ I really don 't know. Funky Winker Beans [35 West Hastings Street]? A hipster party? Probably on party buses? I don 't know. I 'm more than a recluse. I don 't get out much.”

> Elaine Corden

The Black Frog 's revolutionary new get-your-own-damn-drink policy sits well with Dylan Thomas, No Horses, and Fake Shark-Real Zombie!,—notorious lushes all. Angela Fama photo.

When not doing his best to master Street Fighter, Kevin Maher screams for ADHD-afflicted noise-punks Fake Shark-Real Zombie!. Fusing art-splattered hardcore with microchip-melting techno, the quartet 's genre-mashing debut disc, Zebra Zebra, sounds like a nervous breakdown mixed with six pounds of white sugar and a flat of Red Bull.

Best local act, other than your own

“ Adjective. I don 't know if you 're familiar with them, but what they do is kind of what people wish they could do. I think a lot of people go to clubs and want to hear '80s music. They actually play '80s music, but now.”

We just found Chad Kroeger 's platinum card. Where are we eating?

“ All my friends are poor, so I like Budgie 's [44 Kingsway], the burrito place. I like how they have a secret menu. It 's like a hipster stonecutter 's thing, because you have to kind of know people to know about the secret menu. They also have a shit list of people who haven 't paid their tab, and I like that because it kind of reminds me of L7.”

With apologies to Katy Perry, which local musician 's cherry ChapStick would you like to taste?

“ It would either be Robert Dayton from Canned Hamm—strictly based on the fact that I like his glow-in-the-dark Nintendo Power jacket—or Szam Findlay from Dandi Wind. I 've toured Japan and he 's toured Japan, and Asia tells me he 's got a fairly decent cobra starship, if you know what I mean.”

Tearing yourself away from your MySpace page can be hard. What gig this past year made you glad you did?

“ Comedy Death Ray at the Commodore [September 20, 2007], which was like a festival of comedians. I really think a lot of the comedians who are doing their thing today are the true punks. Maria Bamford is a true punk because she 's really innovative in what she does, and she definitely strays away from the mainstream.”

We 've pulled some strings and you 're opening for your all-time favourite act. Who 's topping the bill?

“ It would be 1995 in London, and we would be opening for Aphex Twin when he was going through his put-sandpaper-on-the-turntable-and-drop-the-needle phase.”

Best club to spot hipster hotties in their natural habitat

“ The Black Frog, which is on Cambie Street [108 Cambie Street], because you can get hustled by young Asian kids at Street Fighter on the free arcade machine.”

> Mike Usinger

No Horses

Nick Lawton sings and plays harp in this year 's numero-uno contender for the good-time-sloppy vibe grandfathered by a certain Canadian exile they call Shakey. By wisely recording its debut live-off-the-floor in seven short days, the rowdy six-piece managed to capture its precious chemistry on tape, and the result is an album that wallops you right in your rock 'n ' roll heart.

Best local act, other than your own

“ I would say a guy that doesn 't get nearly as much respect as he deserves is Rodney DeCroo. He amazes me every single time. He 's a great songwriter, and I just don 't know why he isn 't huge.”

We just found Chad Kroeger 's platinum card. Where are we eating?

“ We probably wouldn 't go anywhere that expensive. We 'd go to Zigs Urban Bistro [2960 Main Street], pay off our bar tab, and finally tip the waitresses.”

With apologies to Katy Perry, which local musician 's cherry ChapStick would you like to taste?

“ This is no contest: Graham Myrfield from the Stumbler 's Inn. He always impresses me with his style of dress, and I think it would be a pretty memorable thing to share a kiss with that guy.”

Tearing yourself away from your MySpace page can be hard. What gig this past year made you glad you did?

“ One hundred percent, no questions asked, I have to say Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at GM Place [March 31]. Check one off the list of things I need to do before I die. I know some people think it 's cheesy, but I 've never seen anyone work 20,000 people quite the way he did. I 'm getting chills right now talking about it, actually.”

We 've pulled some strings and you 're opening for your all-time favourite act. Who 's topping the bill?

“ There 's Gram Parsons and a lot of people that have passed away, but I have to say Neil Young and Crazy Horse, with Danny Whitten. That 's the classic lineup, and that would be an awesome show. He 's a crazy motherfucker.”

Best club to spot hipster hotties in their natural habitat

“ Well, pretty much anywhere along the Main Street corridor. Just look for the spot with the most fixed-gear bikes outside. The Brickhouse Bistro [730 Main Street], on weekends, especially. I showed up there on a Saturday and I 'd never seen so many so-called hipsters in one place.”

> Adrian Mack

Dylan Thomas

Remember that kid from grade school who could do everything better than you? You know the one—the guy who knew how to multiply double digits when the rest of us were still picking our noses and taunting the classroom hamster. Well, his name is Dylan Thomas, and he may be all grown up but he can still do everything better than you. Well, maybe not everything, but if Fortune Teller Miracle Fish is any indication, his knack for heartfelt, countrified twang will put you and everyone you know to shame.

Best local act, other than your own

“ I 'd probably have to say the Parallels or the Tranzmitors. They share a few of the same members and just seem to be some of the nicest guys around, making some of the best music.”

We just found Chad Kroeger 's platinum card. Where are we eating?

“ Well, I 'd probably pick up my backing band, Your Vancouver Vipers, and take them some place fancy like the Old Spaghetti Factory [53 Water Street].”

With apologies to Katy Perry, which local musician 's cherry ChapStick would you like to taste?

“ Seems like this one can get you into a lot of trouble. I'd have to say it would probably be a tie between Johnny Wakeham and John Rogers from Featherwolf.”

Tearing yourself away from your MySpace page can be hard. What gig this past year made you glad you did?

“ King Khan and the Shrines [Red Room on July 14], from what I was told anyways—I was on tour with the Jolts. Other than that, the Hives and the Donnas at the Commodore [February 22]. It seems like 2008 turned out to be the year of missing all the good shows—I was always out of town or broke.”

We 've pulled some strings and you 're opening for your all-time favourite act. Who 's topping the bill?

“ Well, considering I 'm doing just one show, I 'd probably get the Traveling Wilburys to play, that way I could get them all [George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Roy Orbison] in there.”

Best club to spot hipster hotties in their natural habitat

“ That would probably have to be the Astoria [769 East Hastings] right now. There seems to be a lot of DJs there these days, and hipsters tend to go wherever live music isn 't.”

> Jenny Charlesworth