The Stockholm indie It Girl is the buzz of the blogs, with her bouncy mélange of electro-pop, girl-group gleefulness, and hipster dance music, but she says she’d rather lose it on the dance floor than surf the Web.

The Kills still sound dirty, distorted, and too cool for art school, but more than ever you can shake your ass to them on their third album, Midnight Boom.

The English electro-rockers are smashing across America and destroying dance floors with a hyper debut disc. But whatever you do, don't label them.

DeVotchKa received a huge career boost when the makers of the 2006 indie-smash Little Miss Sunshine asked the band to contribute to the film’s soundtrack. Thanks to all the unexpected exposure, when the time came to record a follow-up, the Denver quartet was determined to come up with something extraordinary. Or at least as good as How It Ends, DeVotchKa’s acclaimed full-length.

Progressive rock has sure taken its lumps over the years. Back in the ’70s, British prog bands like Yes, Genesis, and Jethro Tull were all the rage, selling mountains of vinyl, but punk put a major kibosh on popular music that favoured technical virtuosity and complex arrangements. There are a few survivors of the antichops purge, though. Canadian power-trio Rush has managed to thrive and continues to pack arenas worldwide, but it also enjoys the support of commercial radio.

Under the guidance of former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler, The Gift, the Glaswegian band's latest, is more '70s glam and Phil Spector than Tartan-spiked Americana.

The sea, and things related to the sea, are splashed all over Saltbreakers, Laura Veirs’s sixth solo release. Its title refers to ocean waves, and the Portland, Oregon–based songwriter’s lyrics are full of nautical and aquatic images.

Without even pausing to think about it, Brendan Benson describes the Raconteurs as one of the most incredible things that’s ever happened to him.

From turbo-soul crooning, metal-aria howling, and grindcore gurgling, Protest the Hero went to impressive lengths on Fortress to avoid being written off as a screamo band.

Roots music is inextricably linked to the land, which might explain why it resides so comfortably in B.C.’s Interior. Perhaps more than any other province, B.C. is defined by the breathtaking scope of its landscape, and the inspiration it provides not only to artists but to listeners is incalculable.

The band's latest effort has outraged a few inflexible fans, but Dan Auerbach urges them to free their minds.

Rock ’n’ roll is a dangerous game. It can be, anyway. Up-and-coming local indie rockers Ladyhawk learned the risks involved when they rolled their gear-filled van just outside of Kelowna last year. The vehicle was toast, but no one was injured. They were shaken up like a James Bond martini, though.

As much as Kurt Cobain is one of rock ’n’ roll’s most hallowed icons, he has a lot to answer for. And no, we’re not just talking Chad Kroeger. With the culture-shifting juggernaut that was “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, the late Nirvana singer-guitarist instantly made loud-quiet-loud the most aped formula in modern music. Whether you’re talking Linkin Park, Daughtry, or Theory of a Nickelfault, you can’t turn on rock radio without hearing someone ripping off Seattle’s most tortured son.

On last year’s universally acclaimed New Wave, Tom Gabel of Florida punk veterans Against Me! left no doubt as to where he stood on a whole host of issues. You want a rant about the pointlessness of thinking military conflicts can be stopped with songs about how much war sucks? Head directly to the agit-pop screed “White People for Peace” for a reality check. Sick of bands that build careers on the back of the MySpace nation?

No one ever accused Al Jourgensen of keeping his opinions to himself. Whether the topic is American politics, the soul-sucking vortex that is the music industry, or the NHL, the Ministry founder invariably has something to say.