Broken Social Scene, Feist, and Stars were a few of my first great experiences with independent music. (Because I'm big softie.)

Stars' Heart and Set Yourself On Fire, Feist's Let It Die, and Broken Social Scene's entire discography blew my mind the first time I heard them. It was a completely new experience for me. Not to mention Apostle of Hustle's Folkloric Feel being ****ing amazingly well done, and The Most Serene Republic's Phages and Underwater Cinematographer are euphoric. Amy Millan's solo album was also incredible. Doo Make Say Think have made landmark ****ing albums, Metric is one of the only indierock/whatever acts I'm really into, the new Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton is remarkable for a singer-songwriter sort of record.

I still fall asleep to Feel Good Lost whenever it's in my possession, it's one of those perfect ambient records. At least in a Toronto sense, I guess. IT has that atmosphere about it. Passport Radio and Guilty Cubicles are two of my favourite songs of all time. They captured a period in my life like nothing else has, perfectly preserved.

Please, don't tell me there's just Canadian love.


List of Arts & Crafts artists:

* The American Analog Set
* Apostle of Hustle
* Broken Social Scene
* Jason Collett
* The Dears
* Feist
* The Hidden Cameras
* Amy Millan
* The Most Serene Republic
* New Buffalo
* Phoenix (not sure how they got on here)
* Stars
* Valley of the Giants
* Young Galaxy

and a list of all Broken Social Scene members' other endeavours:

* KC Accidental - Kevin Drew and Charles Spearin
* Apostle of Hustle - Andrew Whiteman
* Feist - Leslie Feist
* Jason Collett - Jason Collett
* Do Make Say Think - Charles Spearin and Ohad Benchetrit
* Junior Blue - Justin Peroff, Brendan Canning, Kevin Drew and Dylan Hudecki
* Metric - James Shaw and Emily Haines
* Raising the Fawn - John Crossingham
* Stars - Evan Cranley, Amy Millan, and Torquil Campbell
* Valley of the Giants - Brendan Canning and Charles Spearin
* The Weakerthans - Jason Tait
* FemBots - Jason Tait and Julie Penner
* Reverie Sound Revue - Lisa Lobsinger
* k-os - Kheaven Brereton
* The Dears - Murray Lightburn