The Toronto-based indie pop quintet has amassed an impressive amount of accolades to date, no doubt adding weight to their shoulders, but it certainly isn't enough to keep them from forging forward. With their sound originally hatched in the college dorm room of guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Ben Fox, Dinosaur Bones (comprised of Fox, bassist Branko Scekic, keyboardist Dave Wickland, drummer Lucas Fredette, and guitarist Josh Byrne) have wasted little time of their relatively young career pushing forward, turning plenty of heads along the way. Their sound is a collage of influence, borrowing from NYC garage and not too far-gone from the current crop of off-kilter Canadian pop. Eclectic and energetic is a start, but not even close to the extent of what Dinosaur Bones brings to stereo or stage.

Having shared stages with acts as diverse as Sloan, Man Man, Arkells, Handsome Furs, Crystal Antlers, and Plants and Animals, it wasn't long before the quintet was firmly rooted in Toronto's indie pop scene and attracting deserved attention from the masses, media, and moguls within the city and beyond. The band turned many heads at POP Montreal where their show was so loud they had people dancing for blocks outside of the venue. "We're on the road a lot, and very thankful for that," says Fox appreciatively, "but we're excited to go full-on. There's no substitute for playing night-in and night-out."

Dinosaur Bones' latest EP Birthrightwas recorded and mixed by Jon Drew (Fucked Up, Tokyo Police Club, Arkells) and will be available for sale through iTunes and all other digital retailers. Thankfully, fans will not have to wait too long to get more of the band's brand of haunting, indie-pop. My Divider, their debut LP (also recorded and mixed by Jon Drew) drops in early 2011

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There are multiple artists known as Blair:

1. At only 23 years old, Blair has been a staple of the New Orleans' music scene for the last seven years. She began performing at local coffee houses and open mic nights when she was only 16. By 18, Blair found herself performing at some of her hometown's most venerable rock clubs such as the Howlin Wolf and House of Blues. Opting to wait until after college to make music her full-time occupation, Blair would sneak away between classes as a philosophy major at Loyola University New Orleans to the university's music building to hone her skills at writing and performing. Blair released a full length CD in 2004 and was able to open up for some of the country's most popular indie bands stopping through New Orleans, such as Cat Power, Calexico, and Bright Eyes. She was also able to collaborate with local favorites and Warner Brothers' recording artists World Leader Pretend. With summer of 2007 approaching, Blair has established a dedicated local fan base, finished her philosophical studies, and has a four-song EP "in the can" set for summer release (produced by Keith Ferguson of World Leader Pretend). For the first time in Blair's life, there is a freedom to go forward, without a net, and focus solely on her music with the upcoming release of Pluto.

Blair's new EP, Pluto, is titled after the sudden and drastic changes she experienced in New Orleans after the hurricane. A marriage of alt-country and folk-tinged pop music - combined with a captivating falsetto voice - Pluto aims to create the same kind of intimacy between listener that she recalls from her first experiences listening to rock and pop radio. A personal expression during Blair's transformation from youth to adulthood, Pluto is a personal snapshot of a place in time.

2. BLAIR is a National Poetry Slam Champion and a Callaloo Fellow. He's an award winning singer / songwriter who's been nominated for seven Detroit Music Awards. He's been named Real Detroit Weekly Readers Poll's Best Solo Artist and The Metro Times Best Urban Folk Poet.

BLAIR has toured the United States and Europe extensively and performed in South Africa both solo and as part of Walk & Squawk's The Walking Project of which he is a co-writer and cast member. He has performed on bills with Stevie Wonder, Oscar winner Michael Moore, Mike Doughty, Bitch and Animal, Justin Bond, members of Sweet Honey in the Rock, Richie Havens, The Butchies, Tribe 8, Wilco, Cat Power and others.

Urban folk, afro-punk, singer-songwriter, poetry slammer, gay activist, Blair is our kinda dude... the kind of ambitious versatility we like.

- Metromode
http://www.myspace.com/blairmusic

3. Barney Blair Perry began his professional career in his hometown Buffalo, New York, as a guitarist. In 1978, he was nominated for a Grammy Award in recognition of being one of the best R & B songwriters of the period.

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Xylos are a five-piece pop group from New York City. Singer/multi-instrumentalist Monika Heidemann, guitarist Eric Zeiler, keyboardist/vocalist Nikki Lancy, bassist/vocalist Jordan Brooks and drummer Chris Berry write sophisticated-yet-playful songs, weaving together lush harmonies, electronic production, and soaring vocal melodies. Drawing on influences such as Kate Bush, ABBA and Steve Reich, they have made a quick rise up bloggers' radars and favorite lists, including being chosen as one of L Magazine's "8 NYC Bands You Need to Hear" last year. They have toured the U.S. and seen their music placed tastefully in several popular television programs and commercials. And this has all come on the strength of one 2008 EP, great word of mouth and dozens of demos that are currently being narrowed down to form their debut LP (recorded by Yeasayer and Chairlift producer Britt Myers in his NYC studio). Their live performances showcase Monika's powerful and unconventional lead vocals, and the rest of Xylos' nimble, sexy, textured songcraft.

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Dinosaur Feathers is a trio from Brooklyn who create "'50s/early-'60s-inspired pop music."

Greg and Derek sang a capella together at Carleton College in Minnesota. They built a following in New York after releasing a free EP on their website and playing shows on their own and as openers for other artists. After several line-up changes, the group will release their debut album in March 2010, followed by an appearance at SXSW.

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Intimate and playful, placid and serene. Melancholy and dark, with occasional hints of passing sadness. This is the sound of Sydney Wayser, a twenty year-old singer-songwriter who with her French father and American mother has lived her life between Paris and Los Angeles. Sydney's music is rife with tales and adventure; her music quite simply draws you into her world, delicately and candidly.

Her first album, entitled "Silent Parade", showcases Sydney's elegant blend of strings, piano, guitar and percussion, capturing enough of each without treading into overkill. It is the ode to simplicity and a nod to grace that truly defines the impact of Sydney's writing and voice. You are at once enraptured and brought into her world where carousels' turn with youthful exuberance, and love is questioned in lucid prose.

As influences go there is a defining quality of Sydney's melodies that embraces depth, subtlety, dance, and playfulness, capturing elements of Nick Drake, and of Fiona Apple, Leonard Cohen and Elliot Smith. There's a tranquil and frozen moment feel, reminiscent of Cat Power's "You are Free" album. Each of these , and many others, have been woven into her soul and discarded; the sound is absorbed, pondered, and honored, and it is ultimately the goal of the artist to forge their own unique style. Sydney is well on her way. Serge Gainsbourgh, Edith Piaf, and many classic French singer-songwriters have also had a profound impact on Sydney's style as a pianist and writer, as evidenced in some of the off kilter and theatrical elements of French folk music in her songs.

Reflecting on the origin of her songs, Sydney comments, "I write more about what I've found, as opposed to what I'm looking for." Place de la Bastille, written about the French Revolution, was also inspired by the famous French film "Amelie." "Jean-Pierre Jeunet uses striking colors to create a repetitive pattern through the film. Occasionally he introduces light blue, a more subtle color to symbolize something significant, but hidden when blinded by the red and green. I thought this was an analog for finding some of life's more crucial elements, buried amidst all the distraction of our days." Papa Don't Worry is a standout on this album, with a beautiful vocal delivery by Sydney and somber cello throughout. "I sat at my keyboard alone in my apartment, the room bright solely from the many candles lining my floor, and I wrote this song as a remedy to heal me during a static period in my life. I wrote the lyrics as a letter to my parents, and found with each line I wrote telling them I would be fine, I was actually convincing myself."

Her mother and father encouraged artistic exploration and expression from a very early age, exposing Wayser and her brother to an eclectic mix of American and European culture. Time spent in Paris only ripened her desire to study the great painters, singers, and iconic figures of both worlds, and fed her mind and soul with a wealth of experience and vision with which to develop her music. A playful though somewhat introverted spirit, as a teenager she cultivated her passion for writing music and developed her intellect and vast interests, including ballet, film, and literature, later honing in on music as her true love.

There is a surface paradox at play here: Sydney's music is free and colorful and wide-eyed; recalling a young girl on Parisian side streets, in her mind conversing with the great artists and writers who once pounced on those same cobblestones. At the same time, she conveys a charm and wit well beyond her twenty years, and with an unusual command of language and phrasing.

This collection of songs, her first such endeavor, showcases an extremely talented and personable artist with a style that separates her from the pack. Sydney brings her voice, her story, and her incredible ability to bring the listener to the exact place of conception; where in the heart, mind, or street that the song came to her, and then to you.



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