Vancouver indie jazz quartet Brasstronaut played their first show in Toronto last night at the Drake in support of their impressive debut Old Word Lies EP. It was a showcase of sorts, hosted by their label Unfamiliar Records. Although their ingredients might not impress the jazz crowd most of the band's members come from, it's the indie-centric vocals of keyboardist Edo Van Breemen that put this band more in the "interesting indie pop" section of my mind - a place that's reserved for bands like Beirut.

Rollie Pemberton (aka Cadence Weapon) is an amazing hip hop producer/emcee from Edmonton. He infuses his killer beats with pretty much every other style of music he likes - mainly electro, house, and techno. His lyrics and rhyming patterns are refreshingly influenced more by the UK grime scene than they are American hip hop and at age 22, he's also a retired Pitchfork writer. That's a lot of "cool" for one guy from Edmonton. Maybe that's why he's blowing up so fast?

His Dad was a pioneering hip hop DJ in Edmonton, so I guess it's also in the genes. Cadence Weapon released his debut album Breaking Kayfabe in 2005 and just released the very amazing follow-up Afterparty Babies on various indie labels around the world. The first single "In Search of the Youth Crew" has made it's way around the blogs and it's a perfect blend of futuristic hip hop and underground house. He just got back from a European tour and he also played some of the biggest festivals in the UK this summer.

Cadence Weapon plays Lee's Palace next week. I exchanged some words with Rollie about his goals as an artist, his new album, and plans to form a futuristic power gang.

Last night I saw Irish shoegaze legends My Bloody Valentine play in Toronto - the only Canadian date on their North American reunion tour. One word can sum up my experience: Ahhhhhh!!!

After releasing two classic modern rock albums (1988's Isn't Anything and the 1991 masterpiece Loveless) and never finishing their third, My Bloody Valentine went into hibernation for over 15 years. About a year ago, the band's original line up (Shields on guitar and vocals, guitarist/vocalist Belinda Butcher, Debbie Googe on bass and Colm O'Ciosoig on drums) was offered a fortune to re-unite. After a handful of dates in the UK and the US, My Bloody Valentine brought their $400,000 worth of guitar amps and effects pedals to the Kool Haus.

This week I'm a ladies man. The fifth annual Ladyfest Toronto is on this weekend and, according to the website, it is a four-day arts, music and culture festival put on by a "do-it-yourself collective who seek to promote urban feminism".

Four amazing nights of music are included in this year's festival and local world music activists Lal headline the launch Thursday night at The Boat. Led by out-spoken singer Rosina Kazi and producer Nick Murray (aka Murr), Lal have been trying to make a difference since they released their amazing trip hop debut Corners back in 2002 on Toronto's Public Transit Recordings.

Over the past six years they've explored all kinds of musical genres via a handful of singles and their sophomore record Warm Belly High Power, all while taking their music and message to a growing number of cities and ears. Their new album Deportation is very political and their most cohesively written album to date.

I spoke with Rose and bassist/composer Ian de Souza about their new record, the upcoming US election, and how we can make our city better.

Friday night was the third time I've seen Team Canada DJs in action. They really lit it up at The Ballroom Friday night.

Grandtheft and D.R.one can rock any party. Each time I've seen them has been for completely different crowds but the result is always the same: people dance and have fun! They had The Ballroom packed all night long, as they dropped random samples of all genres over classic hip hop.

Baroque indie band Picastro have flown the Toronto flag worldwide for over ten years now. They have a very moody, introspective sound thanks to lead singer/songwriter Liz Hysen. Her haunting melodies stick with you long after the record ends and her thought-provoking lyrics leave you with lots of questions.

Picastro are signed to Polyvinyl Records - the very influential indie label that is home to breakthrough acts like Of Montreal, Architecture in Helsinki and Asobi Seksu. Their distinct, lo-fi recording approach is refreshing to hear and it reminds me of all the great lo-fi bands I loved in the 90's.

Their three full-lengths (2001's Red Your Blues, 2005's Metal Cares and last year's over-looked gem Whore Luck) have taken them across North America and Europe several times over - perhaps with the help of their high profile collaborators Jamie Stewart (Xiu Xiu) and Owen Pallett of Final Fantasy.

But don't give those cats more credit than they deserve for Picastro's success. This has happened too often online and Liz would like to put an end to it. I spoke to her about the two huge misconceptions that surround her band among other things, including the effect of rain on produce.

Keep reading for the complete interview.