Moody, chamber pop band Picastro launch their new album tomorrow night at the Tranzac with Nadja. Become Secret is a somber collection of songs featuring lovely layers of piano, cello and droning guitars.

It's been exactly a year since I last spoke with bandleader Liz Hysen. She writes imaginative songs and plays with a solid rotating cast of musicians in the Toronto scene. The songwriting is, as usual, quite deep and I asked Liz about this, vinyl, and places she likes in Toronto.

DJ/blogger Brandon Sek might not yet be on the mainstream radar but his electronic music blog Curb Crawlers (CC) is quickly becoming one of the best spots to go for what's good in the underground. CC is full of under-the-radar tracks, remixes and exclusive mixes.

Brandon has been DJing for years and he really knows what he's doing. His musical knowledge is obvious with one visit to his blog, but he's also great at building a DJ set. With Curb Crawlers' notoriety, his DJ profile is on the rise. He's one of the residents at a very cool new weekly called ARCADE which launches tonight at the Mod Club.

I spoke with Brandon about his blog, his approach to DJing and I got the inside scoop on his 2009 picks.

Local folk ensemble The Wilderness of Manitoba make really pretty music that always puts me in a better mood whenever I need to fight off the doldrums.

Started by Will and Scott of Provincial Parks and Delaware House, this acoustic project is seriously augmented by vocalist Melissa and Stefan on cello. They make flawless four-part harmonies and collectively create a special vibe in any room they play - whether it's their basement (where they recorded their new EP Hymns of Love and Spirits), the garage out back (Delaware House), or on a stage around town (they recently opened for The Rural Alberta Advantage to a packed Horseshoe crowd).

The Wilderness of Manitoba play Wavelength tomorrow night. I spoke with the band about their sound, their new EP and winning the rock lottery.

Dark electro locals Stop Die Resuscitate have been lurking around Toronto's underground spotlight for a long time. Now, with a more melodic sound and a new album being prepped for release, they're looking to jump right into the center of it.

SDR first caught my attention a couple years ago at a Pride performance, and they've made some of my favourite electro remixes, making dark bangers out of songs by the likes of Apostle of Hustle, Deerhoof, Tegan and Sara, and You Say Party! We Say Die!

The new album (The Gloom) won't be released until early next year, but SDR are previewing it in its entirety tonight at The Drake. I spoke with lead singer Lucas Costello about their album, their new sound and why "everybody" says they should move to Europe.

Local fuzzy indie rockers Germans (a popular band who haven't played live in over a year) make their return at the Summerworks festival. Lots of cool theatrical and musical events are happening every night, and one of the musical highlights has got to be this gig.

Germans have been on an indefinite hiatus since a really bad experience on tour in the US. I remember reading a blog post about it, and it was really dark. Fast forward to present day though, and with a revamped line-up they're headlining an all ages show Saturday night with the Great Bloomers.

I spoke with Leon about his band's break, their new album and hot, sweaty bodies.

The Boxer Rebellion are a classic underdog story. Nine years into their career and their second full-length is a breakthrough album that almost never was. Earlier this decade, TBR were set to open for The Killers on a big career-breaking tour, but singer/guitarist Nathan Nicholson suddenly fell ill and almost died. A year later, TBR bounced back from this near-tragedy and signed a record deal and released their impressive debut album EXITS in 2005. Then their record company went bankrupt, handing the band a second major setback.

Now 100% indie, TBR have made an even better album (UNION) and recently released it across Canada thanks to an unprecedented distribution deal with HMV. UNION will see worldwide release this fall and the band are playing all across Europe based on the popularity of lead single "Evacuate".

After selling out their first two North American shows in LA and NYC, TBR make their Canadian debut Saturday night at Mod Club with local opener These Electric Lives. I spoke with Nathan about overcoming odds, their new album and why the other guys pick on him.