Toronto band Bruce Peninsula took over Lee's Palace this past weekend with a show vigorous enough to heat the venue up by about ten degrees. Call their style what you want - new folk, ensemble choir... this crew is just incredible.

Bruce Peninsula has been around for three years - I'd list all the current members, but it'd take way too much time. (I counted eleven on stage last Saturday night.) They're known for mixing experimental sound techniques with American folk tradition, producing their highly original, distinctive style. Their LP, A Mountain is a Mouth, was released February 9th of this year - the band first started recording it back in 2007, and spent months perfecting it. Additionally, they released a 7" in July of last year with reinterpretations of three traditional folk songs.

I adore Julie Doiron. Simple as that. A down to earth, East Coast girl with a taste for the sweet and melancholy and a knack for writing songs that hit you hard in the heart - what's not to love? This past Thursday night, she played an endearing show at the Horseshoe and made the packed house fall a little in love with her as well.

Toronto-based trio Born Ruffians and Brooklyn's Akron/Family kept me up way past my bedtime on Tuesday night at a second sold-out show at Sneaky Dee's. Thanks to these guys, I'm still exhausted. (In a good way.)

I'm just gonna come out and say it: the guys in Born Ruffians make me feel OLD. (Just for the record, I'm not actually old. I mean, sure, I chase kids out of my yard every now and then, but who doesn't? Now, where are my slippers?) Point is, these three guys have more talent in their little fingers than I have in my whole body, and I'm not entirely convinced that lead singer Luke LaLonde is legally allowed to drink.

UK band the Tindersticks have been around forever (well, since '91 - forever to me, anyway). They returned to Toronto for the first time in over five years on Tuesday, playing to a fervent audience at the Opera House.

The United Steel Workers of Montreal hit up the horseshoe Saturday night for the official TO launch of their newest CD, Three on the Tree. Rough and rowdy sets are the standard for this bunch, and as always, they brought a ton of energy to the show. (I didn't even get home until after 4 am... that's counting the time change and stopping for street-meat, but whatever.)

After the show, I had the chance to sneak out the back door with lead singer Gern for a wee interview. (Gern makes for some crazy photos, and he's probably the sweetest guy ever.)

There's not much in life that I love more than good, traditional Scots-Irish music. Except for shoes, maybe. And the first six seasons of The X-Files. And chewy fudge cookies from Mrs. Field's. (Put all four of those together somehow and you get the recipe for my Most Awesome Night Ever.)

There were no cookies Sunday night, (and no Alex Krycek), but I did get to witness possibly the finest display of musicianship I've ever heard. HAWP, a Celtic band led by the husband and wife team of Andy and Niamh Webster, gave its first ever Toronto performance at the Flying Cloud Folk Club, (a funky downtown venue based out of Tranzac on Brunswick Ave), accompanied by vocal trio Urban Mermaid.