Having provided artist-focused, grassroots promotion for independent musicians in Toronto over the past decade, Wavelength has remained true to its DIY ethos and has fostered the growth of local talent from the ground up. The 10th anniversary of the series represents its rebirth -- making way for the new, as-yet-to-be-determined format that Wavelength will take in the future.

"I've been reading your busker profiles on blogTO," said Sue. "I actually have them bookmarked. I knew about some of these fellow buskers before, but it's interesting to know more about them, and I'm always meeting someone new."

The couple have taken their interest in other people as far as East Africa in their humanitarian efforts, and as buskers, they have brought a few of their stories back to the tunnels of Toronto's transit system.

I decided to spend a bit of time getting to know Sue and Dwight. After all, I figured it was about time that they themselves were in the spotlight.

Vanilla Ice (yes, THAT Vanilla Ice!) made a half-time appearance at the Toronto Raptors game last night at ACC.

After stumbling on an ad for the event the Metro newspaper (and doing a triple take), I tuned into TSN2 hoping to catch a glimpse of the performer that brought us the smash hit "Ice, Ice, Baby" way back in 1990 (woah... that's 20 years ago!). But they didn't air it on TV. Thankfully it's on YouTube in all its shaky-cam glory.

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 3 / GENTLEMAN REG / THE DRAKE HOTEL / 1150 QUEEN ST W / $10 / 19+
Gentleman Reg celebrates the one-year anniversary of the release of his breakthrough LP Jet Black with a show at the Drake Underground every Wednesday night in February. A follow-up EP was delivered in December of last year, when Reg released Heavy Head, featuring a pair of covers, a pair of remixes and a pair of originals - one of which included a guest appearance from Owen Pallett. The "Heavy Head Residency" will feature lengthy sets from Reg and his band as well as performances from special weekly guests, starting with Hooded Fang and Kite Hill tonight.

THURSDAY FEBRAURY 4 / CHEAP TRICK / SOUND ACADEMY / 11 POLSON ST / $41 / ALL AGES
Cheap Trick have been going at it since the early seventies, and their tireless touring ethic and loyal fanbase have allowed them to spread their love for power chords and well-crafted pop songs for well over three decades. They're stopping by the Sound Academy in support of their latest two releases - The Latest and Sgt. Pepper Live, a tribute to the classic 1967 Beatles album. They'll be joined by former The Almighty frontman Ricky Warwick.

• New Broken Social Scene LP due May 4.
• Woodhands vs. Pitchfork (another diss track).
• The Most Serene Republic lose member, offer free download.
• Fucked Up and Xiu Xiu lose class-action lawsuit against Camel cigarettes.
• Oh No Forest Fires give away Wants To Try Something EP.
• k-os to no longer make albums - only singles.
• Photos from the Canadian Blast at the 2010 Grammy Awards.
• D-Sisive switches up Anvil for Fubar.
• Bedouin Soundclash to release b-sides/remixes/rarities collection.
• Great Lake Swimmers blog from China - part three.

Alongside the Randy Bachman Band, the internationally renowned Canadian rock icon showcased the evolution of the guitar through recreating songs popularized by some of the greatest musicians of all time.

With eight beautiful guitars to work with, Bachman rolled through tracks from Duane Eddy, The Beatles, The Shadows, Curtis Mayfield, Cream, The Police, Stevie Wonder and AC/DC, as well as a few of his personal hits with The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive.

Opening bands Danko Jones and Sebastian Bach were done well before 9:30 p.m., indeed testing the crowd's patience. Many left early or fell asleep during the concert, in spite of the many blasts of pyrotechnics that helped keep Rose's ego elevated throughout the ordeal.

But fans of Guns N' Roses are accustomed to waiting and waiting. The band's latest album, Chinese Democracy, took about 15 years to be released. There was a joke that actual Chinese democracy would come before Chinese Democracy (the album) would be released.

Recreating some memorable hits in either a country, bluegrass, bossa nova or folk genre, they put on quite the entertaining cabaret-style show. Supporting their third studio album, 3, the French group, led by arrangers/producers Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux, enchanted the audience with 20 remarkably reworked songs, sung by two young chanteuses, Helene Nogueira and Karina Zeviani.

"We are worlds apart at first glance, and have been called 'an unlikely pair' and 'the odd couple'," said Mel. "But we play together like we have been doing it for years."

Leo and Mel normally perform as separate acts, but I'd heard about the odd underground busker jam session and was curious to see one in action. I decided to meet the two friends in the Spadina station busking hot spot and get to know Leo a bit better, hoping that while I was at it, I'd witness something cool.

I didn't. I witnessed something brilliant.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 27 / NOUVELLE VAGUE / OPERA HOUSE / 735 QUEEN ST E / $24.50 / 19+
French collective Nouvelle Vague stop by the Opera House in support of their fourth studio album 3, which features a slew of guest vocalists including Martin Gore of Depeche Mode, and Terry Hall of The Specials. Built around the core duo of Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux, the lounge-pop group have covered songs by artists such as The Clash, Bauhaus and The Dead Kennedys, offering up bossa-nova takes on punk rock and new wave classics. They'll be joined by Brooklyn's Clare & The Reasons and former CIUT DJ Medicine Man.
nouvellesvagues.com
myspace.com/clareandthereasons
myspace.com/medicinemanradio

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 / BOCCE & TMDP / WRONGBAR / 1279 QUEEN SW W / $7 / 19+
Electro meets indie rock on Thursday night at Wrongbar for the return of the ROBOTS //// US, a series of danceable performances organized by The Untold City that features a handful of up and coming Toronto acts including TMDP, Bocce, OPOPO RMX, These Electric Lives, Matt Weed and Smack Dabb.
myspace.com/thebocce
myspace.com/tmdparty
myspace.com/opopormx
myspace.com/djsmackdabb
myspace.com/theseelectriclives

Even more in evidence was their eagerness to heckle anyone onstage; Damian Abraham from Fucked Up, who interviewed Worth about the book, was an irresistible target, and it was clear that anyone who didn't make it onto the pages of Worth's book - and may who did - were as unwilling to be silent now as they were back then.

I met up with the London, England native for a face-to-face at perhaps the most ironic place to interview an anti-establishment, hardcore punk vocalist - Starbucks.

• Fucked Up's Ben Cook & Jonah Falco beef with Sonic Youth.
• Caribou announces follow up to 2007's Polaris-winning Andorra.
• Renowned music writer and musician Paul Quarrington passes away from cancer.
• The Carps to take a break from touring in 2010
• Jason Collett announces companion EP to his forthcoming album Rat A Tat Tat.
• k-os to tour with Drake in 2010
• Ohbijou and Stars featured on lullabye compilation alongside Sigur Ros, O+S, Telekinesis & more.

I arrived at the Horseshoe just in time for Arietta, having missed out on earlier sets from Songs From a Room and The Darcys. I was particularly bitter about missing the Darcys, whose recent video session with Southern Souls offers a glimpse at what they're capable of.