Any time you read about Nathan Lawr, the phrase "singing-drummer" is sure to not be far behind (see?). But it's with good reason, as for a time Lawr was one of the best and most versatile drummers in the Guelph/Toronto indie community. But his transformation into a singer-songwriter, so unexpected eight years ago, is what has made him truly special. Even better, A Sea Of Tiny Lights subtly integrates his significant rhythmic knowledge in a way that previous solo efforts had not. After waiting for what felt like an eternity (Sea was released in October '07), we've finally got this fine album on hand.

This debut offering on Blocks from Stelmanis is a defiant mixture of hot and cold, harsh and velvet textures. You're just as likely to be twirled by waltzing synths as you are to be pummelled by moments of pure noise. The album's two constants--rhythmic piano and an exceptional voice--are the rooted fulcrum upon which this tug-of-war balances. Stelmanis is a singer of considerable power and talent, but it's not so much any series of acrobatics that impresses. It is more how well suited her rich alto is to this fascinating collection of macabre art-pop. Another solid release from T.O.'s most eccentric label.

Even when he was a member of the Deadly Snakes, Chad Ross had been forging his own musical path. First known as Ghoststory, Ross has now pressed the moniker of Nordic Nomadic into service. Tellingly, both names serve as a pretty decent description of this self-titled album: a skeletal mixture of haunted folk and barren, windswept songcraft. The only remaining traces of his garage rock past can be found in his love of warm, authentic tones. An autumnal beauty and slight sense of foreboding bathes these songs in an unassuming but poignant light. A sweet treat to cap a great year for Toronto tunes.

Local hero Alex Lukashevsky has long been an artist fave, but his experimental combo Deep Dark United has never really caught on. For starters, he's not exactly big on self-promotion. Heck, we can't even find a picture of his new album on the web! But more likely, it's because for all of their solid albums, the only way to really experience DDU is live. Recorded at Tranzac earlier this year, this 13-song set may be the best case yet for Lukashevsky's work, as his marvelously idiosyncratic songs meet their match in his unhinged performances. Egged on by the gypsy/jazz clamour of his crack band, the man sings like he's in the midst of a fevered dream. Dive in!

As one-third of Les Mouches, Matthew Smith joined drummer Rob Gordon and Owen "Final Fantasy" Pallett in making noise-folk songs that teetered between cascading abrasion and soothing caress. Smith's solo work as Nifty is equally diverse but uses very different elements. Pulling from the worlds of African percussion, grimy electro-soul, patchy big band horn blasts and overlapping instrumental layers, A Sparrow! A Sparrow! is possessed with sonic wanderlust. His instincts rarely steer him wrong, creating the sort of album which becomes more memorable and intriguing the less you try to pin it down.

What strikes you first about Ottawa is its adherence to classic country pop structures. But not long afterwards, your ears are tickled by tender, wry lyrics—whether they be a winking tribute to doomed founding Rolling Stone Brian Jones or lines like "You may be as free as/ some saxophone free jazz". Swan borrows a Sweetheart Of The Rodeo template to serve as platform for a timeless collection of songs. These tunes are simple, but never simple-minded—between Swan's touching vocal delivery and the crack band's gently understated playing, everyone tows the party line to create a little gem of a disc.