Cold Specks was fantastic at this year’s CMW. The festival as a whole? Not so much.

If you were paying attention to the local Twittersphere over the course of the last week, you probably saw a fair bit of mention of Canadian Music Week. Many of those mentions were comparing it to the city’s other major music festival, North by Northeast, and the comparisons were almost universally negative. The consensus was basically as follows: even if you’re working it as a writer, PR hack, or record-industry type, North by Northeast is fun. CMW is an event where you can see some great bands, but will generally leave frustrated.

We’re inclined to agree. There’s plenty to like about CMW, of course, which is why we spent a week writing about its shows. But even though it’s older and better established than North by Northest, it’s now vastly outshone by its younger counterpart.

Here are six things that are wrong with CMW, and how they can be fixed.

1 The branding is terrible.

Is this Canadian Music Week or Canadian Music Fest? Apparently it’s both. Canadian Music Week is the overarching week-long music-industry shindig, which features a conference, as well as comedy and film festivals. Canadian Music Fest is just the music festival. However, your Canadian Music Fest bracelet will also get you into the comedy shows and the film screenings. Clear? No?

If Canadian Music Week/Fest/whatever wants to generate a little more enthusiasm about its event, its organizers could start by figuring out what the hell it’s called.

2 There are no rules.

While your wristband will get you into comedy shows, there’s no guarantee it’ll let you see many bands. Far too many concerts this year were labeled “limited passes and wristbands allowed.” What that actually meant varied from venue to venue. At the Mod Club, it meant that there was a cap on the number wristbands let in to see CHVRCHES. At The Crawford, it meant that there were no wristbands let in after midnight, regardless of how few people were in the bar, and also regardless of the fact that during a festival, most people like to move between venues. Add to that the fact that holders of VIP wristbands were still required to line up, and you’re left with the impression that CMW’s festival passes are near worthless.

It’s pretty clear that some establishments are just using CMW as an excuse to stay open later. This happens at NXNE, too, but at least they have to put in some sort of effort. Let’s make it clear what a bracelet or pass does and doesn’t entitle a festival-goer to do. It would also be helpful if CMW would set some clear expectations for its venues.

3 The big acts aren’t accessible.

If there’s one thing North by Northeast does well, it’s making big-name acts accessible. Over the years, we’ve managed to see the likes of Ghostface Killah, Iggy Pop, and The Flaming Lips for free, in Yonge-Dundas Square. CMW, on the other hand, tosses big names on the bill, then makes them hard to see. The A$AP Rocky and Rihanna show was largely sold out before a single wristband was allowed in. The Grade and Choke showcase at the Mod Club, Austra, and Action Bronson were all limited-pass shows. CMW puts big names on its posters, but for many attendees this ends up being a form of bait and switch.

Either keep the festival restricted to unknowns, rising stars, and blog-buzz bands, or make sure people can actually see the the megastars.

4 There are too many mistakes.

The app doesn’t work. The set times on the website are wrong. Shows require special, previously unknown “media guestlists” for photographers. Headliners cancel without warning.

A 32 year-old festival should be smoother than this. Period.

5 There are too few repeat performances.

During NXNE, most bands have at least two gigs. If a band has a good show, it allows them to build a buzz and play before a bigger crowd the next time around. At CMW, most bands only play once. This is unfortunate. Finding those word-of-mouth hits is one of the most enjoyable parts of NXNE.

Why not give CMW’s performers some sort of opportunity to build buzz throughout the festival? The organizers could cut the number of bands and try to give each band two shows.

6 Who the hell is in charge of quality control?

There were 1,000 bands playing CMW. Some of them were excellent, but there were far too many generic rawk bands, industrial acts that dressed like Orgy tribute bands, and rappers who couldn’t find a decent rhyme scheme if it kneed them in the face. We realize registration fees have become a cash cow for CMW’s organizers, but the money has clearly blinded them to the fact there are some truly bad bands on the roster. There are far, far too many deluded musicians wasting everyone’s time at CMW. Someone needs to listen to these demos more carefully.

Listen, CMW. We want to love you. You’re a venerable institution. We saw some great shows this year. Unfortunately, we also saw some terrible ones, and missed others entirely because the schedule was wrong, or we couldn’t get in and no one would tell us why, or else they cancelled at the last minute.

Until you fix these things, you’ll always be seen as the discount-store knock-off version of North by Northeast, even if you were here first.

Dean Povinsky of Wildlife at The Great Hall.

With another Canadian Music Week behind us, bands are now continuing their tours beyond Toronto or heading home to places like Korea, Australia, Germany, and Scarborough. Yesterday, we left you with a wrap-up of some of the best acts we saw at CMW over the course of the weekend.

Today, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite CMW moments in photos for your viewing pleasure. Check out the gallery above to see what you missed, or to reminisce on a very busy week.

Photos by Corbin Smith/Torontoist.

The Stanfields tear shit up at the El Mocambo on Wednesday.

We’re now halfway through the 2013 edition of Canadian Music Week. Here are the shows that have impressed us so far, for whatever reason.

Sara Hennessey
FROM: Toronto, Ontario
PERFORMED: Tuesday March 19, 8:15 p.m. at the Central

Sarah Hennessey looks mildly terrified at The Central.

Pre-Show Hype: Pretty high. Hennessey’s a recognizable face and name even to those not too familiar with Toronto’s comedy scene, because of her work on Video On Trial.

Performance: Killer. As the lone female representative in the That Was Great comedy lineup (apart from co-host Amanda Brooke Perrin, whose sample tracks for the show’s theme song should qualify her for next year’s CMW as a musician), Hennessey was adorable, sweet, painfully awkward and actually pretty gross all at the same time, in the best way possible.

Best Moment: Hennessey opened and closed her set with some tips on how to be in a long-term relationship (what standup would be complete without some humblebragging), but really nailed how not to introduce yourself to your boyfriend or girlfriend’s family for the first time.

Miscellaneous: You’ll think twice about sharing a cigarette at a party after hearing Hennessey’s standup.

Verdict: There’s a reason she’s one of Toronto’s favourite comedians.

Mark Forward
FROM: Toronto, Ontario
PERFORMED: Tuesday March 19, 8:30 p.m. at the Central

Mark Forward breaks out the ukulele at The Central.

Pre-Show Hype: High. He was the headliner of the night, and a constant stream of entertaining comedy acts had kept spirits high.

Performance: Gut-busting. Forward’s tone was noticeably more downtrodden compared to the upbeat and energetic comics before him, but from the moment he busted out his ukelele to play “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol he had the audience practically gleeful.

Best Moment: Forward’s quiet, mumbled delivery is the perfect vessel for a good non sequitur.

Miscellaneous: A warning for anyone at a future Mark Forward standup performance: don’t get too emotionally involved.

Verdict: He’s a treasure. Catch him live when you can here in Toronto. But since he spends quite a bit of time touring Canada, it might be easier to get a glimpse of him on the CBC’s Mr. D, or on Twitter.

Outlaws and Gunslingers Americana Music Association Showcase
FROM: All over, really
PERFORMED: Wednesday March 20, 8:30 p.m. at The Horseshoe Tavern

Oh Susanna wowing the crowd at The Horseshoe.

Pre-Show Hype: Fairly high. We almost didn’t get in.

Performance: Solid from start to finish.

Best Moment: While the likes of Jim Cuddy and Justin Rutledge were the bigger draws, it was the beautiful voice of Oh Susanna (Suzie Ungerleider) that really wowed us. Her “Lucky Ones,” in particular, worked like a beautiful country lullaby—one of those songs that commands every person in a bar to stop their side conversations and simply listen to something powerful.

Miscellaneous: Also worth mentioning is that Daniel Romano might be the best dressed man at all of Canadian Music Week. A pastel-blue sequined suit? Well done sir, well done. Plus, his song “Chicken Bill” plays like a double-time version of Jimmy Dean’s “Big Bad John,” which makes for a solid reminder of the rich history of country music.

Verdict: If you wanted some country twang on Wednesday night, The Horseshoe Tavern was the place to be.

CHVRCHES
FROM: Glasgow, Scotland
PERFORMED: Wednesday March 20, 10 p.m. at The Mod Club

Pre-Show Hype: Beyond reason. After Rihanna, CHVRCHES was probably this year’s most-hyped band. Again, we’d like to point out that the band doesn’t have an album out yet.

Performance: Pretty good. They’re not big on stage presence yet, and it’s clear they’re a little overwhelmed by the hype, but frontwoman Lauren Mayberry has a strong, clear voice, and synth players Iain Cook and Martin Doherty were able to recreate some relatively complex sounds live. The fact that the crowd already knew the words to the single, “The Mother We Share,” speaks volumes about where this band is headed.

Best Moment: They did a Prince cover as an encore. This automatically made us like them even more.

Miscellaneous: Lauren Mayberry has a masters in journalism. Wisely, she set that aside to go into the much-more-lucrative synthpop industry.

Verdict: CHVRCHES isn’t quite ready for prime time, but it’s getting there.

SoHo Ghetto
FROM: Halifax, Nova Scotia
PERFORMED: Wednesday March 20, 11 p.m. at El Mocambo, Downstairs

SoHo Ghetto folk things up.

Pre Show Hype: Mild to moderate.

Performance: This Haligonian seven-member folk-pop outfit had plenty of people dancing to its (mostly) upbeat tunes throughout the set. The band in its entirety is very entertaining to watch. The music floats in and out of different genres, which may or may not be a good thing depending on your expectations. Regardless, SoHo Ghetto definitely has the talent to deliver an entertaining show on any given night.

Best Moment: Lead vocalist Marc-Antoine Robertson was putting on such an impressive show that he left a pool of sweat onstage.

Miscellaneous: Prior to Wednesday’s performance, the group appeared on Q107. We’re not quite sure why, seeing as how all the members are under 50.

Verdict: It’s no surprise that this band got signed immediately after its performance at last year’s CMW.

Chip-Fu
FROM: Brooklyn, New York
PERFORMED: Wednesday March 20, 1 a.m. at The Crawford

Pre-Show Hype: Nil. We were the only media outlet to mention Chip-Fu in pre-show coverage, although for what it’s worth, we were pretty excited.

Performance: Non-existent. Not only did Chip-Fu not show up, but we weren’t told that he wasn’t playing until we asked.

Best Moment: When the door guy didn’t know who Chip-Fu was, and we were told to ask “the food guy”—a man selling corn soup out of Solo cups—if he was playing.

Miscellaneous: There was a man selling corn soup out of Solo cups.

Verdict: There are no words to express how massively pissed off we were about this whole debacle. To add insult to injury, we had to pay to get in after being told that our bracelets were no good after midnight. This in spite of the fact there were 12 people in the bar.

The Zolas
FROM: Vancouver, British Columbia
PERFORMED: Thursday March 21, 10 p.m. at The Rivoli

Pre-Show Hype: Fair. Core members Zachary Gray and Tom Dobrzanski already have a following for their previous band Lotus Child. Ancient Mars, the Zolas’ new album, has gotten some decent reviews. Plus, the band was returning to Canadian soil after having played SXSW.

Performance: No glaring deficiencies, but the Zolas didn’t set the room on fire (and with the next two acts being “secret,” they were the headliners). Gray explained, between songs, that he’d spent the previous two days in bed, chugging oil of oregano to rehabilitate his voice post-SXSW.

Best Moment: The crowd was definitely animated—heads bopping, toes tapping—for the fifth song in the set, “Strange Girl.”

Miscellaneous: The band started a bit late, and might have made more of an impact with more than a 20-odd-minute set, but there were no time extensions (probably so “secret” acts Finger 11 and Treble Charger weren’t shortchanged). When Gray asked after 10:30 p.m. if the band could do two more songs, the sound tech replied sternly, “you have two minutes.”

Verdict: Catchy melodic tunes, but an off night for the under-the-weather Gray. Maybe the Zolas will rock out harder tonight (they play the Horseshoe Tavern at 8:30 p.m.)

Miesha and the Spanks
FROM: Calgary, Alberta
PERFORMED: Thursday March 21, 10 p.m. at the Dakota Tavern

Pre-Show Hype: Hard to say. For about nine or 10 people gathered in a crescent around the stage, it seemed like Miesha and the Spanks’ set was the high point of the night. For everyone else, the show was half early-evening mingling.

Performance: Solid, even deceptively so. You couldn’t help getting the impression that Miesha Louie was a little nervous, watching her eyes dart from her feet to the audience and back again. Still, that’s not a criticism—if nothing else, it was endearing. The combination of chunky fuzztone leading a tight, breezy rhythm brought to mind an unholy union of Sloan and Sleigh Bells, dripping with Louie’s fiery, whisky-soaked vocals. By the end of the set, knowing basically nothing about the group before we arrived, there was a moment or two of scanning the stage to make sure we hadn’t missed the bass player. That’s how powerful this shy Calgary pair’s sound became. (Louie plays with drummer Stuart Bota.)

Best Moment: Realizing that there actually was no bass player at all.

Miscellaneous: When an Alberta band plays in a Toronto bar that goes full-out for a Wild West theme, there’s always this awkward, self-conscious moment where you wonder how excruciatingly lame they think it is.

Verdict: A solid 8. Come back sooner, Louie and Bota.

Acres of Lions
FROM: Victoria, British Columbia
PERFORMED: Thursday March 21, 11 p.m. at the Dakota Tavern

Pre-Show Hype: Very enthusiastic. Around several tables, mouths were accurately singing the words.

Performance: Whenever a band with a heavy lyrical and vocal element starts singing wistful, longing songs, a comparison to Bruce Springsteen is inevitable. We found ourselves making one early in this show, drawing mental references to The Gaslight Anthem, for example. Acres of Lions were definitely the apex of the evening’s energy. Dreamily reverbed guitar was alight. Keyboards, sparingly laced throughout, sparkled. The production values, sound quality, and even the overall confidence of vocalist Jeffrey Kalesnikoff were evidence that this band, going on its fourth, certainly knows what the hell it’s doing. “Fuck it, I know we’re pretty loud,” Kalesnikoff laughed at one point, “but I kinda like it.”

Best Moment: Recognizing that there indeed is a West Coast sound that doesn’t immediately conjure up thoughts of Jack Johnson.

Miscellaneous: While caught in the reverie we refer to under “Best Moment,” suddenly the band started singing a chorus that went, “may all roads lead you home.” (This writer is from British Columbia.) Get out of our heads, Acres of Lions.

Verdict: 8 or 8.5.

No Brain
FROM: Seoul, South Korea
PERFORMED: Thursday March 21, 12 a.m. at Tattoo Rock Parlor

Pre-Show Hype: Very little outside of the Korean community.

Performance: With an odd mix of ‘90s pop-punk and ‘80s pop-metal, a frontman charismatic enough to break through the language barrier, and the sort of cohesiveness that can only come from spending more than a decade as a band, No Brain was one of the best things we’ve seen all week.

Best Moment: When vocalist Bulldaegal attempted to teach the non-Koreans in the crowd a smattering of phonetic Korean so they could sing along, too.

Miscellaneous: At least two girls in the audience had full-on Beatlemania-style freakouts, while one male audience member demanded multiple sweaty bro-hugs.

Verdict: No Brain is basically our new favourite band.

Wildlife
FROM: Toronto, Ontario
PERFORMED: Thursday March 21, 12 a.m. at The Great Hall

Wildlife have something very important to tell you.

Pre-Show Hype: Pretty good. The Great Hall had filled up, and the milling crowd surged to the front as the band began its set five minutes early.

Performance: The half-dozen uniformly dressed men on stage were playing to the balcony, alright. The Great Hall’s a fairly large space, and they filled it with impassioned anthems, grand gestures (there were a lot of arms in the air), and a lot of sweat left on the stage.

Best Moment: Tough call. The set was consistently high energy. “Lightning Tent” and “Bad Dream” did sort of stand out.

Miscellaneous: The boys are still wearing all black with yellow armbands. Oh, and lead singer Dean Povinsky dedicated one song “to NOW Magazine.” (Where’s Torontoist‘s shout-out, Dean?)

Verdict: Showmen with a new quiver full of sweeping tunes. They may not quite be ready for a stadium, but large halls, no problem.

The Mohawk Lodge
FROM: Toronto, Ontario
PERFORMED: March 22, 12 a.m. at the Dakota Tavern

Pre-Show Hype: About half of the midnight crowd at the Dakota was there to see The Mohawk Lodge, we’d say.

Performance: Holy hell, this was what a wall of sound is actually meant to accomplish. Somehow, the Canadian Music Week pressers and brochures describe The Mohawk Lodge as “psychedelic,” and sure, we guess? There’s certainly a cerebral element to the way the band’s set began, vocals crying out against the soup-thick echo reverb of guitar—like a voice at the bottom of a well, we thought. Eventually, the guitar took over, the bass of its low fifth chords hammering every chest in the crowd. The dark, cowboy-esque singing was vaguely psychedelic, but overall, this set brought to mind more of the experimentation heard in ’90s-era rock, especially the sort we heard locally. Fugazi meets The Skydiggers.

Best Moment: We can’t remember the title for the life of us, but one track in particular stood out as an especially eerie tribute to our beautiful mess of a city. Like a slow waltz, it was a sonic enshrinement of what Toronto’s own urban wilderness can be—the wee-hour homeward wanderings, the desolate laneways.

Miscellaneous: There’s probably a headbanging-to-navelgazing ratio that, if tipped in favour of the former, disqualifies a band from using the label “psychedelic.” To The Mohawk Lodge’s credit, we think it falls on the headbanging side of that divide.

Verdict: 8.

Not sure where to go for CMW? Don’t worry. We have you covered.

The crowd at The Horseshoe last night was stoked for CMW.

Paper Bag Palace
Global Village Backpackers (460 King Street West)
Thursday, 9 p.m.

Brittany Brooks, Kelly Mischunk, and Hayley Robateau—the three members of Paper Bag Palace, all from St. Catharines, Ontario—released their first self-titled EP on July 22, 2012. The “folk-indie-rock” trio, to use the CBC’s description, is about as energetic in its touring as its music suggests. The group has performed whirlwind engagements across Southern Ontario over much of the last year. They have a free-spirited folksy mobility that really opens up the possibilities, audience-wise.

Driven by a simple arrangement of bass guitar, rhythm guitar, and violin, tracks such as “Rabbit Foot” enchant as much on the street corner as they do from the stage, whether that’s in a theatre or a coffee house. There’s a busking-friendly quality to Paper Bag Palace. As a venue, the Global Village makes a lot of sense in that light.

Go if: You like your music with a hint of wanderlust.

Efterklang
The Mod Club (720 College Street)
Thursday, 10 p.m.

Efterklang’s first three albums (Tripper, Parades, and Magic Chairs) introduced North America to the Danish outfit. Now that the group is down to three members for the first time since it formed in 2000 (drummer Thomas Husmer left the band in 2011), the remaining members—Casper Clausen, Mads Brauer, and Rasmus Stolberg—may have produced their best yet. Piramida, Efterklang’s fourth album, is full of sounds the trio recorded in an abandoned Russian coal-mining settlement of the same name. Their live show is said to be even more impressive than their recordings, in part because they’ve got a few extra bandmates on hand for their tour.

Go if: You want a show with beautiful music, and a romantic back story too.

The Bokononists
Bovine Sex Club (542 Queen Street West)
Thursday, 10 p.m.

Musically speaking, there really is something about Winnipeg. Blame it on the incomparable cold of Portage and Main in midwinter, perhaps, or the massively vaulting, horizon-to-horizon sky that lifts the soul any time of year. Whatever it is, the banks of the Assinniboine teem with some of the best, rawest music in Canada. The Bokononists are part of that tradition. Described by the Manitoban as “no bullshit, in-your-face rock and roll,” these dreadlocked skuzzrockers bring a tight, pared-down, Prairie honesty, pulsing with the grimy tempo of a Manitoba road trip.

And here we thought the Vonnegut reference in their name was reason enough to check them out.

Go if: You can feel the cold in your bones, and you like it.

Karim Ouellet
The Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen Street West)
Thursday, 10 p.m.

Karim Ouellet is a relatively new presence in Canadian music. Even so, in only a few years (his debut album, Plume, came out in 2011), he’s secured a spot as one of Quebec City’s most promising rising stars. His sophomore release, Fox, features some pretty catchy French tracks, with a persistent upbeat rhythm that calls to mind his nomadic upbringing across Senegal, Canada, France, Rwanda, and Tunisia. And with acts like Peter Peter and Eight and a Half following him at the Gladstone, CMW-goers are in for a bonne nuit.

Go if: You want to make your festival truly Canadian by going bilingual.

Action Bronson
The Hoxton (69 Bathurst Street)
Thursday, 11 p.m.

Chef-turned-rapper Action Bronson had a pretty big year in 2012. He dropped two hugely popular mixtapes, made guest appearances on a seemingly endless number of singles, and signed his first major-label deal with the Warner-affiliated Vice Records. The Queens-based MC has earned comparisons to Ghostface Killah and Kool G Rap for his sharp delivery and complex metaphors, and he’s already a critical favourite.

Go if: You want to see someone rap about poutine, Tunisian olives, and ahi tuna.

Wildlife
The Great Hall (1087 Queen Street West)
Thursday, 12 a.m.

It’s no easy feat to follow as thunderous an act as Kingston duo PS I Love You, but hometown half-dozen Wildlife are game for it. They’ll be debuting a bunch of epic songs off their new LP, …On The Heart, produced by Peter Katis (who’s worked with The National and Interpol). They impressed us with their live show at last year’s CMW.

Go if: You want to clear your head and palate with some epic rock-and-roll anthems.

No Brain
Tattoo Rock Parlor (567 Queen Street West)
Thursday, 12 a.m.

For a decade-and-a-half, Korean punk band No Brain have been their country’s antidote to K-Pop. Loud, anthemic, and with a clear SoCal pop-punk influence, this group is the voice of Korea’s misfits and weirdos.

Go if: You want to see what’s going on in Korea, other than Psy and Girls Generation.

Not sure where to go for CMW? Don’t worry. We have you covered.

Kidstreet, feeling the love at Canadian Music Week 2011.

Jeff Loomis
The Opera House (735 Queen Street East)
Wednesday, 8:30 p.m.

Loomis is best known for his guitar wizardry in the progressive power-metal band Nevermore, where he reigned as lead guitarist for 20 years. But, since 2005, he has enjoyed a successful career on his own, resulting in two solo records. He’s currently writing a third, with Portland-based studio guitarist Keith Merrow.

This show should provide Loomis with the perfect opportunity to showcase some new material, as well as some songs from 2012′s Plains of Oblivion. He plays a seven-string guitar and is known for his intricate style, making tonight’s performance enticing for gearheads and technique junkies alike.

If seven-string gymnastics are your bag, this is not to be missed.

Go if: You want to see a genuine guitar gladiator go to work on the strings.

DIANA
The Mod Club (720 College Street)
Wednesday, 9 p.m.

DIANA—also known as Joseph Shabason (saxophonist for Destroyer), Kieran Adams (of Bonjay), and Carmen Elle (of Army Girls)—had a banner 2012. That’s not only because it was the trio’s first year as a full band (Adams and Shabason took their time finding Elle to provide the vocals), but also because they quickly became “Toronto’s next band to watch.” Their ’70s-inspired blend of chilled-out grooves, atmospheric tones, Elle’s soft vocals, and some killer brass is worthy of the hype. Be sure to show up early to the CHVRCHES show tonight at the Mod Club for some excellent homegrown chillwave.

Go if: You haven’t given your shoes a good stare in a while.

Raekwon
Sound Academy (11 Polson Pier)
Wednesday, 9 p.m.

If you have the chance to see a legend perform his most critically acclaimed album in its entirety, you jump on it. It’s a no brainer. As a result, we assume everyone will make the annoying trek down to Sound Academy tonight to see Raekwon perform Only Built 4 Cuban Linx from end-to-end. For those of you who are too young to remember, the almost cinematic album has been credited with starting the late-’90s subgenre of Mafioso Rap. It has been hailed as one of the best hip-hop albums of the past 20 years.

Go if: You know all the words to “Incarcerated Scarfaces.”

Outlaws and Gunslingers Americana Music Association Showcase
The Horseshoe Tavern (370 Queen Street West)
Wednesday, 9 p.m.

You won’t have to put much wear on your cowboy boots tonight, because an all-star country lineup at the legendary Horseshoe Tavern means all your down-home tunes are in one place. The Outlaws and Gunslingers Showcase boasts names like Toronto alt-country kings NQ Arbuckle, Americana queen Oh Susanna, acclaimed Latin guitarist Quique Escamilla, Blue Rodeo frontman Jim Cuddy, Danny Michel (no intro needed), and Toronto favourite Justin Rutledge, whose album Valleyheart came out last month.

Go if: You want to mix a bit of Americana with the Canadiana of this music week.

CHVRCHES
The Mod Club (720 College Street)
Wednesday, 10 p.m.

Scottish electropop act CHVRCHES is the definition of a buzz band. It hasn’t released anything that even remotely looks like an album. (The group’s debut EP, Recover, isn’t set to drop until next week.) Even so, the British music press is raving. CHVRCHES has received accolades from The Guardian, NME, and Huffington Post UK, and was even compared to Robyn by the BBC.

Go if: You want to see the next big thing.

Big Things Showcase with Sweatshop Union, Wordburglar
Global Village Backpackers (460 King Street West)
Wednesday, 12 a.m.

You could find “harder” rap acts at CMW, make no mistake (check out our hip-hop guide for some of them), but you’d be hard pressed to find anyone more playful and pop-culture savvy than Halifax-to-T-Dot transplant Wordburglar, or veteran Vancouver collective Sweatshop Union. These rappers are serious about their rhymes, but they don’t take themselves too seriously.

Go if: You like your rap more geek-chic than gangsta.

Chip-Fu
The Crawford (718 College Street)
Wednesday, 1 a.m.

Hip-hop reggae fusionist Chip-Fu kind of peaked in the early ’90s as part of The Fu-Schnickens, who were riding high on the rap charts until someone made the mistake of telling the group to do a hyper-gimmicky single with aspiring rapper Shaquille O’Neal. All that said, Chip-Fu is still a great, genre-bending MC, and he can rap really, really fast.

Go if: You want to hear some rapid-fire rhymes.

Not sure where to go for CMW? Don’t worry. We have you covered.

Janelle Monáe goes crowd surfing at the 2011 Indie Awards, while audience members snap pictures and a creepy man wears a black mask. Ah, CMW. Photo by Roger Cullman, from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.

That Was Great
The Central (603 Markham Street)
Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.

If the third time’s the charm, then the second time is still part of that exciting, slightly risky, will-they-or-won’t-they phase. That’s where That Was Great finds itself. (The monthly comedy showcase, hosted by Amanda Brooke Perrin and Mikey Kolberg, had its inaugural event in February.) Not that there’s really a risk of this month’s edition not going well: the lineup of standups can stand up against all the CMW bands slated for tonight. On the bill are award-winning comedian and current Mr. D cast member Mark Forward, ReHash podcaster Matt O’Brien, comedian and motivational speaker Anto Chan, Evan Desmarais, and standup fave Sara Hennessy, known for Video on Trial, her web series Goodbye Sara Hennessy, and the upcoming short film Secret Clubhouse. That Was Great should, yeah, be pretty great!

Go if: You want to build up your CMW stamina with some decibel decimating laughs and funnybone-crushing jokes.

A$AP Rocky
Air Canada Centre (40 Bay Street)
Tuesday, 8 p.m.

Look, you’re probably not going to be able to get in to see A$AP, because he’s Rihanna’s opening act. The powers behind this concert have sold so many tickets that they’re only letting in a very limited number of wristbands. That said, if you’re one of the lucky handful, good for you.

A$AP Rocky was hip hop’s undisputed breakout star in 2012. He has gone from internet fame to legitimate, mind-blowing superstardom in a very short period of time, and not without good reason. He has the ability to be equally engaging on spaced-out cloud-rap jams and the hyper-aggressive bangers. He also has a lot of trouble crossing our border, so see him while you can.

Go if: You’re feeling lucky.

Graydon James & The Young Novelists
The Dakota Tavern (249 Ossington Avenue)
Tuesday, 12 a.m.

Graydon James and Laura Spink. Photo by Connie Tsang.

Graydon James and his The Young Novelists bandmate Laura Spink spent last month playing an intimate weekly residency at the Cameron House. For tonight’s showcase set, the roots-rock and folk band is back at full strength, playing songs off of last year’s In the Year You Were Born.

Go if: You want to see one of Toronto’s best live roots-rock outfits, in one of the city’s best roots-rock venues.

The Rabid Whole
Bovine Sex Club (542 Queen Street West)
Tuesday, 1 a.m.

Toronto-based industrial act The Rabid Whole has spent the last five years building a devoted local fanbase, all while getting praise from as far afield as Australia and Germany. (The band has opened for acts like Apoptygma Berzerk and Hanzel und Gretel.) This stuff probably isn’t for everyone, but those who like it like it a lot.

Go if: You want to find out what all the spooky kids are into these days.

Photo by luke.champion from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.

Canadian Music Week might not be as sexy as its fair-weather cousin, NXNE. There are no outdoor shows, and cycling between venues is way less fun in the freezing rain. That said, there are still tonnes of good acts.

In addition to improving their electronic and heavy music offerings by pairing with various local promoters, this year CMW also has more film and comedy than ever, and an almost ridiculously varied line-up. Whether you’re looking for megastars (A$AP Rocky and Rihanna), blogger approved buzz bands (CHVRCHES and Light Asylum), or great artists that no one has heard of yet, there will be something that matches the description

A few broad bits of advice:

Figure out a plan of attack: Venues for CMW are far more spread out than they are for NXNE. If you want to try to hit both The Opera House and Wrongbar in the same night, you’re going to have to be very, very strategic.

Beware the late last call: We know how excited Torontonians get when our weirdly Victorian last call gets extended, but if you’re serious about seeing six nights worth of bands, you may want to pass on the late night/early morning Jägerbombs, at least in the early part of the week.

See something other than music: There are six nights of great film and excellent stand-up comedy going on. Make sure to include that in your CMW diet as well.

Don’t lose your wristband: Seriously, don’t lose your wristband.

And now, for our genre-by-genre picks…

If you’re confused about whether the band Nightbox should be classified as Irish or Canadian, then you’re not alone. With members hailing from both countries, the one thing everyone can seem to get straight is that they create an ultra-catchy style of dance-rock that makes the body want to move. They may only have one EP under their belt—a 2011 self-titled release—but it was a debut produced by the prestigious talents of MSTRKRFT’s Al-P and Death From Above 1979′s Sebastien Grainger. We had our questionnaire returned by one of the band’s Toronto-born brothers, Jake Bitove, in advance of their show (midnight at Wrongbar on Saturday).

Torontoist: Why should we see you at CMW?

Bitove: Because the bass will make your spine shake like a snake. The drums will make your liver quiver. The guitar will make your bladder splatter and the synth will freeze your knees.

What’s your favourite Toronto venue, and why?

The Horseshoe. Every time we’ve played there it’s been a dance party. We enjoy the atmosphere and intimacy that it brings.

What’s your preference: indoor or outdoor venues?

Indoor. The kids will sweat more. Although we do like a nice breeze now and then.

What’s your preference: giant music festivals, or single shows?

Festivals!

Any advice for CMW-goers?

Check out as many acts as possible. Best thing is wandering into some spot and discovering a band you’ve never heard of.

What’s your favourite moment in a concert you’ve played so far?

The sound tech at one show whipped his shirt off mid-set and joined the front of the crowd for a good ol’ dance!

What’s happening for the band after CMW?

We have started working on our full-length debut album. So the plan is to keep writing and recording for the next while. We’re really chuffed to get our new material out there soon.

The Indies are a staple of CMW, one that often includes if not the best, then at least the highest profile, line-up. That is the case again this year with acts like Dan Mangan and the reunited Treble Charger. But perhaps no band is on a more meteoric rise than Young Empires. As purveyors of world-class bombastic and body-shaking grooves, they seem to somehow be playing almost every night during the festival. We chatted briefly with bassist Jake Palahnuk.

Torontoist: Why should we see you at CMW?

Palahnuk: Because Torontoist says so.

What’s your favourite Toronto venue, and why?

Horseshoe for sure. The stage has the energy of the 50,000+ bands that have graced it before.

What’s your preference: indoor or outdoor venues?

Indoor.

What’s your preference: giant music festivals, or single shows?

Both.

Any advice for CMW-goers?

Dance like you’re not a Toronto music snob… for once.

What’s your favourite moment in a concert you’ve played so far?

Seeing Deepak Chopra bop his head at the front of our crowd.

What’s happening for the band after CMW?

Sleeping for a week—just finished two months on the road.

The Duplass brothers have carved out an interesting niche for themselves in the film community. They were instrumental in the so-called Mumblecore movement, with cost-effective gems like The Puffy Chair and Baghead paving the way for bigger ventures like 2010′s underrated Cyrus and last week’s opening of Jeff, Who Lives At Home. Jay takes the directing reins on their first documentary foray, Kevin, with Mark serving as executive producer. The film makes its Canadian premiere tonight at NFB Cinema as part of the CMW Film Fest.

The short documentary’s subject is singer-songwriter Kevin Gant, a performer who first came to the filmmakers’ attention while they were attending film school in Austin, Texas in the ’90s. Gant is wide-eyed, with a friendly smile, and his music is an interesting mish-mash of folk strumming, flamenco guitar flourishes, and spiritual lyrics delivered in an unpredictable, free-flowing cadence. It’s easy to see what would have drawn the Duplass siblings to Gant at the time. Their aim in the film is to determine what became of the entertainer since his disappearance from the scene in 1995.

Gant works for UPS, exercises regularly with radical martial arts techniques, and has not played music in ages. Accentuated by a tense re-enactment, Gant relates his experience of venturing out to California, culminating in a violent altercation with relatives who had first offered him a place to stay. Despondent, he returned home to Austin and stopped playing music altogether. Back in the present day, the director offers to bring Gant along to a film festival in Grenada, the birthplace of flamenco—a transformative experience that ultimately rejuvenates his need for song.

Clocking in at just over half an hour, the film exemplified some of the difficulties of stepping into the documentary genre. At the outset of many productions, the story, in many ways, has yet to be written, and the best films often manage to capture events that could not have been foreseen prior to turning on the cameras. Here, perhaps because of the Duplass’ narrative background, there seemed to be an attempt to steer the story in a certain direction and, though the desired end result appears to be achieved, it did leave us with a few unanswered questions.

Despite Gant finding himself much busier these days, we managed to catch up with him somewhere between his frequent stops and clarify a few of these issues.

Torontoist: Did you ever meet Jay or Mark in the ’90s when Jay was attending film school in Austin?

Gant: Jay and Mark never introduced themselves to me. As Jay describes it, he was a college student at the University of Texas, Mark came down from New York to visit and they went to 6th street to check out some music. I happened to host an open mic at a venue called the Chicago House. They peeked inside and heard me perform half a song.

What was it that initially drew you to flamenco music and that you felt connected to on a spiritual level?

I just turned 50 on March 16th. As a teenager during the ’70s, a popular sitcom, Chico and the Man, was on TV. The music intro was Jose Feliciano singing and playing guitar—fascinating, soulful guitar poetry. I’ve never (formally) learned flamenco, or any style, just tried the best I could, playing by ear.

Do you feel that you would have gotten back into music if it weren’t for the documentary?

When Jay contacted me via email, I thought he just did little homespun films as a hobby—he never made any mention of Hollywood. When I found out three months later who “the Duplass brothers” were and what they do, I felt like the black, 50-year-old version of Cinderella! Jay Duplass contacting me re-ignited my pursuit of my lifelong singular dream. It just so happens that the Duplass brothers are the greatest movie directors/producers that ever lived.

How is the music going these days? What’s happened in your life since the cameras stopped rolling?

The cameras are never going to stop rolling! I’m going to tour the world forever!

As soon as the performers took the stage everyone's smart phones lit up as people started grabbing photos and video.

Korean pop for beginners: It feels weird, but it doesn’t hurt.

Thanks to its sparkly, matching poodle dresses, Tron-era imagery, and general bubble-gum happiness, Canadian Music Week’s Korean music night at the Kool Haus was nothing short of magical—for reasons very different than any other show at the rest of the festival would have been magical. For Toronto music fans used to seeing bands too cool to smile and fans too cool to dance, Wednesday’s hyper-innocent boy-and-girl-band fiesta could be interpreted as either way too perky or joyously refreshing.

We’re going with the latter. It was pretty much the best.

The first four acts of the night—which took a different tone from the more alt-offerings later on—where characterized by explosive enthusiasm and smooth moves. Girls rushed the stage and squealed between the songs. The beats recalled Gaga or Timbaland, and the performers were immaculately coiffed visions of 18-year-old perfection.

Fans were lined up literally around the block for the Korean showcase fest at Kool Haus.

The rundown:

A Pink: Seven sassy girls in matching, sparkly, pale-pink poodle dresses. Their jaunty movements were hypnotic, their voices mediocre, and their English-language banter lacking a certain degree of depth. “We went to the CN Tower and Niagara Falls!” one singer exclaimed, while the audience cheered. “I love Canada!” noted another. More cheers. Their music sounded like a bunch of girls re-doing the final scene from Revenge of the Nerds, as Torontoist photographer Dean Bradley astutely noted.

Teen Top: This classic boy band delivered everything their name might lead one to expect. Comprised of six youthful lads dressed like Sgt. Pepper met Kanye and then turned into a robot made of gold, the group made the ladies in the crowd go particularly wild. Think ‘N Sync crooning over a happy-hardcore beat. They sang, they danced, they made us yearn for more. They weren’t kidding when they offered to show us “crazy, hot, and sexy.” Scha-wing!

G.NA: One thing made itself clear when the beautiful G.NA (pronounced “Gina”) strutted on stage with only four backup dancers. The smaller the entourage, the better the lead vocalist. With pipes reminiscent of Christina Aguilera and weighty, Timbaland-style beats, the Alberta and B.C.-bred songstress marked a notable elevation in singing skill that continued with her follow-up, Brian Joo.

Brian Joo: Before he even took the stage, the crowd was chanting his name. “Brian! Brian! Brian!” It was only after we realized that all of his songs had more famous English-language parallels that things got weird. This U.S.-born charmer—in gold-accented duds, which seems like sort of a K-pop requirement—filled his set with Korean renditions of North American Top-40 hits. But he sure could belt them out. Jason Derulo’s “In My Head” got a particularly strong fan response, but that “falling like a domino” song seemed to do pretty well too. He also used the controversial catchphrase “no homo” at least once, to refer to his bros-only affection for a member of Teen Top.

KRNFX: This is where things got seriously real. KRNFX is a killer beatboxer who won Canada’s first-ever beatbox championship in 2010, and took the South Korean title in 2007 and 2009. While not listed on the show schedule, his brief set was the highlight of the evening. His sound is a departure from hip hop, toward something more like dubstep meets techno. The best part is that this wiz kid is from Toronto, so you too can one day experience the magic otherwise known as Terry Im.

Torontoist skipped out before the evening took a turn for the punk-ish, but can definitively say we left feeling the kind of happy that manifests itself in cartoon animals with human faces, exploding hearts, and clouds shaped like seals. These performances were fun, entertaining, and full of heart.

A perky tune and a choreographed dance really can go a long way.

During Canadian Music Week, there will be many bands that will leave you feeling indifferent. Dirty Penny won’t be one of those. Catch them when they play the Cadillac Lounge tonight at 8 p.m. We spoke with the band’s frontman, the enigmatic JC Penny himself.

Why should we see you at CMW?

Penny: Dirty Penny has a policy called OAM—Original Act for Mankind—which states that every show must contain some performance art that is completely original to human history. We provide each audience member with a story that begins with, “hey, I saw this band last night and they did this freaky thing,” to tell their friends the next day around the photocopier. Secondly, we’re a straight-up mash-up of Pixies, Ween, and Velvet Underground. If you like those bands you won’t be disappointed. We’ve been playing for 11 years. Finally, we’re actually a Canadian band. Half our songs are about Canada. We use French liberally. Our members are of Guyanese, Indian, Sri Lankan, Scottish, and French-Canadian descent. The CBC never returns our emails.

What’s your favourite Toronto venue, and why?

That’s a tie between the El Mocambo and The Horseshoe. Bad sound can kill any performance no matter how awesome the musicians are. Secondly, the space should be big enough and well-designed for both audience and band. These are the two essentials. Sound and space. The El Mo and The Horseshoe excel at both compared to all the other venues we’ve played in Toronto. However, if I may, The Starlight in Waterloo was equally excellent the one time we played there.

What’s your preference: indoor or outdoor venues?

Indoor. No contest. The sound is unpredictable [outside] and you might as well be playing to the merciless ocean.

What’s your preference: giant music festivals, or single shows?

Single shows. See ocean comment above.

Any advice for CMW-goers?

Only go see independent bands, i.e., not owned by a corporation. I know, who has the time to figure that out? Here’s a good rule of thumb. One: Read the CMW band listings. Two: If a band name makes you smile, giggle, or shiver, Google them. Three: Give them five minutes to impress you. Four: Return to band listings and repeat. We are little people. We put ten bucks here, 20 bucks there. But if we all thought about that 20 bucks for a minute each time we spent it, Sony Music would cry sweet tears of pain.

What’s your favourite memory of one of your own concerts?

Playing the CMJ Music Festival last year in NYC. At the end of “Bomb Ardier,” our story song about a fictional lynching of a French-Canadian slumlord by a poor English mob, a New Yorker actually yelled out, “Did that really happen?” Our singer, JC Penny, replied, “Da French once ruled da world!”

What’s happening for the band after CMW?

Third album release. Done tracking. Being mixed right now. Title is “Sorry Mom”. Dedicated to the mothers of fallen Canadian soldiers.