SNM: The Rest

Think Canada and indie rock, and chances are that most of us will immediately name Montreal as the be all and end all. But a quaint, medium-sized town from the province of Ontario is staking claim as the new centre of all things maple leaved and hip. That town is Hamilton, home to electronica darlings like the Junior Boys and Caribou, and now the residence of one of the country's most promising bands, The Rest.

Yes, it's a shite band name. But The Rest probably aren't out to impress you with clever monikers. As evidenced by their music, they much rather prefer to teleport you to the crisp air and trickling rivers of their beloved land. The seven-piece's dreamy sound dials in the daintiest parts of shoegaze, sprinkles in the occasional rush of bombast ala Arcade Fire, and then lets frontman Adam Bentley and his falsetto skip across the perilous range of human emotions.

The Rest's second album Everyone All At Once has just been released. And to top off the sheer indieness of it all, the band are giving away their debut Atlantis, Oh Our Saviour for free download on their website at www.therestmusic.com. As Arcade Fire make the slow but sure progression into stadium-sized stardom, purists can turn to The Rest for some indie-approved solitude.

To find out more, visit www.myspace.com/therestband.