Brian: Heathers are Irish twin sisters playing delectable, indie pop-basted folk that not only sounds like Tegan and Sara on paper, but CD as well. They seem to harken back to T&S's earlier days, but with more effective songwriting and the upbeat candor and constant uptempo jangle that actually makes them a decent fit on Plan-It-X. That's right, those overcutesy DIY punks are helping the siblings by releasing the duo's delicious full-length, Here, Not There., in the US. If the comparison piques your interest, definitely head over to their MySpace page where you can stream three songs.
Adam: Calgary's Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir is one of my absolute favourite bands, and I'll recommend 2003's St. Hubert or 2005's Fighting and Onions at the drop of a hat. The four piece churns out often rowdy, often dark tunes that are ostensibly roots music but far better suited for a dingy rock bar than a folk festival. Commentators have been apt at coming up with influences like Appalachian folk, delta blues, swamp country and ragged gospel. The accuracy of those tags is pretty suspect, but it sure sounds awesome. The obviously amused band recently commented "People will probably continue to describe us with nouns like moonshine, potato sacks, hobo campfire, and caveman." Figure it out for yourself at MySpace by playing "Oh Sorrow" and "Buried Them In Water." Give the new track "Never Go Home" a spin as well, it's from the band's new record Ten Thousand which was just released.