Wolf Parade

The ratio of what has been written about Wolf Parade to the act's actual output is staggering. Welcome to 2006, where a band can go from releasing a demo to headlining a club tour in the blink of an eye -- all thanks to a few tastemaking blogs. Needless to say, the Montreal natives in Wolf Parade are taking full advantage of the buzz. Apologies to Queen Mary, their sole album (released on Sub Pop in 2005) is a really good, if derivative, work. It has a vaguely unique sound -- all jittery guitars and surprising synth touches, with wounded-puppy-dog yelping for vocals. Recorded in part by Isaac Brock, Apologies sounds a lot like the work of Brock's band, Modest Mouse. As a live act, the Wolves have garnered both glowing and scathing reviews, depending on the night. It's hard to say if Wolf Parade will make any kind of impact beyond this album; hipsters are a notoriously fickle bunch, and you can guarantee the indie hype machine is churning out something else this very minute.