What about LA's Health Club. They and the French Semester have to be some of the most viable LA projects right now. Such good songs both. . . .

OK OK, we get it, you love the French Semester. Of your ten posts, in at least eight of them, you have mentioned French Semester. I am starting to think you might be spamming, so watch it.

Deastro from Michigan is very good. He's in a few other bands as well, but none as good as Deastro. He's releasing an album next year that should get more press than he's gotten.

Said the Whale - my favorite local band. Two singer-songwriters who play pop rock influenced by the Shins, Islands, etc. Really amazing lyrics. www.myspace.com/saidthewhale

Dan Mangan - a folkie who has achieved a little success in Britain thanks to an NME compilation CD with "Journal of a Narcoleptic" on it. His recorded stuff is not as good as his live show (but it's still pretty rad) - he's working on a new CD now, which should be great. http://www.myspace.com/danmangan

Mother Mother - I can honestly say I've never heard anything like this band. They mix rock, frat-boy-folk, harmony-pop, hip-hip and country into a bizarre fusion. It's totally ADHD, structurally all-over-the-map, and one of the craziest bands to see live I've ever witnessed. They're on Last Gang records, so they're semi-known. http://www.myspace.com/mothermotherspace

Prairie Cat - he's moved to Montreal, so I'm not sure if we can claim him anymore. He plays slightly twee piano pop. It's mostly done by one guy, and it's catchy and fun, yet with a curiously detatched delivery. http://www.myspace.com/prairiecat

As far as local Calgary bands go...

Woodpigeon -Really nice, almost folky pop. I've heard them to be refered to as a cross between Sufjan Stevens and Belle and Sebastian, which I suppose is pretty apt. http://www.myspace.com/woodpigeon

Then there's Jane Vain & The Dark Matter, who opened for Cat Power at a more-or-less recent show of hers. You can hear the Cat Power influence in their sound, although it's fairly keyboard heavy, pretty electronica influenced. http://www.myspace.com/janevainsmusic

The Consonant C are a whimsical, heavy-on-the-harmony folk-pop band, with songs about threatened caribou populations and ghost stories.
http://www.myspace.com/theconsonantc

Azeda Booth -Ambient pop group with some strong electronic influences. The lead singer's voice sounds like a strange, slightly higher-pitched version of Emily Haines', if you ask me. I challenge anyone to listen to their lyrics WITHOUT raising their eyebrows.
http://www.myspace.com/azedabooth