This is a thread for recommending bands local to your area, who are little known outside of your hometown. Vancouver has a ton of kickass bands that under the radar (at least for now) that the world deserves to know.

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

We have a thread for this here.