My folks used to wait until after my birthday (late November) before decorating for Christmas. After that, all bets were off and we’d go wild with decorations—not to mention drooling over the Sears Wish Book…ahh, pages and pages of toys.

I (heart) music’s annual list of the hottest bands in Canada is somewhat of a similar event for me, as this mammoth list signals that it’s time to start thinking about my own year-end countdowns.  Of course, instead of looking forward to toys and holiday parties, it’s a time to look back over the year and take stock of all that was.

As for the big list itself, it’s an impressive and fairly comprehensive rundown of everyone who’s anyone in Canadian indie music.  I’m sure there are people who will bemoan the position of their favourite band, but if you ask me the top 3 of Caribou, Plants & Animals and Chad VanGaalen is pretty spot-on.  I was also very pleasantly surprised to see Bruce Peninsula take #5.  Sure, they’ve only released 2 songs so far, but there’s a fire brewing behind these guys & gals and its going to explode in 2009.

Of course, as is the nature of the beast, half of my picks didn’t make the final top 30, but Matthew’s rounded up all the straggler’s here.  I was particularly surprised that Old Man Luedecke wasn’t represented, but judging by the comments below the list I’m not the only one who wanted to see the renowned banjo troubadour given some attention.  Other picks of mine that didn’t make it included Culture Reject, whose self-titled debut is definitely one of my favourites from this year, as well as Jenny Omnichord, The Burning Hell and Sunparlour Players.

Check out the mighty list for yourself right here and let the year-end madness begin!

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Speaking of Culture Reject, here he is performing “Inside the Cinema” for Zunior.tv:

Culture Reject - Inside the Cinema

Old Man Luedecke - Proof of Love