With her celebrity status and prolific output in her native Philippines, Kitchie Nadal makes a convincing argument proving that all-things-pop traverses continents. Citing Nelly Furtado, Fiona Apple, and Jewel as influences, this pop songstress delivers sunny radio-friendly gems, warm melodies, hooky arrangements with an honest vocal delivery and freshness sure to win over any crowd.

Iceland has produced Sigur Ros & Bjork, a healthy crop at only a population of 320,000, so an alterna-virtuoso that embraces scratchy vinyl blues to psych-folk is actually not surprising. Highly praised by Rolling Stone, Örn Elías Guðmundsson, aka Mugison, delivered a sonic collage of rural blues, pop ambience, glam rock, and Beck’s neo-folk meanderings presenting the full range of the spectrum that pulls influences from John Lennon to Tom Waits. Definitely one of Iceland’s finest exports

“These are songs for the people who like to drink, because god knows I do!” Diana Catherine & Thrusty Tweeters are firmly rooted in the tradition of road warriors playing-any-town-near-you while radiating good vibes onstage. This four-piece deliver uplifting gypsy-fired southern roots-rock, strong feminine vocals, combining a balladeers spirit with working-class rock fervor showcasing Diana Catherine’s natural storytelling abilities in between songs. Staying true to their path, the journey continues.

This French trio have toured tirelessly across the world, so with a mandate of discovering new music for CMW, coming across something offbeat and different is always refreshing. Papier Tigre combines post-punk inspired drama with touches of math-rock and jazzy licks strung together with pounding drum-beats, thumping basslines, weaving through mini-improv freak-outs. Hitting at the heaviness of Fugazi while carrying the torch of artsy-pretention, these guys dished-out hard-hitting energy that hints at a former something-or-another called Wavelength.

Going from indie rock to jazz crooner luckily is not a concern for Elise LeGrow, in fact, she is one those rare beings whose natural talent is something to behold. Equipped with hauntingly silky vocals in perfect harmony with a three-piece ensemble (pianist Asher Ettinger, guitarist Kiran Sachdev, and Jon Meyer on double bass) producing buoyant jazz-styled confections, her heart-tugging sincerity is both intimate and nostalgic, paying respectable homage to Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. Sassy charm counterbalanced by poise and grace while creating a captivating sound all her own.

Already on a pretty good path in The D’Urbervilles, Diamond Rings allows John O’Regan to be his own creation. Adopting a persona that blurs the line between artist and art, this glammed-up swashbuckler delivers playful beat-driven synth-pop accompanied by David Bowie theatrics filtered through an early 80’s New Wave flamboyance (Adam Ant. There I said it) Diamond Rings makes a good argument proving that a little Ziggy Stardust gender-bending and the idea of the “fictional rock star” continues to be celebrated.

As we enter a new decade, its bands like The Besnard Lakes that lend credibility to all the Montreal-dominated hype. Led by the husband and wife duo of Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas, this four-piece combines shoegaze swirliness, soft psychedelic elements, and joyful atmospheric intensity, with boy-girl harmonies floating above the layers of swooshing guitars and lush soundscapes. Exploring sonic territory that’s indebted to spacey dream-pop, The Besnard Lakes are one of those bands with the ability to mesmerize the audience.

Reuniting for a one-off show for CMW and to be inducted in the Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame, the influence of Platinum Blonde may not come as a surprise as they laid the groundwork for much of the 80’s musical landscape. These New Wave monarchs, trading in the hairspray for Brit-cool, dazzled the crowd of primarily 40-somethings with punchy glam-pop hits, musical chops and garish stage presence including the track “Somebody Somewhere” dedicated to bassist Kenny MacLean who died in 2008. A performance that cements Platinum Blonde’s place as a landmark Canadian band of the 80’s.

The clanking of gold medals, renaming it The Molson Canadian Amphitheatre, and of course, Canadian Music Fest.

One thing that could be said for sure about Airick Woodhead, he’s equal parts experimenter and songwriter, and as far as side-projects go, Doldrums allows him the opportunity to wear on his sleeves the influences only hinted at in Spiral Beach. Assembling a band (including members of Heartbeat Hotel & The Miles) to translate his home demos live, this four-piece employ a seamless blend of psych-laden electro-driven pop, touches of avant-garde and IDM leanings (think Four Tet meets Animal Collective) synchronized to live double-drumming. A sound collage that more than holds up on its own.