Having spent nine months very recently in Canada, I became privy to a whole host of new music and new bands. Most of them, I have to admit, did not hit the mark for me. The music scene in Canada seems like it is lingering in the past with some very "safe"sounding bands who are very, very similar to each other. It is almost as if the country has found a formula that it likes and has decided to stick with it.

Bands such as 3 Days Grace, Mariana’s Trench and Our Lady Peace are the types of bands I am talking about. Very generic rock music and not much variety. You could even add Breaking Benjamin to that list. Don’t get me wrong, these bands are very successful and deserve everything they have earned, but they just aren’t my cup of tea.

However, towards the end of my trip I saw, on TV, an advert for Alexander Keith’s beer and the song on the advert was very catchy to me. I immediately went on the Internet (Google is a godsend) and queried the song on the advert. I was led to The Stills. After sitting down and listening to their album; ’Oceans Will Rise'I believe I have found a Canadian band that appeals to me.

They hail from Montreal and are therefore French Canadian, but their music is very indie rock, much like the style of New Yorkers: Interpol. Whilst their music is more upbeat than Interpol’s I do get the feeling they both have similar tastes in music themselves and similar inspirations.

Stand out tracks on the album include ’I’m With You’, the song from the advert. It is very catchy and rather U2-esque. ’Everything I Build'is a slow-paced, beautifully crafted song and could be my favourite. ’Snow in California'and ’Don’t Talk Down'are both great songs in their own right as well. Give them a try, and I really have to say if you are into waking up and going for a jog in the morning, some of this upbeat Canadian music make for great running accessories.