Last weekend I had the pleasure of being in attendance at both the Pop Montreal and the coinciding Future Of Music Coalition in glorious Montreal, City of Saints.

After the panel I spoke on wrapped up, I met several cool kids who handed me various CDs, zines, business cards and flyers. I asked a couple of them to recommend the band that I should not miss that night and two very urgently insisted that I see a young Toronto unit called Spiral Beach. Apparently, it's a band primarily made up of Toronto high school kids (in grade eleven and older) that have been twisting ears for just over a year.

Sure enough I made the gig that night, and was amazed to see the venue stuffed with just about every indie and major label A&R rep in Canada, as well as several from the major US labels as well.

There were plenty of journalists in the house too, and while one cynically dismissed Spiral Beach's warped prog-lite sound as the Mini Pops meets Mr. Bungle, if their song "Voodoo" is any indication, they fall more in line with Martha and the Muffins of then and Bend Sinister of now.

Judging by the collection of boozed-up talent scouts in attendance, you may be hearing a lot more of Spiral Beach in the very near future. Until then, enjoy the secret beach before the frat kids find out!