The coolest band to ever feature the accordion and dress up all in white for live shows, the Gay is the Vancouver mini-mini-supergroup (the New Pornographers having already taken the title of mini-supergroup). All five members have toiled in other Vancouver bands like Maow, the Tennessee Twin, Superconductor and the previously-mentioned Vancouver Nights. Add in some Kurt Dahle playing the role of pseudo-Svengali, and you’ve got pop music that’ll make you get up and dance. If you like accordions.

Really, though, there must be something in the water in B.C. Sure, there’s been a bunch of “volume-up-to-11″ bands from the area, D.O.A. and Skinny Puppy being two obvious examples. But christ on a stick, the number of bands specializing in the cute and cuddly market is astonishing. It’s like the Pacific Northwest was weaned on a diet of non-stop Care Bears countdowns. Ah, but who can resist peppy little numbers like “Lonely?” Not me. Not you. Not no one.