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Serena Ryder's got our number. It’s been a while since we’ve heard from the Juno-winning artist from tiny Millbrook, Ont., who’s won the hearts of Canadian fans with her big, bluesy voice and anthemic songs. Now, the “Stompa (What I Wouldn't Do)” singer is back with a stirring, gospel-inflected rock number that seems certain to get listeners clapping their hands and stomping their feet all over again. Listen: Serena Ryder - Got Your Number

From Los Angeles via New York comes a fresh new group, led by sassy Sarah McTaggart, with a hot summer jam. The electro-pop sounds of this track are catchy and hypnotic — in other words, totally irresistible. “Only love you when you’re someone,” singer McTaggart coos over a bubbly beat. “I wrote this song about my love/hate relationship with Los Angeles,” explains McTaggart, who shares stylistic similarities with Lorde and Lana Del Rey. “Everyone here wants something so desperately.” Be warned: the three-minute song, a dystopian cocktail of desire and dread, is impossible to forget once it worms its way into your head. Listen: Transviolet - LA Love    

News that the Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie has terminal brain cancer shocked a nation that has long embraced the band affectionately known as just “the Hip.” The May revelation also made tickets to its summer tour. There’s a deep love for the Hip, whose songs seem to define what it means to be Canadian. The band, which gave a command performance for the Queen in 2002, showcases the talents of poet-singer Downie throughout their latest album. On “In a World Possessed by the Human Mind,” his lyrics have a spooky foreshadowing: “Just give me the news, it can all be lies/Exciting over fair, or the right thing at the right time.” But there’s plenty of spirit in songs like “Great Soul,” In Sarnia”...