It was my wonderful wife, Maria, who first tipped me off to The Civil Wars. It was Taylor Swift on Twitter—not that Maria follows Taylor Swift, I should hope not!—that apparently tweeted about the folksy duo and, via the power of having a million followers, launched them into atmospheric orbit.

The Civil Wars are just about a stripped down as you can guy. Joy Williams (yes, that Joy Williams) and John Paul White, a guitar, and the occasional percussion and piano. The focus though, in my opinion, isn’t so much on the instruments. What sets this band a bar above others is how well they use their voices, together. It just works, so well. White’s trembling tenor and Williams’s crisp vocal range play so well together, you have to hear it to understand.

When we saw them live in a tiny club in Toronto back in the Spring. Well, let me just say that this is one of those groups you need to see live. I’ll say that their recorded stuff, even the live recorded stuff, captures only about 40% of the power and perfection of a live performance. 40% folks.

Here are a couple of my favourite live tracks, and their single:

“Between the Bars” (Elliott Smith Cover)

“Disarm” (Smashing Pumpkins Cover)

“Barton Hollow”

Eliza Doolittle is a newcomer and a brief foray into her other music videos suggests that perhaps Pack Up is a one-off hit. Regardless, it’s a hit.

Pack Up, which grafts its chorus from an old WWI British marching song has such an eclectic and fun sound that you cannot not love it immediately upon hearing. You’ll love it, and if you say otherwise you’re a liar. Featuring UK-based gospel singer Lloyd Wade, this song packs one of the most infectious hooks I’ve heard in a long time. You will dance, if you possess the ability to stand and move around. Comparisons can be drawn, easily, to Gnarls Barkley’s jaw-dropping summer hit Crazy. Remember that song? It’s baaaaaaaaaaack. And this time it’s sung by someone who seems to have taken all the good bits of Amy Winehouse and left all the baggage behind. I like.

After a hiatus that felt like forever fans and critics (of which I am both, zing!) wondered aloud if the Scottish pop rock group Belle & Sebastian had broken up for good. Answer: They hadn’t.

Belle & Sebastian are back this October with Write About Love, the band’s first album in four years. From what we’ve heard, it sounds even poppier and uptempo than 2006′s The Life Pursuit but taking the band in this direction seems like a really good fit. If their live performance of their first single off the album is any indication, the rest of the record is going to sound great.

Shad is a Toronto-based, Kenyan-born rapper who I have become absolutely obsessed with. Why? Because he is absolutely dripping in talent, and positivity. His lyrics are insightful, intelligent, and awesome.

His latest single, which samples from the Lynn Anderson song Rose Garden, is nothing short of incredible and I applaud the raw wisdom that he seems unashamed of sharing in his music. And, he’s hilarious as evidenced by some of his earlier material (which you should also have a look at).

Is that not enough for you? Should be.

PS: I’m buying a pair of those shoes, Maria!