Vancouver

The sound of Vancouver is as diverse as its social and cultural makeup. Consider the Flying Burrito Brothers ("My Uncle"), who sounded the clarion call for draft dodgers who made the city and its outlying gulf islands their home during the Vietnam War. More recently, New Pornographers and Fidgital lamented the passing of two legendary '80s dance clubs ("Graceland" and "Lament For Luvaffair," respectively). Meantime, Vancouver's natural beauty remains the main muse for Blue Rodeo, Skydiggers, and Tommy Makem, while inner city problems are substantial fodder for D.O.A., Gordon Downie, and Radiogram.

With our Next Steps, we're going deep downtown: breakfast at the Elbow Room (Benoît Delbecq) on the edge of Davie St. village, next to Yaletown's hi-tech condo hipsters (see Fidgital's concept album for more). Across the bridge to Kitsilano Beach lies the hotbed of Vancouver's fierce activism (Ann Hansen, Joe Keithley) — quite a difference from the sun 'n' sand soundscape of Cub's "Surfer Girl." Further east, underground jazzmeisters the Inhabitants celebrate the artistic conclave of Main Street, in cool bop contrast to the mellow, international flavours of Commercial Drive (Tanya Evanson).

During the winter months, when the sky is grey and rain floods the streets, Vancouver's clubland is alive and well — bands and DJs turning it into one of the world's most vibrant musical centers. Our Deep Cuts provides a taste of that scene, with David Rovics (Cannabis Café) paying homage to a defunct landmark, while the ubiquitous smoked salmon (Rick Gravelin), Stanley Park (Karin Hoghielm), SkyTrain (Decomposure), and the rain itself (Captain Tractor) all get their musical due.

Sitting on the precipice of the Pacific Ocean, under the snow-capped Coast Mountains, Vancouver is both the end of the line on your cross-Canada journey and a place of spiritual rebirth for those who decide to stay. (Is it any wonder why it was recently voted the world's "most livable" city by the prestigious Economist magazine?) Such an amazing city deserves a mighty musical snapshot, courtesy of both its homegrown heroes (Smugglers, New Pornographers) and its visitors profoundly affected by their stay (Genesis, Blue Rodeo). From the despair of Hastings and Main in the troubled East End to the quiet beauty of Stanley Park and English Bay, the city's heartbeat never fails to touch all who enter, as you're about to hear.