15. Final Fantasy He Has a Good Home (Blocks) 2005
Quietly, one of Toronto's all-time best. And by quietly, I mean pressing play then being whisked away to a dream realm made of bittersweet violins and silly-smooth strings. If heaven had a soundtrack, this would be on loop. He Has a Good Home is Final Fantasy's first album, recorded in a rushed six-day session (though you'd never guess it) and released two days after Pallett began touring with now-art-rock monsters the Arcade Fire in 2005. And though he writes arrangements for those famed Montrealers, make no mistake; Pallett is in a league of his own. There are sprinkles of string folk and mandolin in "Your Light is Spent," while winks of Beethoven and Bach glisten within "Chronicles of Sarnia" and "Please, Please, Please." The finishing touch is Pallett himself — his smooth, mournful voice croons through the songs almost conversationally. His lyrics have the inscrutable quality of poetry — he tackles adventure-lust, Canada, Yukio Mishima, and stabbing heartbreak: "Took you two years to win my heart / Then two words to break it / Every song from a heart this mangled / Will be draped in strings, strings, strings." He Has a Good Home is a Torontonian masterpiece, forged by the classical genius of a one-man army who knows his magic.

 

		14. The Diableros You Can't Break the Strings in Our Olympic Hearts (Baudelaire) 2006
For an album that was recorded on a budget of $500, You Can't Break the Strings in Our Olympic Hearts is a remarkable celebration of the indie-scene, a glorification of a new musical attitude and Toronto's place as a hotbed of DIY culture (Wavelength, Pitter Patter, Kensington revellers). With its guitar-driven hooks, droning organs and Pete Carmichael's yearning vocals, this is an album of dynamic indie-rock gems, inspiring anthems for Torontopia with a rousing and defiant spirit. As Carmichael belts out in Tropical Pets: "You've got to bust out / When the energy is gone / There is people to be won over". That sense of urgency sums-up the entire album: a passionate battle-cry declaring that this city's music scene is as exciting as ever.

 

		13. The Deadly Snakes Porcella (Paper Bag) 2005
The Deadly Snakes have been around for ten years, and in that time the band has sent a rippling effect into a superficial music scene that can't hope to be defined by a single album. Starting off as a raw garage-rock outfit, the band's final and most celebrated release, Porcella is a rock collage of strings, horns, and mellotron. It was the presence of The Deadly Snakes (a six-piece fronted by the now solo Andre Ethier) that arguably paved the way for other great T.O. bands like The Constantines and Broken Social Scene, pioneering the now famous art of singer-songwriter collaboration and infusing the indie scene with experimental sounds. And now that we've seen The Deadly Snakes' final show - late last year at The Silver Dollar - it may just be symbolic of a new beginning, liberating Toronto's music community from the past, paving the way for the present.

 

		12. The Cowboy Junkies The Trinity Session (Latent/RCA) 1988
The second album by Toronto's Timmins siblings (plus Alan Anton) was recorded in the cozy confines of the Church of the Holy Trinity (you might know is as the church just beside the Eaton's Centre) one a single with a single mic. Despite the modest set-up however, the album has long been regarded as their greatest. It's one of those rare albums that manages to strike a balance between a combination of ambitious covers (like their take on The Velvet Undergrond's "Sweet Jane") and solid original material (and in the case of quasi-cover "Blue Moon Revisited (Song for Elvis)", both at the same time).

 

		11. Feist The Reminder (Arts & Crafts/Polydor) 2007
In a brilliant display of uncompromising talent, Leslie Feist wins the distinction of the most recently released record on Toronto's most memorable albums list The Reminder. Little more a few weeks old, it might serve as a reminder to some, but one isn't necessary for all those already aware of her clout as a songwriter. More suitably, The Reminder acts as the confirmation of Feist's style, strong sense of self and resilience as a Canadian artist. It is further proof of her ability to be consistently awe-inspiring with a flair that has incited respect from fans and artists alike. The album has pervaded the music scene with an air of sophistication and artistic innovation that Canadian culture seekers have been pining for. Most importantly, it's a mood-driven album that is thoughtful and laid-back in its presentation of a much-needed voice: one that's strong but wistful and unique to Leslie Feist; one that is identifiable and relatable to all who admire her work.