8 Emerging Canadian Artists You Need to Hear in December 2023

It's officially time to big farewell to 2023, a year that took as much as it gave. Lighting up the darkness of this sometimes hard-to-navigate 365 was, as per usual, the music — whether 2023 felt like a breeze or a hurricane, it was the songs that helped push us through. December's New Faves are here to add some late-season contenders for your 2023 soundtrack, ushering in 2024 on a wave of digital goth-rock, florid, bluesy shoegaze, supple R&B, tender folk rock and so much more. 

From heavy, lovestruck alt-rock to slippery electronic pop and shadowy grunge, the final New Faves crew of 2023 once again showcase the vast treasure trove that is Canada's music scene. This year might be over, but its music is sure to stay with you. 

Keep reading to meet Exclaim!'s latest New Faves, and head over to our Spotify playlist to hear them alongside our previous homegrown favourites.

Dump Babes
Saskatoon, SK
For fans of: Terra Lightfoot, Black Belt Eagle Scout, Mise en Scene


Though it's been a minute since they've officially released new music — their latest release, niya k​î​min​î​c​â​kan, arrived in the spring of 2022 — Saskatoon's Dump Babes were all over the place in 2023, gracing festival after festival with their theatrical brand of glittering scuzz-rock. Equal parts blues, shoegaze and power pop, the band's latest music has been steadily evolving away from their folksy roots. It's anyone's guess where they'll end up next. 
Kaelen Bell

House of the Future
Abbotsford, BC
For fans of: LCD Soundsystem, Phoenix, Depeche Mode


According to Andrew Perry and Landen Sperling, the future will come from a basement studio in BC's Bible Belt. Part of a constellation of artists associated with the Grey Lodge recording space and label, House of the Future's music nods in equal parts to mid-2000s indie rock and contemporary electronic music. The duo have had a busy year dropping an album in the spring an EP of instrumentals in the fall. Their latest single, "Vacation," pulls all their influences together under one infectious roof. 
Ian Gormely

Geordie Gordon
Toronto, ON
For fans of: Gord Downie, Feist, Bahamas


Geordie Gordon's been making music for a long time — with Jenny Mitchell as the Barmitzfah Brothers, with his brother Evan as the Magic and most recently as a member of U.S. Girls' sensual, sinewy touring band — but Tambourine feels a bit like an arrival. A swirl of shimmery folk rock and tender storytelling, the Toronto songwriter's second solo album is an overdue coming-of-age collection with one eye on the past and one trained hopefully on the future. 
Kaelen Bell

la lune
Vancouver BC
For fans of: Slowdive, Duster and my bloody Valentine 


la lune is a relatively new band to have sprouted up in Vancouver's local music scene but they have certainly made the most of their short time performing in our fair city. From DIY spots to established venues, la line has been blowing away the live music faithful with their hook laden, shoegaze guitar onslaught. With their debut album coming out on Kingfished Bluez next year, led by the single "disparity," expect to hear much much more from this fresh foursome.
Adam Fink

NIKKAELA
Vancouver, BC
For fans of: Kehlani, Tinashe, thuy


Releasing music for just a couple years so far, NIKKAELA has been busy knocking doors off their hinges in Vancouver's R&B scene. In that short amount of time, she's nearly perfected her unique style of modern R&B which blends heartfelt lyrics with a powerhouse delivery and innovative production. Informed by the past but with eyes clearly set on the future of the genre, NIKKAELA's sometimes unexpected delivery adds an extra je ne sais quois to her music that can't be overlooked. Her latest single "The Cure" is another perfect example of her unique, always-ascending style.
Vanessa Tam

Avalon Stone
Kitchener, ON
For fans Of: Alice in Chains, Hole, Big Wreck


After barrelling out of the gate with the heart-staking emotion of debut single "Forget You" in October, grunge-inspired alt-rocker Avalon Stone has made a splash around Ontario and beyond. At only 20 years old, accompanied by guitarist Caleb Bourgeois, drummer Tyler Shea and bassist Donovan McKinley, Stone has already shared the stage with notable Canadian acts like Danko Jones, Big Wreck, Harm & Ease and more. With a dark, moody new single, "Harder," slated for release in January and a full-length album on the horizon, Stone is quickly cementing her status as a worthy up-and-comer in Canada's alt-rock world. Expect to see her name pop up a whole lot more this coming year. 
Manus Hopkins

Surveillance
Dartmouth, NS 
For Fans of: Wipers, Eric's Trip, Dinosaur Jr


Surveillance makes you feel welcome and at home right off the bat. How can an album sound so warm and familiar without being nostalgic or stale? I don't know, but Less Than One, More Than Zero has it down — the subtle riffage offered on "Reaction" and "Holy Unholy" keep you grounded in darkness, while "On My Way" and "Iron Rose" just seem to soar in hopefulness. The balance between Rachel Fry and Dave Burns's vocals and guitar playing keeps things feeling electric and alive, Fry's striking voice sparring with Burns's steady confidence. 
Joe Smiglicki 

9Million
Toronto, ON
FFO: Alex G, Superheaven, Chastity


Formed by producer Matthew Tomasi (Ethel Cain, Nicole Dollanganger) originally as dumping ground for his artistic curiosities, 9Million bloomed into a seven-piece ensemble for their 2023 GUSH mixtape, which offers a blend of slowcore and electronic experimentations atop a shoegaze and grunge foundation. The group strike a balance between dark and light, jagged and soft on GUSH's six tracks, which include covers of both the Jesus and Mary Chain and Sky Ferreira.
Allie Gregory 

Listen to tracks from these and other New Faves on our Spotify playlist: