Better Clear Some Space on the iPod, Vancouver

The year is nearly a month old, but for fans of the local music scene, 2014 didn't really start until this week. While the music world tends to slow down around the holidays, things are now officially back in gear, and the coming weeks will see a deluge of anticipated albums from local talent.

First up is Occult Delight, the new LP from melancholic outfit Mode Moderne, which came out this Tuesday (Jan. 21) on Light Organ Records. The band has frequently earned comparisons to '80s post-punk acts, and this collection of mope-pop anthems is bound to invite more of the same. The album is currently streaming at Consequence of Sound.

For rock fans who prefer their music raw and rootsy, Minto is releasing its Days Gone By EP with a show at the Cobalt this Friday (Jan. 24). The hirsute, plaid-loving combo has been counting down the days to the show by uploading the new songs to Soundcloud.

Moving on to next week, dependable garage duo the Pack AD will release Do Not Engage on Jan. 28. Although this is the band's first album for new label home Nettwerk Records, don't expect it to be too much of a departure, since it was recorded with returning producer Jim Diamond (The White Stripes). The whole thing is currently streaming at Exclaim!.

That same day (Jan. 28), dance duo Sabota will make its debut with a self-titled LP for Hybridity Music. The band features Humans vocalist Robbie Slade and beatmaker Max Ulis, and their songs pair thudding house beats with tuneful pop hooks. A handful of tracks can be streamed on Soundcloud.

Speaking of debuts, Mounties is a supergroup including Hot Hot Heat's Steve Bays, Limblifter's Ryan Dahle, and Ontario songwriter Hawksley Workman. The trio, who recorded the bulk of Thrash Rock Legacy here in Vancouver, will release the album on March 4 through Light Organ Records. It features last year's successful quirk-rock singles "Headphones" and "If This Dance Catches On."

In related news, Hot Hot Heat and Limblifter reportedly both have new albums ready to go, although release details are still forthcoming.

Yet another eagerly-awaited debut will come courtesy of Cool, which features former Apollo Ghosts members Adrian Teacher and Amanda P, plus drummer Shawn Mrazek (of the fantastic Shawn Mrazek Lives!). While the Ghosts favoured succinct jangle-punk ditties, Cool's new single "Blue" is a horn-blasted funk tune akin to Talking Heads. Paint is due out this spring through Yellow Plum Records.

Another rebranded project comes from the dudes in SSRIs, who now go by the umlaut-friendly name Sprïng. The quartet's album Celebrations, due out March 4, is apparently less post-hardcore-inspired than the music it made as SSRIs, but avant-folk single "Follow" is similarly intricate and experimental.

As a palette-cleanser after that uniquely fidgety tune, keep an eye out for Prairie Cat's Who Knows Where to Begin? full-length. The charming keyboard-pop songwriter hasn't released an album since 2009's excellent It Began/Ended with Sparks. While release details regarding the new LP are still unannounced, last year's Got Nothin' EP -- issued through Triple Crown Audio Recordings of Canada -- yielded a lovely new single.

With so much to look forward to in the coming weeks, the only thing that could make this year any better for Vancouverites would be a reunion from recently retired punk legends D.O.A. Oh wait...