It doesn't matter where people start, paths change and often lead to in interesting places.

Winnipeg-based pop-rock duo Keith and Renee know all about it. With their fourth album, Detours, released April 16 on Easily Amused Music, the pair have proved that changing paths is what life is all about. Having moved away from the usual bar-based performances, they chose to instead work with Free the Children in what's proved to be a successful deviation from their status quo.

Greg MacPherson has made a name for himself as an elegant and thoughtful lyricist, drawing comparisons to the likes of Joe Strummer, Bob Dylan and David Byrne, who he grew up listening to. His lyrics are imaginative and to him are one of the most important parts of a song.

"I felt like you can't have a good song with bad lyrics so I've always tried really hard to focus on what I'm saying and how," says MacPherson.  

When an event combines the very best of three presentation mediums, you know it's going to be a big deal. Bands @ The Grand is a CBC-organized event bringing Alberta's best to the stage, the screen and the airwaves.

Foonyap and the Roar are on fire. For their fourth show they opened for HEALTH, performed at this year's High Performance Rodeo, have fantastic projection art for some of their shows -- all that and they've only been playing together for four months.

Vocalist/violinist Foon Yap started out, well, classically. Taking classical violin from age four she left MRU's academy program one year before finishing. Now she's discovering learning experiences all over the map.

Ricca Razor Sharp's Causeways and C-Trains release this summer brought a new voice into a budding hip-hop scene in need of another powerful local MC.

Ricca, whose labelmate on Neferiu Records is Calgary-based art-rapper Mantrakid, is an immigrant to the city. Born and raised in Nova Scotia, he finished school at Acadia University and found himself heading to Calgary for work.

Flautists need not apply to Voxbox Studios DJ School. The studio and school is a place where wannabe DJs can load up their gear and learn the art of mixing and scratching from some of Calgary's best.

Owned and operated by David Gale, a.k.a. DJ Damage, Voxbox has taught the art of mixing for five years, though its origin is a lot more humble.

It's not often you see the words electro-dance and emotional intensity beside each other, but that's exactly what Woodhands wants fans to take away from their music. Dan Werb and Paul Banwatt are the duo behind this Toronto-based dance party and they'll be in Calgary Feb. 25 at Broken City promoting their second album Remorsecapade, released last month.

Werb explains that the band's emotional appeal stems from a desire to explore life's frustrations in a medium other than slow, depressing music.

The Rural Alberta Advantage just might be the most critically successful part-time band in Canada. While they have been featured on countless best-of-'09 blogs, all the members of the band have some kind of job or commitment on the side.

Lead singer Nils Edenloff is a computer programmer by day, backup vocalist and keyboard player Amy Cole works freelance public relations and Paul Banwatt, the band's drummer, is a student at the University of Toronto and a member of electro-dance duo Woodhands.

Toronto-based musicians God Made Me Funky hit up Calgary's downtown core for what is sure to be an epic performance and an opportunity for people to show off their dance moves.

GMMF is the leading name in the Nu-Funktonia Revolution, a self-announced state of loving life and having fun.

"[It's] all about the party and people having fun, with lots of people on stage, they're [the crowd] dancing, we're dancing, people are generally having a good time," explains drummer Alan Witz.

The name Dream Horse Spirit brings out a few connotations. One inclination is to assume that the members are three skinny dudes playing keytars.

Sadly, this is not the case, although Nyssa Brown, Trevor Brown, Filip Cieplak and Keith Daser have made Dream Horse into quite an alternative post-dance machine. In the 10 months or so they've been together, they've played their share of house shows and venues. Trevor Brown claims that his initiative to start Dream Horse was for these rowdy, close-quartered performances.