NOW Magazine Online Edition

It seems like every few years another fabulous forgotten R&B great re-emerges with an amazing new recording that makes you wonder where they've been hiding � gruff-voiced Detroit shouter Nathaniel Mayer is a prime candidate for this year's Lazarus Award. His first and last big hit, Village Of Love, came and went before most people had even heard of Motown, but after decades on the down-low, Mayer has clawed his way back from obscurity with the raw-rockin' support of the Shanks, who helped make Mayer's comeback disc I Just Want To Be Held (Fat Possum) such a dazzling delight. Can he still sing? Oh man, just listen to Mayer one-up John Lennon on the cover of I Found Out; it stomps all over the original! Get ready to sweat at his Horseshoe debut August 5 � it'll be a hip-shakin' humdinger. 370 Queen West. $10.50. 416-598-4753.

Sca-a-a-ry Schoolyard

Don't let those red school uniforms fool you � Seattle prog-punk scorchers the Schoolyard Heroes only selected that stagewear so the blood won't show. Their song titles alone, such as Funeral Parlour Tricks, Nothing Cleanses Quite Like Fire and A Skeleton Army Will Arise, should tell you that their "screamo Misfits" tag is well deserved. And when you hear that chilling banshee-like howl of scary/sexy frontwoman Ryann Donnelly, you'll know these preppy-posing kiddos mean horror business. See for yourself when the Schoolyard Heroes open for Vendetta Red at the El Mocambo August 18. 464 Spadina. $10. 416-777-1777.

Magnolias in bloom

Over the past couple of years, Jason Molina has been undergoing a period of transition as a singer/songwriter, a fact reflected in the change of his band name from Songs: Ohia to Magnolia Electric Co. Whatever you want to call it, the creative spirit at the centre remains Molina, who just now seems to be hitting his stride. What Comes After The Blues (Secretly Canadian), his first studio album since the name switch, maintains the darker vibe of his recent work, but the writing is altogether more focused and the taut performances have a greater sense of urgency than ever before. Expect a mesmerizing display at Lee's Palace August 5. 529 Bloor West. $13.50. 416-532-1598.

Golden Honey

It seems like yesterday that the Honey Jam started showcasing emerging female urban talent, but this year's shindig, touching down at the Mod Club August 14, marks its 10th anniversary. Help celebrate by getting down with host Michie Mee and a slew of eager femme upstarts, all of whom will be angling for the $5,000 prize pack awarded to the winning performer. Past showcases have introduced artists like Jully Black and Nelly Furtado before anyone cared about them, so if you're looking for the next strong Canadian songstress, this would be a good place to start scouting. Expect everything from smooth vocal jazz to reggae, R&B, hiphop and soul. 722 College. $20 advance. www.phemphat.com.

Hot to Trot

Hot Stepper celebrates 10 years of soulful dance music with a combination of the Garage 416 and Bump N' Hustle events, featuring special guest performer Caron Wheeler alongside Mike Tull, Paul E. Lopes, Moreno and Blueprint. The Hot Stepper family has been taking it easy the past year, but you can still depend on them for all your soul, deep house, funk, garage and underground hiphop needs. Factor in the beautiful outdoor venue, and this should be one of the hottest parties of the summer. Sunnyside Pavilion (1755 Lakeshore West), August 5. $20. www.hotstepper.com.

Kung Foo hustle

Sure, we know the Foo Fighters got all "mature" on our asses and gave over half their new double-disc epic, In Your Honor (Sony/BMG), to subdued acoustic balladry. Hell, they've got a track featuring Norah freakin' Jones! But that doesn't mean Dave Grohl's gone soft. If the Foos' recent Lee's Palace show is any indication, you should still stock up on earplugs before their rock 'n' roll revue rolls into the Molson Amphitheatre August 13. Better yet, if you get there early you can be the first on your block to check out tunes from openers the Constantines' upcoming Tournament Of Hearts (Three Gut) disc. Their album will be the final release on the much-loved local indie label, but word on the street is Three Gut's going out with a beautiful bang. 909 Lakeshore West. $26.25-$43.25. 416-870-8000.

Eat my Wakestock

Proving that Barrie (and, er, Collingwood) isn't the only place that welcomes extreme boarders and their all punk, all the time soundtrack, the fine folks at the annual Wakestock fest are taking over Olympic Island for a blissful weekend of edgy aquatic mayhem and in-yer-face rawk tuneage. The rad revelry kicks off August 12 with local ball-busting babes Magneta Lane, screamo crew the Black Maria, a Jello-free Dead Kennedys and loads more. Things get skankier August 13, with Goldfinger and Reel Big Fish leading the charge and T.O. lunkheads the Salads bringing up the rear, while August 14 caters to the jam band set, featuring East Coast alt-rockers the Jimmy Swift Band, "organic" funk-hop stalwarts the Pocket Dwellers and, we assume, enough pot smoke to give quiet-loving Island dwellers a contact high along with their headaches. Rock on. Centre Island. $19.50-$34.50. 416-870-8000.