NOW Magazine Online Edition

Bummed that the dying beast known as Lollapalooza is only breathing a last gap in the Windy City? Worried that you'll never get to see Broken Social Scene before they make good on their perennial threats to break up? Flip the bird to those Lollapalosers and hitch a ferry ride to Olympic Island June 26 for a terrific slate of indie rock heavyweights. In the Canuck corner: Broken Social Scene are joined by extended family members Metric and Do Make Say Think (rarely seen live but always brilliant) along with Arts & Crafts freshmen the Most Serene Republic . Modest Mouse and their pals Triumph of Lethargy head up the U.S. side of things, while Israeli-Parisian-Javanese chanteuse Keren Ann adds a dose of international je ne sais quoi. 416-870-8000.

Edgefest gets closer

Edgefest used to be all about battling traffic on the way to Barrie's Molson Park. This year's rockstravaganza sets up shop closer to home, at the lakeside Molson Amphitheatre with Billy Talent , Alexisonfire , Story of the Year and Boy , so when you're totally burnt out after the day-long July 1 fest, you'll be stoked that home is likely just a TTC ride away. 909 Lakeshore West. 416-870-8000.

Case open

If the rip-roaring tunes on last year's awesome The Tigers Have Spoken live set have you jonesin' for an in-person Neko Case fix, get thee to Harbourfront's CIBC Stage July 7, where you can catch Case along with Alberta acoustic roots crew the Cord Lund Band the way they were meant to be heard - under a blanket of stars. 235 Queens Quay West. 416-973-4000.

Amphitheatre rap-sodic

This summer's hot concert slate may be skimpy on hiphop, but the Molson Amphitheatre features two open-air choices for those who want a little boom with their bap. On July 10, Grammy-favoured hip-pop crew the Black-Eyed Peas get it started (sorry) alongside Talib Kweli and Fatty Koo . And a mere five days later, on July 15, John Legend and Saukrates help Scarborough's K-OS fill up the joint. 909 Lakeshore West. 416-870-8000.

Quantic coup!

Tired of paying record dealers huge sums of money for scratchy rare funk singles, UK DJ Will "Quantic" Holland decided to record his own music to spin in clubs, and thus the Quantic Soul Orchestra was born. The ensemble, which just released the awesome Pushin' On (Ubiquity), makes its Canadian debut July 9 as part of Harbourfront's Beats Breaks And Culture: The Toronto Electronic Music Festival (July 8-10). The impressive lineup also boasts the Platinum Pied Pipers , Out Hud , Jean Grae , Federico Aubele and Toronto's own Jake Fairley and Holy Fuck . 235 Queens Quay West. Free. 416-973-4000.

World-beatin' weekend

One of Harbourfront's most exciting mini-festivals is the aptly named All Over The Map: A Feast Of Global Sounds happening July 15 to 17. Along with innovative Senegalese hiphop crew Daara J and Mali's electrifying Tinariwen , the soiree includes forward-looking n'goni maestro Issa Bagayogo , instrument-building Angolan fusionist Victor Gama and soulful Malian singer/songwriter Daby Touré . Ottawa-based saxophonist Billy Robinson drops by with his spiritual jazz combo to celebrate the release of the Ready Or Not compilation of rare Canadian jazz from the CBC archives. 235 Queens Quay West. Free. 416-973-4000.

Cool country

Harbourfront's T.O. Twang: All Things Alt-Country , set for August 12 to 14, focuses is on hardcore honky-tonkers like Texas-tunesmith Billy Joe Shaver and the Bakersfield-bent Derailers along with roots-oriented performers like Kentucky harp-honker Rob McNurin . Local hombres the Sadies , Bebop Cowboys , the Backstabbers and Brothers Cosmoline will do Toronto proud, and count on the charming Carolyn Mark for a dose of comic relief. 235 Queens Quay West. Free. 416-973-4000.

Oasis comeback

The battling brothers Gallagher are back with their sixth Oasis album - ingeniously named Don't Believe The Truth - followed by a fist-swinging world tour that has them kicking off the North American leg with a Molson Amphitheatre show June 17 featuring Jet and Nic Armstrong & the Thieves . We're not sure what they've been up to since 2002's Heathen Chemistry, but a song entitled The Importance Of Being Idle on the new disc, due May 20, may offer one clue. Another is the fact that the group's designated thinker, Noel, writes only five of the album's 11 tunes. Sold out. 909 Lakeshore West.