Charlotte Day Wilson will be a must-see at Hillside

CHARLOTTE DAY WILSON “CDW” (INDEPENDENT)

One of the hottest new acts out of Toronto last year was this 24-year-old singer, who vaulted from being an intern at the Arts and Crafts label and guesting with BadBadNotGood to releasing an EP that landed her international acclaim and a spot on the Polaris Music Prize long list. She has a soulful, sultry, jazzinflected voice that’s immediately inviting, and she’s a producer and multi-instrumentalist who also plays saxophone. That gives her lots to work with, and though everything on this EP shows immense promise, it all points to something bigger rather than being satisfying in its own right. Which is exactly why her show at Hillside’s Island Stage at 6:50 p.m. on Saturday will be one of the weekend’s must-see-performances. See her now, while you can.

Stream: “Work,” “After All,” “Where Did You Go”

KACY & CLAYTON “THE SIREN’S SONG” (NEW WEST)

Hyped young artists are often said to have come “out of nowhere.” In the case of Kacy Anderson & Clayton Linthicum, that’s literally true: the cousins grew up in Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan. It’s about a two-hour drive from Swift Current to the northwest and Moose Jaw to the northeast. It’s not on most maps.

But for their third album, they found themselves in the heart of Chicago at the studio of Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, who spotted them at a festival and offered his skills as a producer (Mavis Staples, Low). There, their shared love of ’70s folk and country records enabled them to make a record with deep grooves and plenty of space in which Anderson’s languorous vocals can luxuriate. There’s some fine pickin’ throughout, and dreamy pedal steel for texture. With harmonies like these and strong songwriting, Kacy & Clayton probably didn’t need Tweedy’s help at all. But he’s delivered a record that should make them the talk of Americana circles for the rest of 2017. They’re going to be on everyone’s map soon enough.

Kacy & Clayton are playing Hillside’s Island Stage at 5:50 p.m. on Sunday. They’re also taking part in Sunday morning’s gospel workshop at 11 a.m. on the Island Stage with Lindi Ortega, Nefe and others.

Stream: “The Siren’s Song,” “The Light of Day,” “A Certain Kind of Memory”

WEAVES “WEAVES” (ROYAL MOUNTAIN)

Musicians of 2017 who want to do something experimental are highly unlikely to be found in something resembling a rock band. Yet here is Toronto’s Weaves, a guitar-bass-drums band fronted by the thrilling presence of Jasmyn Burke. Together, they turn the formula inside out in the way precious few bands have done since the no-wave era of the early ’80s — the most popular exception being Deerhoof (to these ears, the most exciting rock band of the 2000s), which puts Weaves in fine company indeed. None of these songs go where you think they will, which should endear them to anyone looking for something different this weekend.

Weaves play Hillside’s Island Stage at 10:15 p.m. on Saturday.

Stream: “Candy,” “Human,” “Coo Coo”

LISA LEBLANC “WHY YOU WANNA LEAVE, RUNAWAY QUEEN?” (BONSOUND)

Guelph’s Hillside Festival has always had a musically diverse lineup. But there’s usually been one gaping hole in their programming, and one that’s entirely understandable considering the rest of the English Canadian music industry shared blind spot: francophones. This year, however, Hillside should be commended for booking Coeur de Pirate as a headline, along with Klo Pelgag and Acadian Lisa LeBlanc.

Now, both Coeur de Pirate and LeBlanc have switched mostly to English on their latest records. But their francophone identity is a huge part of both women’s art.

LeBlanc’s latest finds her filling much of her early potential, whether she’s playing banjo on a two-step country tune or roaring on electric guitar in a plain-spoken, grungy rocker à la Courtney Barnett. Much of this record alternates between those poles, and before the album is through she combines the two by ripping through a fiery cover of Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades.”

LeBlanc’s lyrics are a make-or-break point: you’ll either find her too dorky or refreshingly honest (“Dump the Guy ASAP”). But as a bandleader and a charismatic figure on stage, she demands your attention.

Lisa LeBlanc plays Hillside’s Lake Stage on Sunday at 9 p.m., and in a workshop with Billy Bragg, Joe Henry, Leonard Sumner and Sarah Harmer at 4:30 p.m. Sunday on the Island Stage.

Stream: “City Slickers and Country Boys,” “Tigars,” “Ace of Spades”