Since the late '90s, CBC Radio 3 has been a popular all-night radio show broadcasting Canadian indie pop, rock, hip-hop, electronic, and alt-country acts on Saturdays on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Radio 2 stations. More recently, it's spawned a popular website, one of iTunes' most requested music podcasts, and -- as of 2006 -- a 24-hour dedicated station on Sirius satellite radio across all of North America, all of which has greatly expanded their presence south of the 49th parallel. Of course, it's also helped that Canada has exploded as a musical presence in the wider indie rock marketplace in the last several years, and many of the country's finest appear on this first collection of live recordings made in the CBC's Toronto and Vancouver studios between 1998 and 2003. Comparatively big stars like Sloan, the New Pornographers (doing a stripped-down reworking of "The Fake Headlines" from their debut, Mass Romantic), and Hot Hot Heat combine with beloved cult faves such as the Weakerthans' John K. Samson (performing an otherwise unavailable and very good song, "Utilities," in the subdued style of the band's classic album Reconstruction Site), the Dears, cut-up turntablist Kid Koala, Manitoba (the pre-Caribou incarnation of indie electronic master Dan Snaith), the Rheostatics, the Sadies, and the Hidden Cameras (a rollicking take on "Music Is My Boyfriend" from a 2002 session that the liner notes claim is directly responsible for their worldwide signing to the Rough Trade label). But some of the best songs come from artists barely known even in Canada: the Organ's "A Sudden Death" is a brilliant updating of new wave dramatics, "The Anthem" showcases Buck 65, a shambling cross between Beck and G. Love, and the alt-country chanteuse Oh Susanna closes the set with the heartbreakingly lovely "King's Road." No nationalism necessary: this would be a solid set of tunes no matter where the artists came from. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide