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Over the past 16 years, Toronto's North by Northeast festival — a Canadian cousin to Austin's South by Southwest — has evolved from a showcase of regional, under-the-radar artists to a popular pit-stop for big-name touring acts; last year's free outdoor show by Iggy and The Stooges attracted a spillover mob of 20,000 that effectively stopped downtown traffic.

Part of the festival's growth has come because of Toronto's own flourishing indie-rock scene. The city has yielded a steady supply of artists, including Broken Social Scene, Metric, Feist, Death From Above 1979, Crystal Castles, and Fucked Up. And while this year's NXNE — taking place June 13-19 — welcomes non-Canadian punk-rock veterans (Descendents, OFF!), buzzy upstarts (Cults, Twin Shadow) and hip-hop royalty (The Pharcyde, Digable Planets), it's also a prime opportunity check out a slew of next-in-line Toronto acts ready to break big. Here are our top eight picks. --By Stuart Berman

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Sounds Like: Julian Casablancas going synth-pop, Beck going New Romantic, Ian Curtis going Gaga.

Why He Matters: For years, John O'Regan had slogged it out as frontman for underrated post-punkers The D'Urbervilles (recently renamed Matters). But all it took was a Casio, some Aladdin Sane-esque make-up, and a charmingly low-budget YouTube video (for single "All Yr Songs") to transform him into Toronto's foremost sexually ambiguous, indie-dance-pop diva.

You Should Know: O'Regan may be the only guy whose speed dial includes both Fucked Up (guitarist Mike Haliechuk released a Diamond Rings 12-inch on his One Big Silence label) and Robyn (who invited O'Regan to open on her recent North American tour).

Sounds Like: The Jesus Lizard, Drive Like Jehu.

Why They Matter: Though active since 2007, this art-core power trio have issued only a handful of small-run 7-inch singles. But they've quickly catapulted to the frontlines of the Toronto scene, thanks to a blisteringly loud, cardiac-arrest-inducing onstage assault, which has made them the go-to opening act for visiting noise-mongers like Pissed Jeans, Monotonix, and Obits. They're also a popular headlining draw on their own.

You Should Know: Bassist Chris Slorach is a former member of indie-rockers Moneen, and, by day, works in artist management at Broken Social Scene's Arts & Crafts label.

Sounds Like: The Stooges, The Cramps, The Gun Club.

Why They Matter: As the proprietors of local vinyl/cassette specialty imprint Telephone Explosion, Teenanger have plugged Toronto into the global garage-punk underground, issuing 7-inchers by San Francisco's Ty Segall, Seattle's Puberty, and the U.K.'s Black Time, among others. But Teenanger's own brand of raw, chain-fight-ready rock'n'roll makes them the best advertisement for the label's insolent spirit.

You Should Know: As if running a label weren't enough, Teenanger spearheaded their own three-day, 15-band festival in May dubbed The Toronto Thaw, a coming-of-spring celebration of local noise-rock that's poised to become an annual event.

LISTEN: Teenanger, "Bank Account"

Sounds Like: Cat Power (circa Moon Pix), PJ Harvey (circa Let England Shake).

Why She Matters: Formerly known as Castlemusic — a name she's repurposed as the title of her latest album — Jennifer Castle has one of those captivating voices that can quiet a room of bawdy drunks. Her mesmerizing art-folk hymns possess both a certain golden-oldies-radio familiarity and a spectral eeriness, making her right at home among the indie-rock weirdoes (Chad VanGaalen, Women) of Calgary's Flemish Eye label.

You Should Know: Though Castle performs mostly on acoustic guitar, she does not fear the rock — she's made guest appearances on albums by Fucked Up (David Comes to Life) and the Constantines (Kensington Heights).

LISTEN: Jennifer Castle, "Neverride"

Sounds Like: Feist, Bon Iver

Why They Matter: A rare instance of an American act relocating to Toronto to nurture their career, San Franciscans Daniela Gesundheit (yes, her real name) and Dan Goldman quickly endeared themselves to the local community with their daydreamy folk pastorals: they've landed on indie label Out of This Spark and scored tour dates with insta-fans Owen Pallett and Broken Social Scene. Snowblink's recently released Long Live rounds up collaborators from far beyond Toronto's city limits, including former Dirty Projectors bassist Nat Baldwin, Devendra Banhart associate Thom Monohan, and Deerhoof producer Jay Pellici.

You Should Know: Before she teamed up with Goldman in 2007, Gesundheit's earliest incarnation of Snowblink featured the singer backed up by a rotating, boy-band-esque chorus of male vocalists, which at one point included MGMT's Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden.

LISTEN: Snowblink, "Ambergnis"

Sounds Like: The Gaslight Anthem, Social Distortion.

Why They Matter: Wade MacNeil, guitarist for Southern Ontario screamo kings Alexisonfire, indulges his love of working-class greaser punk in Black Lungs, with shout-back choruses a-plenty and hints of Springsteen-esque grandeur.

You Should Know: MacNeil has so many tattoos on his arms, legs, neck, and chest that he's lost count and he typically offers a stock answer of "100" when asked for a tally. Among the inked ornaments: a horse's head, a church bell on each hand, and a quote from Bad Brains' "Attitude."

Sounds Like: Fleet Foxes, Bright Eyes

Why They Matter: Originally the bedroom recording project of singer-songwriter Jonas Bonetta, Evening Hymns have blossomed into a trans-Atlantic-touring ensemble — an evolution mirrored in the bucolic epics from acclaimed 2009 release, Spirit Guides, which go from intimate to expansive in dramatic gestures. Quite appropriately, Evening Hymns' NXNE showcase will be held in a church.

You Should Know: Evening Hymns are part of the tight-knit musical community orbiting around the Out of This Spark label, which also yielded current Arts & Crafts signee Timber Timbre. On Spirit Guides, Bonetta was backed by members of The D'Urbervilles, the band fronted by John "Diamond Rings" O'Regan. Which is all just another way of saying that, even though there are 3 million people living in Toronto, everybody knows everybody.

LISTEN: Evening Hymns, "Dead Deer"

Sounds Like: Motörhead, Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer

Why They Matter: Frontman Ian Blutron has been making music — both in front of and behind the boards — longer than most of the other artists on this list have been alive; he was also rocking the weird-beard look back when most hipsters were still trying to sprout a five o'clock shadow. But while he spent much of the '80s and '90s toiling with brainy indie-prog heroes Change of Heart, getting older has only made Blurton go louder. C'Mon is his unabashed, no-bullshit tribute to '70s hard-rock and proto-punk, custom-made for peeling around an empty 7-11 parking lot in a hotwired Camaro.

You Should Know: Blurton used to date bassist Katie Lynn, but the pair have decided to keep their relationship professional. Don't expect any lovey-dovey vibes on stage, either: Lynn used to play in the tough-as-nails act Nashville Pussy.

LISTEN: C'mon, "Mirrors"