New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco are all cities that come to mind when one is asked to name their favorite city in which to see live music. Vancouver, unfortunately, does not typically top the list of great North American music cities. The even more unfortunate thing is that with a considerable number of up and coming bands and quite a few established acts, Vancouver is one of North America's untapped resources for live entertainment. Our thriving indie music scene is replete with burgeoning talent and to cover each and every one of these bands would prove nearly impossible; here is a quick list and update on the happenings of three of Vancouver's more prominent indie bands.

1.Ladyhawk: This Vancouver band has made a splash with their albums, Self Titled, Shots and Flight for Anarchy. Although all of their upcoming tour dates are in Canada, many on the east coast, this band is also receiving international acclaim.

2. Black Mountain: This group garnered a lot of local and international publicity including a nomination for Canada's Polaris Prize and a live performance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Their new LP, In The Future, is in stores now, and if you feel like a big trip, you can catch them at the Goiania Noise Festival in South America this November.

3.The New Pornographers: After the 2007 release of their album Challengers, it became clear that this group's popularity would continue to grow. Currently on tour down under, this group's unique sound has led to their growing fan base on both a national and international level.

If after reading this article you find yourself saying, "Gee, I haven't heard of any of these bands," then please, get yourself to a record store or to iTunes post haste. And, most importantly, after researching local bands, buy some local music, get out and see some local shows and do your part to support local artists in the spirit of finding out first-hand why Vancouver is quickly earning its place as a contender in the North American indie scene.