HABANA SAX: Here's one of the freshest bands to grace a local stage in a while. Hailing from Havana, they comprise four horn players and a dynamite drummer, and their style defies easy definition. Sure, there's some Latin jazz in there, but also Cuban rap, funk, classical, son and lots more. Not just great players, they can sing a cappella, clap, drum and dance with astonishing skill and plenty of crowd-pleasing humour. They drew good crowds during their residency at Lula Lounge, and are sure to be heard from again. Congrats to veteran local promoter GARY TOPP for unearthing another musical gem.

UNIVERSAL HONEY: They've never quite achieved the commercial success they deserve, but this Toronto duo have certainly won the respect and affection of their peers. That is strikingly demonstrated by the parade of big-name guests taking cameos on their new CD, Can't Stop Thinking About Christmas (on 41 Records). They include JIM CUDDY, RON SEXSMITH, ANDY MAIZE, TYLER STEWART, DAVE BIDINI (RHEOSTATICS), KIM MITCHELL, STEVE STANLEY (LOWEST OF THE LOW), and members of THE GOO GOO DOLLS and GOLDFINGER. All but one of the songs are original, and all have a Christmas theme. An excellent choice of gift for a lover of well-performed pop.

UKULA: This popular ongoing club series designed to showcase current Brit-oriented music in the city has been put together by some Scot expatriates. They imported Scottish band ENGINE for a recent El Mocambo gig. Wasn't able to catch them, but did see a couple of local opening acts. The five-piece HIGH WATER MARK showed a diverse sound that featured keyboards and rather melancholy vocals. Reference points included COLDPLAY and JOY DIVISION. Local trio BEAUTIFUL 2000 then played a proficient set based around their recent popguru CD, Midnight Sons. Obvious influences in their sound include OASIS, and it'd be nice to hear them develop a more distinctive style.

MONTE CRISTO: On The Beat spied quite a few music industry types at the opening of this brand new Mercer Street restaurant, a place sure to become a hot spot downtown. It is run by the PHILOBES brothers, the team behind the popular La Vecchia. It is an elegant space, and the daring menu of chef WINNIE TSANG (Centro, Easy and the Fifth) will add modern touches to classic Italian cuisine.

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