Shoegaze fans are bummed. No Joy, which released Ghost Blonde, one of the better dreamer albums in recent memory, has cancelled its show on Monday, February 21 at The Gateway. Stay tuned for more information.

Still, that’s no excuse for a weekend hermitage session with Loveless. Start Friday, February 18 off at the Ironwood, where the wonderful United Steelworkers of Montreal perform. A not-so-rustic take on bluegrass and country, its city-centric Canadiana pairs just the right amount of ragged, world-weariness with smooth twang, provided courtesy of singer Felicity Hamer. Or swing by Broken City, where, aside from The Ketamines — that vegetable-ridden band on the cover of this week’s edition of Fast Forward Weekly — Topless Mongos, Mitts and Failures play. It’ll be a farewell party of sorts for Edmonton’s Makeout Videotape, too, which will leave its B.C. and Edmonton roots in search of eastern gold. Come out to bid adieu.

Next, head to the Palomino on Saturday, February 19, where fresh-faced local band The Panda Attack releases its new album. Not nearly as unpleasant as its name might suggest — hey, pandas are mean buggers when push comes to shove — the band’s upbeat blend of upbeat indie rock is tied together with charming bits of twang. Disarming, poetic folk combo Welcome Sound is also on hand, releasing its newest EP, along with Saskatoon’s wonderful The Moas, which blends soft, absentee ’gazer-esque vocals with tinny synths.

Like ska? There are few better purveyors of the upstroke than Streetlight Manifesto, which lands at the Republik on Tuesday, February 22. The project of Tomas Kalnoky — whose previous band, Catch 22, were among the brightest lights of ska’s third wave — should offer plenty of delights for the porkie-hat-and-suit set. Terrible Things, A Loss for Words and Lionize complete the bill.

Finally, round out the week with a date with Gobble Gobble, perhaps Alberta’s hardest working band. Using an intergalactic assortment of 16-bit sounds to obscure a very tangible, often danceable pop licks, the Edmonton act is the perfect blend of accessible and flat-out bizarre. Catch the band before it heads south to Austin for next month’s SXSW — or just show up for Extra Happy Ghost, which will also perform.