Don’t mess with Ghislain Poirier. Not only is he a ninja at tunes, he’s got a loyal army of polar bears to protect himself

With the nearly never-ending gloom outside, it’s getting increasingly tempting to shut the doors, bar the windows and dream about sunnier climes, at least until the real summer weather kicks in. Don’t let the unrelentingly damp June get you down, though — not when musical sunshine abounds.

Nothing says bright and sunny like an old-fashioned dance party, and the HiFi is providing exactly that when Montreal’s Ghislain Poirier joins Disoriental and DJ Pump on Wednesday, June 18. Not only did Poirier release last year’s No Ground Under on Ninja Tune records, home to some of the most progressive sounds in modern hip hop and DJ music, he’s also the founder of Montreal’s infamous Bounce Le Gros (“bounce, fatty”) party series. The man knows how to get people moving.

Calgary’s Fox Opera don’t seem quite so concerned with keeping the crowd bouncing, but their wide-ranging indie rock (self-described as sounding like “looking for shapes in clouds on a summer day”) is engrossing enough to help you forget the outdoors exist at all. This Thursday, June 12, they’ll be sharing Broken City’s stage with Toronto’s Michael O’Connol, a.k.a. Culture Reject. His self-titled debut on White Whale Records is an odd amalgam of pop influences, and while it isn’t exactly chipper, it’s entirely appropriate for listening on a rainy Thursday night. Dudes side-project Dojo Workhorse will also be along for the ride.

Illinois rock two-piece Local H have gone to some pretty bizarre lengths to keep their shows interesting, from auctioning off a live performance on eBay to letting fans choose the set list off a menu at the start of a concert. Whether they’ll be attempting anything equally odd when they stop by the Marquee Room (moved from the Republik) this Sunday remains to be seen, but their hooky, grunge-influenced rock is satisfying enough on its own.

Lastly, don’t forget to check out the plethora of local CD releases this week. In addition to Women’s weekend trifecta and Clinton St. John’s Saturday shindig, local singer-songwriter Jonathan Li is releasing his debut, If You Thought You Knew, at the Palomino on Saturday, June 14. Stormy weather’s no excuse not to support your local scene.