The first time I saw The Diableros was at The Boat -- a bar in Toronto decorated to look like - yes - the inside of an old wooden ship. The six-piece was crowded onto the floor; Farfisa and keyboards, drums, bass, and two guitarists, including a 12-string being played by Pete Carmichael, the band's unassuming front-man. The second Pete's vocal looped above the guitars I turned to a friend and said, "these guys deserve to be big."

You Can't Break The Strings In Our Olympic Hearts, The Diableros' debut album, came out a year later. Over that year, their popularity has risen, not through a media-fuelled hyperbole, but in a far more genuine manner -- they've worked for it; earned it. Their fans are loyal, and the impression the band leaves isn't fleeting. Sure, Pete landed on the cover of Toronto's NOW Magazine as a lead-up to The Diableros' sold-out independent CD release show. Of course they've been written up by countless blogs and had their then-still-independent CD at the top of critic's 2005 year-end lists. Naturally Eye Magazine has been all over them, and Canada's CBC broadcasting network nominated them for an award as best new Canadian act of 2005. They're just that kind of band.

The Diableros' roster includes long-time friends Gary Leggett and Ian Jackson on bass and guitar respectively, supported by Tara Huk on Farfisa and Matt Rubba on keys. Phoebe Lee keeps them in check on drums.

Live, these six musicians make a real impression: the squall of guitars, organ and keys is sliced through by ingeniously catchy hooks, and tied together by Pete's unforgettable voice and his work on the 12-string. Progressing from gigs on the floor of The Boat to slots at sold out shows at The Horseshoe, The Diableros have taken it in stride -- confident, but not cocky.

It was this combination of confidence and persistently hard work that landed them a deal on the Baudelaire record label. Also home to fellow Torontonians Tangiers, Baudelaire gives You Can't Break The Strings In Our Olympic Hearts the full release it should have had from the start, with distribution across Canada via Outside Music.

Big things are waiting for The Diableros. To succeed in a town as fickle as Toronto takes a special combination of talent and personality -- it doesn't come along often, but when it does, it's magic.