I write about random things a lot. I write a lot about random things. Did you know that Peter Gabriel is considered by many to be the father of gated drumming? In session for his third solo album, Gabriel asked drummers Phil Collins and Jerry Marotta not to use any cymbals with their drum sets.

At one point during recording, engineers left the studio talkback circuit open — the way they can hear an artist in the live studio room — while Collins was drumming and quickly hacked the soundboard to record it. It first appeared on Gabriel's song "Intruder," however Collins made it famous with his lead debut single "In The Air Tonight."

The proverb about necessity being the mother of invention has never been more true with rock music. Even just looking at guitarists, there have been too many advances in performance and recording technology in the last century to count. Take, for example, the invention of the electric guitar in the 1930s so that jazz guitarists could amplify their jams, or Dave Davies of The Kinks slicing his amp speakers with a razor to create distortion.

The oldest and most fundamental ingredient in rock music, however, is passion — something that Toronto band Topanga have in spades. The band — Stefan Babcock and Steve Sladkowski on vocals and guitar, Nestor Chumak on bass and Zack Mykula on vocals and drums — is a four-piece rock group from Toronto. Young both in terms of age and also band longevity, they are every bit as robust and memorable as the teen heartthrob from whom they adopted their name.

Fast becoming known for their high-energy sets, Topanga formed out of jams around August 2010 and have been gaining momentum ever since. The band wasted no time in recording their chemistry, and in fact their first gig together as a unit was their EP release show in January 2011.

Despite what they may have yet to achieve in terms of their band's age, they've made a clear and unmistakable impression in the last year on the Toronto music scene and beyond, playing over 50 shows across Ontario and Quebec and performing festivals like Canadian Music Week, NXNE and Pop Montréal in 2011.

And while they are all individually talented and technically sound, the most commanding details of their performances are in their high energy and positive vibes. But you needn't take my word for it — that debut EP I mentioned is now and has been available all along for free download in exchange for a Like on their Facebook profile at facebook.com/musicoftopanga.

"We're all kind of shocked at the last year," frontman Babcock said. "Not to say we don't take the band seriously — because we absolutely do — but we really didn't expect to care quite so much."

Now in 2012, Topanga is showing no signs at all of stopping. They've recently finished a monthlong jaunt in-studio with megaproducer Jon Drew, who has famously produced brilliant albums by Tokyo Police Club, Arkells, Fucked Up and more.

"He is magical," Babcock said bluntly, smiling. "He makes us sound like a real band ... we're really excited to share our new music with the world."

The plan to do so is outlined at present in two stages: first, Topanga is planning a 7" release in February before taking the road to tour in March; and second, the band is preparing a full-length album to be released thereafter. While there are no dates announced at this time to come to London, it's a safe bet that it won't be long before they do.

more information on Topanga, visit them online at musicoftopanga.com and check them out on Twitter @topangamusic. Don't forget that their debut EP, four excellent high-energy tunes, the likes of which are sadly scarce on the scene these days, is available for free download on Facebook.

And for more of the latest music news, views, downloads and more, follow this column on Twitter @FSU_Bobbyisms or on Tumblr at bobbyisms.com. To know what Fanshawe students are listening to, check out the Music Recommendations thread here on our FSU social network. I'm out of words.