Jose Contreras "shudders at the thought" of being compared to Big Sugar's Gordie Johnson - though Jose's band By Divine Right is an ever-changing beast run by one man on a "mission." Just like Big Sugar. Or not.

"I would never hire hotshot players to fulfil my agenda," Contreras says. "I ask my friends to come on tour with me. This is no agenda rock. This is not a star-making platform. This is my art. I know it's a horribly hokey thing to say."

So we shouldn't expect a guest appearance on Canadian Idol any time soon?

He laughs, "I'd love to go on Canadian Idol and show them my (testicles)."

Understood. Playing tonight at the Starlite Room, the ever-changing lineup of musicians in By Divine Right is a hallmark of the booming alternative music scene in Toronto. All the cool artists - Buck 65, Peaches, Broken Social Scene and on and on - know each other, play in each other's cool projects and hang out at the same cool bar down on Cool Street. It's a real "scene."

"I think we're on our third different lineup, but it works out great," Contreras says. "We all love it and we pour our hearts into it. We have to dedicate a lot of love to making it real - because we're on a mission. We're on the same mission that, I don't know, Van Gogh was on, or whoever invented chocolate chip cookies."

So you do have an agenda.

"That word sounds fishy, don't you think? I prefer mission."

How about calling? A religious calling?

"I don't trust organized religion," Contreras says. "That's why I'm so disorganized."

OK, before you dismiss this guy as an impossibly precious "artiste" with opinions on everything, listen to By Divine Right's new album, Sweet Confusion. It's a fusion of soul and psychedelia and that fun new-rock-same-as-the-old-rock played by bands whose names begin with "the." Sweet Confusion is creative, fresh, original and thoroughly brilliant. "Mission" accomplished.

Given the right "marketing push," this album could be huge. It's already charting on college radio in the U.S.

Contreras is already a highly respected member of the aforementioned Toronto alternative scene - but he feels uncomfortable there: "Maybe because my last name is Contreras - it's my destiny! - it's my instinct to shy away from any kind of scene ... I know it sounds really pretentious, but I'm interested in art and sometimes scenes favour those who hang out the most."

So forget the "scene." How would he deal with actual fame and wealth? How would he react to sitting between Beyonce and Shania Twain at the Grammys? Talk about shuddering. How would he deal with being a rock star? It could happen.

"I've been told stuff like that a couple of times and it was upsetting. It could distract me from my path, which is pretty naive and I would like to leave it that way."

So just take the money and don't read your press.

"That would be good. I'm already in a lucky position where all I do is make records and produce records for other people. It would be great to take this all the way. I'm just doing the music I would like people to hear and I believe it's my mission on Earth."

Good God, man, this album had better be really good. And it is, it is. Sometimes it's not just "only" rock 'n' roll.