Winterland

When we first met the creative engine behind Winterland, Fredrik Nilsson, he was this warm, goodhearted music store owner in our town in the south of Sweden. Always ready to assist and promote the local musicians coming to his store. Always ready to make a deal, to help struggling artists making a great bargain. Displaying their records, CDs and posters. And, always ready to crack a bad joke!

He was already at that time known for his musicality; as an awesome blues guitarist.
The whole town mourned the day the store had to close down. But out of the ashes rose something bigger, stronger… a songwriter of rank. Winterland had been born.

This rock solo project approaches music with a down-to-earth perspective, drawing inspiration from 70’s yacht rock bands like Fleetwood Mac and artists like Van Morrison, and Hall and Oates. For Fredrik, music has become a therapeutic experience.

Stony Plain Records proudly announces the signing of legendary American band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, who will celebrate their 50th anniversary with the release of their first studio album in eight years, Struck Down, on June 28th. The album’s first single, “Payback Time,” featuring Billy Gibbons, is out now. 

The album features contributions from Elvin Bishop, Terrance Simien and Canadian blues guitar ace Steve Strongman, who co-wrote with Kim Wilson nine of the album’s 10 tracks. The lone cover song on the album is a scintillating take on Memphis Minnie’s “Nothing in Rambling,” featuring Bonnie Raitt, Keb’ Mo’, Taj Mahal and Mick Fleetwood. 

In the 1960s, Greenwich Village was at the epicenter of the burgeoning folk music boom that was happening around the world, and a young Rory Block had a ringside seat to this evolution. With the release of her new album, Positively 4h Street: A Tribute to Bob Dylan, she gifts the sounds of that era to listeners everywhere. Stony Plain also plans to release the title track as a single on Bob Dylan's birthday, May 24^th.

Even a 15-year-old guitar god-in-waiting occasionally has to deal with normal, everyday high-school angst. For Nikhil Bagga on his new single, “Never Meant It,” that means having to sit home with his trusty axe while everybody else is out having a good time.

Check it out on YouTube here:

I’ve been staying at home
And I’ve been checking my phone
But I see nothing
I’ve been laying in bed
Drowning with thoughts in my head
And you can’t save me
You don’t invite me to the party but you play my song
I know I should be happy but I feel so wrong
Hey
While everyone is having fun and shooting for the stars
I’m just a kid who’s strumming his guitar
Hey

Kingston’s multi-instrumentalist Christopher Jackson is thrilled to announce the release of his new single, "Best of Me".

This production evokes notes of seventies roots rock, alt-country, and blends folky Canadiana/Americana with his own twist. It encapsulates events and experiences in Jackson’s life over the last few years.

““Best of Me” was written about making changes in my life and moving forward,” says Jackson. “Not letting anyone bring me down or get in my way.” Listen on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/track/6WMIfiN5K9OeNo9zQNm1yH

With over 30 years under his belt as a working musician in a variety of bands, Jackson has built a reputation as a true entertainer. He is known for his banter, audience interaction and impromptu musical collaborations.

The album is produced in collaboration with recording engineer Paul “Doc” Halladay. All the vocals and the majority of the instrumentation, including electric/acoustic guitar, bass guitar, drums and mandolin, is performed by Jackson.

And now, some hard-earned wisdom from Avalon Stone: Personal growth is a bitch. Sometimes, you even have to be dragged into it.

The emergent rock sensation shares that message with a forceful authenticity that belies her 20 years on her third and latest single, “Drag Me.” Check it out on YouTube here:

In a three-minute confessional that’s harrowing yet positively habit-forming, Stone struggles to escape the darkest pits of her own mind and to admit she may need to be carried out of there on somebody’s back.

It’s the mark of a great artist when even one of her pledges of undying devotion has more going on than meets the eye. For proof, cop a listen to “The Spell of the Lilac Bloom,” the romantically straightforward—or is it?—latest single from Ruth Moody’s new album, Wanderer. Check it out on YouTube here:

Singing in the gorgeous soprano The Huffington Post says could be “the prettiest voice in all of North Americana these days,” the Winnipeg-raised folkster lays out a plan of the heart that rings hopeful and forthright:

While the supposedly religious try to claim God’s favor for themselves and deny it to anyone they see as “other,” Canadian Afrobeats queen Zochi – and a real-life Princess in royalty, too - has something more open-hearted in mind. Her new single, “Alone (Whole Again),” sees her praying for the consummation of a same-sex attraction not just because she wants it, but because the Lord must too. Check it out on YouTube here:

When bad love hurts you, it can really sting. The betrayal can cut deep and sometimes you feel the need to shame them for what they did. The Canadian /U.S. collaboration RENITA ZINTEL from Lethbridge, AB and RANDY LODDER of El Paso, Texas knows this personally but uses rock n' roll to heal their wounds in new single "Bad Bad You." Check it out on YouTube here:

Recently nominated in the U.S. for a HUGS 24/7 Radio Award, opening with some explosive guitar riffs, the song kicks into high gear with smoky, angry vocals from vocalist RENITA. Reminiscent of Joan Jett and a sprinkle of Janis Joplin, RENITA’s passionate delivery of the song's lyrics is captivating.

Her solo career may be soaring, but OUDi still doesn’t like heights. On her latest single, industrial pop’s prodigal daughter admits she’s “Afraid of Flying”—because the higher you go, the farther you might plummet.

I miss the horizon, I miss the views
It never used to scare me but now I know the truth
That what goes up, must come down
I’m afraid of flying, I’m afraid of heights
‘Cause now I know what it feels like, falling from that high
Feeling so helpless, I can’t help it
Oh, I’m afraid of flying

The hard-rock juggernaut known as MJM has more than enough party favors in their stash to throw one heck of a blowout. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t going to fling open their doors in welcome when a true legend shows up wanting to join in. Just cock an ear toward the room-shaking new remix of MJM’s most recent single, “Live It Up,” now with a killer lead vocal by esteemed metal mouthpiece Tim “Ripper” Owens. Check it out on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjyDzKmTIk4

XOCÔ (Lulaworld Records) represents Mestre Sérgio Xocolate's visionary venture, blending Afro Indigenous Brazilian rhythms with elements of rock, psychedelic music, and various modern influences. Hailing from the Northern region of Brazil, Sérgio brings forth a vibrant fusion of traditional native rhythms intertwined with folklore, capoeira, and poetry.

In his music, Sérgio's lyrics hold a profound power, embodying a narrative of embracing courage. This spirit shines brightly in his latest single, "Guerra", where he paints a portrait of resilience and strength. The video is historic, in terms of the Eagle & Condor Prophecy manifestation of an Indigenous artist from the North, CLASSIC ROOTS, the King of Pow Wow Techno, collaborating musically on the new invocation of the song while also dancing together in regalia with XOCÔ, an Indigenous Artist of the South. Check it out on YouTube here:

Montreal-born, Toronto-raised queer pop artist Jennarie’s sophomore luscious jazz single “Stop (you can let it go),” out April 19^th. This vibey and motivational track is anchored by luscious vocals and a splash of jazz harmonies reminiscent of Yebba and Amy Winehouse. Check it out on YouTube here:

Jennarie first cut her teeth in the Toronto music scene, where she gained a powerful stage presence by performing regular live shows all over town. She’s continued to make waves and build a strong name for herself in the years since, with renowned Canadian print and online magazine The WholeNote recently hailing her for her “big voice, fearless delivery, ebullient sense of rhythm, and bubbles of humor.”

Farsot: “The year was 2022. Our heroes managed to find their way back to the rehearsal space after the gates of the pandemic were finally unlocked. Their band had split up and they found themselves lost, so they did the only thing they knew how to do.

They picked up their instruments and started jamming!“

Can an epidemic also be the cure? It can, according to the Swedish upcoming band Farsot, which translated to English means just that: Epidemic. If you are in need of a sonic detox to rid yourself of pop and R’n’B? With fuzz pedals, the penta scales, the rumbling bass and the clattering drums Farsot is absolutely the cure for you!

Having had the great pleasure to enjoy Farsot live at Kristianstad Music Days earlier this Spring, we have to agree.

Check them out on YouTube here: YouTube:

Bluesy, twangy and reflective, Gary Edward Allen’s “First Day of School Part 1” – is an ode to one’s inner child and the immutable person within us. Check it out here:

 “I like the idea of being true to yourself and knowing that the core of you is just as true at seven as it at 27 or 54 or however old you are,” Allen says.

If I could run away .... but not to follow
I'm so easily led astray …
Once I passed a note to the child I once was…

The acclaimed, JUNO-winning Canadian saxophonist and composer Christine Jensen is proud to announce her forthcoming jazz orchestra album Harbour, due out on June 28^th via Nettwerk/Justin Time Records. The follow-up to her two previous award-winning jazz orchestra albums Habitat (2013) and Treelines (2010), Harbour features a searing set of originals penned by Jensen over the last decade. Featuring some of New York and Montreal’s top improvisers, Harbour represents a departure point from leaving shelter and emerging into the new world, with the ensemble playing with acoustic and electric elements from Jensen’s compositions. The first taste of the album comes with “Fantasy On Blue,” a feature for Ingrid Jensen commissioned in celebration of the 60^th anniversary of the Miles Davis’ seminal work, Kind of Blue.

The Canadian hard rock powerhouse hailing from Ottawa, Ontario, The Space Between, known for its articulate riffs, powerful melodies, and aggressive rhythms is excited to announce the release of their newest single, "Crooked & Hollow" – Check it out on YouTube here:

Crooked & Hollow delves into the introspective journey of lead vocalist and lyricist Maryn Pegan, exploring themes of self-perception and grappling with personal demons. "The title 'Crooked & Hollow' sparked images of looking into a mirror and not recognizing oneself," says Pegan.

This song serves as a cathartic outlet for angst and anger, fueled by Pegan's personal battles with self-confidence, a struggle that resonates with many young people.

Penning a tribute to a fallen loved one is an unavoidably personal undertaking. Whether the finished product ends up sounding like a private moment we shouldn’t be eavesdropping on, or like a gift to be shared with all humanity, is entirely up to the quality of the artist.

Toronto-based singer-songwriter Matt Von has taken the latter tack on his affecting new single, “Still in My Heart.” Ostensibly a paean to his mother, who passed away in 2023 after a more than 18-month battle with cancer, the song strikes a universal chord that transcends his own harrowing experience and rockets it straight into the stratosphere of mass catharsis. And in the algebra of popcraft, mass catharsis equals a great song. Watch it on YouTube here:

Life’s highest highs often accompany its lowest lows. Regina, Saskatchewan pianist and singer-songwriter Jeffery Straker knows this well. He’s opening up about some of the lessons he’s recently learned on his new single, “The Time You’ve Got,” out everywhere now. Check it out on YouTube here:

 “In the past five years I’ve watche both of my parents pass away,” Straker shares. “I’ve also found love in my partner of four years, Michael. Losing my parents has made me reflect on where it is that I was born, then decided to leave, and then felt drawn back to in recent years. All throughout this I’ve become cognizant of time: how precious it is and how important it is to use it wisely.”

In the realm of music, there are songs that transcend mere melodies and lyrics, touching the very soul with their heartfelt resonance. "Hold Me Tight," the latest release from the talented artist Harriet Chung, stands as a shining example of such a song—a poignant anthem of love and security that captivates listeners with its emotional depth and sincerity. Check it out on YouTube here:

 Crafted by the skilled songwriter George Chiang and brought to life through Chung's soul-stirring vocals, "Hold Me Tight" is more than just a musical composition; it's a journey through the intricacies of human emotion, wrapped in the soothing embrace of harmonious melodies and heartfelt lyrics.