Smoke Ring Days' Captivating Anthem 'Peace In My Soul' Radiates Indie Rock Americana Bliss

Fri Jul 21, 2023

Sometimes, you need music that will serve as a slice of soul salvation. It doesn't matter what genre, as long as it lifts your spirits and gets you through another day. This summer, ‘Peace In My Soul,’ from New York-based indie rock Americana band Smoke Ring Days, just could be that song. Check it out on YouTube here:

The song opens with a distinctive Thin Lizzy-style dual harmony guitar riff from multi-instrumentalist Rick Eppedio, paving a path for vocalist Cindy Keyser-Posner to come in with the first verse, describing isolation and alienation in an everyday, easily relatable way, before offering a mantra to soothe the solitude:

Meghaan LeBlanc Unleashes Faun Stella Blending Roots and Chamber Pop With 'The Isle & The Sea'"

Fri Jul 21, 2023

Meghaan LeBlanc lights up the misty shore with a new roots-infused chamber pop project as Faun Stella and its first single, 'The Isle & The Sea'. Check it out on YouTube here:

 Canadian through and through, LeBlanc hails from Nova Scotia where she is embedded in the music scene as a singer, songwriter, and storyteller whose style is a blend of Celtic folk and roots-rock music. Her stage-sharing credits, under the alt-rock alter ego Meghan Morrison, include plenty of notable Canadian artists such as Jim Cuddy (Blue Rodeo), Raine Maida (Our Lady Peace), and Chantal Kreviazuk (Moon vs Sun).

Kele Fleming's Folk-Rock Hits Take a Bass-Heavy Turn in Latest EDM Remix "The Great Acceleration"

Fri Jul 21, 2023

Although Kele Fleming specializes in vulnerable folk lyrics and rock melodies, the EDM world continues to favor her music, remixing her raw singles as bass-heavy beats. “The Great Acceleration” (Devours Remix) is the newest EDM remix of one of Fleming’s hits, dropping July 7, 2023. Check it out on YouTube here:

Jessica Chaz Releases Hopeful, Wistful Acoustic Version of Her Single "Dreamin'” On Remixes EP

Fri Jul 21, 2023

On the acoustic remix version of her beloved single “Dreamin’,” Vancouver, BC-based pop singer Jessica Chaz mixes soulful R&B with reflective, introspective guitar to create an ultimately hopeful message about the power of dreams and imagination.

What are you hoping for every night
Come on it’s time they say, it’s time to start a real life

But how do they know, what’s in sight, what is right
This ain’t a dream no more, this is my life

Even though the narrator feels discouraged, the song shifts in perspective when Chaz begins to sing, “I’ll keep working every day, oh/ I’ll keep hoping for a break, oh,” paying tribute to the power of faith beyond what’s in view right now.

Originally released in 2018, the original version of “Dreamin’” has racked up 80K views on YouTube. Chaz believes the message is relevant now more than ever, as we grapple with a “new normal” post-pandemic.

Check out “Dreamin’” on YouTube here:

Vintage Pop Soulster Jeff Eager Releases Song For The Ages – Literally – In “I Don’t Care For What’s Out There”

Fri Jul 21, 2023

For his new album 2070, Jeff Eager strove to create a collapsing of the eras – the sounds he loves, inspired by the classic songwriting of the late 70s and early 80s, but for the future - say, the year 2070. His first single “I Don’t Care For What’s Out There” – available now – perfectly encapsulates this blurring of time as Eager, against an energetic, summer-fun groove, addresses the juxtaposition of the musician lifestyle and fatherhood. Check on YouTube here:

Toronto-Based Beck Norman and James Keith Norman Build Neo-Classical Soundscapes To Evoke A Shimmering, Expansive Dream on “Us, Wandering Wide Asleep”

Fri Jul 21, 2023

On their new EP Us, Upon Sleep, Toronto-based married couple and musical partners James Keith Norman and Beck Norman create lush, sweeping soundscapes that exist somewhere between wakefulness and dreaming, conjuring imagination, intimacy, and sense of poignant romance. Their first single, “Us, Wandering Wide Asleep” evokes a shimmering, windy snow-covered prairie that somehow isn’t cold. Check it out on YouTube here:

And then suddenly you’re running – joyfully, with no destination in mind as the sky changes colors and sleep envelopes you fully, and you realize that you don’t want to leave.

Gideon Foster's Haunting Single 'Prophecy' Takes Listeners On A Journey Through a Cliffside Lighthouse Dream

Fri Jul 21, 2023

As if waiting atop a lighthouse towering along cliffside shores, Yorkshire, UK-based singer/songwriter Gideon Foster transports us to his black-and-white fever dream with the melancholy new single, “Prophecy” – check it out on YouTube here:

Foster’s new song is the title track from his genre-defying album “Prophecy,” a musical journey sparred from an epiphany that fell upon Foster. “I’ve always had a love of music and played guitar a bit, but until I had a spiritual awakening nine years ago, none of it made sense,” says Foster. “As my life changed as a result of this event, I started to look for meaning in my life, and songwriting became that meaning.”

Renowned Songwriter and Producer Chin Injeti Makes Triumphant Return With Captivating 'Something Love Would Do'"

Fri Jul 21, 2023

After years of honing his skills as a songwriter and producer, Chin Injeti is thrilled re-ignite his solo career under his own name with the release of his latest single, “Something Love Would Do” – check it out on YouTube here:

Chin’s newest releaseis featured on his latest EP – Vessels Volume 1, a labour of love, predominantly produced in his Vancouver-based studio. The record is a collection of Chin’s thoughts and lived experiences, collaborated on with some of his friends and musical heroes.

Canadian Blues Guitarist André Bisson Releases 'Dusty Albums': A Soulful Voyage Through Memories

Fri Jul 21, 2023

Over 20 years in and acclaimed Canadian blues singer-songwriter, André Bisson, is still taking us on meaningful journeys with his songs, and his latest “Dusty Albums” is a walk-through of all the memories we've accumulated so far in life.

This reminiscence, however, is tainted with the sadness of missed opportunities and the thought of a life that could have been. Memories are one of the things we have of the life we lived, and in “Dusty Albums,” Bisson sings of “A past impossible to please yet now full of honesty.” Every line of the song somehow feels like listening to a thousand stories at once – “Spent my youth in a naive waste, little time to contemplate.”

Check it out on YouTube here:

Canada’s Rock’N’Roll Power Couple ALTERED BY MOM Unleashes Their Explosive EP “AHEM” Featuring “Gwendolyn"

Fri Jul 21, 2023

Altered By Mom is an alt/rock/indie duo from Toronto that combine a knack for infectious melodies and classic songwriting with a quirky sense of humour and a tongue-in-cheek post grunge aesthetic.

They sound like Alanis Morissette, Oliva Rodrigo, and Sloan chowing down on a party sub in the security line at YYZ.

Fresh off the success of their 2021 collection "52 SONGS," Canada's musical power

couple Gina Kennedy and Devon Lougheed are demanding centre stage with the release of "AHEM" on June 30, 2023.

Ultimate single “Gwendolyn” is inspired by “the feeling of being overwhelmingly in love with someone and having your mind consistently blown by how amazing they are”, according to Lougheed. The song perfectly combines the best parts of Neo 90s with undeniable pop hooks. The home-brewed music video offers a nostalgic time machine trip for anyone who sat glued to MuchMusic’s Countdown in its heyday.

Check out “Gwendolyn” on YouTube here:

Mindbender Supreme’s 13th Project, The King Of Queen Street, Features Chuck D, Saukrates, Shad, Dj Mel Boogie, Rich Kidd & More

Fri Jul 14, 2023

Rapper, journalist and adult entertainer Mindbender Supreme drops his guest-filled double album, The King Of Queen Street, via Type A Records, out now. The Toronto artist created his 13th musical project with Toronto-based MCs, producers, DJs and photographers as an offering to rap history in the 50th anniversary year of hip hop culture.

Check out The Love That Love Produced on YouTube here:

Montreal-Based Alt. Rock Band The Nolas Capture The Latin Spirit In "Mexico"

Fri Jul 14, 2023

Inspiration can come from anywhere, and this is especially true with rock music. Rock music originally came from genres such as gospel, blues, and country. For Montreal-based alternative rock band The Nolas, their new single "Mexico" captures a Latin spirit. Check on YouTube here:

 The song opens with an upbeat surf rock riff reminiscent of The Beach Boys before settling down to a relaxed Latin rock vibe that leads into the first verse. With two exceptional lead singers, blending melodies and styles to create an unforgettable musical experience, Manny Agostino sings of relaxing with senoritas and margaritas. This leads into the chorus, elevated by the surf rock riff that comes afterwards.

"Come on take a ride with me
Sail across the deep blue sea
We’ll walk the shore
Where ladies they dance"

British Singer-Songwriter Suzanne Cook Tells the Stormy, Cinematic Story of a Relationship Wearing Thin on “Waking Dream”

Fri Jul 14, 2023

British singer-songwriter Suzanne Cook revives her folk-rock roots on her exploratory, moody new single “Waking Dream” – available now. Narrating the story of an ageing relationship that’s worn to threadbare, the song combines an ambiguous melody with R.E.M. influences and soulful, wailing guitar for a song that’s an entire cinematic experience. Check it out on YouTube here:

I’m silent running, away from you
And the way we’re parting, it hurts me, too
And the best of reasons, lie with you
We lost our way, as lovers do

“It’s a love song about relationship that has worn thin,” Cook explains. “Perhaps this relationship was begun when the girl was still young, and she’s simply grown up and apart from her lover, who is too self-involved to notice the distance which is opening between them.”

Alt. Rockers SHALE Captures Raw Anxiety In "Shake" And Announce B.C. Tour

Fri Jul 14, 2023

Anxiety is a mental health issue that can make you feel very vulnerable. When you feel this fragile, it can be hard to talk about to your loved ones or anyone who hasn't experienced it. Victoria, BC-based alt.rockers Shale captures the rawness of anxiety in their new single "Shake", along with new British Columbia dates below. Check it out on YouTube here:

The song opens with strong riffs from guitarist Adam Baines before vocalist Kiarra O'Connor comes in with haunting vocals that are reminiscent of ‘90s female vocalists such as Tori Amos and Alanis Morrisette. The first verse demonstrates how sensitive people with anxiety feel, physically and emotionally.

Americana/roots-rock Singer-Songwriter Ryan Wayne “Overheard in an All Night Diner”

Fri Jul 14, 2023

"Overheard in an All Night Diner" is less about eavesdropping on the patrons' specific conversations, than about the transcendent, almost surreal feeling of being there at four in the morning at the end of a long night. The sound is hazy, echoing, and swaying side to side -- like the character narrating it -- and conveys the atmosphere with swirling synthesizers, distorted electric guitars and a piano peeping through intermittently.

“The song grew from an old poem and from a series of lines jotted down in a notebook during a period of writing in an all-night diner, near an old house I lived in in Toronto. There is a charm in diners that has always bred creativity, a charm that transcends bottomless coffee refills, and cheap breakfast. Further romanticizing the setting was the Tom Waits album Nighthawks at the Diner, whose album art was itself inspired by a famous 1940s Edward Hopper painting of a diner, ‘Nighthawks,’” remembers Wayne

Ryan Wayne is a Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He first came to recognition as a founding member and songwriter in the critically acclaimed, award-winning band, The Warped 45s (Pheromone Recordings).

Mike Bern's Thunderous 'Reverberation' Showcases The Healing Journey of the Sweat Lodge

Fri Jul 14, 2023

New Brunswick-based Indigenous singer/songwriter Mike Bern rides a thunderous wave of chart-topping hits with his latest groovy song about the healing journey of the sweat lodge, “Reverberation”.

Check it out on YouTube here:

Already transcending artistic barriers with acclaimed international success and four singles charting on the Indigenous Music Countdown (including his most recent ‘no words for goodbye’ hitting #1), Mike Bern latest hit transports listeners on a musical journey filled with catchy synths, melodic folk riffs, and infectious percussion.

Among the many qualities that have garnered streams worldwide, Bern's ability to connect his culture to his art is the reason he has so many people talking. “The drum and chanting to bring the spirits into the ceremony,” explains Bern. “The drum is the heartbeat of mother earth & creation of all living things.”

Matt Zaddy's Captivating Blend of Folk-Rock and Modern Soul Takes Fans on an Unforgettable Genre-Bending Journey With 'What Comes Around'"

Fri Jul 14, 2023

Mississauga, Ontario folk-rock artist, Matt Zaddy released his new single "What Comes Around” that blends folk-rock and modern soul, making it a journey through genres for any music fan.

Check it out on YouTube here:

Zaddy's latest track was produced by Emmy award winner and Juno nominated Ross Citrullo from The Sheepdogs, Julian Taylor Band, Samantha Martin, and Delta Sugar. Together, they have crafted a high-energy song that encapsulates the listener with catchy guitar and organ hooks, raw and dynamic vocals, and an unforgettable groove.

"I have to take some time to remember why I do what I do, and to see past the adversity we all experience as part of life,” says Zaddy.

I Want Poetry

Fri Jul 14, 2023

With a signature mix of cinematic dream pop, head-spinning soundscapes and ethereal vocals, I WANT POETRY went from being an insider tip to a force to be reckoned with within the German electropop scene in no time at all.

Singer/songwriter Tine von Bergen and pianist/composer Till Moritz Moll invite listeners to a dreamy voyage between worlds of sound. It's an eternal interplay of warm nostalgia, serene elegance and a light-flooded glimmer of hope, which runs like a thread through their new songs.

Last year, both international music blogs and German news outlets seemed to fall in love with them as I WANT POETRY released their debut album "Human Touch". "... and over everything lies the intoxicating trendiness of their own style; a fine elegance that one knows from really great pop artists like Tears For Fears or Woodkid" writes the German newspaper Freie Presse.

Check out on “For the Night” on YouTube here:

Chris Ricketts and the Worldwide Shanty Project Set Sail Again with "Haul Away Joe" And Announces East Coast Canadian Tour

Fri Jul 14, 2023

Fresh off the high seas, Chris Ricketts and the Worldwide Shanty Project return with their take on “Haul Away Joe”. This and other tunes will be available on Ricketts’ upcoming fifth album, Go To Sea No More to be released on September 8, 2023.

“I started the worldwide shanty project during the lockdown,” Ricketts explains. “I had an extensive tour crossing four different countries and was due to see many old friends over the two months . . . Unfortunately, the lockdown stopped the tour, so I had to get creative on singing with friends.”

The project’s first release was an original Ricketts shanty titled “All Stand Together.” It featured singers from over ten countries and garnered over seventy thousand views on Facebook, as well as the endorsement of 6-time BBC Folk Award winner John Tams.

As voted on by the community, “Haul Away Joe” will be the project’s second release. Musicians and laymen the world are invited to partake and sing along, following three simple rules–

It’s Time You Learn About “Carry A Stone”

Fri Jul 14, 2023

All around Scania, Sweden, people sing along and dance to catchy backbeat swing, spot-on melodies!
The listeners are filled with a smile on their lips and with an exuberant warmth in their bodies.
The band is called Carry A Stone!

This steam locomotive to phenomenon, consisting of 10 friends, was formed in 2014.
Thanks to components such as brass section, drums, percussion, piano, guitars, bass and vocals in broad Scanian, a completely unique sound with roots in Ska, rock, funk and reggae is created.
With hit songs such as "Lev livet", Vingarna, Länsman Larsson and "Hästfolket" it has been measured up to over 100,000 streams on Spotify.

Carry A Stone!

During the winter of 2021 and spring/summer 2022, the band has been highly topical with the performance "A tribute to Peps Persson" which was received with standing ovations by packed salons.