Hailed "Canada's Queen of Cabaret" by CTV, award-winning Canadian songstress Gabi Epstein insists “Don’t Rain On My Parade” with the release of her playful new rendition of the Barbra Streisand classic.

Check out “Don’t Rain On My Parade” on YouTube here:

Epstein’s version of the whimsical, self-affirming hit from 1968’s Funny Girl begins as less theatrical and more reverential, highlighting the beauty and range of the singing and the poetry of the lyrics. Then, towards the song’s final third where there’s typically a staccato, Epstein’s band adds a little bit of Latin flair, which is then where the vocals take on a fullness and theatricality.

The overall result is fun and cabaret-inspired and guaranteed to tickle even the staunchest Babs fans. 

The new track from post-hardcore outfit GURTH is a simple request and, after one spin, you’ll be ready to accept; “Take Me Home” from the Canadian rockers and you can watch and listen on YouTube here:

The band — Taylor Martin (Frontman, Vocals, Guitars), Brody Post (Vocals, Guitars), Vadim Balanyuk (Bass), and Daniel Goldstein (Drums) — have laid down a screamo anthem for the ages. An understated plea that builds to a begging bellow, infused with a haunting melody that coils your heart along the way, this hard-hitting rock track is punk at its core, alternative in its layers, and metal on the fringes.

“Take Me Home” explores Martin’s introspection in the aftermath of a love gone very wrong. He describes his “vulnerability to her hook” in the lyrics:

Racing along the thin, permeable line between blues and rock is the high octane, precision-crafted, musical muscle car driven by Canadian power blues quartet Jim Dan Dee. On the way to delivering their much-anticipated second full-length album, they’re stopping just long enough to drop a hot and heavy appetizer, their searing new single “Bleed Me Dry” – check it out on YouTube here:

At the fiery crossroads where Thorogood, the Fab Thunderbirds, and the Stones meet you’ll find Jim Dan Dee’s “Bleed Me Dry” revving up and running the red. It’s a raw, hard-rocking lament about giving it all that revels in those desperate, after midnight moments of total careless abandon.

I need a break cuz it’s never enough
Knock ‘em down and they jump back up
What happens next, I don’t know
Caught between a spoonful and diggin’ a hole

A good rule of thumb: The type of dude who has posters of babes on his wall is often not the type of dude you want to date. And Los Angeles-based pop diva Kayla DiVenere sings like someone who’s learned this lesson the hard way on her searing new single, “Megan Fox” – check it out on Spotify here:
open.spotify.com/track/3qboOCxreAR56KwFV8Zc7S?si=01c91041ec934069&nd=1

With a foundation of artfully dissonant industrial beats, “Megan Fox” tells the story of a young woman whose boyfriend compares her unfavorably with a poster of Machine Gun Kelly’s fiancée… And it doesn’t end well.

“Why can’t you be more like her”
Your famous last words
And if we’re just taking turns
Well, I’ll go first:
You can go and get a new girlfriend”

Canadian folk-pop artist Kele Fleming’s song future-fuelling song “Me Oh My” gets a 90s-infused rock-remix glow-up with singer/songwriter and producer Marty Zylstra  - check out the YouTube here:

Originally recorded for Fleming’s 2016 album, No Static, the song’s very roots are woven with collaboration; written solely by Fleming’s longtime collaborator and friend, Ron Yamauchi, Fleming was up to the challenge of interpreting her friend’s song as she was navigating big life changes herself at the time.

“I can still hear the intensity of the emotion I was feeling at the time in my vocal performance,” Fleming notes. “I was hopeful and fierce that the shifts and changes I was following in my life would bring me peace and love.”

There’s that wistful, scary realization many of us have on the cusp of becoming adults that nothing – absolutely nothing – is going to stay the same. Canadian pop-country songbird Sylvia Kay captures that heady mix of emotions so beautifully in her new single “Legacy” – check out on YouTube here:

“Legacy” starts out shimmering with mellow beats underneath, and then Kay’s voice comes in ethereal and crystalline, painting a watercolor of her hometown — the blue skies, the violets, the dusty, tree-lined backroad where her dad used to speed. She’s looking around, soaking it in, taking mental snapshots, and taking us along on this journey to adulthood. “What does living on the edge of seventeen even mean? / All these people tryna tell me who they want me to be,” she sings.

Light Organ artists The Zolas have been commissioned to cover 70s Canadian musicians the Poppy Family’s CanCon classic “Where Evil Grows” as part of Light Organ Records Presents Push Button Radio: CanCon AM Radio Hits from the 70s.

Check it out on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/album/1ruGbQIBzbwz325iJFbYNs?si=JRUVGSpfTkODweRz9EaU9w&nd=1

Their electrifying interpretation of the yesteryear hit will resonate with generations of music fans. The Zolas stay true to form of the Poppy Family’s recognizable shangrila of 70s fanfare while updating the vibe to match the current mainstream of today’s alternative pop.

Award-winning Canadian flamenco and rock instrumental guitarist Roland Grant sets speakers ablaze with his fiery new single, “Nacido del Fuego” — check out the video on YouTube:

A scorching testament to his incendiary guitar technique, “Nacido del Fuego” has Grant masterfully commanding the frets as a puppeteer of a passionately penned prose on the music that moves you most. The track is featured on his debut album, Equilibrium, and is matched solely by his exquisite music video showcasing his expertise.

In a riveting reassessment of Adele’s record-breaking single, Natalie Nicole Gilbert transforms her rendition of “Easy on Me” into a desperate plea for vulnerability between two aching lovers in the heat of an argument – check it out on YouTube here:

The multi-award-winning pop-soul artist’s soaring vocals are countered by Chris Sloan in a harmonious amalgamation that is poignant, to say the least. With each building to the emotional swell that synthesizes into a moment of clarity for our protagonists, Gilbert’s prowess is put on a pedestal as she delivers a captivating performance once again.

“I really wanted it to feel more conversational,” Gilbert shares. “I saw room for it to take a turn like The Civil Wars’ ‘Poison & Wine’ – where this argument doesn’t have to end in finality, but could maybe open a door of vulnerability and understanding, whatever the eventual outcome.”

Tuning into The Soul Station, Jarvis Church’s inimitable ear for inventive tributes to his favourite soul singers continues to soar, this time with Vol 3: A Tribute to Bill Withers and Beyond.

Check out “Just the Two Of Us” on YouTube here:

Paying fitting homage to the late legend, while remaining unique all on its own, the new release is the latest in Church’s ongoing series, The Soul Station.

“This time, however, there’s a twist,” Jarvis reveals of the new offering that features four inventive and contemporary reimaginings of Withers’ hits. “I decided to lose the retro sound, and interpret these classics with contemporary modern production.

“And, for each of the modern production styles of the four Bill Withers classics, I used contemporary hits as sonic references.

“See if you can identify them…”

Holy Ramen is everything great about bedroom producers: intimate vulnerability thorough storytelling and creative control. With that, the Toronto-based artist’s newest single, “3am Thoughts,” and EP, In Exile, is a perfect example of this – check out “3am Thoughts” on YouTube here:

“3am Thoughts” is the product of a self-induced exile; bombarded by the duality of a toxic 24/7 news cycle and happy-go-lucky social media influencers, Holy Ramen was left with an empty feeling inside. Deciding to cut herself off from the world, Holy Ramen reclused into a personal uprooting, looking to find some sort of clarity in life.

‘It was too much,” she reveals. “I needed to cut myself off from everyone and everything. I entered a self-imposed exile, hence the name for this EP.

“I needed time alone to heal, and I was creating a lot of music.”

When it comes to pride, there are few more empowered and emboldened by their homeland than Shades Lawrence, and these badges of humility and coat of pride are worn boisterously in the Quebec-based artist’s new single, “No Return” – check it out on YouTube here:

Shades Lawrence is a queer, Montreal-born hip-hop artist of mixed British, Jamaican, Irish, and Scottish descent. As she’s progressed through the journey of finding her sound, Shades Lawrence has performed over 40+ shows as a spoken word poet and hip-hop artist and shared the stage with a variety of artists — including Princess Nokia, Big Freedia, Cakes da Killa, and more.

In the age of social media, we are theoretically more connected than we’ve ever been, but that connection can prove tenuous when there’s bullying, anger, or unkind words, and Canadian jazz songstress Katie Ditschun captures the sadness around having one’s voice drowned out in her new single, “One Voice” – check it out YouTube here:

“I feel disillusioned and dismayed about the ways people communicate these days — especially by what gets attention and engagement on social media,” Ditschun shares. “My own efforts at reaching an audience online focus on encouraging people to be kind and seeing the good in life; on finding moments of joy and beauty… “But positive messaging has trouble competing with all the indignation, accusation, and animosity that people apparently prefer to spread.”

When you’re going it alone, sometimes all you need for that extra pep in your step is an encouraging anthem about independence. Thankfully, Canadian country songstress Bree Taylor delivers just such an antidote with the release of her brand-new single, “On My Own” – check it out on YouTube here:

Bursting with a catchy, head-bopping chorus, “On My Own” is validating to anyone who might doubt their ability to do it alone. “I’m ok on my own/ I can do this alone/ I’ll find the road that will lead me home/ Because I’m ok on my own,” Taylor sings as an affirmation.

“I originally wrote this song about being fed up with disappointing dating experiences and wanting to just get to a place of being okay on my own and not needing someone to ‘complete’ me,” she shares. “The song was written almost four years ago now, so its meaning has taken a turn for me in the time since I originally wrote it…

Sometimes having a passion can be both a blessing and a curse. Canadian rockers Blaze Project capture this very conundrum with their blues-infused single, “Sweet Little Misery,” from their brand new album, Enjoy This Moment – check it out on YouTube here:

“Sweet Little Misery” is a thumping, bluesy, head-bopping rock ‘n’ roll song with a wailing guitar solo that brings to mind the energy of an arena. Its message is somewhat meta: “It’s about an artist and his great passion for music, as well as his vision of a performance on stage,” the Baie-Comeau, Québec-based band shares. “A musician who was born with this talent and passion, and despite all the paths taken, he will always end up finding the stage and music on his way.”

Wanderlust consumes rising Canadian country star Shawn Oates as he releases his new single, “Outta This Town”.

Check out “Outta This Town” on YouTube here:

Straight from the stompin’ prairies, the Edmonton, Alberta-based artist borrows a chapter from the glory of the country greats with a ditty about trading common streets for newer heights — singing to his love about leaving it all behind for a different view.

“Life doesn’t always lead us in the correct direction, but it’s our ability to get back onto the right path that demonstrates our personal strength,” Oates says, sharing his personal journey of overcoming addiction to pursue his passion of music and get to where he is now — and beyond.

The ’80s are it right now, and Nathalie Miranda knows. In a powerful throwback soul/pop combo, her newest single “Is This Love” drums up nostalgia fumes rife with neon vibes and fluorescent lights all the way.

Check it out on YouTube here:

“Is This Love” is a powerful mixture of 80’s synth-pop and love-at-first sight. Impassioned and lyrical storytelling is coupled with swells of synth-fueled serotonin spikes as Nathalie Miranda’s infectiously soulful timbre spirits listeners.

“Is This Love’ was actually the perfect follow-up to ‘Battle Scars,’ which had a 70s rock/pop sound,” Nathalie Miranda shares. “‘Is This Love’ was always meant to be a nod to 80s pop music — which is my favorite music decade — so I thought ‘why not follow up a 70s sound with an 80s sound?’”

Hip Hop soul-R&B artist MODLEE ushers audiences on a sound journey like none other with the release of her new album, SOUL URGE — available now via Disques 7ième Ciel.

Marking her arrival as the first female artist to sign with the label, the release is the fruit of a visionary, one-of-a-kind co-production alongside producer, DJ, and long-time collaborator, Vlooper.

A hymn to beauty, growth, and surrendering to your inner desires — the desires of the heart and soul — the LP shares stories tinged with inner healing and bearing a message to the other.

At #-tracks tall, the album pulses on the foundations of its hip-hop and electro influences before soaring into the expansion of soul fusion styles; SOUL URGE immerses you in a parallel universe of Rhythm and Blues and lulls you with MODLEE’s velvety vocalizations and imagination.

Check it out on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/artist/1vJ2skBECCSXeUdgbQadBW?si=EtPKhrQHRTOa-9lLBJukIQ&nd=1

Lori Hardman began her musical career at an early age and continued with a formal choir education throughout her school days. Influenced by a strong musical family that supported her passion for music, Lori has grown quickly in popularity, and with a very supportive local music family.

In September 2014, Lori formed Lori Hardman Band and since that time they have performed at many venues, festivals, and benefits throughout the region, honing their skills and developing a fan base.  With love for the music of Blues, Country, R & B and Rock & Roll, Lori Hardman demonstrates a strong vocal ability and delivers a powerful performance, combining all these genres to create a sound that is all her own.

Recently Lori Hardman partnered with Robert Hammerstrom, co-writing and releasing the inaugural self-titled album, with the release of a single “I Found an Angel”, which garnered attention  on the charts in the UK, Italy, Germany, Belgium, United States, Holland, Austria, Ireland, New Zealand amongst other global audiences.  “I Found an Angel” was also chosen as an April Top 20 Pick Hit on Cashbox Radio.

Check it out on YouTube here:

There are times when alone time isn’t just necessary, but absolutely crucial to our wellbeing. Canadian contemporary Christian pop artist Danah-Lee sings of such with radical honesty and deep vulnerability in her new single, “Love Letter To A Friend” – check it out on YouTube here:

Melancholy but soaring, “Love Letter To A Friend” beseeches a friend to be understanding about the fact that the narrator has fallen out of contact. Featuring piano, a groovy-lite bassline, and elegant strings with some whimsical pizzicatos at the end, the song arrives from Danah-Lee’s newly released 2022 album, Made in the Image.