Carmen Braden Sows New Immersive & Exploratory Album, Seed Songs

Fri Nov 12, 2021

Sown from a thicket of inspiration throughout the pandemic’s earliest days, multi-award-winning contemporary composer and singer/songwriter Carmen Braden unearths her immersive and exploratory new album, Seed Songs.

With previously unveiled singles “Kick Kick” and “Menu” landing prior to release, the 18-song collection opens with “The Mind is Wild” — a spacious and rich journey into how we as humans internalize and connect to our environment.

Check out “The Mind is Wild” here on YouTube:

“The first lyric reveals that ‘the wilderness is just a state of mind,’” Braden offers, adding, “this is from a realization that I carry the influence of the space, the cold, and the gentle pace of my northern home within me, no matter where I am.

Buffy MacNeil’s “Somebody Pray” Launches to Support Indigenous Youth

Fri Nov 12, 2021

In honouring those who have suffered within Canada’s Residential School system, as well as supporting Indigenous youth, multi-award nominated singer, songwriter, advocate and educator Buffy MacNeil’s new song, “Somebody Pray,” is available now.

Watch and listen to “Somebody Pray” here:

“I was asked during a conversation with Dr. Isabelle Knockwood to promise not to forget her stories,” Buffy shares of the now-late esteemed author, advocate, and Residential School survivor. “Dr. Knockwood’s words resonated as I put pen to paper to honour those who have suffered so terribly in these institutions.”

When MacNeil began to envision all the ways she could bring support to the health and well-being of Indigenous youth, the lyrics for “Somebody Pray” came pouring out as she reflected on those in her life who have been impacted by the system’s violent history.

Brazilian Alt-Rockers WRY Release Poignant Single About the Complexity of Relationships

Fri Nov 12, 2021

Brazilian alternative rock band WRY blesses the musical landscape with their electric new single ˆWhere I Stand” — check it out on YouTube here:

The latest single off of WRY’s forthcoming splashy new album Reviver is a poignant love song about the complexity of relationships, and our place within them. The airy nature of the music accompanies the hopeful tone of the message embedded in the lyrics, and demonstrates the sophisticated approach to music that flourishes within the well-travelled band.

“I’m going through this thing in my head
Love is here but she is in despair
I can see her in the shadows
She’s waving in slow motion
I’ll bring her back.”

Country Rockers Hot Mondy Release Some Good Outlaw Country with Single, “Vampire”

Fri Nov 12, 2021

Sexy, stylish, and, well, a bit spine-tingling are descriptions that aren’t usually applied to classic country music, until now as Canadian country rock quintet Hot Mondy unleashes a toe-tapping, hair-raising new single and video in “Vampire” — check it out on YouTube here:

Three singles and videos into the reveal of their debut EP Pale Embers, we’ve come to not only expect the unexpected, but be delighted by it from this Halifax-based band of five outlaw country-loving musicians and friends. And as a tempting slice of country-noir, “Vampire” continues Hot Mondy’s newly minted tradition of creating music that is both respectfully nostalgic and unapologetically modern.

Folk-Rocker Dany Horovitz Captures the Joyful Sound a Mended Heart Makes with “Moving On”

Fri Nov 12, 2021

Capturing that golden moment when you realize time truly heals and that the spiritual superglue of making new memories can actually mend a broken heart is Canadian folk-rock artist Dany Horovitz and his joyful and personal debut single, “Moving On”.

Watch “Moving On” via YouTube here:

The lead single in advance of Horovitz’s forthcoming debut album, Free Times, due in early 2022, “Moving On” takes the ‘moving’ part of its title — moving, as in high energy — very seriously. The Toronto-based singer-songwriter calls this jubilant stomper “an upbeat folk-pub song about the moment you’re no longer heartbroken”; think The Lumineers plus a few beers.

Jaye Marsh Awakens Inner WildFlute & A Vastly Canadian Experience in New Song, “Calling”

Fri Nov 12, 2021

Contemporary classical artist Jaye Marsh awakens her inner WildFlute, and welcomes audiences to experience Canada’s vast wilderness and beauty along the way with the release of her new single, “Calling” for flute and loon calls.

Written by Diane Berry, and featuring loon calls by recordist John Neville, “Calling” is the first track from Marsh’s stunning forthcoming 13-song album, Flute In The Wild, which is set to arrive this November.

Check out “Calling” here on YouTube here:

Alt.Rocker MDMP Channels Cosmic Forces of Sound & Silence into Emotionally-Charged “Strength"

Fri Nov 05, 2021

Cosmic forces of sound and silence are channelled effortlessly through the artistic perception of multi-disciplined renaissance musician MDMP on the emotionally charged single “Strength”.

The new single off MDMP’s ambitious 27-part debut album, Day One, “Strength” is a harrowing tale surrounding the internal struggle that invites itself in when all hope seems lost.

Check out “Strength” on YouTube here:

Featuring the ultra-talented metal band Dayshell out of Southern California, MDMP fearlessly captures the haunting realities of those who deal with trauma in harmful ways; particularly those with substance abuse issues. Meticulous listeners are rewarded with a vocal performance that takes no lyric for granted with the depth and raw energy that does this pain-staking subject justice.

Alt-Electronic Artist Rick Christian Asks “Will You Dance With Death?” In New Single

Fri Nov 05, 2021

There’s a good chance you’ve been asked to dance, or asked someone else to. But if that dance was with Death, would you square up or bow out?

That’s what Edmonton alt-electronica artist Rick Christian is asking in his new single and music video-turned-horror flick, “Will You Dance With Death?” — available now. The electronica, low-fi, banger wastes no time mashing a dance bop with dark, chilling lyrics. And it’s just as Rick Christian likes it.

“I wanted something dark that people could dance to,” Christian says, simply; his music is heavily entrenched in bass and synth, layering his lyrics inside the production. “I attempted ideas and techniques when recording and producing this song that I had never done before. The production and blending of the synth in the mix was the next level for me. The hours of post production really paid off.”

Toronto Pop-Punkers LST IN HLYWD Unleash Supercharged Single & Video in "Bittersweet"

Fri Nov 05, 2021

Check out "Bittersweet" on YouTube here:

This Toronto-area supercharged indie group of 17-20-somethings are laying down tracks that could easily slide into soundtracks for the summer of ‘96 — and that’s precisely what they set out to do.

While most teens were sequestered to their bedrooms, their parents’ living rooms — the mundane and mediocrity of less to do, and even little to see due to the global pandemic of 2020 — James Marrin decided to get creative, and LST IN HLYWD was born. By the fall of that same year, the little-band-that-could grew to a four-piece, and finally rounding up to a five by spring 2021. And now the group has nowhere to go but up into a stratosphere built on the shoulders of their idols: Fall Out Boy, MGK, Chase Atlantic, among others.

Hard Rockers Live Animals Are Release New “Uplifiting” EP and Lead Single

Fri Nov 05, 2021

Personifying sonic grit and technical musicianship, Canadian hard rock band Live Animals bring the authenticity back to rock n’ roll with their soaring new single, “Uplifting”.

With it, the Toronto-based rockers have unleashed their raw creative energy with their epic new EP, (ep)iphany; electricity pulses right out the gates through the expertly crafted guitar riffs of Spencer Bailey and the exceptionally developed vocal stylings of Andrew Healy, both founders of the band — their musical chemistry on full display with the follow-up to their debut release.

“Uplifting” is a song about the power of music and its ability to unite the world despite the ongoing global health crisis. The positivity that radiates from every musical note blends effortlessly with Live Animals’ message of hope and is delivered as sincerely and potently as only they could.

Check out “Uplifting” here on YouTube:

Liona Boyd With Amanda Martinez Releases New Latin Music-Infused “L.O.V.E.”

Fri Nov 05, 2021

In a song celebrating lovers the world over, five-time JUNO Award-winning and Gold - and Platinum-selling Canadian ‘First Lady of the Classical Guitar’ Liona Boyd infuses vibrant Latin flavours into her unmistakable sound in this, her new single, “L.O.V.E. (feat. Amanda Martinez)”.

Serving as the title track to her forthcoming 2022 album, “L.O.V.E.” is the second of seven Latin-flavoured pieces Boyd and her longtime producer Peter Bond have recorded together as of late.

Check out “L.O.V.E. (feat. Amanda Martinez)” on YouTube here:

“Since living in Mexico as a teenager, I’ve always felt an attraction to the catchy Latin rhythms,” Boyd shares of the newly minted tune and the inspiration behind its infectious grooves and uplifting melodies.

Chefbeatz & Kelly Besd Garnish New Single, “Love,” with Vox from Jey Oh & Sax from Slim Tyme

Fri Nov 05, 2021

Garnishing the latest track to land from the Find Move Love EP with a feature from Jey Oh and Slim Tyme, Calgary producer Chefbeatz and singer/songwriter Kelly Besd’s new song “Love” is available now!  Deliciously savoury and sonically crave-worthy, “Love,” and Find Move Love in its entirety, give listeners a heartfelt story of triumph over the complications that arise when trying to swoon a partner — and, inevitably, fall in love.

Check out “Love” here on YouTube here:

Indie Rockers bluefront Say It’s “High Time” for Love

Fri Nov 05, 2021

Indie rock band bluefront says it’s “High Time” to get things right in this, their new single and video.

Check out “High Time” on YouTube here:

The Windy City-based four-piece is fronted by long-time musician, turned-lawyer, turned-professional musician, Alan Zreczny. Since being a child, Zreczny has had an enduring love for music, saying, “I always thought of being a musician and writing songs as the most fulfilling modes of self-expression.”

Australian Roots Rockers The Black Sorrows Release Fiery "Revolutionary Blues" Single

Fri Oct 29, 2021

In this era of reality TV and lightning fast virality, it’s extraordinary when an artist can achieve fame for more than 5 minutes. Cue: The Black Sorrows. Nearly 40 years after their hometown debut, the legendary Australian roots rock band has amped up their enviable catalogue with another in a long line of chart-busting albums and blistering new singles.

The second high-energy single from The Black Sorrows’ 22nd album, “Revolutionary Blues” rips out of the gate with a spirit of wild abandon crossed with polished confidence only years of honing musical craftsmanship can add. 

“The band really owns this track,” says Joe Camilleri, Australian Recording Industry Hall of Famer and the main artist behind, and in front of, the internationally successful ensemble that has had a rotating and ever-evolving line- up of members and contributors since 1984. In the current TBS line-up, Camilleri is joined by Claude Carranza on guitar, James Black on keyboards, Mark Gray on bass and Tony Floyd on drums.

It’s Time to “Smile” Punk Rock Band BUSM Debuts Newest Release in Rock ‘N’ Roll Campaign

Fri Oct 29, 2021

With tangy wah-guitar peppered on top of throbbing bass and drum handoffs, Canadian rockers BUSM — Big Up Sour Mash — have unleashed their newest high-voltage single, “Smile”.

Sure to give you something to “Smile” about while you jam along, BUSM is a three-piece hard rock outfit from Oshawa, Ontario, and features Shawn Cormier on guitar, Dustin Cormier on bass, and Mike Loyal on drums. Their journey started as a comedic acoustic-rock group, but eventually morphed into “a three-headed dragon of electric commercial punk mixed with dark, erotic undertones of rock ‘n’ roll.”

Check out BUSM’s YouTube Channel:
youtube.com/channel/UCiF8T5jpzcrc1w0ez0Mqeqg

Toronto Singer-Songwriter Astrid Tanton Grapples with Heartbreak in “Love You”

Fri Oct 29, 2021

There’s no more powerless feeling than wanting to love someone only for that person to push that love away, and Canadian indie-pop singer/songwriter Astrid Tanton sits with such sentiments in her new single “Love You”.

Fresh from her debut album, From My Eyes, Tanton’s vocals soar as she sings with the clear-voiced honesty of feeling (metaphorically) bruised by a relationship rotting from the inside, all amid velvety synth and full-bodied piano.

You’ve got me beat up and bruised
I crash into you
Another night, another fight
What should I do?
Because I just want to love you

“This song came from learning to navigate love and relationships,” Tanton says. “Being young and falling in love is completely idealized by society, when it can be really difficult. This song focuses on the fear of being vulnerable and trusting someone to be careful with your heart.

“Love isn’t easy, but nothing worth it ever comes easy.”

Check out “Love You” on YouTube here:

James Gordon Highlights Growing Gaps in Humanity with “The Great Divide”

Fri Oct 29, 2021

Most of us know what living on the “wrong side of the tracks” means, but how many of us realize the role social injustice often plays in who lives there? Prolific Guelph, ON-based folk singer-songwriter James Gordon examines this, taking a deeper look into humanity’s widening chasms, pulling no punches in the process, in this, his new single, “The Great Divide”.

“There’s a railroad track near my house that divides the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’,” he notes. “It’s the same in many towns.

“It got me thinking about all the different ‘divisions’ we’ve created in our society,” he continues. “Economic, racial, class, etc... The song ‘The Great Divide’ came from this observation.”

Check out “The Great Divide” on YouTube here:

Rock Duo Libre Stone Lay it All on the Line for "Mark of Cain" Album & Single

Fri Oct 29, 2021

England’s fate-crossed rock duo Libre Stone lay it all on the line when it comes to the release of their new full-length album and title single, “Mark of Cain”.

Check out the YouTube of “Mark of Cain” here:

The 11-song strong release follows their debut EP, Wrecking Ball, and lands as a passion project they were forced to create remotely due to a global-wide pandemic.

The pair met at a Tears for Fears fan group gathering, and found commonality and mutual ground within each other from their first encounter. “Dion Smith and I got chatting and he told me he played a bit of guitar — which was an outright lie,” Julian Orzabal recalls of their first interactions. “He plays a lot of guitar, and plays it very well.

Folk-Rock Songstress Erika Lamon Moves Forward to “Catch the Light”

Fri Oct 29, 2021

Love affairs, personal epiphanies, floods of memories, messy situations... Every life story can become inspiration for a song, and Canadian folk-rock artist Erika Lamon is distilling such moments into her forthcoming album, and new single “Catch the Light”.

Confronting the world at a pandemic standstill gave Lamon and her co-writer, producer, and husband, Max Nolet, the desire to set creativity in motion and record an album. The result is the Kingston-based singer-songwriter’s first full length, and FACTOR funded effort, Hues — set to arrive May 27, 2022.

Fittingly, the album recording process began in 2020 with Lamon sitting in the middle of her home studio with “lyrics from the last few years strewn about me on the floor,” she recalls.

“I asked myself: ‘what songs am I really excited about? Cutting it down to fifteen songs was tough.”

Then, as inspiration would strike, Lamon and Nolet would write new songs, cutting that initial list even more.

Pop-Punk Rapper Hollow River Gets Reflective in Charged-Up “September” Single

Fri Oct 29, 2021

Two months after the release of his upbeat comeback single “Still,” Hollow River — a Canadian pop-punk rapper by the name of Mark MacDonald — has released a rocking new tune called “September.”

Available now, the song lands alongside a simple but gorgeous animated lyric video which pulls you right into the musician’s mind.

Watch “September” on YouTube here:

Though MacDonald is known well for fusing his rapping abilities with his passion for pop-punk music, this brand-new three-minute, 20 second spanning track is quite a departure from his initial approach. He abandons the rap, for a classic early 2000s-sounding vocal take; think Blink-182 and Good Charlotte!