Ever feel stuck in the same place, wanting nothing more than to break free from inhibiting surroundings? Canadian alt-grunge trio Sunlust are here to pull even the most sedentary listeners out of such funks with this, their zesty new single “Action Figure”.

From front to back, “Action Figure” has more than enough oomph to shake even the most rigid of beings from their resolute poses with its frisky riffs and upbeat rhythm. As if that weren’t enough to get heads boppin’, the single kicks it up a few more notches during the bridge and chorus with its crunchy chords and guitarist-frontwoman, Stephanie Woulfe’s fun and raspy vocals.

Check out Action Figure on YouTube here:

Melded together with influences of grunge, garage, punk and alternative rock, the single itself is more radiant than the sum of its parts — and just as animated.

Canadian country singer-songwriter Tommy John Ehman is serving up his timeless new take on the Bruce Springsteen classic hit, “Hungry Heart”.

A multi-releasing and acclaimed singer/songwriter, this is Ehman’s (pronounced ēmn, with a hard ‘e’) first official cover offering, and lands a month after his not one, but two 2021 Saskatchewan Country Music Award nominations were announced: Male Artist of the Year, and Songwriter of the Year.

“‘Hungry Heart’ has been one of my favourite Springsteen songs, right from its original release in 1980, even before I knew it was The Boss singing it,” Ehman shares. “It’s such a classic. It’s simple, yet complex… Happy, yet sad at the same time… Thoughtful, yet spontaneous.

Give a listen to “Hungry Heart” on YouTube here:

Canadian composer Rob McAllister’s ambient, neoclassical project Music Within is set to soothe thoughts and ease minds with his new, dream-like single, “Reverie”.

Like watching the sun set upon a quiet hilltop on a summer night, “Reverie” is a tranquil, relaxing, and beautifully mellow composition. Featuring the arrangement of soft, gradual piano keystrokes adjoined with the alleviating reverb of the synthesizer, “Reverie” rounds out with warming strums of an electric guitar.

Listen and enjoy “Reverie” here:

The resulting dreamy sound flows through ears with ease, settling in the crevices of minds, and instilling audiences with a sense of peace. “Within you, there’s a place of escape; a place to reflect, reminisce and wonder; a place that’s all your own,” he expresses. “I hope this music might offer an escape for those experiencing a difficult time right now.”

British alt-folk, alt-Americana ‘Indie for Grownups’ act Wonders of the Yukon are at it again with this, the release of their new single, “Rachel (And All The Goofs And The Stars)”

Check out “Rachel (And All The Goofs And The Stars)” on YouTube here:

Just when you think you’re on the right path and have this folk-noir duo all sussed out, they come right back at you with their unnerving and unsettling existential commentaries, returning you to that feeling of not quite knowing where you stand.

It’s like: You’re in a familiar place, looking at something or someone you know like the back of your hand.

But…

Your head is cocked to one side. Staring intently. A furrowed-brow with lips slightly parted. A quizzical, marginally pained expression on your face.

Because that seemingly familiar image is different in a way you can’t quite put your finger on.

Toronto-based indie folk singer-songwriter Deanna Faye poetically contrasts the light side of love and its inherent pressure with this, her new video for “Reassure”.

That latest to land from her breakthrough EP, Good To You, the song grapples with the concept of love — and how difficult it can be to grasp. While the word, in and of itself, denotes feelings of joy and happiness, the reality behind such an emotion is that of balance; with balance comes weight, and “Reassure” exemplifies the beauty in the struggle in such a reflective way.

Check out the YouTube of “Reassure” here:

Frank Patrick, the Edmonton-born/Toronto-based adult contemporary musician, has released a new video for his emotionally-charged single, “Mercy”.

In this thought-inducing song — which echoes the struggles and sadness associated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic — the award-winning singer gifts listeners with an offering of telling lyrical images, buttery guitar melodies, and emotional phrases, complemented beautifully by the harmonized backups of singer Rebecca Campbell.

“Mercy” was written by Frank months after the beginning of the global health crisis. He describes it as a “prayer for these fragile times.”

Check out “Mercy” on YouTube here:

He enlisted local producer — and long-time collaborator — Rob Greenway (aka brilliantfish) to not only play drums and keyboards on the special track, but to produce it, and create the enticing and just-released music video for it, too.

It’s been a year since folk singer/songwriter Paul Kuzbik released his breakthrough debut, Still Love, and now... He’s back with a taste of his next one with the release of his single and video, “Diamonds”.

Soft, warm, and emotional, “Diamonds” is an acoustic track that serves as the last song and lead single from the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan-based musician’s forthcoming sophomore record, The Miracle of Being — coming this September 2021.

Check out “Diamonds” on YouTube here:

The nostalgic-feeling and introspective folk number was written solely by Kuzbik, and features Erik Sample on drums, Nevin Buehler on bass, and Steph Cameron on backup vocals. As the head honcho, Kuzbik not only lays down all vocal and guitar work on the release, but he produced it too.

Is the world getting to you? Are you longing for more connection? Do you relate more to social media vs social interface? If the answer was “yes,” grab your preferred device, cut through the chaos, and tune into Canadian singer/songwriter Kele Fleming’s new single, “Compassion Machine”

Spanning a runtime of four-minutes-ten-seconds, “Compassion Machine” is an exposing commentary on our technological dependency, and its role as a mechanism of coping with reality.

Check out “Compassion Machine” on YouTube here:

The allaying melody of the single's instrumentation is an entendre to Kele (pronounced “Kelly”) Fleming’s subversive lyrics; her vocals are both congenial and alluring while, at the same time, furthering the single’s cautionary parable in a cleverly ironic way.

These sentiments resonate with truth in the lyrics, “I bow to a new god, all shiny, bright, and oh so sleek.”

A few months following the release of his sophomore solo album, Canadian classic rocker Howard Lee Naylor has released his premiere music video, for this, his latest single: the romantic, upbeat and undeniably charming love ballad, “Sweet Jeanine”.

It’s clear as a cloudless summer day that “Sweet Jeanine” is a love song written about someone close and dear to Naylor’s heart. You can hear it in his voice; there’s this happy aura about his vocal phrasing and piano playing which, without fail, instills joy in the listener.

Check out “Sweet Jeanine”on YouTube here:

Philadelphia, PA singer/songwriter Tracy Colletto is “Diving In” with an atmospheric new dream-pop single.

The powerful, piano-led ballad spans three minutes and 35 seconds and includes a versatile range of sonic influences, which make it uniquely its own... From pop, to folk, to ambient, Colletto manages to keep the listener on their toes — and with ease.

With the aid of diverse influences, “Diving In” is driven by the calming aura of Colletto’s emotional vocal tracks and triumphant lyrics, which expand upon the renowned musician’s journey back onto the music scene in 2016 after a decade away from it; this single in particular arrives more than a year following the release of the Philadelphia-based artist’s most recent original, “Pretty Lights.”

Check out “Diving In” on YouTube here:

What is here today can be gone tomorrow: alt-rock quintet Saturniids beautifully capture the poetic pain of mortality with this, their new single, “Springtime”.

In it, the Boston-based rockers display their understanding of life’s fragility with unyielding conviction; the three-minute-thirty-two-second ode to loved ones now-lost comes beautifully packaged in an enrapturing blend of alternative rock and string sections, which tug gently on the listener’s emotions.

To quote the lyrics: “Springtime, I keep losing my friends and family, too. It’s so strange. Beauty mixed with such pain I can’t reconcile,” is an all-too-real depiction of feelings we inevitably face when the connection between two individuals — whether it be friendship, family or love is cut short.

Check out “Springtime” on YouTube here:

Canadian alt pop singer/songwriters Caardia embrace growth and overcome the past in this, their newest single, “Over You”.

The latest to land from the multi-talented powerhouse duo, sisters Celia and Annie Siriopoulos continue to draw on their personal stories and observations as inspiration for their distinct lyrical storytelling. There’s a telepathy shared within their natural chemistry; cascading harmonies bolstered by a sisterly bond result in a synchronicity of their songs as they explore themes of life, challenges, working through pain, and coming out on the other side.

The new song nestles well within this stream, and is a “representation of the vulnerability one can have when having feelings for someone,” Annie shares. “It brings up the fear of ‘new feelings’ and the unknown.”

“The song also acknowledges self-worth, and not relying on someone else for our own happiness and validation,” Celia adds. “By acknowledging our thoughts, we can come to terms with the feelings we have, and start to grow from them.”

Check out “Over You” on YouTube here:

Award-winning Chicago-based neo-soul R&B artist Raja-nee’ summons audiences to “Come Get This Love” in this, her fiery, romantic, and enticing new video and single.

The four-minute, 30 second-spanning tune features musicians John “The Saint” Morris and Wilfred romantic vocal phrases.

The romantic elements are not just reminiscent of some of the singer’s earliest material from back in the “Nenja” Frelix, and is driven by an undeniably funky, yet subtle bass track before its topped off with a steady, calming drum beat — all of which perfectly complements the soothing delivery of Raja-nee’’s day, but much of the music from the 1970s R&B scene too. ‘I’m patiently waiting for you to take me away from here,’ sings the veteran neo soul artist — born Renee Knott-Freeman — in the opening line. ‘It’s driving me crazy, anticipating how you’ll hold me so near.’

After eight years of dedication, commitment and hard work, Austin, Texas-based psychedelic uke-pop artist Tim Delaney has finally broken out onto the music scene with the release of his debut EP, Where to Begin and lead single “Rocío”

“Rocío” (pronounced roh-see-oh) opens with a beautiful, reverb-heavy chord progression driven by the sounds of Delaney’s calculated acoustic playing abilities; “it’s played on a ukulele,” he shares, “the recorder of stringed instruments.”

Check it out on YouTube here:

Though a simple four-chord song, the song is layered with buttery vocal harmonies, sounds of shakers, and an enchanting guitar solo towards the end.

Singer/songwriter Steve Paul Simms has some “Blues for Back Alley John” in this, his latest single.

Check out “Blues for Back Alley John” on YouTube here:

The song serves as a celebration for one of Ottawa — and later, Calgary’s — finest bluesmen, the late, great Back Alley John Wilson, Simms shares. “I conjured up a little of Back Alley John’s harmonica magic and philosophical musings for this one,” he explains. “There’s also some vintage Byward Market scenery for good measure.”

The song sits atop the swirling keyboards and biting guitar stylings of Ed Michael Roth and Bob Cohen, respectively, and is the latest to land off of Steve Paul Simms’ fourth album, Ingrid and the Messenger Boy.

Brazil-born, Montreal-based music artist, Tricia Fitz, captures the essence of the Gen-Y lifestyle with her fetching new lyric video single, “Millennials”.

At a runtime of three-minutes-thirteen-seconds, “Millennials'' presents itself with an energetic and fun power pop rock foundation, laced with ragtime keys, trickling synths and brought together with Tricia Ftiz’s signature radiant vocal style. Her keen awareness of the generation’s stereotypes, along with the aforementioned instrumentation makes for a spirited single that’s easy to identify with and sing along to.

Check out the video of “Millennials” here on YouTube:

Multi-award nominated Canadian alt-pop, electro-synth and velvet-voiced artist velours pulls at some of life’s painful yarn in this, her new single “Your Sweater”.

“For me, the concept of the ‘sweater’ represents the physical objects we tend to cling onto after a relationship has ended, and the other person has ‘checked out’ long before you have,” the Saskatoon-based singer/songwriter explains. “This idea of ‘what do you do when everything except them has been left behind’ really stood out to me; all of a sudden, these insignificant objects hold so much weight.”

Check out “Your Sweater” here on YouTube:

The new single is the latest to land from breakthrough artist’s debut EP, Identity — which was produced by multi-Platinum JUNO Award-winning record producer Ryan Stewart (Carly Rae Jepsen, Bif Naked, CARYS).

Ahead of the release of her new album, Do It Again, Shannon Dooks, lends her supple voice to its earnest and heartfelt lead single, “Doubts”. When a once-thriving connection turns dubious, acknowledging the signs can be a tough experience — and “Doubts” says it all. Everything from the innocent piano intro to the mellow rhythm sections that follow, the arrangements send the notion of a fond farewell wrapped in a melodic package.

The message within is signed, sealed and delivered by Shannon Dooks’s harmonious and smooth vocal style. Check out “Doubts” here:

“It just needs to be true,” Canadian R&B Neo-soul and Afro-beat artist Zenesoul says, as she looks for “That Love” in her newest single.

Check out “That Love” on YouTube here:

“When I first heard the beat from my producer, Larumadeit, I instantly thought of that nostalgic type of love people had in the past,” Zenesoul — Angie Akhinagba — shares of the song teeming with the lush, enveloping sound that’s all her own. “Think: 90s Black love culture found in movies, family TV shows, and R&B music of the time.

“And this is how I usually write… Not with pen and paper, but with hearing the music, getting a theme or a vibe in mind, and then singing melodies and lyrics to expand it into a song.”

Enchanted by the stars above, Canadian pop-R&B chanteuse Aieysha Haws captivates with this, her sophomore single, “Zodiac Signs”.

“My inner child comes out and is making friends in this song — the kid in you never dies,” Haws shares. “I wanted to lead with playfulness, and spark a quirky conversation that was framed to everyone’s favourite topic: the Self.

Check out “Zodiac Signs” on YouTube here:

“I’m inspired by astrology and, while there are people who do and do not believe in it, it was important to me to create a sense of belonging for everyone in this song,” she continues. “I want listeners to be happy and feel good about themselves… It’s that sense of confidence and curiosity that connects the dots, and fun is in the detailed frequency of my questions and queries.”