I’m always told I have a very large network in the global music industry. I guess I have, and it’s no coincidence. I have invested to get that network. I never really told this story before, but I guess I need to explain what happened since so many just think it happens by chance.

For nearly a quarter century, The Maple Blues Band has been the cornerstone of the Toronto Blues Society’s annual Maple Blues Awards (MBA), honoring the creme de la creme in Canadian blues music. With its upcoming full-length record, “Hey Nola,” the Maple Blues Band will step into the spotlight, showcasing the lively instrumental compositions the all-star ensemble has created over the course of its decades together, out January 23 from Cordova Bay Records. 

Listen to “Hey Nola” on YouTube here:

Crossing gender boundaries while singing Pakistani songs of Muslim heritage which are typically performed by men, Shumaila Hemani’s debut album, Mannat (a prayer, a wish), is an awakening about climate emergency and the need for action. “It’s an appeal to the world to come together to support 33 million climate refugees as a result of heavy flooding in Pakistan that drowned a third of the country in August 2022,” she says. 

Based on Sufi poetry from South Asia and sound recordings of heavy rainfall, floods, and other environmental sounds recorded in Pakistan, “Mannat is an immersive experience of deep listening to soundscapes of climate change, the havoc it is bringing on cultures and tradition, and prayers rooted in Hindustani art music and singing from the Sufi shrines of Pakistan,” she says.

It features, “Perils of Heavy Rainfall,” an acousmatic composition which won the Second Prize, Listening During COVID contest (2020) and was recently published in the Goose, the Journal of Environment, Arts, Culture in Canada. Watch and listen on YouTube here:

AI is already being used in music production in various ways, such as for composing, arranging, and mixing music. However, it is unlikely that AI will completely take over the music production process. While AI can assist in certain tasks and make the process more efficient, human creativity and emotion are still essential in music production. Additionally, AI is not yet advanced enough to completely replace the creative input of human musicians and producers. It is more likely that AI will be used as a tool to assist and augment the work of human musicians and producers rather than replace them.

The problem might be that anyone can be an artist. Especially if the quality of songs might not have to be of that quality. But what is better quality. It is a matter of personal opinion whether music was better before. Some people may prefer the music of a certain era or genre, while others may prefer different types of music. Additionally, music is constantly evolving and changing, so what is considered "good" music can also change over time.

Photo Credits: Chad Cornies

Back from the brink Brock Pytel delivers his new single coupled with his video clip Anemic Heart. Facing his own mortality after near fatal health issues in 2020 that he overcame during this worldwide crisis. Like many of us faced with this dilemma that are creative in this business we venture to take a deeper spiritual look at our work that we share with our fans after such a trauma. Understanding that the truth matters in any relationship personal or whatever is essential to ascension and the candid vocal delivery on this song is reminiscent of a higher being or artist in the likes of a Leonard Cohen or Tom Waits a la Adult Alternative Pop which is not perfect but pure, compassionate and elevated on a level of humanity and acceptance that love is not a given.

Close your eyes and let the soothing, yet powerful jazzy piano notes take you away into a dreamlike state. That’s where Canadian music composer, Huguette Lavigne works her magic on her fourth album and new single called “Jazzed Up Dreams.”

Check it out on YouTube here:

 “Jazzed Up Dreams” takes us on a musical journey through a beautiful composition, as we hear her piano keys speaking to us, expanding our minds to infinite possibilities. This free-flowing ensemble is created with an open mind, which allows us to feel that energy in the same light.

Huguette does not fully write down her music, rather, she relies on her shorthand to summons her memory recall for future performances. The final piece is then impressively stored entirely in her head and fingers. Once her composition is recorded, she then moves onto the next score.

Friday February 24^th will stream 8:00 - 10:30 PM ONLINE
Sunday February 25^th – LIVE 1 PM – 10 PM
Sunday February 26^th – LIVE 1 PM – 10 PM

After two years of an online-only hiatus due to the Covid pandemic, Toronto’s annual Winterfolk Blues and Roots Festival is back IRL, baby, for its 21^st Anniversary! The festival, which features a change of neighborhood this year to Kensington Market, will showcase some of the most talented blues and roots acts performing over the course of two nights of live performances, and one night of strictly online streaming.

I was in a conversation with a person in the music industry, let's say the old music industry before COVID. They were complaining how everything now is just focused on social media and that was the only way to get out music to the masses. On top of that it was just “joke songs” as he portrayed the new songs that came out from TikTok for example.

Nothing really new, we always had “joke songs” but of course, with this new media, it will be easier to access them, at the same time the expectancy is not that long-lived. Who doesn’t remember “Gangnam Style” imagine if Tiktok had been around then? Or we can go back even more with the bird dance that was big in Europe in the 80’s. And my guess is each country has its fair share of really bad songs with a silly dance going with it. The difference here is that it’s easier to reach more people faster now.

“Nîmihito (Dance)”is a collaboration between 3x JUNO nominated, 4x CFMA winning Sultans of String and Northern Cree, a nine-time Grammy nominated pow wow and round dance group from Treaty 6 territory in Canada, who have released more than 50 albums over their 40-year history.

Check out “Nîmihito (Dance)” on YouTube here:

 It is the first single off the upcoming Sultans of String album entitledWalking Through the Fire(Sept 22, 2023 release), the most ambitious and important project of their career, a CD and concert of collaborations with First Nations, Metis, and Inuit artists across Turtle Island. 

How do we get more streams on Spotify? The question is always the first question the artist asks me when we talk PR. In my world, Spotify died around 2017. Spotify has never broken an artist neither did any record shop in the 80’s either. It’s just a platform where you can get what you want to listen to, but you have to know what you want to hear.

That clerk that did know you personally in the record shop probably could hint to you of a new record that you would like back in the day. But that was just you, not the whole world. The biggest source has always been word of mouth. Friends that have found a song and then play it over and over at that party you were at. Or just force you to listen to it in the car over and over again. Back in the day, it was hard to get all these people to listen to your record. Same today, of course, easier to reach people digitally, the problem today is that they are bombarded by songs so at the same time you will be drowned in the sound.

Stony Plain Records today announces the release of roots music legend Taj Mahal’s ground-breaking new album Savoy, on April 28. 2023. 

Check out and listen and pre-order here: stonyplainrecords.com/tajmahal

Taj Mahal can rightfully be called a living legend for his contributions to popular music. With a voice as instantly recognizable as Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, or Johnny Cash, throughout his career Taj has pushed the envelope of American roots music forward by incorporating sounds from the Caribbean, Africa, traditional blues and jazz. He has won three Grammy Awards from 14 nominations, was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame, and presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association.

I was recently in my office in the days between Xmas and New Year. I like these days; it actually gives me peace to work with things that have been laying around that I never get time to get to do. Also, many are on vacation so the answers to things you send out don’t become overwhelming. At the same time, people just think it's strange that you work during the holidays when you could have taken time off. Still, it’s part of the music industry there is always something to do. If you want fixed-out holidays, just get a nine-to-five job with that schedule.

Then you also get people that are on a nine-to-five work week and have little to do these days or cleaning the desk like yourself asking about impossible things. And here comes a subject that I wrote about before but can’t be stressed enough times. How to bother people in the right way.

The funny thing here is two different artists doing the same thing. The emails just came exactly after each other so you can easily see the difference.

Presented by Lula Music and Arts and the Little Portugal Toronto BIA, Calefaction, (which means warming), is an exciting new winter festival taking place along Dundas West, from Friday, January 6^th to Sunday, January 29^th, 2023. The event will feature concerts, DJs, karaoke, dance and music workshops, giveaways, a sidewalk sale, mural tours, gallery and vintage crawls, plus more! With more than 20 free events planned, Calefaction provides the perfect incentive to visit the creative community on Dundas West, to feed the soul. Event-goers are encouraged to linger, do some shopping, maybe get a haircut and check out some public art. There’s something for everyone to enjoy. For more information and concert details please visit the website here or any of the links below.

Why Calefaction?

D2UR are firing up the amplifiers with their latest rock offering, “Live Again” – check it out on YouTube here:

Following up their smash, “Right Now”, D2UR are turning up the volume on their newest single. “Live Again” features Diane Isbister’s powerhouse vocals, mingled with husband Mike’s rock riffs. The track is an open highway fist pump - the unleashing of a former life and heading out to find a new one.

“Diane, who had found some of my old lyrics, conjured up this song,” explains Mike, adding: “The foundations for the song were strummed on her acoustic guitar, and then the parts were performed and recorded by myself and Diane in our demo studio using our editing software.” John Colborn and David Sikorski would round out the track before it headed into production.

With the aim to re-invigorate the Maple Blues Awards, the annual all-star concert and awards event celebrating Canada’s blues music, Toronto Blues Society (TBS) and The Royal Conservatory of Music announce that the event, originally planned to take place at Koerner Hall on Monday, January 30th, 2023 at 7pm, will now take place at Harbourfront Centre Theatre.

The 26th annual Maple Blues Awards will run January 30th at the intimate and elegant Harbourfront Centre Theatre where capacity is reduced. Quisha Wint will be hosting the evening and will feature amazing performances from Canadian blues stars, all backed by The Maple Blues Band.

The TBS and the RCM have jointly hosted the event in Koerner Hall 11 times, with the exception of the pandemic interruption, and have decided to move the awards to a more intimate venue. The relationship between the organizations continues to be strong and enormously valued by both sides.

Tickets are $40-$50 and can be purchased at my.harbourfrontcentre.com/39330

torontobluessociety.com

In collaboration with the Canadian Red Cross, the Complimentary On-Demand Digital Event Aims to Raise Funds with the campaign Give the Gift of Warmth in Ukraine

Access begins December 24 at 8am ET and ends January 19 at 11pm PT (close of Ukrainian Christmas)

View Link YouTube:

Bringing life to the adage “less is more,” Bryce Luckie master’s the concept of minimalism as he delivers perfect flow. Clean cut 808’s and driving trap cadence is the foundation of Bryce Luckie’s newest single, “Levytate.” – check it out on YouTube here:

Signaling the release of his debut album, Bryce Luckie unveils his prowess for musicianship through the release of H Y M.

However, choosing “Levytate” as the catalyst for success is no easy feat. One listen through Bryce’s inaugural album uncovers a well of sonic pleasure. Staying true to minimalist productions in order to remain in tune with his true feelings, Bryce chases the rawness that comes with simplicity.

Listen on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/track/6hhm35WKJhncV0hc42NWe8?si=55be6c055b384fec&nd=1

There’s a certain irony to the chorus of Alicia Toner’s new single, the haunting “Time Travel”: “Only one thing left for you to do / travel back in time and tell the truth.” The lyric is directed toward an ex that the Charlottetown singer-songwriter is struggling to forgive. But there’s another truth lurking beneath.

Check it out on Spotify here:
open.spotify.com/track/30kR96XzlqxDlZm3oynqxT?si=10b5ed49b66a4a2e&nd=1

The song was released on her 2021 album Joan, which garnered seven Music PEI nominations, and took home the prize for Solo Recording of the Year, and two ECMA nominations, including the Rising Star award. But only now is the acclaimed actor and musician telling the truth about what the album is really about. It’s an uncomfortable truth, a painful personal story that Toner is ready to tell only now.

It’s kind of bizarre how artists now actually pinpoint what section in the song I should listen. It’s actually very common. So just for example, today I got a song from a new artist with the elevator pitch “Hi there, thank you for taking the time to listen! I suggest you listen after 2.min as the song picks up stronger and more passionately.”

Then I wondered why didn’t you write the song with the same passion for the whole song? Sure, a song can have a best part, I know, but still, you don’t do just create part of a painting perfectly and then ask the audience to just look at that part right?

The sad part here is that the artist is probably doing the right thing. The whole society is hunting for fast kicks, and it goes faster and faster. TikTok has done so we now need something to happen in the picture in the very first second. Suddenly a long movie is three minutes long. Since the 80’s we have jumped from ninety minutes down to three minutes. Instant gratification is the highest priority, and I should get it in the first few seconds.

Support the future of music this holiday season! Own Holiday Tracks from Jessica Moskaluke, Myles Goodwyn, Chris Hadfield, Olivia Penalva, And More

Lemmon Entertainment is releasing the Lemmon Holiday Mixtape – available now – featuring a wide variety of Canadian artists spreading Holiday cheer for an excellent cause. 100 percent of the mixtape’s proceeds will go to the MusiCounts Band Aid program.

Available from Dec. 9 through Dec. 30, the mixtape features Jessica Moskaluke, Bif Naked, Josh Bogert, Olivia Penalva, Andrew Allen, Maggie Szabo, Jim Bryson, Pavlo, Zach Oliver, Ellen Doty, Chris Hadfield, Cassie Dasilva, The O’Pears, Helix, Chris McKhool (Sultans of String), Myles Goodwyn (April Wine) and more. The compilation will be available for purchase on S!NG (LINK) for $9.99 CDN.