Nanaimo, BC-based singer-songwriter Laura Kelsey is writing modern mythology with her debut EP Hunting Season released on April 29, 2023.

With a powerhouse voice like Evanescence's Amy Lee and a timeless vibe like Stevie Nicks, prepare to be enchanted by Kelsey's captivating soundscapes and mystical lyrics. Whether she's casting a banishing spell after receiving an ex's friend request on "Your Stormy Ways" or singing a unique creation story on the title track, Laura effortlessly infuses earthy magic into her musical storytelling.

Check out “Stormy Ways” here on YouTube:

‘Our Mother the Earth’ is a collaboration between legendary Chippewa/Anishinaabe Elder Dr. Duke Redbird and Sultans of String. It is the third single of the upcoming album entitled ‘Walking Through the Fire’ (Sept 22, 2023 release), a CD and concert of collaborations with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists across Turtle Island.

Watch and listen on YouTube here:

Redbird was inspired by the idea that every country has a national anthem, yet there is no anthem for Our Mother the Earth.  Redbird said, “if people included an anthem to the Earth along with their national anthem at every event, it would serve to acknowledge our identity, values, and sense of pride in the fact that we are all children of the Earth.”  With this idea in mind, he wrote the poem Our Mother the Earth.

Our Mother the Earth

Benjamin Hackman’s ensemble “The Holy Gasp” is back again, creating another theatrical, thought-provoking, and genre-disrupting musical album as they release their 3rd album – “…And the Lord Hath Taken Away,” available now. It marks their first album since 2018, when they released “The Love Songs of Oedipus Rex,” a 27-person concept LP about a troubled marriage further burdened by the death of the husband’s father.

Watch  The Holy Gasp - "Devil Oh Devil" - (Official Music Video) here:

Toronto-born founder of The Holy Gasp, Benjamin Hackman, along with fellow composer, Anthony William Wallace, and Maestro Robert W. Stevenson, continue their undefinable style, aiming their artform towards the intersection of words and music on the newly released album, “…And the Lord Hath Taken Away.”

What would happen if you held a radio frequency amplifier to an Andy Warhol painting, if the great pop art of the mid 20th century could come alive, sing, orchestrate? Modern Andy's debut self-titled EP is here to answer that question, presenting whimsy-soaked satire of the popular imagination as a sonic experience.

Check out “Beginnings” on YouTube here:

Modern Andy is the creation of Eric Paul Tutskey, a multi-instrumentalist and genre-fluid musician currently based in St. Louis, Missouri. Drawing inspiration from the late, great Andy Warhol, the "Modern Andy" character aims to poke fun at popular music while using it as a creative vessel for satire. This EP is Modern Andy’s story, providing a soundtrack to his "15 minutes of fame" journey.

We all face different challenges and obstacles that life throws our way, and sometimes, it can be a lot. However difficult, we just need to get through the tough days, let them go, pick ourselves up and get right back to it the next day – that’s exactly what Lisa Richard is proclaiming to do on her latest single, “Sunday Confession” – check it out on YouTube here:

The New Mills, New Brunswick-born female country sensation is back and is as soulful as ever! She begins the song by singing, “There’s different kinds of walls – some high some low. And then there’s those - you build yourself. You can hide behind them or be brave enough to climb them. How will you know - if it’s heaven or if it’s hell.” Her powerful and distinctive contralto voice perfectly executes these lyrics, reminiscent of pop-superstar icon, Cher.

In pop culture, a manic pixie dream girl is usually a dreamy, troubled girl whose sole purpose is to inspire a male character. Lady Charles takes this archetype and makes it a more gender-fluid and empowering one through their new single, "Manic Pixie Dream Boy." Check it out on YouTube here:

The song begins with an 80's inspired guitar groove that brings to mind bands like Blondie in their "Autoamerican" era. Then, Lady Charles' sonorous vocals kick in as they casually sing about who they are and why other people shouldn't bring them down.

"To all those sideways glances
Quit harshing me!
'cause I'm a manic pixie dream boy
Trying to live authentically"

“Weighing You Down” is the lead single and the first track on Moose Jaw’s Highwind’s new six-song EP “Final Words,” a concept album of sorts that directly take on the process and aftermath of death from the perspective of those left behind.

Check out “Weighing You Down” on YouTube here:

Read the song titles in order - “Weighing You Down”; “At What Cost”; “I’m Making Amends”, “I Feel Helpless”; “In Hospice”; “These are My Final Words”. In sequence, they tell a story and form a poem that contemplates the lives left to live once a life partner has passed.

Listen on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/track/3Dwad29E7sgenz9kpZn8N0

Loss can be wrenching, no matter who is no longer in our lives, and Brandon, MB-based singer-songwriter Doug MacNaughton provides reassurance and a salve in his new single “So Lost Without You” from his forthcoming album Old Enough To Know Better.

The song starts out shimmery, and then morphs into an introspective ’70s-tinged folk-pop ballad. The sadness is overlaid with a marching, sunny optimism as MacNaughton lays out his grief:

You were here for the best days of my life
Now you’re gone, I don’t know what to say
I lift my eyes, I just see darkness all around
The world was brighter in the days we stood
Together

He searches his heart for a way to keep going and finds a well of internal optimism. “Fear shouts – but love whispers and is heard,” he sings. “Fear doubts – but love whispers and I’m reassured.”

Watch “So Lost Without Out” on YouTube here:

Okotoks, Alberta-based country-rock and blues band The Prairie Dogz announce the release of their new single, “Almost See the Sun,” this month. The song is a hard-driving, heartfelt exploration of how to cope with the feelings of isolation and lack of connection that have no-doubt plagued many over the past few years.  Check it out on YouTube:

The song’s narrator “finds himself in a dystopian world, in a society suffering from years of oppression,” vocalist and co-writer Keith Hambrook says. “He sees the loss of hope on peoples’ faces but finds solace and peace by seeing the woman he loves. He gains a brighter perspective because of his connection with her.” It’s that holding out for hope of a happier future that keeps him going in bleak times, with the hard-rock riffs and rhythms bolstering the emotional lyrics.

Canadian rock duo The Manic Boys and Girls Club consists of co-fronts and siblings Bela and Fernando Ferreira, whose haunting music is a mix of her vocals and his harmony blended with synth, guitar, and undertones of rock and pop. Their personal, introspective lyrics are informed by the pair’s upbringing as strict Catholics in rural Portugal. “The Manic Boys and Girls Club is more than a band,” they explain. “It is an escape from the submissive existence that was reality, an escape from the disposable music packaged for the masses, and an escape for any misfit looking to join the club.”

“We’ll Be Fine” the latest single from their acclaimed self-titled EP, the collection of five songs recounts the two loners’ experiences touring in a van, as well as interpersonal relationships. “Every song starts with a lyric and a melody,” they say. “No matter how it is produced, every one of our songs can be a lullaby.” Check it out on YouTube here:

Multi-award-nominated Indigenous singer/songwriter Mike Bern brings us his rooted indigenous folk rock sounds with his new album 'Ancestors' released on March 14.

Listen to “no words for goodbyes” on YouTube here:

Mike creates a sound that uniquely blends husky rock-style vocals and traditional folk acoustic melodies with hints of drawling Southern Gospel. He takes his inspiration from musicians like Frankie Miller, Chris Otepka, and Ben Schneider, which is evident in his music's pure and heartfelt sound and the stories in his lyrics. Whether it's the raw emotion from the words he uses or the way he harmonizes with the music, Mike's music captures a sense of pain and vulnerability that is both authentic and moving.

Love is simultaneously simple and highly complex, and Barbadian soul/R&B artist Keisha Christian takes us on a journey through its highs, lows, and intricacies on her new album 360 Love.

Keisha Christian is a Barbadian soul/R&B vocalist who has been singing from as far back as she can remember. At the age of nine, she entered and won her first National Singing Competition in 1992, becoming both the youngest and the first female contestant to ever win. Now Keisha has embarked on a new journey with Billboard-charting pianist/producer Eddie Bullen and his company Thunder Dome Sounds in Toronto, in a move to transcend borders with her upcoming album 360 Love.

Relationships are supposed to be a two-way street and when you feel like you are drowning in that partnership, then it’s time to get out and move on. Female classic rock sensation Emily Mac exposes those truths on her newly released single, “Kills Me To Love You.”

Check out “Kills Me To Love You” on YouTube here:

"Kills Me To Love You" begins with a thunderous blast of drums bringing electric shock through the listener's ears, combining Emily’s powerful, yet husky vocal prowess and rebellious energy. You can hear the conviction of sheer vulnerability in her vocals when the song opens as she shouts, “F--K your games. All I do is lose. Your love is fake. And your lips are loose. All you do is take. I gave it all to you. Now I’m done playing. The Devils muse.” 

Life changes without your permission, and the world doesn’t ask for your input when it behaves as it does. Berner Trail’s response? “Sleep Till The Afternoon.” Check it out on YouTube here:

In the latest single from the Scarborough-born, Toronto-raised rock trio, Berner Trail unleashes about the unending transformations the song, the band, and everything around them are always experiencing.

In 2015, Spencer Desilva and Aaron Lusch launched Berner Trail. The duo eventually grew to three, then expanded to four, was five for a short period, and later retracted back to three in 2020 with a new bass player: Nate Murray. Desilva, Lusch, and Murray have stood together since.

It’s been a chaotic history for the band, and this song’s skeleton was around for most of it.

Everyone wants love that makes them feel secure and happy. Embodying this desire is Montreal producer-songwriter AZËE and his new single "Close Your Eyes", which features vocals from singer J.O.Y.

Check out "Close Your Eyes" on YouTube here:

The song opens with J.O.Y's soothing vocals as he asks the listener to not give up and have faith in love as they lay down to rest. J.O.Y.'s vocals are accompanied by encouraging lyrics and an upbeat, dreamy EDM beat that encourages the listener to dance and relax.

"Yea the world is not over yet
Forget all we need for now
If I say I’m going your way
I won’t let you down for now
I know it's hard just close your eyes
I won’t be gone I’ll stay tonight"

Responding to what the UN dubbed the "Shadow Pandemic," Bath, Ontario-based band Aruna & the Sirens have released an anthem calling attention to the global surge in gender-based violence.

Check it out on YouTube here:

"Have You Seen My Sister?" starts strong with powerhouse vocals from songwriter Aruna Antonella Handa with harmonies by band members Alejandra Ballon, Caitlin Holland, and Lindsay McDonald. The song's first line is a call to action: Won't you remind me to wonder who's missing from the corridors of privilege?"

Listen on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/track/2x8eXOMVIygC9THhsGDjWK?si=ae4b1d79daec457d&nd=1

They say time can heal a broken heart, but sometimes the pain can seem like too much to bear. Nobody knows this more than Pittsburgh based singer-songwriter Valentina Cherico as she laments in her new single "Teach Me How To Love Again." Check it out on YouTube here:

A gentle piano and Cherico's soft and vulnerable vocals start the song off as she looks back on the heartbreak she has endured and wonders if it will ever end. Once the pre-chorus hits, Cherico's vocals take on a beautiful tone that leads into the chorus that asks how she will know when true love finds her.

"My heart can't take no more
I open one more door
But nobody's there

How will I know?
How will I feel
When the time is right for me"

Everything can look fine on the outside, however, it’s what’s truly happening on the inside that matters most. The talented classical artist, Tonia Cianciulli, shares her own experiences of internal struggle on her newly released single, “Thousand Cries.” Check it out on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBFGMTJcEXg&feature=youtu.be

The Newfoundland-born, Toronto-based singer and songwriter paints a beautiful, yet realistic picture of what her life was and is currently like as she moves through life the best she can, while dealing with painful and emotional struggles.

“Gone Ain't Really Gone”, like many other country songs, was inspired by a truck; but not just any truck, an old truck that my grandfather used to own before he passed that's still memorable to this day. It's funny to think how objects can tell us so much about a person. Those stories and experiences don't just disappear when that person leaves us. My dad was telling me a story over Christmas about this baby blue truck my grandfather used to drive; I took that story to my next writing session with Rich Cloke and Elias Edlund.

Listen to “Gone Ain’t Really Gone”on YouTube here:

It can be very difficult to live life on life’s terms, and so Guelph, ON-based blues artist David Deacon gives us a dose of gentle reality on his humbly philosophical song “Arc of Life” – check it out on YouTube here:

An introspective, wailing guitar ballad sung in Deacon’s signature gravely tone, “Arc of Life” encourages the listener to examine the life they’ve lived without vanity, without artifice, and with a mature, and ultimately peaceful, acceptance.

It’s the arc of life
A bright or darkened star
It’s our mark on life
What’s done is what we are
What’s done is what we are