Most artists fumble the first time they get into a studio. In the case of Montreal singer Silka Weil, and her debut single, “Capsized,” she knocked it out of the park. Maybe that’s because the song dates to her days in her parents’ basement, and “polishing it into a finished piece of work has been like framing an old photograph,” she says. Maybe it’s because Weil has been singing since before she knew how to speak, and has been playing guitar since she was nine years old; she was more than ready for her first closeup. Maybe it’s because the lyrics are deeply personal for her, about using art to unlock one’s inner potential. Which Silka Weil has clearly done here.

Check out “Capsized” on YouTube here:

Playing With Fire could refer to the feeling emanating from any member of Maqueque, the all-women band formed by veteran Toronto jazz musician Jane Bunnett with young female grads of the Cuban conservatory.

Check it out on YouTube here:

 A decade ago, Bunnett met the core of the band at a jam session with her band Spirits of Havana, at the Cohiba Hotel in that city. Ten years later, Maqueque has created opportunities for composing and performing extraordinary jazz that has taken the pioneering ensemble around the world. It has expanded to include not only women players from Cuba, but also the brilliant vocalist Joanna Majoko (from Zimbabwe) and musicians from the Dominican Republic, Latin America, Spain and Lebanon.

Toronto's feel-good folk-rock performer Evelynne Ross has released the stirring new single "Old Oak Tree," - check it out on YouTube here:

Taken from Ross' new EP, Against the Fence, "Old Oak Tree" is built on twanging, riffing guitars, mid-tempo percussion, and Ross' own soulful vocal. Thematically about strong family roots, Ross weaves a tale about a woman ready to make a difficult decision in her life: "Nobody, nah nobody is gonna hold her back/ Throw her off the track/ You'll see/ She's got her roots from her mother/ She’s like an old oak tree."

Not all breakups are bitter, and sometimes you part ways wishing the other person the best even though it hurts like hell. Cobourg, Ontario-based singer/songwriter Harry Hannah captures a breakup’s bitter-sweetness with his easy-galloping, alt-country new single “Baby Don’t Look Back” – check it out on YouTube here:

With mellow rhythm, a little bit of twang, and chock full of philosophical introspection, “Baby Don’t Look Back” tells the true story of a breakup Hannah went through years ago, knowing the whole time it would eventually have to end:

You always told me you’d be leaving soon
bum town just got nothing to do
there’s a world that’s been needing you
Cut the chains off and go let loose 

How many friends do you really have—and not just online? How well do you know the members of your family? How many times do you promise to make a date to catch up, and never really do? Do you know what your friends and family take in their coffee? Maybe it’s time to make a New Year’s resolution to follow through and find out.

Listen on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/track/0tE9huFhDNms1O8whC8nhw

Lynn Miles has earned her reputation as one of Canada’s most formidable songwriters, having written more than 900 songs and released 15 albums over her remarkable career.. She’s racked up multiple Juno Awards, Canadian Folk Music Awards, had two albums voted #1 by readers of Penguin Eggs magazine, and had her songs covered by a multitude of artists including Claire Lynch on her Grammy-nominated album North by South. The Ottawa-based singer is a producer, professor and public speaker, a paragon of excellence in everything she does. You could say she is reliable. The songs on her 16th album, TumbleWeedyWorld, however, are about unreliability. About shaky situations. About a time when cracks begin to appear in everything.

Listen and pre-Order here: truenorthrecords.com/lynnmiles

The new single by Opaskwayak Cree Nation, Manitoba’s Low Budget Rock Star, “More Than Ever,” sounds like it’s about a lover: “I need you more than ever / baby don’t you ever go.” But that chorus was written about drummer Richie Cudmore, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2022. It was written as a “what if,” scenario: How would the Indigenous three-piece rock band survive without Richie? Would the remaining two members of the anthemic trio, from the remote northern community of The Pas, Manitoba, find themselves thrust into the unknown, wandering the streets of Winnipeg, feeling lost, tired and alone?

Check it out on YouTube:

What’s it like “to live in endless fear of tragedy?” You don’t have to be naturally anxiety-prone to feel that way in 2023, a time of plague and war, among other ails. Sometimes a letter from a friend can be the balm to soothe frayed nerves. A letter that is “Addressed to You,” like the new single from Dillon Ryan and the Dream Romantic. Check it out on YouTube here:

Dillon Ryan and his goth-tinged post-punk band can make you believe that the New Brunswick towns of Miramichi or Moncton in the 21st century could well be Manchester circa 1985. With melodies like the best British ’80s pop bands and new-wave guitar textures that emerge from a Maritime fog, the Dream Romantic sound like they fell out of a John Hughes soundtrack, with all the requisite romantic melancholy.

At the drop of midnight on New Year’s Eve, an explosion of positivity erupted in Toronto. No, not the city-sanctioned fireworks display on the unfortunately foggy night. It was Blaine Walker’s new single, “Party in the 6ix,” a song destined to go down in Toronto history. It’s not just a civic anthem—it’s consciously written as an anthem, designed to celebrate everything Walker loves about his city. Especially its sports teams. When the Raptors won the 2019 NBA Championships, or when Toronto FC won the 2017 MLS Championship or the recent Grey Cup win by the Argos, there should have been a song tailor-made for just such moments. Blaine Walker didn’t think there was. So, he wrote one.

Check it out on YouTube here:

Canadian through and through, Sharron Katz's gentle soulful storytelling gives us a double A-side with 'Leaving Eden' from her album Portrait, and an original special holiday song 'Santa Soulmate.' Arriving now, the double A-side shows Katz's ability to deliver truthful emotion straight from the heart without any frills.

Check out “Santa’s Soulmate” on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/album/15UVHFgoKv3r3Z1ggWO2xY

 Throughout both tracks, there is Alanis Morrisette style-storytelling present with a foundation of roots, blues, and folk. Plus, an added nod to the 90s with a Seattle-sounding production, delivering a welcoming nostalgia to Katz's sound.

A move to Stratford Ontario from Toronto and a change of circumstances 7 years ago mixed-up Katz's life for the better. 'Leaving Eden' was the result of this experience with Katz offering a new perspective on the Adam and Eve story.

Check out “Leaving Eden” on YouTube here:

The Otherness, a 4-piece Argentine band now based in Berlin, provides the listener with a cool, catchy mix of joy and provocation. The group, which has a new video out for their single “We Can Be One,” consists of Martin Cativa (guitar, vocals), Gonzalo Cativa (bass, vocals) Pablo Gaggioni (drums) and Nico Kleihn (guitar). Check out the vido on YouTube here:

Ethereal vocals and a multitude of carefully layered synths make it impossible not to dance to the catchy new single from Toronto-based pop outfit Techno Westerns who dazzle with a tale of losing oneself on “Mystery Man” – check it out on YouTube here:

The electric single “Mystery Man” can be found on the new Techno Westerns EP “Midnight,” a collection of music meticulously crafted by New Zealand native and Techno Westerns frontman Wyatt Hautonga.

“’Mystery Man’ at face value is supposed to be a Halloween song, but once you push that aside, it’s more the tale of someone losing their sense of self.”

The song stems from Hautonga’s own experience of questioning what behaviour was a defense mechanism to keep others out, and which behaviour was a genuine reflection of personality.

Ron Robertson released his latest album “Bristol” today. The Alt Country album was recorded in Toronto, and features some of Canada’s finest musicians. Produced by Ron Robertson and CCMA Hall of Fame member Wendell Ferguson, “Bristol” stretches the lines that define today’s country music to create a sonic treasure.

“Bristol” contains eleven original tracks, which showcase Robertson’s gift for storytelling. The singer, like the characters in the songs that he writes, are a little worn around the edges, but that only adds to the charm. Wendell Ferguson’s guitar playing is featured front and center. John Dymond and Gary Craig round out the bottom end.

Burke Carrol brings his talents on steel guitar , while multiple Maple Blues Award winner Suzie Vinnick guests on the duet, “I Said Goodbye”.

For more on Ron Robertson visit:

instagram.com/ronrobertsonmusic/

music.apple.com/ca/artist/ron-robertson/1655090650

More toys? More tech? Not so fast, sings a voice of reason.

Listen on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/track/0L4aic5RF7JYABrw2TtrFY

Lynne Taylor Donovan’s stirring old-school alto delivers a potent—and perennial—holiday message in “Dear Santa.” Adult contemporary- as well as country-friendly, the ultra-listenable track lends itself to multiple playlists and diverse formats. The timely lyrics by Tony Koenen offer both an appeal for peace to the universal Father Christmas and a plea for family spirit over excess spending to the Santas on the home front:

It’s not the gift, it’s the thought
And I’ve thought this one through
Giving of a gift is so easy
But giving of yourself makes wishes come true.

Recording this song was a no-brainer for Donovan: “I was conditioned by advertising as a child into believing that Christmas meant gifts and gifts meant love.” “Dear Santa” dispels that seasonal myth with a classic melody and the singer’s trademark warmth and style.

Check out “Dear Santa” on YouTube here:

Kitchener, Ontario band FOG Blues & Brass Band release a swinging arrangement of ‘Here Comes Santa Claus’ to enliven the 2022 holiday season. The latest single from the accomplished 7-piece band rejuvenates the Christmas standard with keys, horns and a spirited vocal by lead singer Hilliard Walter.

Check it out on YouTube here:

 Produced by Grammy and Juno Winner John ‘Beetle’ Bailey at Jancar Studios, Cambridge ON, and at The Drive Shed, New Hamburg, ON, the cheerful ode to St. Nick was a natural fit for the group of veteran musicians who are known for their rousing and joyful playing style. Having worked with the FOG Blues & Brass Band on its well-received In the Fog! Record, Bailey suggested the band reinterpret the classic song in their own style.

On his newest single, “Learning to Love You,” Canadian blues-rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and 3x-Maple Blues Award-nominee Chris Antonik. Known as the Canadian Gary Clark Jr., Antonik wrote the song as a love letter to his partner, Juno award-nominated jazz musician Alison Young, with a nod to Derek and the Dominos’ classic album, Layla. “Learning to Love You” is a ballad about healing your heart and learning to accept love again after some challenging years rooted in the heartbreak of divorce. “Learning to Love You” fits well among the other songs of hope, rebuilding, community, and new beginnings on his fourth studio album.

Check out “Learning to Love You: on YouTube here:

Canadian folk artist Carla Muller captures the peaceful beauty of gently falling snow with the soothing, hypnotic holiday single “Snow Came Falling” – available now. Inspired by a snow storm the night of her daughter’s birth, it’s a meditative song of gratitude that reminds us to count our blessings this holiday season. Check it out on YouTube:

Featuring understated guitar, violin, mellow piano, and Muller’s heartfelt vocals, “Snow Came Falling” is evocative of gazing out the window and enjoying the sight of a winter wonderland.

On the night I first held you in my arms
A harvest moon rose in the sky
And the frost hung still with bated breath
To hear your first cry
Snow came falling to the ground

Every generation has had to deal with their share of existential threats, and the members of Broken Wolves are no different. With his Toronto-based dark-folk act Broken Wolves, lead singer and guitarist Lennox Campbell-Berzins grapples with the looming threat of climate change and channels his anxieties onto their Medieval-inspired new single "The Summons." Check it out on YouTube here:

Led by Campbell-Berzins's affecting, Nick Cave-esque baritone, "The Summons" sets a gloomy, meditative tone with ethereal backing harmonies, atmospheric synth, and ominous, marching percussion. Meanwhile, the lyrics evoke images of nocturnal unrest and chilly forestal settings that are equal parts unforgiving and beautiful.

Montreal’s Afro-futuristic concept group Afrotronix has released their “Run Away Ta” single and video – check it out on YouTube here:

After the remarkable release of the album Nomadix, Afrotronix are back with this exhilarating first track from the new two-volume album Future Tribe. For this electro track tinged with Saharan blues, the artist Afrotronix has invited the renowned Senegalese group, Daara J Family to feature.

An all too familiar tale, Umbe B delivers a fiery retelling of a toxic love triangle, battling with internal impulses while trying to act with self-preservation. Dramatic storytelling is paired perfectly with hard-hitting string swells and perfectly timed breakdowns to create an all-encompassing visual novella, “Confiesale.” Check it out on YouTube here:

Named by several publications throughout Latin and North American as the Latin King Of The North, Umbe B upholds his record of dropping absolute bangers with the release of “Confiesale.” In addition to a seemingly perfect track record, Umbe B’s doubles down on his ability to allure listeners with infectious breakbeat Latin drums and enticing melodic movements.