No matter who you are, you could use a friendly but firm hand every now and then to keep your nose to the grindstone. Enter Vancouver quartet Bend Sinister, who dole out two kinds of motivation on their latest, double-A-sided single — a musical wake-up call for aspiring rockers and anybody else who needs a little bit of a fire lit under them just to take on the day.

The exuberant “Big Star” sets the pace, laying down an in-your-face groove that’s the perfect vessel for sentiments every working musician should heed:

You got to play the game
If you want people to remember your name
It’s hard to write a hit
If you give up and quit
So grab a guitar
It’s time to be a big star 

Martin Schiller, the musician and composer from Windsor, Ontario, has made a mark in both performance and composition. Apart from his collaborations, Schiller has also carved out his own path as a solo artist, releasing music independently.

You probably know him for his works with the previously released album 'Dreams Vol. 1' (2022), with the 'Future Prints' single. Now he has returned with the release of his new album, 'Abstracted', a deeply personal endeavor. While 'Dreams Vol. 1' explored traditional rock instrumentation, translating simpler melodic and rhythmic ideas into psych-rock folk tunes, 'Abstracted' is a collection of sound sculptures, created concurrently with 'Dreams Vol. 1' between 2020 and 2021, taking a more fluid approach to music; where the composition is seen as the art of organizing sound, allowing for a more open-ended exploration of sonic landscapes.

They’ve been racking up the sales and accolades since 1983, HONEYMOON SUITE has moved over 1 million records worldwide and won the JUNO Award for Group of the Year in 1986. The band has many songs placed in major motion pictures and TV over the years such as the hugely successful Miami Vice TV series of the mid 80’s. In 2015, they were honored by Canadian radio for passing 100,000 plays of “New Girl Now” along with three of their other hits: “Burning In Love,” “Wave Babies” and “What Does It Take.”

Even after 41 years, it isn’t enough for a band to merely remind you they’re still doing what they do. They need to reassure you they mean it. And that’s just what melodic-rock titans HONEYMOON SUITE are up to on the impassioned title track from their latest album, Alive.

Not just a declaration of survival but a vow of undimmed commitment, the song is an insistent, throbbingly sincere loyalty oath that could be coming from a faithful partner to the object of his eternal affections … or maybe from a grateful, hard-working band to the fans they value above all.

Let Miley Cyrus buy herself flowers: Toronto-based DJ, MC, singer and songwriter Flavia Abadía has something a little less sentimental on her mind. On her piquante, percolating new single, “YNQF,” the beguiling crossover artist and her crew issue a call to abandon romantic gestures in favor of living in the moment. Check it out on YouTube here:

It’s a multicultural party anthem with a musical message that transcends language and nationality. The title is short for “Yo No Quiero Flores”—en inglés, “I don’t want flowers”—the perfect slogan for what the Colombian-French Canadian Flavia calls “an energetic, vibrant song about wanting to go out, forget all your problems and have fun!”

Following the release of “Now’s The Time” last November, Edmonton-based singer-songwriter Dahlia Wakefield strikes a delicate balance between a sweet ethereal sound and profound lyrics in “Still Waters.” In her latest track, the artist embodies discernment while examining the deeper meanings in life. Wakefield doesn’t shy away from being earnest as she begins the single with gripping lyrics. Check it out on YouTube here: youtube.com/dahliawakefield

You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink
You can give people knowledge, but you can’t make them think
You know the truth by the way that it feels
You gotta look beyond potential and see what is real

“Still Waters” begins with a soft tune, inviting listeners to relax. By the bridge, Wakefield’s vocal control and command are evident, as the song slowly builds up to a powerful melody.

Listen on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/album/47CZmom6Pk14SQOPot9dpK

Montreal songwriter Brian Campbell digs deep to find inspiration from his topsy-turvy life as a poet, and his practices as a Buddhist, to spread joy and hope on his upcoming EP release A Crystal Rim.

A Crystal Rim - Hafiz - Brian Campbell

The EP features adaptations of poems by renowned poets such as Hafiz and Rumi as well as an original composition inspired by their work. With the work rooted in allegory of famous poems, A Crystal Rim leaves listeners wanting to sit with the work for a while due to its richness that’s rooted in sounds of folk.

No matter how far you think you’ve come, it’s hard to resist thinking about what might have been. That’s the rationale behind “Seventeen,” the achingly wistful single from Canadian singer-songwriter Ruth Moody’s forthcoming album, Wanderer, out May 17 on Blue Muse Records/True North Records.

Check it out on YouTube:

In her gentle yet authoritative soprano, Moody looks back on a teenage crush that followed the sad but typical trajectory from something craved to something squandered:

If I could go back
I’d show you all the ways that you made me feel
If I could go back
I’d take you in my arms, try and set us free
If I could go back
I wouldn’t be here now trying to say “I’m sorry”
I was seventeen

Good hip-hop lives and dies on the cleverness of its wordplay. But when it comes to witty namechecks, rapper K.O. Strat is playing in a different league entirely. On his debut album, Glass Sandwich—and its spotlight track, “The Moleskine”- he’s dropping pop-cultural nods so deep they might have stumped even Dennis Miller in his prime.

A short but sweet peek into a restless creative mind, “The Moleskine” packs its 2-minute running time with references to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Flintstones, Tekken, Metallica’s first album and the Space Shuttle Challenger. Even the title is an IP: It’s the brand name of the notebook in which Strat used to jot down his lyrical ideas and other bursts of inspiration.

Listen on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/album/5PgaJfn7VbLbGlxek0Adfg

“My close friend had gotten me a grossly overpriced but undeniably nice Moleskine notebook as a gift. If he hadn’t, the song might be called ‘The Hilroy,’” he muses.

One of the more curious aspects of the artistic temperament is that the more you accomplish, the more you strive for. Case in point: Canadian folk legend James Gordon, who after a whopping 42 albums and successes in multiple other avenues of creative and civic life is still looking for “Leonard’s Secret Chord”—which is not only a metaphor for the elusiveness of the proverbial muse, but the title of his new single to boot. Check it out on YouTube here:

And yes, that title is indeed a Leonard Cohen reference. Gordon wrote his song after watching a documentary on the omnipresent “Hallelujah,” which Cohen recorded in 1984 and which later became a staple of films, TV and the repertoires of other artists.

It’s a proud tradition for punk bands to pay tribute to the absolute disaster area they live in. Fear did it with “I Love Livin’ in the City,” and Manitoba’s Wild Kingdom followed suit with “New York, New York.” To that list, add the York Region, Ontario, quartet G.F.U., who immortalize their life of filth on “Rats,” the latest track pulled from their 2023 four–song debut ep, Grand Slam. Check it out on YouTube here:

BELFOUNTAIN's debut single "Give It Up," - has a new video out now, to accompany it. The fresh, new indie-folk-rock project fronted by singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and JUNO Award-winning producer Chris Graham, has released the catchy-as-hell first single which is drawn from the upcoming album Some Hearts, an authentic, roots-inspired collection of songs. Some Hearts comes out June 21, 2024.

Watch it on YouTube here:

In 2023, Arturo Rojas gifted our ears with great music with the release of the success "Te Diré" (Song of the Week on Toronto's Voces Latinas CHHA 1610 AM), and his last release, "Entre Mi Fuego y Sangre", a harmonious fusion of artistry and emotion. Watch and listen on YouTube here:

 Written by Rojas, his latest release is a personal artistic expression of positivity, after experiencing a near-death situation. "It made me wonder about life", the singer shares. "What comes after we die? Where are we going after death? Is there a place waiting for us after we pass away? But in the end, we need to learn to give…"

Despite drawing inspiration from a challenging life moment, Rojas skillfully channels his emotions into a captivating ballad, effortlessly blending Latin, pop, and jazz influences.

Nearly three years in the making, Shedding Skin, the new six-song EP by Ajax, ON-based The Rockin’ Krolik (a.k.a. J.F. Perotin) is a raw examination of past relationships, personal growth, loss of loved ones, and addiction. It’s the kind of album you make when you’ve turned 52, as Perotin did this year, and you have some of the hard-earned wisdom and maturity to formulate something deeply meaningful – and relatable.

“I wrote songs letting go of filters, self-judgment, Imposter Syndrome, and all that BS,” Perotin says of Shedding Skin, which he began writing back in 2022.

With its mellow rockin’ groove, “W.Y.K.Y.K.” (“When You Know, You Know”) pays tribute to emotional intelligence and listening to one’s gut to get the right answers. “In short, it’s being tuned in to the energy of the universe and what you perceive when interacting with people – it’s all magnetism,” Perotin muses. “Ebbs and flows, tension and release.” And then the song brings in the strings for an epic, purifying ending.

With Shook Boys fresh from their first performance in Europe at the 30th Rockin Race Jamboree in Spain, Sleazy Records has answered the band’s fans call by releasing a limited 10″ vinyl record of their self-titled debut album in March 2024.

Originally dropped on streaming platforms in November 2023, the album’s transition to vinyl is a nod to the band’s 1950s aesthetics. With seven songs packed into a lively 15-minute experience, the album certainly calls for a 10″ record—a timeless soundtrack of rebellious youth.

The self-titled album, “Shook Boys,” is a reflection of the boys’ lifestyle—a soundtrack to juvenile delinquency and reckless living. Inspired by the no-holds-barred ethos of the 1950s rock’n’roll era, the band stays true to the roots of rockabilly while fearlessly pushing its boundaries with sounds of garage, doo-wop, and rhythm & blues.

Thank goodness the neighbours spent the summer out of town! When the after-hours crowd that had just left one of Montreal DJ/producer “MTL Pachangón” club nights moved the party to his combined kitchen and living room, the walls shook with joyous singalongs, the celebration until sunrise by the sounds of beatmaking, rapping and various noises made with household utensils.

Now, almost seven years later, comes proof it was all worth it. Oonga & Chellz - Dame Espacio feat. Ultra K, the debut single from Oonga’s MTL Sauce Piquante project, reconstitutes those late-night bursts of creativity into a spicy mix of tropical punk, cumbia, ska, calypso, dancefloor grooves and just about anything else that can be caught and thrown in a pot.

When you hear a band has penned a concept album about the natural flow of a grand love affair, your instinctive reaction might be “Aww, how sweet.” Now meet Original Pairs. The Toronto rock-revival outfit have chosen to herald the arrival of their new collection, Long Play (OPLP), by releasing “Not Grow Old,” a relationship inventory with a—shall we say—quirkier bent. Check it out on YouTube here:

Lyrically, the song finds a smitten narrator rattling off a series of things his woman could do that he promises wouldn’t scuttle their union—from staying out all night to putting him on hold to talking with her mouth full. But the loping, dark-rockabilly menace of the music hints that there’s going to be a crucial exception:

Don’t say you ain’t been told
You better not grow old
You better not grow old

Get ready to shake it like never before with Lou Pomanti and Robyn Black as they release their newest soulful single, "Shake About It." This dynamic collaboration between Lou, one of Canada’s most accomplished producers, composers, musicians, and musical directors, and Robyn, Canada’s vocal treasure, is not just music – it's a mood-lifting invitation to throw caution to the wind and let go of all your worries. Check it out on YouTube here:

Welcome to the tundra. Environmentalist/adventurer Les Stroud is once again singing the praises of his “Arctic Mistress,” a track from the forthcoming remastered and expanded vinyl edition of his 2019 album, Mother Earth. Check it out on YouTube here:

 An artifact of one of Stroud’s innumerable forays into the ancient wilderness, the seven-minute track begins with a lengthy throat-sung prelude influenced by the Inuit musicians of Canada’s Pond Inlet. That segues into a mesmerizing prog-pop number that exhorts us to “breathe the arctic air.” It’s a sentiment near and dear to the heart of Stroud, who has built up a sterling international reputation as an advocate for the natural world through his decades as a survival expert, filmmaker, composer, singer-songwriter and all-around champion of the wonders around us.

One of the hardest decisions a recording artist has to make is which single to pull to accurately represent their new album. For Indigenous, Sechelt, BC-based folk-popper Janet Panic, the ultimate answer was “Why choose?” That’s why she’s heralding her latest record, A Mighty Rip Through the Page of My Life, with a double-A-sided release that showcases two distinct aspects of her highly compelling musical personality.

On one side, we have “Goodbyes”—which, given the title of the album, might seem to portend a seriously bitter kiss-off. But this is actually an exquisite breakup song that’s exactly the sort of loving benediction you’d hope to receive from a partner when things finally reached their end.

Listen on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/album/6jPUObW3Z4gIrBrX4TP27N

“May all the troubles that you spoke of/ Be blessings in disguise,” Panic coos, with the utmost sincerity. “And the obstacles you face/ They shrink as you rise/ And I wish you goodbyes/ Goodbyes”

It’s never too late to disassociate. So says New York City postpunk philosopher Gina Volpe on “Delete the World,” the latest track to drop from her debut solo album of the same name. Check it out on YouTube here:

 A hymn to the life-saving power of escapism, the song finds Volpe with daydreaming on her mind. A detuned, eighth-note chunky guitar riff ticks away like the steady march of time while the singer impatiently imagines missing out on a world that “could vaporize before our eyes.” Then everything explodes in an old-school rave-up that declares a path to victory over humdrum reality: