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:

There’s needy, and then there’s just honest. And you can always count on the recording artist known as Billy the Kid to be honest. On her new single, “Fall in Love with Me, Please”—her second as part of the trio Billy the Kid & Your Funeral—the straight-shooting Billy Pettinger places a bid for affection that’s as plainspoken as it is heartbreaking. Check it out on YouTube here:

Making her own unique contribution to the “where is my man?” school of lonely hearts club songcraft, the Vancouver-born, Detroit-based Billy establishes that she, too, has been around the world and can’t find her baby—“the world” in this context extending from the neighborhood bar to the faces of past partners she now worries might have included the proverbial one that got away. It’s on the chorus, though, that the depths of her desperation truly become known:

Everybody should have more than one outfit, no matter how swank it might be. That’s why Melbourne, Australia-born; Dubai-based rapper Bently Boy is dropping three brand-new mixes of his sartorially oriented single “Alexander McQueen” featuring NLE Choppa and Elise Estrada — each version perfectly suited to its own particular occasion. Check it out on YouTube here: youtube.com/@BENTLYBOYOFFICIAL

There’s an amped-up club mix for when you wanna get on the floor. A funk mix to make your ride bump and rattle. And a sinister, sinuous trap mix that whispers “Time to creep.” As produced by Adam H. (DJ Khaled, Ne-Yo, Ray J), the three reimaginings on Alexander McQueen: The Versions couldn’t be more different from one another. But each one is just the right ensemble to throw on once you’ve decided what you’re in the mood for. No matter where you’re headed, the cut, so to speak, is always gonna be perfect.

What all three mixes have in common is a lyrical thrust that exalts the sharp-dressed man as a paragon of triumph over adversity:

Factions on the left, factions on the right … sometimes it seems as if the only thing we as a people can agree on anymore is to disagree. Loudly. 

British-Colombian folk/pop/roots act Stone Poets see the problem, and they refuse to be cowed by it. Lifting their voices in harmony to preach the virtues of… well, harmony, the trio of Cherelle Jardine, Scott Jackson and Marc Gladstone makes a soft-spoken yet impassioned plea for lowering the cultural temperature on “The Great Divide,” the first single from their new album, HUM∀N.

Check it out on YouTube here:

Music serves as the timeless conduit that unites us all. For Todd Green, executive director of Tomorrow’s Voices Foundation and dedicated music enthusiast, his love for music transcends mere admiration.

With an extensive collection of records and countless concert experiences under his belt, Todd now embarks on a new venture as a singer-songwriter, adding another dimension to his musical journey.

At the core of Todd Green's musical journey is Tomorrow’s Voices Foundation, a charitable children’s choir he established in 2017. With a passion for nurturing young talent, Todd founded the organization to provide aspiring singers across Canada with a platform to showcase their voices. Today, the foundation operates in six cities and three provinces, impacting the lives of over 200 children.

The Celtic Tenors have been acting as musical ambassadors for a quarter-century now, applying their immense vocal talents (and uniquely Irish charm and personality) to material that ranges from classical arias and acapellas to traditional Celtic harmonies and popular contemporary songs. They’ve sold over a million records worldwide, winning over legions of fans with their unmatched ability to harmonize both musically and personally.

That they mesh so well as a unit stems in part from the firm pedigree each member brings to the table. Tenor Matthew Gilsenan was classically trained by some of the great Irish and Scottish teachers and later sang in Ireland’s National Chamber Choir. James Nelson is an honors graduate in music from University College Dublin, with a résumé that includes over 60 oratorios and more than 50 operas and operettas performed on stages across the globe. Daryl Simpson has degrees in music from multiple institutions in Ireland and Scotland, as well as an extensive history of appearances with prestigious opera companies and orchestras in the U.K. and Switzerland.

PaulStar, a.k.a. Paul Napash, the multi-talented Cree musician, artist, and producer hailing from Chisasibi, Quebec, is set to make a significant impact on the music industry with the release of his first full-length album, "Bring It All Together" – check it out on YouTube here:

 With a blend of influences from his Indigenous roots and his love of alternative rock, pop, and hip-hop, the versatile artist's newly released record is a testament to his musical evolution. When creating “Bring It All Together”, PaulStar underwent an introspective journey, propelled by his passion to elevate the voices of Indigenous people while taking inspiration from his favourite bands.

Every track on the album showcases a different facet of PaulStar's identity and creative vision, drawing from his own experiences and the hardships encountered by Indigenous communities.

MoZaic’s 3-track Undeniable EPpacks stirring social commentary while holding the listener close. The EP is led by her “Love Undeniable”single, which playfully challenges social norms around sex and gender. The track includes upbeat instrumentals and polished backup vocals that offer an appealing listener experience. Audiences will be both startled, and comforted. Check it out YouTube here:

It isn’t always a wise move to cover an all-time classic. But if you want to know you’ve done it justice, there are certain signs you can watch for. Like looking out into the audience and seeing everybody on their feet.

That’s the reaction Canadian folk-country troubadour Lisa Richard received after she had performed a heartfelt rendition of Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind” to a crowd of 4,000 at the 2023 Stan Rogers Folk Festival.

“It was a moment I’ll never forget,” Richard says. “I was surrounded by not only a beautiful crowd but other incredible musicians with whom I shared the stage. I could see tears in the eyes of the audience members in the front rows, as well as my peers on stage.

“You could hear a pin drop during the song, but what followed was an eruption of cheers and standing ovations from the thousands of people in the crowd. I was truly so touched by the positive and emotional response that I decided to make it official.”

Pop artist Harriet Chung is no stranger to the spotlight and the release of her latest single “Dawn Till Dusk” only comes as another one of her many creative accomplishments. Check it out on YouTube here:

While Chung spent her childhood singing, dancing, and playing the piano, her time in the spotlight came when she was cast in a Toronto production of The Phantom of the Opera. The Toronto-based multi-faceted artist went on to receive several artistic accolades to the likes of receiving Outstanding Actress awards for the internationally acclaimed musical film Golden Lotus and performing in the most successful show in German history, Cats.

Mesa, AZ-based Gene Moran, the “musician who shouldn’t be a musician,” is establishing himself as the modern rebel Americana singer/songwriter with his newest song, “Dead Man’s Guitar.” Check it out on YouTube here:

“Dead Man’s Guitar” tells the true story of the first guitar Moran ever owned, which he received when his uncle Andy Arias passed away. Moran describes his uncle as the “best guitarist in Yuma AZ,” and credits his lifelong love of the instrument to the time they spent working on guitar together. Today, Moran finds his sound somewhere between the Hank Williams school of lonesome, the more experimental landscape of alt-rock, grunge and fuzz, with a sprinkle of unmistakably Arizonan desert rock. Though he’s now a seasoned live music professional, many may find it hard to believe that Moran once struggled with stage fright!

“There’s no rule that says you can’t issue a career retrospective after only four years—especially when it isn’t just your own past you’re looking back on. With his new compilation, 2019-2023, Dublin singer-songwriter Conor Furlong recaps his achievements not only as an artist in his own right, but as a curator of our shared musical memories.

 The 22-song collection is a crash course in Furlong’s expert command of styles ranging from grunge-infused rock to spaced-out ambient pop. And its release is being heralded by a double-A-sided single that brings together two of the best examples of his ability to pay homage while honing a sound that’s uniquely his own. On one side is “Teenage Fantasies,” the first single from his 2021 album, Recurring Dream; on the other is “Alien,” the spotlight track to 2019’s Rapid Eye Movement. Both songs share a grand flair for heart-rending emotion, with Furlong’s reverberating voice floating soft syllables above arrangements dripping with lush yet unforced majesty.

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