A song and its lyrics can at times be given a new life and meaning, recreated by another voice and story.  Such is the case with Ron Kalmakoff’s version of the song, “Bells.”

Check it out on YouTube here:

Ron’s vision was to keep the musicality and instrumentation of this song simple and poignant, so that the poetry of the piece could shine.  “I thought, how do these words relate to our world today? The struggles and fears of this complex environment we live in or that others may be facing. A senseless war and those that bear the burden of not being allowed to live their lives with peace and love. As sad as the lyrics of this song may sound, they are beautifully written and somehow filled with hope.”

On the dawn of one J’ouvert Morning in Trinidad, the juxtaposition of the lively parade of partiers along the line of quiet graveyards provoked KOBO Town’s Drew Gonsalves deep into thought - the influence behind the band’s new single, “Carnival Of The Ghosts.”  Check it out on YouTube here:

The title track of the JUNO Award-winning group’s fourth album takes its listeners on a journey with Gonsalves through time, experiencing a night with the dead who paved the way for the generations that followed.

Listen on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/track/2sYFug6PzgeyA3Sf25pjFj?si=cfa707e7a73c4427&nd=1

The best ’90s music was about looking inward, for better or for worse, with a somewhat critical eye, and Montreal-based alt-rock band Juvenile Jury capture that anxious, itchy introspection in their new yet very vintage-sounding single “Third Eye” from their new EP Proven Guilty.

With grungy guitars, loud-quiet dynamics, and subtle harmonies, “Third Eye” takes some of the most recognizable, intoxicating elements of ’90s grunge and alternative and reimagines it all for a contemporary audience.

Stop pretending
It’s getting under my skin
It’s getting under my skin
Lately, I’ve been
Searching for my missing eye in the desert of my mind

Check Out “Third Eye” on YouTube here:

Delicately weaving between difficult emotions and deft vocalizations, Julie Neff delivers an astoundingly emotional performance as she reflects on lost love and perseverance in her newest single, “A Lot Left To Learn” – the final single and video from her Over It EP.

Touching on the vulnerability of sharing yourself with someone, “A Lot Left To Learn” traverses the terrain of love not meant to be – how sweet a partner can be, yet they still may not be for you. Love comes in many shapes and sizes, and while some love is forever, it often is merely a stepping stone – a point of learning in a lifelong journey.

Check out “A Lot Left To Learn” on YouTube here:

The most captivating music takes the listener on a journey that has a specific melody but inspires every individual to imagine their own visuals and make their own connection to the song. Rising Caribbean-Canadian Smooth Jazz guitarist Jeremy Sean Hector has plotted an exquisite musical path that will lift you up to the stars with his latest composition, “Night Flight” – check it out on YouTube here:

Melding the lighter-than-air freedom of flying with the evocative mystery of our world after dark, “Night Flight” is a soulful and scintillating trip into the atmosphere, with a brilliant guitarist and his band as your guides.

“‘Night Flight’ is the kind of song that seems to come alive at night,” notes Hector. “With an air of wonder and anticipation, this song just wants to take you on a pleasant trip.”

NY Times and Billboard-charting world music supergroup Sultans of String celebrate their “Best Musical Film” win with "Sultans of String: The Refuge Project - Visual Album", as part of the monthly competition of Cannes World Film Festival, with a milestone Sanctuary CD Release concert in Toronto at Jane Mallett Theatre on November 4, 2022.

The pandemic has been a time of reflection and tumult for many, but for Canadian pop artist Alexis Lynn, it provided a deep dive into her psyche and some long-simmering struggles, culminating in her aptly titled album Real Talk – check it out on YouTube here:

A collection of pop bangers and soulful confessions – including her single “Fall Apart,” which holds steady at No. 5 on the Indigenous Music Countdown – Real Talk is Alexis Lynn’s most authentic, raw work to date.

“When I started writing the album, I honestly didn’t really know where it was going, but it kind of wrote itself,” she recalls. “It turned into this beautiful story of struggling with mental health, adopting unhealthy coping mechanisms, and then finally coming out on the other side. It terrifies me to have been so honest, but I’m also really proud of it.”

JUNO Award-nominated, jazz singer and songwriter Alex Bird is gifting Canadians a song dedicated to Thanksgiving - a holiday that, until now hasn’t had a dedicated tune in Canada.

Titled “The Sweetest Moments” and written and performed by Bird, Ewen Farncombe and the Jazz Mavericks, the track captures that fall, Thanksgiving feeling, where the air is crisp, and you can almost hear the laughter of your favourite people around the table and smell the turkey roasting.

Check it out on YouTube here:

“Thanksgiving is one of the sweetest holidays, which is why we couldn’t believe it didn’t have a song,” said Bird. “When we set out to write a Thanksgiving song, we thought about the sounds, the sights, the smells, the faces, the turkey and really tried to encapsulate that in a tune.”

Get ready for your favorite new, groovy, soulful tune because Ontario-based trio Road Waves’ new single, “Small World” – Check it out on YouTube here:

The trio originated in 2014 and quickly fell in love with cross-country touring. Of course, when the COVID virus caused an unforeseen pause for live music events, the band had to compromise. The group brainstormed the best ways to keep their strong relationship with their fans, deciding to perform live stream concerts and videos. The trio stepped up their game a notch and hosted drive-in concerts for safe, socially distanced live events.

The trio consists of Ji Sharp on Lead vocals and guitar, Matt Maxwell on Drums and Vocals and Dave Ruigrok on Bass Guitar. When the trio recorded “Small World,” Yo Izumita played Bass Guitar.

Baltimore-based Von Tae’s newest single is a masterclass in velvet delivery and silk sonic music production from start to finish. Reflecting on the trials and tribulations associated with day-to-day life, “On God” is a proficient retelling of mantras and wisdom paired excellently with a side of raw emotion.

Check it out on YouTube here:

Von Tae recounts his darkest days in this heartfelt track, revisiting homelessness in Atlanta, the death of his oldest brother, infidelity, and a global pandemic. The whole production is reminiscent of an intimate confessional – two strangers in a dark room, confessing their hardships and reflecting without judgment.

London, United Kingdom’s Vivienne Cure explores the dimly lit fringe of “Paranoia” – check out the YouTube Link:

Boasting electric lo-fi percussion and seething metal elements, Cure's vocals haunt the melody. “Paranoia” is a TV set to static before the paranormal comes to reclaim. It’s a sanity-questioning anthem, set to stun. Cure takes no prisoners; a siren in a lake of rushing industrial hard rock water. It captivates and claims the oxygen in the air, leaving you gasping for more.

The British born Cure is both a musician and visual artist. Her tenure in the arts bleeds together the elements of experimental soundscape doom metal and alternative gothic.

“My collection of musical works lay at the centre of a vortex of swirling fragments of deeply personal memories driven by my inner war and reaction to society’s underlying sadness,” Cure says.

Country singer-songwriter Travis Dolter has released his version of the classic ABBA song, “Does Your Mother Know.” The song, originally released on the Swedish group’s 6th album in 1979, has been covered in various genres, and this one, Dolter's version, is a fan favourite at his live shows.

"I have been a huge ABBA fan since my grandma first showed me the movie “Mama Mia”. When I saw a Ukrainian band performing “Does Your Mother Know” at a Zabava back in 2019, I decided to add this song to my set list. It quickly became a fan favourite at my shows that everyone loved! I am so excited to be releasing this ABBA cover, with my own twist on it!"

Check it out on YouTube here:

Last year, the Toronto-based folk-rock duo Robinson Kirby released a seven-song EP, Little Dreams, and a summer anthem, “Summer of Love.” Now, they add to their discography with a fresh folk jam, “Secret Lover” – check it out on YouTube here:

Robinson Kirby mentioned that their previous EP focused on songs “about love, searching for connection, and finding your place in the world.” “Secret Lover” picks up where Little Dreams left off with an ode to a blossoming relationship. Moments so novel you spend your free time sneaking around friends and family, eager to cherish those early days before the relationship blooms into something concrete and known.

Robinson Kirby mentioned that originally “Secret Lover” started with a slower melody and a completely different tone than the “upbeat, grooving feel” it emanates today.

As the unpredictability of this new world continues to spiral, London, Ontario-based Pop/R&B vocal quartet The McAuley Boys are back to remind us about the importance of family and human connection with their uplifting new single “I Can’t Wait To See You Smile” – check it out on YouTube here:

Real-life brothers Gary, George, Mark, and Randy McAuley deliver a silky-smooth auditory experience with “I Can’t Wait To See You Smile” while reckoning with the cold new reality forced upon us by the polarizing global pandemic. George McAuley captures the spirit of the music when he says, “It’s a timeless song that has a far-reaching sentiment. We need more smiling and more love in our world today…and always.”

Award-winning singer/songwriter and Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist Sarantos uses his charm to let the genie out of the bottle on his new single about the universal desire to achieve happiness with the retro-inspired EDM pop song “I Wish” – check it out on YouTube here:

Known for tackling deeply rich subjects through the magic of music, Sarantos delivers yet another profoundly personal song touching on the quest we’re all on to attain happiness. Sarantos captures the melancholy nature of life on “I Wish,” a track brimming with sonic personality that hooks you in with its catchy beat and synthy vibes.

Osas Igbinosun is a Nigerian-born artist based in Edmonton, AB who started his career by teaching himself songs on YouTube. His love for music began when he picked up his brother's abandoned guitar, and from the age of 16, he has been immersed in music, playing for his local church and worship team as a guitarist and singer. From there, it was a goal to only write songs that showcases Osasioo’s expansive voice like no other.

Listen to “Gravity” on YouTube here:

“I realized I was a trans woman between finishing and releasing this album. That presented me with an issue: I was ready to release this album but didn’t want to go through the release process under that old identity.”

Check it out on YouTube:

Those inspiring words come from Chicago-based Vanessa Thurlow aka co-founder of Opal Voss along with Kate Nikles, and as you can imagine, it’s as brave and bold as her 11-track pop-synth album that sheds light on her realized identity and viewing life through a lens of loss.

“Only in making these songs to work through the years of loss I’d experienced was I able to get a look at who I am separated from the circumstances of my life: Coming to terms with my identity as a trans woman, losing my father, COVID, difficult breakups, etc. I have always had a fair bit of distance from my identity.”

Your past doesn’t determine your future, you do - that’s the message of New Brunswick artist Upkvst’s newly-released single, “Midnight Club.”

Over a murky boom-bap beat that leaps the listener into a nighttime vibe, Upkvst delivers meaningful bars explaining the diamond in the rough mentality, shining in the dark, and pushing forward to forge a brighter future.

A Moncton-native, Upkvst has dealt with his share of troubles in his lifetime. The 24-year-old felt misunderstood and outcasted growing up, and it led to a dark path of substance abuse. But years of growth and reflection have lifted him from that place, and his confidence for his future will never falter. Everything moves up for Upkvst, the inspiration for the first two letters of his music moniker.

That mindset is central to “Midnight Club.”

Listen to “Midnight Club” on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/track/6YhznebFLTMCtgdcp3Lzsv?si=68adc7e05f764206&nd=1

The human cost of political inaction on gun violence and the meaningless “Thoughts and Prayers” from leaders that follow inevitable tragedy is the subject of Orangeville, Ontario-based rock band The Discarded and their provocative new single -

Inspired by the heavy toll and senselessness of gun violence across North America and the family unit within the band, The Discarded’s latest song, “Thoughts and Prayers,” accompanies a collection of exquisitely constructed tracks on the highly anticipated new album and soundtrack to the upcoming animated feature film, “The Getgoes.” The new record was produced, engineered, and mixed by JUNO award-winner and founder/owner of Green Door Studios, John Critchley (Elliott BROOD, Dan Mangan).

Indie folk-rocker Taylor Simpson is proud to announce the upcoming release of his sophomore album, “New Sights in a Familiar Place” on November 18, 2022.

Ahead of “New Sights in a Familiar Place,” Simpson has released the album’s first single, “Long Time Coming,” a nostalgia-riddled hymn to youth and indecision written and composed by Simpson and produced by Adriano Loparco of Stone Roof Studios.

Check it out on YouTube here:

Simpson’s new album will continue the concept and storyline introduced earlier this year in his full-length debut “Learning to Live with Precious Time,” diving deeper into his struggles with mental health issues, the complications of modern romance and the death of his parents.