Current CCMA Fan’s Choice, 2-time Juno Award-winning artist and celebrated songwriter, Dean Brody will be hitting the road this fall for the Dirt Road Stories Tour, beginning October 20 in Truro and ending December 2 in Cranbrook, BC. Stopping in both small towns and larger markets, this compelling, intimate acoustic tour will showcase Brody’s depth as a songwriter, and his unparalleled ability to bring storytelling to the forefront of country music.

Manifesto Festival of Community and Culture presented by Aurora and Vancity Community Investment Bank, is pleased to announce the final schedule for the 2018 edition and this year’s Summit programming. Returning to its original form, with a free concert at Nathan Phillips Square, featuring Chronixx, Charlotte Day Wilson, Akala,Birthday Boy & Trish, the event will also showcase a number of vendors, a wellness area and the Toronto City Ball Out presenting a Dunk Contest, 3x3 Basketball tournament, prizes and more. This year’s packed program of multi-arts events will be splashed across downtown Toronto at various participating venues, to view our list of free events, the Discovery Series, Manifesto House and this year’s Summit see below or visit here. In an effort to ensure broader accessibility, Manifesto will be teaming up with community partners from around the GTA to provide shuttle bus programs that allow young people to attend the main events.

Florida five-piece, Wage War, are celebrating the one–year anniversary of their statement-making sophomore album, Deadweight (Fearless Records), by releasing a reworked acoustic version of the single, Gravity. It’s a beautiful rendering that shows the versatility of the track and is a striking testament to the band’s songwriting skill.

"To celebrate the one-year mark of Deadweight, we're pleased to release the stripped version of Gravity," said singer, Cody Quistad. "This record has changed our lives and we're so thankful for the love and support we've received. We were overwhelmed at the response to the stripped version of Johnny Cash, and it seemed to make sense to break down another one of our favorites. We're hard at work writing what we think will be the best Wage War record yet — making sure we give you nothing but our best."

The track was released on Saturday, August 4, which marked a year to the day that the album was released. It's available for purchase at the following DSPs.

Shred Kelly has released their latest music video for the track, Jupiter (Any Other Way), off their fourth album, Archipelago, which was released earlier this year via Devil Duck Records. Shot at Island Lodge in Fernie, BC, the video was filmed by Aere Films and Nick Nault Photography. Have a look here, and catch the band on tour as they travel across western Canada and Europe in the coming months.

“It was a pretty phenomenal opportunity to film this video at Island Lake Lodge in our hometown of Fernie, BC,” the band comments. “It is surreal that all of this beauty is in our backyard, and we were so excited to explore parts of the property we’d never even imagined, and create something within it.” The video was made possible by Island Lake Lodge and Tourism Fernie.

The Toronto Undergraduate Jazz Festival (TUJF) is hosting its fourth Annual jazz festival, T.U. Jazz Fest 2018 this September in downtown Toronto and North York regions. The goal and focus of T.U. Jazz Fest 2018 is to bring attention to the younger generation of musicians by providing a platform/outlet for which they can express themselves.

Through lack of opportunity, many young musicians don’t gain the experience or exposure they need to establish themselves properly. Being the only young musician-oriented jazz festival in Canada, T.U. Jazz Fest 2018 serves as a launching off point for many musician’s careers. Throughout September 4-8, musicians will play through a variety of venues through downtown Toronto and North York regions. The two days leading up to opening night will see bands play at the local venue, The Frog in North York where they can build working relationships with local business owners and play in front of new audiences.

Prolific Toronto Hip Hop trio, Prime Boys, announce their debut album, Koba World, set for release on Friday, July 27 via Entertainment One Music. The 12-track project features the group’s prominent singles that have been on heavy rotation throughout the last year, in addition to new cuts. Listen to a sample of the title track, Koba World, ahead of the album release, in this exclusive visual preview. Koba World will be available on all DSPs on July 27. Pre-order the album now.

The album title honours the group’s late friend and Assistant Manager, Kosi, (affectionately known as Koba), who was the “glue” that held the brotherhood of Prime Boys together.

Alt-Rock duo, The Blue Stones, have signed a worldwide deal with Entertainment One (eOne) with plans to release an all-new LP this fall.

"We are very excited to announce that Black Holes, our debut album with eOne Music," says the band. "Thank you to our incredibly patient fans. The wait is over."

The Blue Stones will release Black Holes on October 26, 2018. Fans who pre-order the LP will get the first two tracks, Black Holes (Solid Ground) and Rolling With The Punches as iTunes instant grat tracks. Both tracks are also available on all streaming platforms here.

Fans may recognize the two instant grat tracks. Rolling With The Punches has received several placements in the USA Network’s hit show Suits, Showtime’s comedy series Shameless and ESPN's Monday Night Football. Black Holes (Solid Ground) which is the official lead single has amassed over 8 Million Worldwide Streams, an impressive feat by an unsigned band.

Manifesto Festival of Community & Culture presented by Aurora and Vancity Community Investment Bank, welcome Charlotte Day Wilson as co-headliner for the free outdoor concert at Nathan Phillips Square, August 17. Wilson joins previously announced Jamaican Billboard Reggae Chart topper and Grammy nominee Chronixx and UK rapper, poet and activist Akala
 

The critically acclaimed 25-year-old singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and producer blends R&B, folk and jazz. She recently released the Polaris Prize long list nominated Stone Woman in Feb 2018. Following her two sold out shows at the Danforth Music Hall, most recently Wilson performed with fellow Toronto collaborators BADBADNOTGOOD, at the Virgil Abloh for Louis Vuitton after party in Paris. The independent artist has also collaborated with Daniel Cesar and River Tiber, and continues to receive accolades and praise for her solo works.
 

Natalie Prass has been confirmed to support Kacey Musgraves on part of Kacey's "Oh, What A World" tour this winter. The 10-date stretch, which was just announced today, begins January 9 in Indianapolis and wraps up at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on January 25. Full dates below.

Natalie has had a breakout 2018. Her album The Future and The Past was released June 1 on ATO Records to acclaim, with Entertainment Weekly hailing it as "one of 2018's catchiest records." It's been featured on Best of 2018 lists by Billboard, NPR Music, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, Garden & Gun, Consequence of Sound and more. Natalie also had her late night debut on Conan in March, performed for the second time on CBS Saturday, and toured with Fleet Foxes.

Watch the stripped-down live video for "The Fire," a track from The Future and The Past.

Through a blend of understated rock, baroque pop and wide-skied atmospheres, The Ophelias explore the juxtapositions of youth on their album.

Having formed the band while still in high school, bassist Grace Weir, guitarist/lyricist Spencer Peppet, percussionist Micaela Adams, and violinist Andrea Gutmann Fuentes first met at a time when each was independently serving as the “token girl” in various dude-bands from their hometown of Cincinnati, OH. Coming from varied musical backgrounds (ranging from garage-rock to surf, to opera), the distinct talents and influences of each member collided in unexpected ways at the band’s first rehearsal. It was here the band discovered that their chemistry wasn’t rooted in a shared musical reference point, but in the creative relief from the expected censorship of being a sideperson.

Western Canada’s eastern neighbours, and friends from across the pond will be making the trek to BreakOut West this year! Partnering with the East Coast Music Association (ECMA), Australian Music Week, FOCUS Wales, Wales Arts International (WAI), and the Welsh Government, BreakOut West 2018 will feature artists from Eastern Canada, Wales, and Australia, showcasing during the music festival in October. These acts include Busby Marou (Rockhampton, Queensland, AUS), Campfire Social (Llangollen, Wales), Kidsmoke (Wrexham, Wales), Like a Motorcycle (Halifax, NS), Motherhood (Fredericton, NB), and Tom West (Adelaide, AUS).

This is the second year that BreakOut West will welcome East Coast artists, as part of their East Meets West partnership with the ECMA. BOW artists performed at the ECMA festival and conference this past year, with eastern acts, Hillsburn, and Dylan Menzie performing at BOW 2017. The initiative has the goal of uniting the far coasts of Canada, to open new markets for artists touring the country.

Gregory Alan Isakov’s highly anticipated new album, Evening Machines, will be released October 5 and is now available for pre-order. In advance of the release, his first in partnership with Dualtone Records. The album’s first single, Chemicals, and you can  Listen/share HERE.

Recorded at a converted barn studio located on Isakov’s three-acre farm in Boulder County, CO, the 13-track album was self-produced and mixed by Tucker Martine (Neko Case, The Decemberists) and Andrew Berlin (Descendents, Rise Against). 

Of the record—his fourth full-length studio album and first in five years—Isakov comments, “I’d work really hard into the night. A lot of times I would find myself in the light of all these VU meters and the tape machine glow, so that’s where the title came from. I recorded mostly at night when I wasn’t working in the gardens. It doesn't matter if it’s summer or winter, morning or afternoon, this music always feels like the evening to me.”

Stony Plain Records of Edmonton, Alberta and Linus Entertainment Inc of Waterdown, Ontario  are pleased to announce their agreement to transfer administrative obligations of the Stony Plain Catalogue to the Stony Plain Rights Management, a division of Linus Entertainment Inc. effective July 1^st, 2018.

Under this joint arrangement, Linus will assume responsibility for administration of Stony Plain’s catalogue, Stony Plain’s distribution will continue to be handled by Warner Music (Canada) ADA (a division of Warner Music -US) and The Orchard (a subsidiary of Sony Music-Global) in addition to existing export and licensing partners around the world.

“We’re happy to be working with Geoff Kulawick at Linus Entertainment and proud to be associated with the Linus Entertainment and True North Records team,” said Holger Petersen, President of Stony Plain. “Transferring our catalogues rights management to Linus Entertainment will ultimately take advantage of their marketing, distribution, administrative capabilities and efficiencies while providing optimal service to our artists.”

Always bound by friendship, Darren Glover and Darcy Yates of Flash Lightnin' resolutely refused to officially call it quits when Glover returned to Victoria in 2015, while Yates toured the world as a session player with the Bahamas. While only gathering on occasion for special and memorable shows such as their 10th anniversary in Toronto in 2016, it was finally time to acknowledge the inevitable, but not without a final, incredibly powerful recorded statement.

They are excited to announce that their upcoming EP Homage is set for release on April 6 via Pheromone Recordings. Along with the announcement they have given fans a taste of the EP today with their version of Jeff Beck's interpretation of The Yardbirds' "Shapes of Things."

In the fall of 2015, Glover and Yates gathered with powerhouse drummer Blake Manning at Toronto's Revolution Recording with Ian Blurton at the controls.

Four stone classic rock 'n' roll songs were covered:
Peter Green/Fleetwood Mac's "Green Manalishi"
Mountain's "Never In My Life"
Jeff Beck's interpretation of The Yardbirds' "Shapes of Things"
Cream's "Swlabr"

Voice of Addiction hasn’t released a new studio album in a number of years, but The Lost Art of Empathy doesn’t betray even the faintest signs of extended layoff. Ian Tomele’s engagement with both his immediate surroundings and the world at large is every bit as vital as ever and manifests itself in twelve songs ranging in duration but all packing the same impressive punch. Tomele and his bandmates can connect with you in a number of different ways and, despite the band’s punk rock sound, there’s subtlety in this collection on both a musical and lyrical level listeners are well advised to not miss. The Chicago punk scene has always been close-knit and vibrant, but they’ve produced few bands with the staying power and ever-growing pedigree we find with Voice of Addiction. The evocative title of the album reflects Tomele’s social concerns but, moreover, his attitude towards our modern life in a way each of these songs reflects.

Rosie & the Riveters have released their new song I Believe You, a heartfelt tribute to the #MeToo movement. Coinciding with International Women's Day, the powerful video stands up in support of women who have experienced sexual assault.

Billboard commented on the video and called it “powerful [and] daring,” saying, "Their purposeful lyrics and poised harmonies are meant to...inspire every woman." Watch here and feel free to share: http://bit.ly/2twGQtQ. All proceeds from I Believe You will be donated to organizations that provide support for survivors of sexual assault.

Of the song, the band says, “We wrote ‘I Believe You’ because we were nauseated by the results of various sexual assault trials that resulted in minimal or no sentences for the perpetrators. The way that survivors were torn apart during trials and in the media reminded us why so many women stay silent. We wanted to be a voice of compassion and love for survivors.”

I believe you when the jury has failed
I believe you, no, you’re not telling tales
Stand for your truth, you’re not alone
I’ve been there, I believe you

It’s hard to pin singer and songwriter Sarah Jane Scouten down. She’s called Montreal and Vancouver home at different times in her life and she now lives in Toronto — on the rare occasion when she’s not touring Europe, the UK, the U.S. or across Canada. Now she’s stopping long enough to play a special show in Toronto at The Dakota Tavern on Thursday, April 5, 2018.

Sarah Jane Scouten is a link between folk and country, a traveling musician whose musical boundaries cross as many borders as geographical ones. She’s a three-time nominee for the Canadian Folk Music Awards.

A quick check of her passport shows she’s done four UK tours, in a variety of European countries, and several tours in the United States. Coming up is a spot at the prestigious Merlelefest in North Carolina (headliners this year include Kris Kristofferson and Bela Fleck), and five weeks in the US North West in September...

Her latest album, When the Bloom Falls From the Rose, is on the Vancouver-based independent label Light Organ Records.

You can hear traces of Lucinda Williams, Nanci Griffith and Iris Dement in her work — as well as a wealth of early country music.

The Prodigal Son, Ry Cooder’s first new solo release in six years, is set for release by Fantasy Records on May 11th, 2018.

Recorded in Hollywood, CA, and produced by Ry and his chief collaborator, drummer Joachim Cooder, The Prodigal Son is all America - our spiritual, hopeful voices, our raw cries and our sly provocations, voiced through the songs of the Pilgrim Travelers, The Stanley Brothers, Blind Willie Johnson, and Ry Cooder himself.

The album’s 11 tracks, including three Cooder originals and a carefully selected collection of his favorite spirituals of the last century, share a particular resonance in this time and place, forming an unflinching look at the state of play in modern America.

Acclaimed rock singer-songwriter, Van William, is joining another sparkling artist on the rise, Lissie, for a national tour kicking off at The Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles on May 2nd. The 13-date tour will hit major markets across the US and Canada – full routing is below. Van is currently on the road in Europe with Swedish duo First Aid Kit, in support of his acclaimed debut album, Countries, out now via Fantasy Records.

Countries has been met with excitement both here and overseas. The Los Angeles Times called it, “A brash, confident folk-rock statement that affirms William's place in contemporary L.A. songcraft.” And UPROXX praised Countries as, “One of 2018’s first great folk-rock records.”

Inspired by his love for David Lynch’s cult classic film, Wild at Heart, Van just released a captivating video clip, directed by Silvia Grav and featuring Caitlin Gerard (American Crime) for the new single, Before I Found You. Before I Found You is the follow-up to the album’s first single, the Top 5 Triple A track, Revolution featuring First Aid Kit.

Michael Wrycraft has truly been lovin' the music since….well…..always. He has been a stalwart supporter of Canadian musicians simply by being Wrycraft. Having produced almost 700 album and CD covers over the years, Wrycraft's distinctive designs stay true to the artist's music, his art paying homage to the musician's art. Every single cover is unique, even if he's produced multiple covers for the same artist. From Moe Kaufman and David Clayton Thomas to Jeff Healy and Bruce Cockburn, Wrycraft's art speaks to the music, not just what he hears but what he feels. You will never see the typical picture of a guitar-swinging musician on the front cover. In a 2017 interview with Jazz FM91 Wrycraft described his process, "I think the artists deserve much more on the outside of their album…..I talk with the artist but it's the music that speaks to me. So what I do is I immerse myself in the music and somehow, through a number of processes, visuals come out the other end."