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."

Joshua Glass says he always loved watching his father, Arizona Blues Hall of Famer Jim Glass, play guitar.“I can honestly say those are the times that I could see the pure joy on his face,” he says. “When he was playing.”

Jim Glass died Feb. 26 after suffering a massive heart attack. He was 70.

“He had a heart attack a couple years ago,” his son recalls. “And that pretty much did a number on him. He never quite fully recovered. There were some issues in his lungs, and then he had another massive heart attack on his way to a doctor’s appointment and it was just too much.”

Michele Robins, a jazz announcer at KJZZ, met Glass in 1984.

"When I first heard Jim play,” she says, “I thought he sounded like a cross between Eric Clapton and the Allman Brothers, such a pure, sweet tone. He always told me that the sign of a great blues guitarist was less notes, not more. His passion was playing the blues and I'm so happy he was able to share this love with Arizona for such a long time. He truly was the best blues guitarist to have ever graced the Arizona music scene."

Canadian born country singer/entertainer, comedian and musician Ronnie Prophet has passed away at age 80.

Ronald Lawrence Victor Prophet, who charted 23 singles from 30 albums in a career that spanned 60 years, died with loving family and friends at his side on Friday, March 2 at age 80, following cardiac and kidney failure. Survived by his wife of 32 years, Glory Anne Carriere Prophet, sons Tony (Kitty) Prophet, Vancouver, BC, Jimmy (Emily) Prophet, Nashville, TN, stepchildren Rhonda (Bill) Paisley, Nanaimo, BC, Warren (Lesa) Carriere, Regina, SK, Tamara Greer, Estevan, SK and 12 grandchildren - Justin, Joey, Jake and Patrick Prophet, Josh and Victoria Paisley, Meagan and Stephanie Carriere, and Brooklyn, Ryan and James Greer.

His longtime friend and Agent of 38 years, Paul Mascioli commented “Ronnie was an international star who transcended all boundaries with his big heart and superb showmanship. He was a working man’s entertainer and loved by people of all ages. We’ll truly miss him but will never forget him”.

On March 1, 2018, Toronto trio, Prime Boys, serve up the cinematic music video for their new single, Tinted —produced by Murda Beatz [Drake, Gucci Mane].

In the visual directed by Elliot Clancy Osberg [Roy Woods], the group — Jimmy Prime, Donnie, and Jay Whiss — take over an icy landscape. Cruising on four wheelers through this snowbound expanse, they drop autotuned hooks and rhymes that are as chilly as the climate is. For the uninitiated, it’s the perfect introduction to their ice-cold flows. Complex exclusively premiered the clip, fittingly describing it as “memorable.”

They’ve recently been making waves by dropping the music video and single for Come Wit It, starring in the Viceland documentary 6ix Rising, and garnering widespread support from Drake’s OVO Sound Radio.

Bill Burkette, the original lead singer of The Vogues passed away on March 1, 2018.

According to his wife of 54 years Elaine, Burke was 75 and had lymphoma, according to his wife of 54 years, Elaine. "He was always singing," his wife said. "The singing was a great part of his life. That's what he loved to do."

The Vogues, were known for the hit songs "Five O'Clock World," "You're the One" and "Turn Around, Look at Me."

"You're the One" reached No. 4 on Billboard's Top 100.

The original lineup comprised of Burkette, the lead singer, Don Miller, Hugh Geyer and Chuck Blasko. They were together as a musical act for about eight years, Elaine Burkette said.

"It was a lot of fun," she said. "We traveled and we saw quite a bit of the entire country. We took the kids with us. It certainly was interesting."

When the group formed in high school, it was known as the Val-Aires. Members briefly split up after high school as they joined the military or attended college. They reformed in 1965 as The Vogues.

"Things took off from there," Elaine Burkette said.

In the summer of 2016, Toronto folk quintet, Union Duke, released their infectious third album, Golden Days. They toured relentlessly around the release and are still showing no signs of slowing down – now announcing a run of Canadian tour dates this spring! Kicking off this Friday (March 2) in Kitchener, ON, the band will head across Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, through March and April (details listed below).

"We're really excited to hit up some of our favorite venues, see a bunch of familiar faces, and explore some new towns and theatres across the West," says Jim McDonald.

Golden Days was released on August 5th, 2016, and is the perfect fit for the heatwave of the dance hall or the cool breeze of the park. The album showcases the band’s signature soulful indie rock sound mixed with bluegrass and country, along with their soaring harmonies with three, four, and even five voices. Recorded live off the floor to capture the raw, joyful energy of their concerts, Golden Days was mixed with Grammy award-winning engineer, Mark Lawson (Arcade Fire, Basia Bulat, Timbre Timber) to help bring the tracks to life.