Rocker, actor and European Marquis Michael Des Barres has released his newest single, his alternative and timely take on the Sex Pistols’ 1976 classic, “Anarchy In The UK”.

“My version of ‘Anarchy In The UK’ is not an angry one,” Des Barres is quick to confirm. “The Sex Pistols were angry, but I am not angry!”

Watch and listen to ‘Anarchy In The UK’ here:

The track is backed with a self-written song “Where Did All The Lovers Go?” featuring Genya Ravan (Ten Wheel Drive, Dead Boys, Ronnie Spector) on co-lead vocals. It’s anchored in additional purpose, as well; “100% of the proceeds from the release will be donated to the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival in an effort to confront the interlocking evils of systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, militarism and the war economy, and the distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism,” Des Barres shares.

Tortured Soul have broken free from the DJ booth once again to bring their 100% live modern, deep, soulful house music collective’s signature sound to a new track, “I Wish You Were Here” featuring top Toronto-talent and scene mainstay Lisa Shaw — available now!

Likened to “The Roots of house music,” the electrifyingly dynamic co-op of international musicians unite in groove-centred rhythms helmed by frontman John-Christian Urich.

For its part, “I Wish You Were Here” serves up a deep house love duet that sees Shaw and Urich sweetly serenading each other with a promise of blissfully reuniting soon. Behind the scenes, the collaboration is especially notable in that, while the pair have orbited the same scene for years, this is their first time their paths have crossed on a track.

Better late than never; the chemistry is undeniable.

“I’ve been friends with Lisa for years,” Urich says. “We came up playing the same clubs around New York City, and then the U.S., and then around the world. We have lots of mutual friends and we’ve even co-billed on some events, hung out backstage for drinks and late night hangs after gigs. The works!

At first listen, “Romp” immediately lives up to its name; the bouncy beat and melodic lyrics serve as both an infectiously rollicking track and prime preview for The All Canadian Soundclash’s forthcoming self-titled EP, set for release this June.

Watch and listen to “Romp” here:

“They say the music you first discover and fall in love with is the music that stays with you for the rest of your life,” Ottawa-based frontman and composer Andrew Michelin considers. “That’s true in my case… I come from the early 90s era of alternative grunge rock and, like any other 40-something, I can still remember the exact moment I first heard Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ or Pearl Jam’s ‘Alive.’”

“If you’re someone who enjoys robots, post punk, female rage, performance art, new wave, comic books, techno, modern dance, raves, futurism… We made this band for you.”

Hmm. Count us among the curious and all-in for Canadian cyberpunkster six-piece Robojom and their debut LP Hollow Body — including breakout single “Monster Cookie”.

Watch and listen here:

Hailing from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Robojom have set the scene ablaze since 2014 with their custom-made music generating software, modern dance, and performance art. Robojom are Renée Vandale, Joel Klaverkamp, Nicole Froese, Alexis Flower, Ava Glendinning, and Matthew Lawrence.

“We blend it up into a darkwave aesthetic with robot and cyborg themes and characters,” the band says. “Our sound melds the post-apocalyptic future we imagined in the 80s with steady, darkened grooves informed by Montreal and New York City’s late aught dance punk scenes.”

Toronto area native Paul Grady had success as a songwriter - placing songs in his early twenties with a variety of artists including Anne Murray (“You Can’t Go Back”, “Another Pot of Tea”, “Uproar”) Emmylou Harris (“Another Pot of Tea”) and John Allan Cameron (“Get There by Dawn” “I Can’t Tell You”).

A return to school in his late twenties led eventually to work as a client counsellor and staff trainer in the corrections field. Over the next twenty five years he continued to hone his writing skills, releasing records every few years.

A resident of Saint John, New Brunswick for the past decade his new indie release is “Careless Boy”. Produced by Tim Davidson it is infused with the Maritime spirit Paul has clearly absorbed.

From 2013 to 2016 he facilitated a monthly songwriter’s workshop as Regional Coordinator for Nashville Songwriters International (NSAI).

Paul Grady’s musical life is fascinating.

Toronto alt-folk rocker Oliver James Brooks lays bare his personal state of mind this past winter in his new acoustic, live off the floor album, I Don’t But I Will — available now.

“It’s an intimate, acoustic-only album that was… Born out of necessity,” Brooks offers. “There’s something very personal and powerful — and a little scary — when you go into the studio, let everything out from inside, and leave with something that ultimately timestamps your feelings at that exact moment.

“When it came to the recording process, I wanted to ensure everything captured was completely honest and genuine. I didn’t want what I was feeling to hide behind any special effects or anything like that.

“It’s the reason why I recorded the album live off the floor,” he continues, noting the February 2nd, 2020 recording date at Toronto’s Berkeley Sound with Jack Emblem (engineering, mixing) and Joāo Carvalho (mastering) on deck. “No over-dubbing, just two microphones, one guitar, and one harmonica.”

Canadian duo LambLion step out in front with the release of their prophetic new single, “Only The Brave”.

Circling the topics of life, death and redemption, “Only The Brave” comes alive with husband-and-wife duo — and esteemed musicians in their own right — Oliver and Danka Pigott and their signature enigmatic mix of alt-folk with Americana-rock undertones.

“We wrote this just before the pandemic hit,” Danka reflects on the track’s origins. “It turned out to be a call to action, especially in times like these.

“It was born almost effortlessly in the course of an hour in Marc’s studio,” she continues, speaking of Nashville-based producer Marc Copely (Bono, The Edge, Willie Nelson, Roseanne Cash, Joe Walsh). “Marc began to jam on the guitar and Oliver came in with a vocal melody. I then joined in with the harmony and soon the hook emerged.

“We all knew it was perfect.”

Watch and listen to “Only The Brave” here:

Bryce Clifford & Brother Superior may perform their unique brand of alt rock Americana with a ‘wheels may come off’ passion and intensity... But they have a bonafide, veritable ‘love song’ album on their hands with forthcoming release, Rebounder — and its premiere single “Second Hand Smoke.”

Watch and listen to “Second Hand Smoke” here:

With added influences of bluegrass, honky tonk, post-punk and old school soul woven in, the album sews in a bow the Hamilton, Ontario-based frontman’s storied 10-year sojourn to Austin, Texas and back — complete with love gained, lost, and reconciled.

“The song reflects the better times you had with somebody you possibly shouldn’t miss,” Clifford details of the new track. “Maybe it didn’t turn out right, and maybe it was bad for you, even, but you went in eyes open and willing to accept the risk.

“It’s about throwing caution to the wind and trading your better angels for the experience.”

British alt-folk, alt-Americana ‘Indie for Grownups’ act Wonders of the Yukon have released their newest single, “Cartoon Dreams.” They’ve also revealed Woty.

“It’s a tale of existential angst with a liberal sprinkling of surrealism and absurdism,” band co-front Andy Campbell shares. “It considers the dichotomy between religion and evolution, and pits God against Darwin.

“Faith against genetics,” counterpart Dave Langdale adds.

Watch and listen to “Cartoon Dreams” here:

Set on a bouncing backdrop of squelching guitars and laser-guided melodies, “Cartoon Dreams” captures the stark sense of one’s own mortality. “But this is balanced with random meanings using the William Burrough’s ‘cut up’ technique famously employed by David Bowie,” Langdale continues of the dream-like quality the track takes on. “Afterall, what is life but a sequence of random events?”

“Life is but a dream, right…?” Campbell offers.

Insatiable Canadian modern rock outfit  D2UR show little mercy in their haunting, textured and sensory-laden new single, “Little Sunshine”.

Co-fronts Diane Isbister and Mike Isbister — plus Dave Sikorski-Thorn, John Colburn, and Stephen Broadhurst — bring their signature driven rhythms to the forefront in the riff-filled rock piece and serve “Little Sunshine” as the latest in a trifecta of their most recently released new tracks.

“‘Little Sunshine’ spins a tale of deceit and lies,” Diane says of “Little Sunshine.”

“It’s a rock n’ roll tale of abuse and sadness,” Mike adds. “Draped in bombastic rock layers, of course.”

Watch and listen to “Little Sunshine” here:

Such sound is par for the course for the no-nonsense, fluff-free and straight-to-the-point singer/songwriters who draw inspiration from the likes of Aerosmith, AC/DC, Rolling Stones, Whitesnake, and Sass Jordan, to name a few.

When it came to her new release “Jerusalem’s Thorns: Civilian Remix,” artist Carolyn Fe wrangled a tough decision: How does one choose between two creations cut from the same cloth?

“‘Jerusalem’s Thorns: Civilian Remix’ is closer to my heart than the version released on the album,” Fe shares candidly. The version is aggressive with a military tone that accompanies tribal sounds alluding to a battle cry stemming from her deepest wounds, she expands. “It’s like a purging of poisons and toxins from (my) soul to rebuild a new normal.”

Originally from the album Sugat Ko — translating to ‘My Wound’ in her native tongue of Tagalog — “Jerusalem’s Thorns” was the collective choice of Fe’s bandmates. “They liked the organic and not-so aggressive vibe of the tune, which was a cry and scream of frustration as (my) wounds healed,” she offers.

In both versions of the song, those tribal percussions introduce the listener — and brings Fe closer — to her Filipino roots as she continues to further her version of the Blues genre.

Award-winning and critically acclaimed Canadian band Black Creek Reign have unleashed their newest single, “The Rain”.

Beckoning back to the glory days of guitar-centric bar rock — we’re talking inspirational nods to the likes of Santana, Hendrix and Chicago — Black Creek Reign and members Darren Armoogam, Lex Stultz, and Jake Birman harness their signature blend of rock, funk, with dashes of reggae, pop and jazz, in this, their latest sonic offering.

“We captured ‘The Rain’ on purely analogue equipment,” the band says of the track. “The melodic idea was conceived almost instantly while rehearsing in a studio downtown Toronto… We wanted to blend both old and new sounds.

“Lyrically, though, we took our time,” they add. “We wanted the song to have a deeper resonance that’s more personal to us.

“That said, we also tried to follow in the footsteps of legendary songwriters like The Beatles and the Eagles and leave the meaning of the song open to the interpretation of the audience.

“Like, is it a cathartic call to a past lover? A fractured relationship being dealt a final nail in the coffin? Is it about the weather?

Canadian alt/pop/rockers Century Surfers - made up of 10 year multi-band scene staple musician and Howard Stern Comedy Contributor Roddy Colmer along with popular News Anchor and Toronto Guitarist Jamie Gutfreund have released their newest single and video, "The Wave".

Roddy: Jamie and I were both grunge kids so we grew up listening to Pearl Jam and Soundgarden and Alice In Chains etc. Those bands are definitely noticeable influences in our music, but we’re not really trying to sound like any of them. I think if you try too hard to sound like another band you end up just becoming a watered-down version of them. It’s more of the spirit and energy those bands had that we feel is missing in rock music today…that’s what we are trying to capture.

We obviously want to sound current too, we listen to a lot of the new rock and pop music that is coming out and our producer Dusty Chesterfield has been doing some really cool things on the production side with some of the sounds and techniques that he is using to keep it sounding like it was recorded in 2019 even though the music itself feels like a throwback.

Submitted by Iain Patience

David Knopfler is a UK musician who probably needs little introduction. A founding member of the legendary rock outfit, Dire Straits, he left his brother, Mark and the band behind many years ago, long before it met its inevitable demise,  to pursue his own independent music career. And it must be said maybe the music world has benefitted from his free-spirited outlook. With many solo albums behind him, Knopfler has carved out a successful career across much of Europe where his gigs are invariably sold out and his fan-base eagerly anticipate his regular tours.

With ‘Last Train Leaving,’ Knopfler delivers an album that at times feature his fine keyboard skills and always his elegant fretwork, never overpowering but always skilfully and masterfully understated. Surprisingly there’s even some Dylanesque harp at times. It’s hard not to love particular tracks above others, and for me, ‘All The Fun Of The Fair,’ is one of those simply wonderful cuts, poignant recollections and a warmth at its heart making it little short of irresistible.

With over 100,000+ streams across Spotify, award-winning Canadian alt-folk rock-to-blues country duo Fresh Breath are sharing some fresh and positive perspective in their two new singles, “Tomorrow Today” and “Make It Together” — both available now.

“‘Tomorrow Today’ was written during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Katie Pascoe recalls. “Josh was playing the piano riff one day during our isolation, and I thought of the lyrics on the spot.

“The song is inspired directly by the health care heroes and front line workers out there that are choosing daily courage over fear, and fighting for our ‘Tomorrow Today.’”

Watch “Tomorrow Today” by Fresh Breath (Official Video)

“Production was unique to this track,” Josh Pascoe adds, citing the restrictions that come with social distancing and isolation. “We recorded at our home studio and shared the files to our producer, Brett Humber at Sound Foundry Studios.”

Canadian future house electro artist Fonkynson’s genre-pushing creative heavy lifting is Falling into place with the release of his newest album.

“Falling is an album where I took time and perspective about my music,” the Montreal-based artist says of the LP, touching on how it weaves a series of social flash points into a genre that doesn’t often touch such. “It reflects what I have been through the past years, musically and personally.

Watch “Falling” here:

“I wanted something else, more ‘mature’ music and less ‘club’ music. Music you can listen to on your couch and is still relevant.”

Like the album’s title track, designed to serve as an immersive, self-reflective sonic cocoon. “I wanted it to be a song you can lose yourself into, let your feelings be expressed, go inward… An introspection, of sorts, but also a song you can close your eyes and dance to and let yourself go.

Penned by Shawanda and her husband/guitarist/producer Dewayne Strobel, the bittersweet ballad “When It Comes To Love” was the first single released from Church House Blues.

Watch and listen to “When It Comes To Love” here:

With regard to the video, Shawanda says, “For this song we initially had different ideas for the video, and planned to shoot it at home in Nashville, but due to the pandemic we’ve sort of been stuck in my hometown Wiikwemkoong reserve, in Canada, and were limited. So some of the footage is from a live show last year, and the rest was filmed by my Husband/guitar player Dewayne Strobel, and he and our little girl Zhaa Zhaa became my costars. I realize now it turned out the way it was meant to, because that’s what this song is all about, holding on for love. Kieth Holding was the video editor, and took all our home footage in a very creative way and made magic.

With 18,000+ views and counting, Oakville, ON-based contemporary country singer/songwriter Jeff Orson and his new single “Pray” is connecting fans around the world while raising funds towards COVID-19 relief.

“I received an email from the editor-in-chief of a popular travel e-zine, The Moodie Davitt Report,” Orson recalls on “Pray” and its original origins. “Martin Moodie asked me to compose an anthem for the hard-hit travel industry in Europe, and other parts of the world.”

“I went away with the idea and really thought about it… I really started to take in what the scope of the virus was, and the impact it was having on the world.”

“It really struck me how — even beyond the travel industry — the song could serve as a way of reaching out to people feeling isolated and uncertain.”

“From there, I wrote ‘Pray’ in a few days,” he continues. “Martin’s idea was to hold a remarkable fundraiser and share the song with the world to raise money for the UNICEF COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.”

You can’t say they didn’t announce themselves or weren’t polite about it: British avant-garde jazz-rockers Hill have released their cosmically surfable new video for “We Are In Your Garden”.

“‘We Are In Your Garden’ is thematically centred on an allegory of gnomes in a garden,” frontman Pete The Beet — known to his library card as Maltese-born Russian multi-instrumentalist Pete Piskov. “We are all the gnomes and the garden is the world.

“Some ‘velvet capped,’ and others who ‘don’t want to disturb.’”

If it sounds trippy, it’s because it is.

That’s who Hill is, from main composer, string strummer, vocalizer and flautist Mr. Beet, to cosmic mumbler, bassista and dancer Willow Bumble, to tom tom and symbolist James the Seel.

Their burgeoning brand of psychedelic sojourns look deeply into the future and the past, lucidly laying claim to inspiration in everything around them. “Our music isn’t just for the sake of sound,” Piskov offers. “But for the sake of life.”

Canadian matriarch of the blues and veritable force of musical nature Vancouver-based Dalannah wants to know “What The Hell Is That” when it comes to the state of the world in her empowering single and exceptionally powerful video.

Watch and Listen to “What The Hell Is That” here:

“This song is simple in its structure with a message of disdain for what is,” she says. “It’s a musical commentary on the state we are in.

“This conspired notion that everything is a commodity and ‘for sale’ in today’s landscape? Some of us who have been through the wars of change, resistance, and honouring our time have gone ‘under cover,’ so to speak, but still holding on to what we hold dear: The ability and opportunity to live beyond the manipulation of society with our core values and beliefs, (and that) every person has the right to live in a land of equality and equal freedoms.”