Code Quartet, the powerhouse ensemble of Canadian jazz innovators, proudly announces the release of their highly anticipated second album, CODE RED. Following the critical acclaim of their 2021 debut Genealogy, the group returns with a dynamic and expressive new recording that reflects their continued evolution as one of Canada’s most compelling modern jazz collectives.

Fifteen years of brass, boldness, and bringing the bounce — New album out June 27, 2025

After 15 years of bringing the party wherever they play, The Heavyweights Brass Band are ready to make you dance, strut, and testify with their fifth full-length album, Knockout, dropping June 27, 2025. With a sound steeped in New Orleans brass traditions, Toronto’s reigning brass band champions fuse jazz, funk, and soul into a heady, horn-heavy celebration of everything that makes music joyful and alive. 

A groove born in a garage, built on brotherhood, and powered by bluesy truth

Sometimes the funkiest, fiercest music comes from the most unexpected places — like a garage jam during COVID that led to Long Black Cadillac, the newest release from Indigenous Bluesy Rockcollective TRIBZ. This tight four-piece unit is more than just a band — they’re a genre-melting powerhouse of lived history, raw groove, and unshakable heart. And in an industry that still doesn’t know where to place bands like them, TRIBZ is carving out their own lane — with whitewall tires and a V8 engine.

Sunday, June 1, 2025, singer-songwriter and storyteller Michael Gutierrez-May will take the stage at the Hotel Vernon Shiproom in Worcester for a special ISSA Boston/Northeast Songwriting Showcase, joined by fellow artists Bernie Drury, Tim Maynard, and Peter L’Esperance. From 3 to 5 PM, audiences will hear songs rooted in the land, lived experience, and enduring truths. But for Gutierrez-May, this performance also shines a spotlight on his latest single and album centerpiece, “Light Still Shines The Same.”

Released in December 2024 as part of the album of the same name, “Light Still Shines The Same” is a lyrical and meditative reckoning with the legacy of colonization in North America. The song reflects on the European settlement of Indigenous lands and the generations of struggle that followed. Yet it doesn’t stop at despair — instead, it calls attention to resilience, unity, and the unchanging light of the Great Spirit that shines on all people.

Matthew Holtby is a Canadian musician and songwriter whose evocative blend of Americana, folk, and rock has been capturing the attention of listeners across Ontario and beyond. Originally from Oshawa, Ontario, Holtby now resides in Warkworth, a picturesque town known for its vibrant arts community. As well as being a touring musician Holtby is also the midday host on Y91.9 in Lindsay.

The former lead singer of The Champion Heartache, The Coachlites and Say Ritual.Matthew stepped out as a solo artist last year with the release of the singles "Give Me A Reason", "You Never Reply" and "Away This Christmas".

His latest solo single is "This Is Bliss" is from his forthcoming album which he is currently working on. 

"It's a lovely little tale of the life my wife and I have created together, plain and simple. Every word is true." says Holtby.

Listen on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/artist/3HdEkoeOwvWbXKpiFmBPBG

When two of Canada’s most accomplished jazz artists - flutist Marie-Véronique Bourque and guitarist Christine Tassan -joined creative forces across nearly 3,000 kilometers of forest, plain, and screen time, the result was more than music. It was a shared call and response with nature itself. Their collaborative album Bruissement boréal (“Northern Rustle”), out now is an ambitious 13-track journey inspired by the natural soundscapes of Quebec and Saskatchewan, blending jazz, Latin, classical, folk and ambient textures with the rustle of leaves, frog croaks, and the faint chirps of grasshoppers.

Joined by double bassist David Meunier-Roy and drummer/percussionist Olivier Bussières, the quartet captures the quiet power of a northern breeze and the rhythmic chatter of prairie creatures in a project that is equal parts jazz record and ecological tribute. The album’s first single “Bruissements” was released April 17, and its lyrical, sonic sibling “Là où les vagues sont d’or” followed on May 2, with the full album launched live May 16 at Le Ministère in Montreal.

In a world where artists are trying to find where they fit in and trying to create to fill that space, it’s refreshing to hear a singer/songwriter who not only is a unique individual but has a style that is unique to her.

Angela Saini brings feel-good vibes wherever she goes with her toe-tapping blend of rootsy folk-pop and sing-along storytelling. Her songs—filled with heart, courage, and joy—are all about second chances and stepping into your power. A 2020 Independent Music Award Finalist for "Best Alt Country" and winner of a Toronto Independent Music Award, Angela’s uplifting spirit shines through in every performance. She’s toured across Canada, Germany, England, and The Netherlands, earning praise from BBC Radio as “massively talented,” and reaching listeners across North America on CBC Radio, Stingray, and Sirius XM.

Penticton, BC’s country up-and-comer Dane Bateman is raising a glass — and the bar — with the release of his new single, “Whiskey Promises,” out now on all streaming platforms. Featuring his breakout title track and a collection of songs that channel the grit of Texas red dirt and the heart of '90s country, “Whiskey Promises” cements Bateman as one of the genre’s rising voices to watch.

“Now that it’s morning, I forget what we said,” Bateman sings on the anthemic title track. “Did we make up, or was it all in my head?” With lyrics soaked in memory and hundred-proof regret, “Whiskey Promises” is a relatable, hook-filled anthem that captures a universal moment: waking up unsure if the words said the night before were real or just soaked in bourbon.

Listen on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/track/5WKLnjjJz1byKHGRWY5JVh

Wolfgang Webb creates music during the hours when most of the world lies dormant, harnessing the quiet darkness that fuels his soul. The half-Austrian, Canadian artist—who stepped away from the music industry decades ago to craft anonymous compositions for film and television—has once again channeled his insomnia into art with his sophomore album, ‘The Lost Boy’, out now.

His debut, ‘The Insomniacs' Lullaby’, introduced listeners to his haunting sonic landscape—brooding compositions that confront mortality, loss, and the ghostly echoes of trauma. With this new record, Webb plunges even further into these emotional depths, though he insists that darkness is not the destination but merely the path. ‘The Lost Boy’ explores the fragile act of reconnecting with one’s inner child and navigating the shadows of relationships that leave indelible marks on the psyche. It’s music born from sleepless nights—an echo of midnight fears and silent reflections—that paradoxically offers solace, reminding us that we are not alone in our darkest hours.

When Jon and Daniel Hnatishin pick up their instruments, it’s not just country music they’re playing — it’s a way of life. Straight out of Hazelridge, Manitoba, Banned & Outlawed embody the spirit of small towns, hard work, and louder-than-life honesty. Their new single “People Talk,” produced by Chris Burke Gaffney, is a rowdy, razor-sharp anthem that captures the frustration and humor of being the subject of small-town rumors — and it’s out everywhere now.

Acclaimed Canadian blues artist Steve Marriner is back with the heartfelt new single "I Don’t Know What To Say," the second release from his upcoming solo album Hear My Heart, out June 6 via Cordova Bay Records. Following the swaggering success of his first single — a blues-soaked reinvention of Genesis’s “I Can’t Dance” — Marriner now turns inward with an emotional ballad that showcases his vulnerable songwriting and soulful vocals.

Anchored by a tender melody and raw lyricism, "I Don’t Know What To Say" reflects on regret, forgiveness, and the longing for redemption: 

Harmonic pop ensemble Minuscule returns with “Nice Guy”, a defiant anthem for empaths and romantics released May 2 via Catland Records. Soaring with five-part harmonies and rooted in deep emotional terrain, the track previews their much-anticipated sophomore album If Not Now, due out October 17, 2025.

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Born in the back of a Chevy Blazer and raised by destruction, HOOCH don’t play music. They detonate it. Their full-length debut FREELOADER, out April 18 on Indica Records, is a raw nerve of blown speakers, blackout memories, and back-alley anthems. It’s a soundtrack for bar fights, bad decisions, and the unrelenting hangover of real life — and it might be the best decision this band has ever made.

Montreal-based contemporary folk artist Brian Campbell continues his string of poetic, emotionally resonant releases with “I Saw You Going Out Today,” out now.

Known for his deft fingerstyle guitar, intimate lyricism, and storyteller’s charm, Campbell delivers a song that feels both timeless and immediate—rooted in the traditions of classic singer-songwriters yet bearing the sensitivity of modern folk expression.

The single is part of Campbell’s upcoming full-length album Let’s Talk, which explores the theme of communication—both tender and fraught—in love, politics, and the world at large. “I Saw You Going Out Today” stands out as one of the album’s most personal, bittersweet entries.

From the misty hills of Cape Breton Island comes a song as timeless and yearning as the land itself. Lookout Tower — the genre-defying Americana, soul, blues, folk-rock, and alt-country band — have officially released their new single, "Valley Song," out now.

Written during the heart of a Cape Breton winter, "Valley Song" captures the delicate tension between clinging to lost love and embracing the freedom of letting go. It’s an evocative journey through emotional valleys, where lush string arrangements by Blue Lobelia and heartfelt harmonies reminiscent of The Band blend seamlessly into Lookout Tower’s signature Winter Swamp Sound.

For decades, the music industry thrived on contracts that kept artists from owning their own work, but those days are over. 98°, the multi-platinum, chart-dominating vocal group that soundtracked an era, is reclaiming their catalog and their career with their new album, Full Circle, out May 9, 2025, through XOXO Entertainment Corp. A bold blend of past and present, the record features five brand-new tracks alongside re-recordings of their biggest hits, giving the group full ownership of the songs that helped define late ‘90s and early 2000s pop.

“My musical passion is turning pain into beauty. I use music to call people in and speak truth by making the unpalatable palatable by nestling it in music… this can spark a fire of awareness and bring about social change.” – D.M. Lafortune

Birdsong Foundation announces the release of a powerful new song from Indigenous artist D.M. Lafortune titled “How Many Times”. She is an unshakable voice, particularly for those people who live with trauma.

When you Google her name, you will find her harrowing, yet transformational life story written by Maureen Littlejohn which we have included here. Platinum Award-winning Producer Greg Kavanagh produced the song, now available on all streaming platforms worldwide through Distrokid.

Free And Ticketed Activities Planned Throughout The Week May 20 - 25 2025

The Ottawa Music Industry Coalition (OMIC) is thrilled to announce the first ever Capital Music Week (CxMW), a new and innovative week-long celebration of music that places Ottawa’s music industry on the national stage. CxMW will run from May 20-25, 2025, in multiple venues across the city and will feature public concerts, professional development summits, and networking opportunities that rival other music weeks across Canada, with a creative and strategic focus on re-invigorating the local and national nightlife economies. Marking a significant milestone for Ottawa’s music sector, the launch of CxMW will showcase local talent and foster city-wide partnerships while animating numerous locations within the community. 

Just in time for Mother’s Day, acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter Neena Rose unveils "I Love You Mama (Even More)", a stunning re-imagination of her beloved song, "I Love You Mama."

Originally released a few years ago, "I Love You Mama" was a heartfelt tribute to Neena’s mother — her best friend, unwavering supporter, and constant source of inspiration. Today, Neena deepens that tribute with "I Love You Mama (Even More)," capturing how love and gratitude for a mother only grow richer with time.

Listen on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/track/5nc6oJLlzdz52Cki7FIFPA

Infused with emotional violins, tender pianos, and richer and lush cinematic soundscape, the new version adds layers of warmth, nostalgia, and timelessness to an already powerful anthem. Neena's soaring vocals glide over the orchestration with even greater tenderness, inviting listeners everywhere to reflect on the irreplaceable bond they share with their own mothers.

In a time of geopolitical uncertainty and rising tension across North America, a newly-formed Canadian music collective has stepped forward with a clear, emotional declaration: “This Is Not America.” Out now, it aims at the days after the U.S. president’s shocking call for Canadian statehood and an aggressive escalation of tariffs, the track arrives not as a rebuke, but as a deeply patriotic reflection—a reminder of who Canadians are and what makes their country distinct.

“After generations of close friendship and cooperation with our closest neighbours to the south,” the band explains, “Canadians awoke a few weeks ago to a starkly different reality.”