Sometimes you just want to be taken on an unhurried, mellow journey of seduction, and Scranton, PA-based The Frost Duo deliver with their ‘70s/’80s-influenced smooth-jazz ballad “To Be With You” off their new LP Play Nice – check it out on YouTube here:

Singer LeahBeth Evans’ voice slinks and shimmies through the backdrop of warm analog keyboards and velvety jazz guitar as she boldly inquires, “Can you tell me what you’re doing tonight/ Can you tell me what you’re doing next year/ Cuz I need to be with you.” And it’s hard not to melt, and succumb completely to the song’s charms, when she starts to sing about fearlessly taking a leap of faith – “Well, you know I’m not afraid to pursue/ A love greater than imagined and true.”

Stingray Rising Star, SOCAN, and Trille Or Award-winners, Moonfruits (partners Kaitlin Milroy and Alex Millaire) invite you to bend your ear earthwards with their second full-length album, Salt. The Ottawa-based bilingual contemporary folk-makers deliver twelve songs that weave stories of family, responsibility and loss, in this era of climate change and deepening inequality. Transformation – personal, spiritual and political – is Salt’s guiding light. Salt drops on October 7^th, and will be available on all major platforms. For more information please visit any of the links below and at Moonfruits’ website.

The Rock group D2UR (pronounced Detour) is following up their critically acclaimed 2020 single “Slippin’ Away” with a continuation tune, “Right Now.” Married duo Diane and Mike Isbister lead the group with vocals and guitar. Check out “Slippin’ Away” here on YouTube here:

“During 2020, when the pandemic was at its peak, we hunkered down to write new songs. At the time, we latched onto a song now entitled “Slippin’ Away,” written about the pandemic and our way of life changing before our eyes,” D2UR said. “Right Now” is a post-pandemic song seeking the truth behind what happened and what caused the pandemic. We all search for answers and places to find them. Maybe one day we will find out.”

“Right Now
Look what is happening, Right Now
Do you hear me? Right Now
Right now
Can you help us?
Right Now….Right Now…..”

Acoustic songwriters Sam Clark and Yasmine Shelton, who make up the folk duo Basset, often look out the window of their Toronto basement apartment dreaming about going back to parts of the world they’ve fallen in love with. And it’s their appreciation for the natural world and its intersection with city life that can be heard in the freedom of their new single “At My Feet.”

Check out “At My Feet” on YouTube here:

The newest single from their album In The Clay is a meditative display that takes inspiration from Clark and Shelton’s travels around Northern Ontario, the Canadian and American prairies, and their lives in the bustling city of Toronto. Through their flawless harmonies and soft acoustic melodies, “At My Feet” explores the fears of a world holding on by a thread.

Montreal based duo Jitensha’s sound, is a silvery union of honey sweet proto-punkiness and modern indie that is harmonically reminiscent of 1950s rock & roll.

Jitensha nestles catchy, poignant melodies into hard hitting rock grooves. Lyrically focused on social justice, environment, and psychology, they bring you on a winsome journey of modern human experience. Jitensha has released two full length studio albums, Buck Moon (2014) and Periscope (2019).

Check out “Cou Cou” on YouTube here:

Rolling hills, whispering forests, rushing rivers and the kaleidoscope of sounds of nature’s inhabitants are a natural symphony that Mother Nature conducts for our great pleasure. The music that evokes all of these soul-stirring environments is where Francophone folk, country and bluegrass duo VERANDA have staked their sonic claim with their first full length album “Là-Bas”, and the focus single “La Visite” – check it out on YouTube here:

It’s only natural that musician and actress Catherine-Audrey Lachapelle and multi-instrumentalist Léandre Joly-Pelletier would find each other in their great love for country, folk and bluegrass music and set out to bring a distinctly Appalachian vibe to Québec’s music scene and beyond. “Là-Bas” is the full-length expression of their quest to blend the traditional and contemporary into a modern day mélange.

The pop song of the fall season is a dance floor anthem written by Toronto’s own Valentyna Sichko, who takes a gorgeous melody and a take-charge message to those non-believers in you.

The powerhouse Ukrainian singer-songwriter currently studying at the Stella Adler Academy of Acting fell in love with singing as a young teenager. The realization of expressing oneself through song became the driving force behind Valentyna’s determination. She would go on to perform at a variety of singing competitions in Toronto, leading to her most recent drop: “Motivators”.  Check it out on YouTube here:

Theo Ogundipe was born in Nigeria and raised in the United Kingdom, where he currently resides. Theo’s music is an eclectic fusion of several genres including soul, hip-hop, indie and RnB. It is inspired by his life growing up in the diaspora. His description of his sound is “a smooth lyrical blend of in the box production with 70’s soul”.

Check out “Plato Freestyle” on YouTube here:

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: