Saint John, NB folk artist Austin Eatman delivers a new video for his breakthrough single “Walking Paranoia,” the latest from his debut album Broken Radio.

The video is a live pull from Eatman’s EP release party at Peppers Pub and quickly confirms why the Saint John, New Brunswick-based artist has been a fast-rising fixture on the local scene; his distinct alt folk style rich with melody and charm draw from the likes of his inspiration from John Prine to Jack White, while remaining decidedly all his own.

“‘Walking Paranoia’ is one of my personal   favourites from the album,” Eatman shares of the introductory six-track EP. “This album started out as a wedding… Well, that is to say it started as a wedding invitation.

Check out ‘Walking Paranoia’ live here:

For their latest release, Canadian world music collective Sultans of String set out to raise awareness of the nearly 26 million+ refugees currently stateless and away from their homes in a project centred around the positive contributions of new immigrants. The result was Refuge, and its title track, the award-winning “Refuge” featuring Edmar Castaneda.

Experience “Refuge” here:

The song just won Folk Music Ontario’s Songs From The Heart Award — Instrumental, and is raising funds for the band’s campaign to aid the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Canada.

The single spotlights the work of the astonishing Colombian harpist known for reinventing the instrument the world over, and celebrated for his improvisation and dynamic counterpoints created in the track. “It’s a great vibe, the whole tune,” Castaneda says. “It fits right with the harp, so I’m happy to be a part of this.

Award-nominated alt-pop / contemporary rocker and producer PaulStar is living his ‘Best Life’ after a mission to “Find Myself” with the release of his introspective and astute new single and same-titled album.

Watch “Find Myself” here:

“This song is about spiraling through dark times, and how you need to find that balance in life,” he shares. “I’m happy to say that music has helped my broken heart heal and that, no matter what obstacle you may face, you just need to keep going. “‘Sacrifice’ is very relatable,” PaulStar continues. “The message is to keep going, no matter what is trying to hold you back, whereas ‘Shine Brighter’ is a song about haters and ignoring what they say or think about what you’re doing.

Winnipeg’s alt rock-pop outfit Glassreel draw a line in the sand of inter-attached habits and newfound independence with the release of their new single, “Ride Along”.

“At its core, ‘Ride Along’ is a song about codependency,” Kelly Beaton details. “It’s a song about falling back on a shared past in order to justify present relationships.”

“I view the lyrics as a message to a weak-willed past self,” songwriter Graumann shares. “It’s a reminder to go for it rather than letting the people around you control your life. This message is tempered with a reminder in the bridge to not be too hard on oneself — ‘ride along / it’s okay.’”

Check out the video and the message of “Ride Along” here:

Jazz- R&B artist Sammy Jackson is With You in song, thanks to the release of her sophomore EP and its title track.

The five-track album’s unveiling follows this year’s earlier release of single, “Past Tense,” and fully encapsulates Jackson’s uniquely distinct, genre-fusing sound with thoughtful lyricism that’s honest and relatable.

“With You” explores themes of vulnerability, broken relationships, and love,” the St. Catharines, Ontario-based singer/songwriter shares. “The song ‘With You’ was inspired by the many road trips my husband and I have taken in Canada, the most memorable being our cross-country trip from Toronto to Vancouver where we marvelled at some of Canada’s finest landscapes, monuments, cities and parks.”

“‘With You’ symbolizes the overall journey in a relationship and the changes you encounter,” Jackson continues. “Much like a road trip, you often face detours and setbacks, but the destination is worth it.”

Watch and read the great lyrics of “With You” here:

Winsome and tender at every turn, Saint John and this week announced as Music NB’s 2020 Breakthrough Artist Of The Year KYLIE FOX has released both her new alt-folk LP, Green and its latest single, “Glowstars”.

Check out “Glowstars” here:

The album wastes little time showcasing Fox’s unique brand of song-based storytelling, and the results teem with unmistakable genuineness and endearing charm — all traits that have earned Fox an attentive audience coast to coast, including features on CBC, charting on earshot!, festival stage spots, and more, for the quick wit, signature sarcasm, and inherent empathy that drives her delightful songwriting.

Kingston, ON”s indie pop singer/songwriter Astrid Tanton shares the view from her perspective with “Comfort,” the premiere single ahead of her forthcoming debut album, From My Eyes — available now!

“‘Comfort’ focuses on a lot of uncertainty and, unlike the name, uncomfortable times in your life,” Tanton muses. “It’s tough to leave something behind that was hurting you because there was some sense of certainty around it, and it’s a common thing for people to sacrifice their feelings for what’s comfortable.

“To me, that’s not okay and never will be.

“Once you can move into the unknown and away from the ‘comfortable’ with your head held high, you always become stronger.”

Check out “Comfort” on YouTube here:

Canadian rockers Dali Van Gogh have released a high-energy and poignant ode to our times in “Boneyard” — their new single produced by JUNO-nominated songwriter Rob Laidlaw (Platinum Blonde, Honeymoon Suite) available now.

Check out “Boneyard” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gVZgXABZ38&feature=youtu.be

Hip hop R&B artist and producer Keith Phelps and his visionary insights and prescient lyricism are once again front and center for the song, “Harlins Renaissance” — a track co-produced by his brother, Brendan Phelps, and featured in the Oscar-winning film, The Dope Years: The Untold Story of Latasha Harlins.

Check out “Harlins Renaissance” here:

Canadian rockers Revive the Rose harken true to their national pastimes and hometown roots with their widely lauded tribute to hockey, “Bar Down”.

Enjoy “Bar Down” here:

At 240,000+ streams across platforms, Revive the Rose is lead singer Andy Colonico, guitarist Peter Antoniou, guitarist Matt Cookson, and Steve Stercho on bass; “Bar Down" is the latest to come from the Welland, Ontario-based band’s 2019 self-titled debut LP.

The song originally started as a theme song for a local OHL team and eventually, explains Colonico, was passed onto the NHL. "Toronto Maple Leafs DJ Cale Granton entered the track into heavy rotation during home games,” Colonico says. “From there, it became a 2019-2020 official warm-up song for the team. Then one thing led to another and, after informing EA Sports about this, we’re now in a video game. “Bar Down” will be featured in the EA Sports NHL 21 video game as a warmup song.

This is a band to watch for in future and in the meantime check them out!

“If You Don’t Already Know,” Canadian band o’ brothers funk rockers The Thick are back with their new single and full-length album of the same name.

Watch the video “If You Don’t Already Know” here:

“This is one of the more mysterious sounding songs on the record, and it’s our personal favourite,” the band says — including members Charlie Rosenberg, Richard Stirling, and Jeff Stirling. “The song touches on personal regret and nostalgia, yet we find solace in these aspects of our lives through the performance and the expression of the song.

"It’s the cornerstone of, not only this album, but of our entire discography.”

Canadian matriarch of the blues and veritable force of musical nature Dalannah takes an optimistic, introspective, and encouraging “Look Ahead” with the release of her new single and video — each available now.

Check out “Look Ahead” here:

“This song is an invitation and a reminder for us all as ‘stewards of the land’ to ensure we walk consciously and conscientiously in regard to Mother Earth and all living things,” Dalannah says. “The current climate in regards to Mother Earth is a sign that we must be aware of the damage we are causing; waters are receding and flooding, ancient icebergs are melting.

Canadian rocker Murray Atkinson is nothing short of “#Grinding” in this, his new single off his epically masterful instrumental hard rock album, Mubla Tubed.

Watch and experience “#Grinding” here: https://youtu.be/bgVb4yKZPkE

“Mubla Tubed is the result of a few years of experimentation and vibe chasing at home with no one else around — just me and my guitar and a vision of creating something energetic and interesting,” Atkinson shares of the project. “Most of the songs are straight ahead instrumental rock tracks, with the exception of ‘Moonlight’ and ‘Endless’ — the former being a nylon guitar Spanish-sounding composition, the latter being a vast, lush orchestral ambient piece, another genre of music I’ve been exploring lately.

Award-winning rocker Kevin B Klein continues to amplify freedom of choice with his signature retro rock with a modern vibe in the celebrated release of “The Wrong From Right” and  his sophomore album, They Call It Rock n Roll.

“The vision I had while creating this song was about making choices in life,” Klein says of ‘The Wrong From Right.” “This song is about our free will. I wanted it to be rhythmic, primal, and edgy, and I wanted it to reflect the current world we live in: relatable and powerful for all to enjoy.”

Check out “The Wrong From Right” here on YouTube:

Mission accomplished.

Award-winning Montreal-based Jamhaitian blends his magnetic mix of reggae, hip hop, pop and tropical in a new single, “You So Fly”.

Check out “You So Fly” on YouTube here:

“This song is about describing and showcasing the true beauty of a woman,” Jamhaitian swoons of the song’s universal muse. “Especially the one you find so incredibly beautiful and wonderful to your eyes; her style, her elegance, her intellect…

“It’s about the one who fits the true meaning of that person being your ‘one and only.’”

Toronto’s alt-rockers Imperial Ashes intertwine their unique insights as songwriters and academics to confront global injustice head-on with the release of their new and debut single, “Ordinary Lights”.

Check Out “Ordinary Lights” here:

The song takes to task society’s outsized and accelerating privilege disparity through both the song’s lyrics and supplementary content, including an interview series wherein lead vocalist Rayna Elizabeth draws on her academic background to discuss the issues at hand with people who are directly involved with, and affected by them.

“We wanted to write a song dedicated to the challenges faced by the working class in their struggle for fair treatment,” Elizabeth says. “‘Ordinary Lights’ highlights the precarious positions often faced by front-line workers — a fact that has been brought to the forefront and exacerbated by the pandemic.

Canadian pop punk rapper Hollow River delivers his version of a protest record with the unleashing of Quarantine Mixtape —  a concept EP and video trilogy release available now.

Check out Intro (Quarantine Mixtape)  by Hollow River here:

Balancing the fine line between personal and political themes, art quickly imitated life for the Boston- and Toronto-based artist.

Listen to “Tell Me I'm Fine” (Quarantine Mixtape) - Hollow River:

Canadian rock duo Eclecticus says Take Me Away with the release of their fourth and newest album and single, “Movin’ On”.

Rich and rife with all the makings of a stellar rock release — soaring vocals, driving riffs, haunting keys, and dynamic percussion — the savoury release was carefully crafted by the Toronto-based couple during the nation’s designated social isolation period this year.

“The album reflects the current environment,” Gar Reid shares. “We worked tirelessly in our studio to really convey a sound and feeling like you’re in the room with us.”

“For us, this was a very creative time,” co-front Tiina LeMay adds. “Considering the historical circumstances we are living in right now, I think many singer-songwriters have found they are inspired to write during this time.”

The making of Taking Me Away was written, performed, and produced by singer-songwriters Tiina LeMay and Gar Reid during the pandemic.

There are singer-songwriters, and there are troubadours. Singer-songwriters are sensitive, polished souls, sharing their journal entries with the world, whereas troubadours do their best just to stay out of jail. And in the wake of Ben de la Cour’s astonishing new record, Shadow Land, you can add his name to the top of the list of younger troubadours to whom this ever-so-occasionally poisoned chalice is being passed.

For a taste of this incredible artist’s music visit: Swan Dive

As a young phenomena, Canadian pop-R&B singer, dancer and actor Azym sings of a love best lost in his new single, “One and Only”.

“This is about a bad relationship that was toxic, indecisive, and hurtful,” Azym shares of the track’s meaning. “The couple push and pull each other in different directions and, in the end, only destroy it.

Check out: “One and Only” on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/7pzmuCeBF84

“Obviously after a relationship ends, you feel kinda bad about it,” he continues of the song, which features Kalista Wilson as the muse. “In situations like this one in the song, though, it really is about realizing it’s better to have nothing at all than to stay in a relationship that’s not working.

“With a relationship that is as bad as the one in the song, it’s better to let go, move on, and grow.”