Overflowing with unbridled joy and cheerfully unexpected moments, Canadian alt-folk and dance-pop artist Jont delivers a candid message with the release of his new single, “Thank You For My Happiness” — available now!

Electronic beats — plus a choir, string quartet, sitar and harmonium for good measure — all hold and share space on the Halifax, Nova Scotia-based singer/songwriter’s most recent sonic offering. The track follows this spring’s latest single, “I Think It Could Be Possible” and accompanying video that included sing-along submissions from around the world.

That said: Despite “Thank You For My Happiness” being one of the catchiest, most infectious and jubilant tunes Jont credits to his repertoire, its genesis stems from feeling decidedly the opposite. “It’s inspired by opening my heart to my lover about something I thought they would reject me for,” he shares. “Instead, I found acceptance and empathy.

Watch and Listen to “Thank You For My Happiness” here:

When it comes to Grotoko, the new single and video “Mister” offers a landmark in the art-rock, baroque-pop artist’s growing and ever-fluid body of work.

The brainchild of Montreal-based, Winnipeg-born multi-instrumentalist, composer and visual artist Blue McLeod, Grotoko’s sound pulls from grunge, folk, punk, and classical genres and kneads them together with the artist’s experiences and the world around. “I often use confessional, optimistic, sarcastic, or sometimes nearly nonsensical lyrics to describe various experiences and emotions,” McLeod says of the multifaceted creative outlay. “There’s also a wide variety of musical colours and textures to create a sort of collage of sounds, when words might not necessarily be enough.

“‘Mister’ was written almost entirely on the spot,” McLeod continues, adding that it was written about a highly personal experience. “Now it’s a song that seems to change tone every time I perform it.

Watch and listen to “Mister” here:

Life and death. Love and hate. Wealth and poverty. Sickness and health. Whatever it is you want in this life — or want to avoid in this life — it might be closer than you think. "Time, distance, events: They're all relative," he says. "Some things seem like they're a long way off when in fact they're very close, while other things seem so close when they're actually far off. Life is full of coincidences and connections and uncertainty."

That's never been truer than today. Even so, there are still some things you can count on — like the impeccable craftsmanship, stellar musicianship and life-affirming positivity this respected B.C. veteran always brings to the table.

Watch and Listen to “Do Like You Do.” Here:

International award-winning Leamington, ON-based singer/songwriter and recording artist Francine Honey has released a double single — both solo and a duet — for her newest song, “I Carry On” and it is available now.

The song is a testament to the human spirit and its ability to overcome the challenges that life throws our way. It asks the question: Where does this courage come from?

Co-written and recorded with Honey’s songwriting friend and neighbour, Robert Gray, “I Carry On” is the second single released in anticipation of Honey’s upcoming fifth project, 2020 Vision — a chronicle of her life story so far in song. The double album due out later this year follows the Fall 2019 single release of “Red Sky” and full-length Holiday album, Take Me To The North Pole.

Watch and listen to “I Carry On” here:

Canadian dark-pop/alt prodigy Mikalyn Hay — and co-write partner EDM and pop artist Xtro (Chris Graham) — has dusted off an earlier fave for a fresh remix with a global vibe in “Close” — available now!

Discovered by International label and management outpost Reven, “Close feat. Mikalyn & Xtro” was reimagined by Brazilian bass/future/tech house artist RQntz (Requintes) and Russian EDM duo 39 Kingdom for the Spring 2020 release.

RQntz, 39 Kingdom - CLOSE (Lyric Video) ft. Mikalyn & Xtro
https://youtu.be/a3MpfdmOy80

Quoted from their website: “Stumblin' out of the Canadian swamps; Flamingo Báy plays bad ass rock n' roll. Your favourite band's favourite band was born in the Prairies but have been based in Toronto for a few years now. They have recently recorded some new tunes with producer Moe Berg and engineer Robert Nation at E-MAC Studios in London, Ontario. Crank 'em up and enjoy the ride. Dig it.”

The new track "Capiche" was produced by Moe Berg and recorded by Robert Nation at E-Mac Studio in London, Ontario, the 3 minute track is 100% Canadian content!

Watch and listen to "Capiche" here:
https://youtu.be/Gsk-EX6QKIo

Flamingo Bay are:
Dillon Henningson - Guitar/Vocals
Kris Gies - The Bass/Vocals
Vince Rankin - Drums/Vocals

Breakout art-folk-pop duo The Temporary Residents embody sounds from every corner of multiple genres and decades, and in this — their new single “Unity” — they even pull from the outer galaxies as well.

“The sound of ‘Unity’ will take you on a journey through the multiple layers of the universe,” vocalist Yulia Hayden offers.

Watch and listen to “Unity” here:
https://youtu.be/bRcpmBhf5_4

“Filled with stars, echoes and mysteries,” guitarist Patrick Hayden adds.

Their goal, they explain, was to round seriously powerful vocals up in a lyrical lasso before letting them sonically expand to the other side of the universe. “Like they’re calling out to reunite with the celestial family.”

There was very pointed inspiration for the track’s direction, namely Tears For Fears’ 1985 mainstay, “Shout.”

Opting for a heavier guitar and groove-centric approach to Tears For Fears’ 80s New Wave classic “Shout,” alt rockers Trope explore new sonic territory for their cover.

Watch and listen to “Shout” here:
https://youtu.be/snkZwdhMnh4

“We wanted to do something different with the song musically and instrument-wise, and balance the beautiful melody and message with the intensity of the guitars, bass and drums,” says Montreal-born, Los Angeles-based lead singer Diana Studenberg. “Due to the song’s pop sensibility and 4/4 beat, it didn’t fit into the Trope realm at the time.

“But as things progressed and electronic instrumentation was replaced with organic instruments — including bass, guitars and ebow — the tune took a darker turn and actually really worked for us.”

Five years in the making, Canadian experimental alt pop-rock artist One Eyed Oracle has set free his vibrantly dynamic, resoundingly socially conscious debut LP, Really Small Town — available now.

The ‘Town’ may be ‘Really Small,’ but the ground covered is vast: the brainchild of singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Boris Rene Buhot, One Eyed Oracle’s premiere album ushers a multi-genre odyssey with sounds of heavy alt rock, explorative pop — not to mention influences of eastern European folk and Island reggae.

The ultimately danceable release is also politically charged, created — according to Buhot — with “the intent of stirring an unsuspecting public, one that’s strung up by class and form, to the greater aspect of our parts hidden beneath the waves of our unconscious mind.”

Among the album’s nine tracks, stand-out singles include the capitalistic shakedown and reggae-dipped title track “Really Small Town,” featuring Toronto/Jamaica-based artist Kalask (David Dawkins), and “She’s Everything,” a touching tribute for the late spiritual guru, Rev. D. Bauld.

When it comes to Canadian electro chill-pop dynamo Mauve — and pressing play on her newly minted video for “Must Be” — three things to know:
• The Toronto-area artist is at 1.5 million streams across her social platforms

• Her velvety and enveloping voice — and multi-talented songwriting and production skills — took an InterContinental Music Award for “Best of North America” and a Niagara Music Award nom for “Best New Artist”

• Mauve’s premiere album, Palette — where “Must Be” resides — has been featured on hundreds of taste making playlists around the world

“Sometimes love can come to you unexpectedly,” Mauve says of “Must Be.” “I wrote this after thinking back in awe at how suddenly the emotions can come to you...

“It just changes everything from night to day,” she continues. “Suddenly everything you once saw as dull and grey is now beaming and bursting with light, and that's because this startling feeling of love has popped into your life. This song represents that extra boost in your stride and the never-ending smile you get on your face due to the elated feelings of love.

Alexandra, ON jazz pop artist Katie Ditschun cozied up with her piano this week to perform a stunning live rendition of “HER” and the results were brilliant.

Watch and listen to “HER” (Official Video) here:
https://youtu.be/_ABZNiJVLWI

The video comes amidst the Ontario-based artist’s current album release and complimentary live virtual music lessons.

For those looking to optimize a rise in screen time by developing their sonic skill sets, the lessons are every Friday at 11:00 a.m. EST on Ditschun’s Facebook page; they are geared towards beginners and focus solely on singing — no instruments are required.

Compelling and powerful in its experience, International exploratory prog rock pop artists Briand Boursin Rohr release the eighth chapter in their forthcoming concept album, The View Inside.

“Keep In Touch” — detailing the main character’s delusions of godliness and readying for something unclear — is available now.

Watch and Listen to “Keep In Touch” here:
https://youtu.be/HYdTYdvtgjc

A creative collaboration from guitarist and singer/songwriter Ludovic Briand, keyboardist and songwriter Julien Boursin, and lyricist and producer Matt Rohr, the song and video are the fourth to be released ahead of The View Inside’s arrival via Hypostatic Records and Musea Records.

Recorded in three regions — Paris, Los Angeles, and the south of France — over the course of three years, The View Inside features another three things of note: big drums, big guitars, and big ideas.

Canadian singer/songwriter and pianist Theo Tams’ new video “The Last Song” shows the Canadian Idol winner as a character chameleon of sorts, all in the name of self-love and care.

“The song represents the moment you realize your own self worth,” Tams says. “It’s about recognizing you are enough, and letting go of the past.

“Finally.”

“The Last Song” is also the ‘last song’ on Tams’ third and most recent album release, 2018’s Call The Doctor. Reflective in both the single and album at large is Tams’ musical evolution — a genuine and mature identity mindfully created from a place of honesty, courage, and vulnerability.

Watch and listen to “The Last Song” here:

Canadian indie alt rockers The Vaniers are out with their debut EP, Who Are You To Say? — and sophomore single, “On The Regular” — available now!

The five-track breakout EP hits with inspo from band beacons like The Strokes or Arctic Monkeys alongside original, intuitive and tightly-knit musicality from the three former high school classmates — Diego Paz on bass guitar and vox, Alex Iacobellis on guitar, and Nick Donato on drums.

“It’s got a carefree, toe-tapping rhythm that’s perfect for a day drink in the summer,” Paz offers of “On The Regular”s warm weather vibes and retro-inspired video. “It was written over a weekend at a cottage in Tiny, Ontario… We hauled all the equipment up after a late-night gig at Junction City Music Hall, set up after getting there around 3:00 am, and jammed the entire weekend.

Watch and listen to The Vaniers - On The Regular (Official Lyric Video) here:

Singer-songwriter, Delaney Grant, is gearing up today for the release of her new EP, After The Fire.

The 7-track release, co-produced by Jeff Dalziel (Diesel Music) in Ontario, Canada, and Travis Humbert in Nashville, Tennessee, will be available on all digital platforms.

After The Fire delves into the past ten years of Grant’s life, starting with the loss of her family’s home to a fire, where the EP acquired its harrowing namesake.

Grant comments about the album, saying, “In this album, you will hear songs about heartbreak with underlying themes of optimism and positivity. The songs represent different stories in my life but are also relatable, as almost everyone has experienced losing something or someone. I hope these songs can help those who need it.” 

When it comes to describing the indie-folk undertaking that is Canadian artist Noble Son — aka Adam Kirschner, singer/songwriter, actor, and VFV (very familiar voice) — his new single “Sad Dumb Lovesick Young Kid,” and album Life Isn’t Fun, here’s what others have to say:
“There is a dichotomy buried deep in the musical well that is Noble Son: the brutal heartbreak of reality and the bounding absurdity of life itself,” says BeatRoute. “His romanticism is all wrong according to feel-good rules — where love fails, politics prevail, that sort of thing — but maybe that’s why his music makes us hurt so good.

“It’s impossible to speak of his work without also exclaiming about the other component of Noble Son: an uncanny Jim Carrey-esque persona. All the roiling energy in that creative well of the artist also expresses itself through comically brilliant physicality."

“When we think of folk music at a glance, visions of somber men and women standing emotionally with their guitars often comes to mind,” Citrus Magazine concurs. “Noble Son is quite the opposite.

Indie alt southern rock outfit from Los Angels, the Ian Abel Band bring their big guitars, big drums, and even bigger hooks to create “20’s Magic” — their newest single, available now!

Watch and listen to “20’s Magic”  here https://youtu.be/nmttg2KeLHc

“This is the song that started it all,” namesake frontman, lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Ian Abel shares of the track. “We were toying with the notion of going into a studio to record five or six new songs, but we weren’t ready.

“In talking about it with Kenny, he threw out the idea of slowing it down and pre-producing everything in our lock-out space.

“I agreed pretty reluctantly, but thank God I did!”

Abel is referring to drummer Kenny Schwartz; the band also includes Westray Tackett and Karthik Suresh.

The nom de plume for Vancouver-based multi-faceted artist Jacob Richter, My Oldest Friend first landed in 2017; it features back-up vocals and keys from Melinda Richter, Jacob’s sister, and drums from Kurt Dahle. 

“The name comes from the title of one of my previous songs that dealt with nostalgia, sadness, and existentialism,” Richter explains of My Oldest Friend as a whole. “This project started when I moved from Toronto to Vancouver, and in wanting to combine my love for music and acting into one creative expression.

“For ’Ghost’ specifically, it’s an exploration of coping with abandonment,” he continues. 

Watch and listen to ‘Ghost’ here on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/394580964

Ghost: My Oldest Friend from J Peter Jones on Vimeo.

Canadian grunge trap and alt hip hop rocker Krosst Out marks the end of his former self with the symbolic unleashing of new single, “Funerals”.

Watch “Funerals” here:
https://youtu.be/oxTE5oMRlIs

The track lands ahead of his forthcoming album, Phone Calls With Ghosts, a project that has the Toronto-based artist squaring away with his small-town upbringing; the LP is set for release June 26, 2020.

“Some kids treat piano lessons like a chore, but I treated them like a lifeline,” Krosst Out — nee Aaron Siebenga — offers. “They were my way out.”

The sentiment — and its translation into “Funerals” and Phone Calls With Ghosts — are in reference to his upbringing in the small Northumberland County town of Campbellford, Ontario, population 3,500.

When Spin Doctors mega music man Eric Schenkman penned his newest single “Locked In The House All Day” for his latest solo album Who Shot John?, little did he know it’d become the shared experience for so many of us.

Little did any of us, really.

“I’ve been hunkered down in Toronto, not working live — which is basically what I do,” Schenkman says of how he’s personally wrangling social distancing and self-quarantine. “Still playing music at home, though!”

The video for “Locked In The House All Day” splashes city streets with graffiti alleys before they emptied entirely, and Canadians were called to change old routines into new normals — Schenkman included.

Watch and listen to “Locked In The House All Day” here:
https://youtu.be/L-4cKSosURU

“My mom is in an old folks home a mile from where I am,” he shares of another way his day to day has changed. “They actually have active COVID-19 cases, which is scary. I can only visit her at her window, which is kind of a miracle in itself since her room happens to have an accessible window.”

“I’m thankful for that!”