Award-winning electro-acoustic dream-pop art-rocker GEA grounds her otherworldly ambient fairy-folk sound within the densely lush Finnish forestland in this, her newly released single and video “Despite”.

As known for since her breakthrough debut Butterflies (2017) and sophomore follow-up Snow (2019), the song-based storyteller wastes no opportunity in “Despite” to use her music to channel messages from spirit guides, laying bare notions of healing, transformation, and growth.

“‘Despite’ is a song about gratitude and unconditional love for love, despite the challenges, disappointments, and hard times it provides,” GEA says. “I want to dedicate it to all the people who have been influenced by the global pandemic.

Watch and listen to ‘Despite’ here:

Award-winning Canadian alt-folk rock-to-blues duo Fresh Breath are taking off and getting outta town, adding to their over 100,000+ streams across Spotify along the way, with their newest country-inspired single, “Time For A Change”.

“At face value, it’s a song about wanting to break free from the stressful normalcy of small town living,” Katie Pascoe says. “It’s about heading out on an adventure with the one you love.

“Getting out of town,” Josh Pascoe adds. “Together.”

But as most great songs do, there’s a personal back story to “Time For A Change,” too.

“It’s inspired by some personal events that happened to us,” Josh explains. “A friend of ours who lives in Calgary, Alberta, was chatting with us about their upcoming western tour at the time. Knowing we’d be there during the Calgary Stampede, he encouraged us to learn and brush up on some country music.”

“So we decided to write our own!” Katie adds. “We kept it honest, simple, and to the point.”

Watch and listen to “Time For A Change”:

“Turns out, I didn’t just want to sing about it, I wanted to scream about it.”

That’s BULLRIDER’s frontman Bobby Desjarlais referencing the band’s newest single release, “Dying”.

“It’s about death, yes,” he says plainly, laughing. “But really, it’s mostly about living life to its fullest.”

Watch and listen to “Dying” here:

“I had a very close family member diagnosed with cancer say to me, ‘when you have cancer, you’re the only one in the room willing to make a joke. This resonated with me; the fact they would still take the responsibility to make people laugh while they’re sick and possibly dying is real strength. I wanted to help out and sing about death, which is traditionally a difficult topic to breach.”

Which brings us back to… “Turns out, I didn’t just want to sing about it, I wanted to scream about it.”

Canadian country duo Banned & Outlawed are back with another bangin’ backwoods anthem in their latest track, “Beer For Everything”. Bandmates and brothers Jon and Dan Hnatishin say the new single is far more than “just another mindless, beer-slingin’ song…

“This one tugs a bit on your heartstrings while leaving plenty of room for a good time,” Jon says. “It’s about growing up and learning lessons. It stands right beside you while you crack a cold one after a hard day’s work,” Dan adds. “Heck, this song’s been with you since you stole that first drink from your parent’s basement fridge.

“You never need to drink alone again!”

Watch and listen to “Beer For Everything” here:

Stand-out Canadian alt rock-pop outfit Glassreel map the delicate journey into unknown adulthood and unmet expectations with new single,“Crystal Ball”.

Watch and Listen to “Crystal Ball” here:  https://youtu.be/NuFHZKv6mdU  

A partnership between longtime musical collaborators Kelly Beaton and Trevor Graumann — with Andrew Workman and Ken Phillips — Glassreel and their 2019 debut EP Unalike has been heralded throughout North America, with features on 100+ radio stations (including CBC and NPR) and a foothold on the !earshot National Top 50 for multiple weeks. Additionally, their music is featured in several episodes of celebrity chef David Rocco’s forthcoming series, Dolce Italia.

Tobique First Nation, NB-based, award-winning and 2018 Olympic Games-featured Indigenous folk rock artist Mike Bern has released his debut solo EP Waponahkew.

Meaning ‘Person of the Dawn,’ Waponahkew and its title track pay stunning homage and gratitude to Bern’s Waponahki Ancestors, while “First Mother draws on the book “The Red Man” for inspiration; the release’s single “Apatapasiq” honours the suffering and stories of residential school survivors — including those in his own family.

Watch and listen to: Waponahkew here:

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.