“Red Sky is a gritty, dreamy and ethereal flight echoing the fear, exhilaration and transformation experienced during times of change. As the sunset sky transitions to red, you free fall into change. On the other side of the red sunset sky is the red sky of dawn.  You find your wings and enjoy flying and soaring within your experience.” — Francine Honey

"Red Sky" is the first single that follows Honey's critically acclaimed album 'To be continued…' which continues to see airplay from CBC, Radio-Canada, CTV, SiriusXM, Folk Roots Radio ++ across Canada, the US, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Netherlands & more.

Watch Red Sky (Official Music Video) here:
https://youtu.be/osnFr90VpQo

Canadian hip hop artist Rawmny Wildcat is laying the groundwork for his “Legacy” — releasing the first single off his forthcoming LP of the same name.

The bright chord riffs on “Legacy” bring the track back to an 80s, near-vintage sound while carrying elements from the current state of trap. Produced alongside Nabil ‘Nabsolut’ Benmiloud, the song started as just an experiment when the two were jamming, and discussing dreams.

Speaking of experimenting, that “Legacy” would start that way mirrors how Rawmny Wildcat — pronounced ‘Raw Money’ and formerly known as Rasselas — first started; the Toronto-based rapper took to playing around with music after his family relocated to Montreal from Ethiopia.

Influenced by soul, Motown, 80s and 90s hip hop and traditional Ethiopian sounds, Wildcat took to the craft during his younger school years in the Canadian metropolis.

Canadian singer/songwriter Joshua James can look to one thing in common with Julius Caesar, circa 49 BC; after a solid decade of self-proclaimed stalemates, the Saskatoon-based rocker has readied a mission to the point of his own ‘no return’ with the forthcoming release of Crossing the Rubicon, and the new single "Diana” is available now.

“The story goes, as the water rushed past their feet in Gaul, Caesar and his army knew there was no going back,” James says of the long-late figurehead’s historic passage into Rome. “This album symbolizes something similar to me.”

After ten years of James feeling like he was starting over, falling flat on his face, he started “leaning into new perspectives and shaking the ‘Etch A Sketch’ of life,” he says. “It finally became time to lay it all on the line.

“I put everything I could into releasing one of the most emotionally charged — yet microscopically complex — albums in me.”

That Emmy Award-winning actor, composer, producer, and singer/songwriter Brittany Allen refers to “Monster” as ‘vicious’ not once, but twice, should shed light on what internal hurdles the Canadian artist aims to overcome through her newest single’s lyrical themes.

The track lands ahead of her forthcoming debut EP, Khamai Lion (December 2019) under the moniker of Britt. Perched to the left of pop, the full-bodied EP features the Torontonian’s unique brand of sound, and delves deep into the darkness to find an unexpected light.

“I wrote this song with Nygel Asselin (NYG) at his studio in Vancouver,” Britt recalls of “Monster” and its process. “I came in that morning knowing I wanted to explore the feeling of taking your pain out on the person you’re with. We jammed about the idea and found the song together. It was a great collaboration.

“I was working through my own inner demons,” she continues, confiding that taking things out on her partner was something she contended with at the time. “I had woken up with the clarity to recognize where it was coming from, but I still didn’t know how to stop it. It felt like something other than me was taking over…

When asked why he chose the stage name 'Catahoula Brown', Chris simply said, "Well...I have a Catahoula dog, and he's mostly brown...and besides, al lot of the early Blues artists had aliases...Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Hound Dog Taylor...and some of my early songs were influenced by those artists."

His earliest influence, however, came from his father Bob Weagle, who loved to sing songs by Jimmie Rodgers, The Carter Family, Hank Williams and Hank Snow (the latter was actually born near his own birthplace in Nova Scotia). As a young man, his father performed at a local radio station on Saturday afternoons. "I was no bigger than a guitar when my father taught me to play...he tuned the guitar 'Hawaiian-style', and I played it with a slide made from a butter knife, 'cause my fingers were too small to make chords."

Swedish singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Simon Alexander emerged in 2017 with the self-released debut EP ’Won't Be Found’, breathing new air into the modern folk scene.

By continuously releasing several self-recorded acoustic tracks he quickly gained recognition for his profound lyrics and heartfelt vocal melodies, getting comparisons to Matt Corby and Dylan LeBlanc.

After a collaboration with producer Tobias Ekqvist, from Hurricane Love, two singles, ’Slide' and ’Last Dance', was released in 2018 after signing with Swedish record label Rehn Music Group. The new singles showed a wider range of songwriting, venturing into a more pop-infused direction, and was featured on Spotify curated playlists such as New Music Friday in several countries.

MAZACOTE is a hard-hitting world Latin party band playing brass soaked tropical dance beats. Inspired by the sounds of Colombia, Mozambique and Nicaragua, they weave driving rhythms and heavy grooves with a socially conscious message.  The band is set to release their 3rd album Patria set for release on Justin Time/Nettwerk in October 2019.

Award-winning Canadian singer/songwriter Jessica Rhaye and The Ramshackle Parade have released their newest single and video, “I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine” — the latest off 2019’s Just Like A Woman - Songs of Bob Dylan.

And prompt dreams, it does. The video — backlit with star-like twinkle lights, not unlike Rhaye’s own connection to the track — invites viewers into the band’s intimate performance of the 1967 classic. “I’ve always pictured Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ when I listen to this song,” says Rhaye. “Dylan talks about the John Wesley Harding album and, at the time, his increased interests in painting and his work to sharpen the imagery in his lyrics.”

“I think our version helps capture the lyrical imagery of the song.”

“Our version of this classic Dylan tune also takes on more of a ballad feel than the original version,” she continues, considering additional creative differences between the two. “Chris’ beautiful guitar solo — along with the delicate cymbal work and bowed bass — gives our version a very lush and dreamy feel.”

With the release of her eagerly anticipated Album (Jan 2020) acclaimed Calgary-based country singer/songwriter Lauren Mayell takes her craft to the next level. Already a staple at country radio with six singles issued to date, she has shared marquee stages with everyone from Dean Brody to Meghan Patrick to Kane Brown.  Lauren is the 2018 ACMA Female Artist of the Year. She was also named Country 105’s Rising Star for 2017. Her New Album, featuring previously released singles plus new songs, several penned in Nashville, ties everything together.

Working with in-demand producers Dan Swinimer (JoJo Mason, Madeline Merlo) and Jeff Johnson (Dallas Smith, George Canyon, Wes Mack), Mayell has assembled a dazzling collection of honky-tonk corkers and poignant ballads, each propelled by her electrifying voice. With her sights firmly set on the Grand Ole Opry stage — where she hopes to wear her beloved musician grandfather’s “Pure Country” belt buckle — Mayell is dedicated 2019 to touring & promoting her New Album to fans old & new. 

Catherine MacLellan, one of Canadian folk music’s true gems, returns with her anticipated seventh album, COYOTE. This self-produced release is a travelogue through heartbreak, loss and the joy of life.

A lifelong musician, there are few roles Ariel Posen hasn't played.

Although born in Winnipeg, Posen spent much of his childhood on the road, travelling from show to show with his musician parents. He began playing guitar at 9 years old, kicking off a career that eventually found him travelling the globe for his own gigs, including shows as a member of the Juno Award-winning, roots-rock band The Bros. Landreth. Several years later, Posen began working on an album of his own, tracking his new songs in the same studio in which his parents once recorded their albums.

Born in the suburbs of Essex, England, Zach Oliver is a multi-talented musician that now resides in Toronto, Canada.  Growing up he idolized artists like Stevie Wonder, Amy Winehouse, John Mayer and Coldplay, as his parents were always playing a very wide spread, variety of music around the house.  

When Zach was 8 years old, with not much to do as a newly landed immigrant to Canada and highly inspired by Jack Black’s “School of Rock”, he picked up on of his mum’s old guitars and began to write songs.  This hobby quickly turned into a lifestyle, as Zach was performing and writing as much as he could, even integrating it into his elementary school curriculum anyway possible.   This carried on through to his high school life, where Zach was lucky enough to have a very influential Music teacher, Chris Carson-Foster and an incredible music program. This allowed him to work on his craft for a majority of his senior year - writing, producing and recording his own songs in the recording studio he and his music teacher built above the school’s comm tech room.  

Eric Schenkman has released his new video, the title track of his magnetic CD “Who Shot John?” – a retro/modern rock offering that grabs you from the opening riff.

You might have seen him before, on stages before thousands of fans throughout the world with the Spin Doctors. You would already know he is one of the band’s not-so-secret weapons — a vital songwriter and a virtuoso guitarist who both crafted the ‘90s band and co-wrote all five of their Top 100 hits. He also worked with Chico Hamilton, Carly Simon, Natalie Merchant, Noel Redding, Phoebe Snow and Corky Laing, among many other notable musicians.

The title track of his latest album offering  WHO SHOT JOHN? showcases the many sides of ERIC SCHENKMAN from raw, rockin’ blues to funk/soul/pop. With its elemental lineup of guitar, bass and drums, and songs that seldom stray beyond three chords it’s radio-friendly and familiar enough to draw listeners in. After that, the complexities reveal themselves.

WHO SHOT JOHN? is both classic and immediate. And, as SCHENKMAN would likely admit, it’s overdue.

Canadian producer Darrell Kelloway — artistically known as DK — is fresh out of the gate with his newest album, Soul Expressions, including “Coltranes of the Movement”.

“The aim was to restore the importance of lyricism that stays true to the art,” he says of Soul Expressions, which includes collaborations with Canadian MCs Ghettosocks, Aquakultre, Timbuktu, as well as Atlanta’s Cam James, and Brooklyn’s Justo the MC. “I went for vibrant, jazzy and soulful samples, and sought out guests that truly understand the combination of rhythm and poetry.”

That Nikki You Know is a spoken word artist and musician living in Montreal, Quebec.

She has performed at The Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, Eden Mills Writer's Festival, Hillside Music Festival, Slamtario, 100 Mile Riot, Strummer Fest and POP MTL. 

From Victoria to Halifax, That Nikki You Know has performed her original music and poetry under a variety of names and with a variety of projects. She has facilitated workshops with Rock Camp For Girls* MTL to help vocalists find their voice and continues to find her own voice as it evolves, shifts and grows.

Memories is her first official release, recorded entirely in her home studio. It showcases many of her spoken word pieces previously only experienced in a live setting without musical accompaniment. This project is both music, and poetry, together.

Love Rain
https://youtu.be/QsFWaBLvemU

Canadian art-popsters Alexander and The Great Ones have unleashed their all-you-can-hear sonic buffet, SUPER TURBO and sophomore single “2 Yung 2 b in <3.

“I explored the sounds of the last century not as they were, but as they are,” says frontman Alex MacNeil of the outfit’s debut LP. “Think: heart still pumping, but flecked with rust.”

It’s an anticipated release from a group MacNeil affectionately dubs “desperate rogues” and “roving strays”; CBC’s Carsten Knox named Alexander and The Great Ones as “Artist to Watch For” and The Coast lauds them as a “Young Upcoming Artist.” “This was recorded with the help of many of Nova Scotia’s finest musicians. And locally produced gins.

“Adulthood was like falling down a steep set of stairs,” he continues, recalling how this all came to be, punked-up cherub cover art and all. “It happened so abruptly and before I knew it.”

If there was a plotter following along, they’d map beginnings in what MacNeil describes as Nova Scotia’s industrial northern mainland; from there, he’d complete music school in Sherbrooke, Quebec before venturing on to Grahamstown, South Africa.

Over a year ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Bara Jonson and Free at Live at Heart Newfoundland, and I immediately became a fan.

The continued love and friendship that they developed from their showcase at that event turned into a ‘love fest’, with fans in Newfoundland and the rest of Canada as well, resulting in the release of ‘Hello Newfoundland’, their tribute to their time there and to the amazing people they met while on Burin Peninsula.

Now they are heading back to Canada to play the prestigious Indie Week in Toronto on Friday, November 15 as a part of the Cashbox Caravan Showcase at The Hideout club.

Their new release of ‘Devils Die Too’is the usual standard of this act, encompassing great vocals, intense lyrics and awesome production. When asked about what inspired this latest release, Bara Jonson and Free had this to say:
“As international touring artists Bara Jonson and Free (BjF) meet a lot of people. Most of them being warm-hearted and nice but occasionally there are those who seem to be egoistic and narcissistic, who will do almost anything for their own gain and purposes.”

Canadian country-pop singer/songwriter Lori Lynne Johnson and her debut album Heartache & Healing — available now — embody the notion that once a caregiver, always a caregiver.

"At my core, that's who I am," explains Johnson. "I have taken care of people all my life. That has always been a big part of my identity."

Naturally, it's a big part of her music.

And it takes just one spin through the Oakville country-pop singer-songwriter's striking EP to understand that Johnson is still deeply dedicated to helping others. The only difference is, these days she gets results with music instead of medicine.

Caustic and raw, Down the Lees’ dynamic vocals and guitar draw you in, only to strike a blow from the heavy rhythm section. Based in Ghent, Belgium, Down the Lees is Canadian Laura Lee Schultz and Belgians Jonathan Frederix on drums and Kwinten Gluehorse on bass.

The project has followed an eclectic musical path with engaging and dynamic soundscapes inspired by genres such as post-rock, shoegaze, hardcore, slowcore, and no-wave - often echoing the work of artists such as Slint, Shannon Wright, Sonic Youth, Cloud Nothings and Low.

The dictionary defines ‘wanderlust’ as the ‘strong desire to travel,’ and nothing could be truer — both figuratively and literally — for Canadian jazz artist Blaine Sharp and his debut album and single of the same name.

“I’ve always loved the word,” the Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter and actor says. “There’s something about it that appeals to the romantic in me. That the concept of ‘aching to get away so badly’ has its own word… and, not just any word, but a portmanteau that attaches the passion of ‘lust’ to it all.

“I’m not a linguist, but as a musician… this strikes me as pretty fertile ground to explore.”

And explore is what Sharp is doing; this is a man who, if life was a checklist, seemingly had “it all” — an established career, his “dream home” and a teeming stable of family and friends close by. An avid traveler and musician at heart, however, his bucket just never felt full. “At this point in my life, taking a chance on my life’s dream required a leap of faith,” he says. “For me, it meant walking away from pretty much everything.”