Submitted to Cashbox Canada

On September 10, ole, the world's fastest-growing independent music publishing and rights management company, is pleased to announce that it has been named ‘Music Publishing Company of the Year’ for an unprecedented twelfth consecutive time at the 2018 Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Gala Dinner & Awards held Saturday Night in Hamilton, Ontario

“ole is proud of the accomplishments of our Staff, Songwriters and Artists, and thanks the CCMA community for their support,” commented Robert Ott, ole’s CEO.

During Sunday night’s televised awards show, ole songwriter, Meghan Patrick, repeated her 2017 win for ‘Female Artist of the Year’, and ole’s brother and sister songwriting duo, The Reklaws, received the ‘SiriusXM Rising Star’ award.

In addition, “Chills” by the James Barker Band and co-written by ole songwriter Gavin Slate was awarded both ‘Single of the Year’ and ‘Top Selling Canadian Single of the Year’ over the course of the two festive evenings.

Barney Bentall is taking The Cariboo Express back on the road, announcing 11 shows for November — including a three-night run at the Charlie White Theatre in Sidney, BC.

Recently nominated for a 2018 Western Canadian Music Alliance Community Excellence Award, Barney Bentall & The Cariboo Express will continue to use this, their 13th annual tour, to benefit local charities. The initiative has raised more than $1.4 million over the years and counting. This year’s tour will benefit the Empress Theatre Society, Friends of Children, CKUA, Classroom Champions, Saanich Peninsula Lions, Salt Spring Community Services, Nanaimo Region John Howard Society, and the Potluck Café Society.

Singer-songwriter Megan Bonnell will be joining The Once for the Eastern leg of their upcoming Canadian tour (dates can be found below). This Thursday she joins Great Lake Swimmers on the Western leg of their Canadian tour, as both support and a backing vocalist. She'll be bringing her third full-length album, Separate Rooms, released April 6 on Cadence Music. Full details about the tour can be found below and at http://meganbonnellmusic.com/tour-dates/.

Stone Temple Pilots and Seether have announced a co-headline tour, along with special guests, Default and Age of Days, in Canada – kicking off October 23^rd in Penticton, BC.

With over 50 million albums sold, Stone Temple Pilots roared on to the scene in 1992 with their raucous debut, Core. A breakout success, the album peaked #3 on the Billboard 200 chart and dominated radio waves with hits like Sex Type Thing, Wicked Garden, and the Grammy-Award winning, Plush. STP founding members, Dean DeLeo, Robert DeLeo, Eric Kretz, along with new lead vocalist, Jeff Gutt, released their seventh studio album, Stone Temple Pilots (2018), and just wrapped the Rev 3 tour to rave reviews. The Atlanta Journal Constitution said, “STP made the comeback they’ve been trying for,” and DC Music Review stated, “The band was tighter than ever.”  

Civic Theatres Toronto today announced the return of Leonard Cohen’s Dance Me, from the internationally-renowned Montreal-based dance company BJM – Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal, on Friday, March 1, 2019. Tickets go on sale this Friday, September 7.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Headstones' critically-acclaimed debut album Picture of Health and to celebrate, they will be re-issuing the album on October 26 via Cadence Recordings.

Headstones will also be heading on the road this fall for the official Picture of Health Tour, playing this seminal album from front to back live, as well as your favourite hits! They will be bringing along The Matchstick Skeletons to open each show. Fans will also have access to the VIP Fan Experience Upgrade Package at each show - learn more here.

It has been a whirlwind year for Ottawa’s Tribe Royal, the new band with a vintage sound.

Teaming up in early January with Toronto’s marketing and strategy company, EMG, was the beginning of what was to be several life-changing events. In February, Tribe Royal played to a full house at Babylon nightclub, a well-known music haunt, more than six months removed from their headline show in their hometown. In June of this year, they returned to the scene with an opening show with Australian reggae-rockers Ocean Alley at The 27 Club thanks to SpectraSonic.

A few months into the year, discussions started with the exciting news that the legendary producer Norbert Putnam (Joan Baez, Dan Fogelberg, Kris Kristofferson, Mickey Newbury and Jimmy Buffett to name a few) was interested in doing a two-song production in Muscle Shoals at the famous NuttHouse Recording Studio. 

Today, Platinum-selling Sony Music Entertainment Canada recording artist Gord Bamford, announced he is returning to his performing roots to celebrate the release of his latest single "Dive Bar", with the Honkytonks & Dive Bar Tour. Beginning in Calgary, AB on October 17 the tour will hit 29 Canadian cities from coast to coast, giving fans the chance to see one of Canada’s biggest Country music superstars in an intimate setting, at their favourite local bars and honkytonks.

"’Honkytonks and dive bars are where I cut my teeth in this business and fell in love with country music and performing. It’s where I feel right at home,” said Gord Bamford. “I'm looking forward to getting back to my roots where it all began. Make sure to grab your tickets fast cause it's gonna be a party!”

Current CCMA Fan’s Choice, 2-time Juno Award-winning artist and celebrated songwriter, Dean Brody will be hitting the road this fall for the Dirt Road Stories Tour, beginning October 20 in Truro and ending December 2 in Cranbrook, BC. Stopping in both small towns and larger markets, this compelling, intimate acoustic tour will showcase Brody’s depth as a songwriter, and his unparalleled ability to bring storytelling to the forefront of country music.

Manifesto Festival of Community and Culture presented by Aurora and Vancity Community Investment Bank, is pleased to announce the final schedule for the 2018 edition and this year’s Summit programming. Returning to its original form, with a free concert at Nathan Phillips Square, featuring Chronixx, Charlotte Day Wilson, Akala,Birthday Boy & Trish, the event will also showcase a number of vendors, a wellness area and the Toronto City Ball Out presenting a Dunk Contest, 3x3 Basketball tournament, prizes and more. This year’s packed program of multi-arts events will be splashed across downtown Toronto at various participating venues, to view our list of free events, the Discovery Series, Manifesto House and this year’s Summit see below or visit here. In an effort to ensure broader accessibility, Manifesto will be teaming up with community partners from around the GTA to provide shuttle bus programs that allow young people to attend the main events.

Florida five-piece, Wage War, are celebrating the one–year anniversary of their statement-making sophomore album, Deadweight (Fearless Records), by releasing a reworked acoustic version of the single, Gravity. It’s a beautiful rendering that shows the versatility of the track and is a striking testament to the band’s songwriting skill.

"To celebrate the one-year mark of Deadweight, we're pleased to release the stripped version of Gravity," said singer, Cody Quistad. "This record has changed our lives and we're so thankful for the love and support we've received. We were overwhelmed at the response to the stripped version of Johnny Cash, and it seemed to make sense to break down another one of our favorites. We're hard at work writing what we think will be the best Wage War record yet — making sure we give you nothing but our best."

The track was released on Saturday, August 4, which marked a year to the day that the album was released. It's available for purchase at the following DSPs.

Shred Kelly has released their latest music video for the track, Jupiter (Any Other Way), off their fourth album, Archipelago, which was released earlier this year via Devil Duck Records. Shot at Island Lodge in Fernie, BC, the video was filmed by Aere Films and Nick Nault Photography. Have a look here, and catch the band on tour as they travel across western Canada and Europe in the coming months.

“It was a pretty phenomenal opportunity to film this video at Island Lake Lodge in our hometown of Fernie, BC,” the band comments. “It is surreal that all of this beauty is in our backyard, and we were so excited to explore parts of the property we’d never even imagined, and create something within it.” The video was made possible by Island Lake Lodge and Tourism Fernie.

The Toronto Undergraduate Jazz Festival (TUJF) is hosting its fourth Annual jazz festival, T.U. Jazz Fest 2018 this September in downtown Toronto and North York regions. The goal and focus of T.U. Jazz Fest 2018 is to bring attention to the younger generation of musicians by providing a platform/outlet for which they can express themselves.

Through lack of opportunity, many young musicians don’t gain the experience or exposure they need to establish themselves properly. Being the only young musician-oriented jazz festival in Canada, T.U. Jazz Fest 2018 serves as a launching off point for many musician’s careers. Throughout September 4-8, musicians will play through a variety of venues through downtown Toronto and North York regions. The two days leading up to opening night will see bands play at the local venue, The Frog in North York where they can build working relationships with local business owners and play in front of new audiences.

Prolific Toronto Hip Hop trio, Prime Boys, announce their debut album, Koba World, set for release on Friday, July 27 via Entertainment One Music. The 12-track project features the group’s prominent singles that have been on heavy rotation throughout the last year, in addition to new cuts. Listen to a sample of the title track, Koba World, ahead of the album release, in this exclusive visual preview. Koba World will be available on all DSPs on July 27. Pre-order the album now.

The album title honours the group’s late friend and Assistant Manager, Kosi, (affectionately known as Koba), who was the “glue” that held the brotherhood of Prime Boys together.

Alt-Rock duo, The Blue Stones, have signed a worldwide deal with Entertainment One (eOne) with plans to release an all-new LP this fall.

"We are very excited to announce that Black Holes, our debut album with eOne Music," says the band. "Thank you to our incredibly patient fans. The wait is over."

The Blue Stones will release Black Holes on October 26, 2018. Fans who pre-order the LP will get the first two tracks, Black Holes (Solid Ground) and Rolling With The Punches as iTunes instant grat tracks. Both tracks are also available on all streaming platforms here.

Fans may recognize the two instant grat tracks. Rolling With The Punches has received several placements in the USA Network’s hit show Suits, Showtime’s comedy series Shameless and ESPN's Monday Night Football. Black Holes (Solid Ground) which is the official lead single has amassed over 8 Million Worldwide Streams, an impressive feat by an unsigned band.

Manifesto Festival of Community & Culture presented by Aurora and Vancity Community Investment Bank, welcome Charlotte Day Wilson as co-headliner for the free outdoor concert at Nathan Phillips Square, August 17. Wilson joins previously announced Jamaican Billboard Reggae Chart topper and Grammy nominee Chronixx and UK rapper, poet and activist Akala
 

The critically acclaimed 25-year-old singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and producer blends R&B, folk and jazz. She recently released the Polaris Prize long list nominated Stone Woman in Feb 2018. Following her two sold out shows at the Danforth Music Hall, most recently Wilson performed with fellow Toronto collaborators BADBADNOTGOOD, at the Virgil Abloh for Louis Vuitton after party in Paris. The independent artist has also collaborated with Daniel Cesar and River Tiber, and continues to receive accolades and praise for her solo works.
 

Natalie Prass has been confirmed to support Kacey Musgraves on part of Kacey's "Oh, What A World" tour this winter. The 10-date stretch, which was just announced today, begins January 9 in Indianapolis and wraps up at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on January 25. Full dates below.

Natalie has had a breakout 2018. Her album The Future and The Past was released June 1 on ATO Records to acclaim, with Entertainment Weekly hailing it as "one of 2018's catchiest records." It's been featured on Best of 2018 lists by Billboard, NPR Music, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, Garden & Gun, Consequence of Sound and more. Natalie also had her late night debut on Conan in March, performed for the second time on CBS Saturday, and toured with Fleet Foxes.

Watch the stripped-down live video for "The Fire," a track from The Future and The Past.

Through a blend of understated rock, baroque pop and wide-skied atmospheres, The Ophelias explore the juxtapositions of youth on their album.

Having formed the band while still in high school, bassist Grace Weir, guitarist/lyricist Spencer Peppet, percussionist Micaela Adams, and violinist Andrea Gutmann Fuentes first met at a time when each was independently serving as the “token girl” in various dude-bands from their hometown of Cincinnati, OH. Coming from varied musical backgrounds (ranging from garage-rock to surf, to opera), the distinct talents and influences of each member collided in unexpected ways at the band’s first rehearsal. It was here the band discovered that their chemistry wasn’t rooted in a shared musical reference point, but in the creative relief from the expected censorship of being a sideperson.

Western Canada’s eastern neighbours, and friends from across the pond will be making the trek to BreakOut West this year! Partnering with the East Coast Music Association (ECMA), Australian Music Week, FOCUS Wales, Wales Arts International (WAI), and the Welsh Government, BreakOut West 2018 will feature artists from Eastern Canada, Wales, and Australia, showcasing during the music festival in October. These acts include Busby Marou (Rockhampton, Queensland, AUS), Campfire Social (Llangollen, Wales), Kidsmoke (Wrexham, Wales), Like a Motorcycle (Halifax, NS), Motherhood (Fredericton, NB), and Tom West (Adelaide, AUS).

This is the second year that BreakOut West will welcome East Coast artists, as part of their East Meets West partnership with the ECMA. BOW artists performed at the ECMA festival and conference this past year, with eastern acts, Hillsburn, and Dylan Menzie performing at BOW 2017. The initiative has the goal of uniting the far coasts of Canada, to open new markets for artists touring the country.

Gregory Alan Isakov’s highly anticipated new album, Evening Machines, will be released October 5 and is now available for pre-order. In advance of the release, his first in partnership with Dualtone Records. The album’s first single, Chemicals, and you can  Listen/share HERE.

Recorded at a converted barn studio located on Isakov’s three-acre farm in Boulder County, CO, the 13-track album was self-produced and mixed by Tucker Martine (Neko Case, The Decemberists) and Andrew Berlin (Descendents, Rise Against). 

Of the record—his fourth full-length studio album and first in five years—Isakov comments, “I’d work really hard into the night. A lot of times I would find myself in the light of all these VU meters and the tape machine glow, so that’s where the title came from. I recorded mostly at night when I wasn’t working in the gardens. It doesn't matter if it’s summer or winter, morning or afternoon, this music always feels like the evening to me.”