For his new ten song album “The Colour Of Happy” James once again called upon the talents of producer/musician Moe Berg (The Pursuit Of Happiness) a man who knows his way around a hook. As well as being a fan Moe also added his unique guitar sound and vocals to the new record. Moe Berg says “James takes the power pop traditions of The Beatles, Jellyfish and Split Enz and combines them  with the high IQ lyrics of Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson. The result makes him one of Canada's greatest unsung songwriters”. 

The single from the album is ‘Next Best Thing’ is a catchy, happy tune – certainly something we all need right now. Check it out here on YouTube:

While touring still won’t be happening for a little while, a live stream album launch performance is slated for some time in late June.. Meanwhile Clark is keeping busy writing new material and drawing his “Clartoons”.

The year is 1990 and your walls are adorned with cutouts from the latest teen magazine of your favourite heartthrobs... From the back of the bedroom door, to the ceiling above your bed, the closet and your locker, you are inundated with posters of your first real celebrity crush... Take a deep breath of that nostalgia, and press play on Montreal-born now L.A.-based Kayla DiVenere and her single, “Justin Bieber”.

Both an homage to a teen fantasy spun out like an audio book of every girl’s diary, and an instant pop classic, DiVenere pulls no punches and risks it all to candidly reveal her affinity for the Biebs himself.

Calling on him to be her “boyfriend,” while she mercilessly offers to be his “baby,” the track is laced with clever references to the pop sensation’s career including “you don’t have to be sorry”—  a clear nod to his singles.

“My song 'Justin Bieber' conveys a comedic side to infatuation where reality and Hollywood life blend together,” DiVenere explains. “Justin was every young girl's dream celebrity crush, leading me to write a song that is so relatable.

Watch the adorable video of “Justin Bieber” here on YouTube:

Consider yourself on high alert in the most melodic way possible. Vancouver-based progressive rock quartet The Garrett Band have a hard rockin’ heads up for everyone with their new single “The Warning”, dropping April 24, 2021.

Arriving directly on the heels of their current top ten Cashbox Radio Top 20 Pick Hit, “Systematic”, “The Warning” is the sonic harbinger for the band’s upcoming fourth album due out on Canada Day. With commanding, staccato strings interwoven with powerful lead guitar and kick drum strikes supporting lead vocalist/songwriter Sean Garrett’s soaring voice, the song pulls no punches about some big pitfalls.

“The Warning is about addiction, self-destruction and a change that needs to be made before it is too late,” the band asserts. “You never had no faith, You always crossed the warning sign”

Check out the YouTube of “The Warning” here:

Reeling from a litany of hard knocks is a truth The Divorcees know all too well; and now the five New Brunswick-based country outlaws are letting it all hang out on this, their latest single, “Must Be Nice”.

Never shying away from what’s real, and how to pen it, this old-school country group have done it again: speaking tough, unabashed honesty from lives lived to an audience who are right there with them. “Must Be Nice” is a song with grit and groove, simmering in thinly-veiled anger towards big banker profits in the midst of working-class misery, and it's this genuineness that members Alex Madsen, Jason Haywood, Denis “Turtle” Arsenault, Shawn Thomas, and Kevin Macintyre have yet to shy from doing for nearly twenty years, and keeping fans with them every step of the way.

“’Must Be Nice’ is for every single hard-working person out there who gets out of a 12-hr shift from a job they've done for years,” the band shares. “It’s for people who work for multi-billion-dollar companies for minimum wage — with no health plans and needing food stamps to get by. It’s for the ones who flip on the news to hear their company got sold out from under them.

If Canadian songbird K BESD’s previous single, “TUFF TIMES,” was the call, her latest in “Our Love” is the answer. Available now, BESD continues to solidify her status as an anthem enthusiast and purveyor of better days, and now she’s back — imploring audiences to stand up with this new,  emotionally-charged offering.

Packed with the Calgary-based powerhouse’s vocals, swooping melodies, and motivational lyrics, “Our Love” reminds the listener that regardless of what happens, love will be the lasting foundation you can count on, stand on, shout from, and cling to. Pop in fashion, and R&B in sultry pockets, “Our Love” carves its charming message in a welcomed ear-worm type of way; packed with plenty of layered vocals, the song also features the sounds of a gospel choir — which lends to the overall vibe of a song about overcoming and relying on love to save the day. The adorable, unexpected twist in the bridge, is the inclusion of the beautiful cameo of a children’s choir and clapping percussion.

Canadian soul-R&B artist Ty Richard is hitting “Restart” with this, his newly released single.

Slicing through with a superbly polished sound, gloriously minimalistic arrangement, sparse mix, and brilliant engineering, this superb duo — featuring Liv Marie — is a preview into the Toronto-area artist’s forthcoming 2021 LP, In Time & Grace, and follows previous tour and studio collaborations with Brooklyn dream-pop outfit Cigarettes After Sex and Australian soul duo Breathe.

With flowing melodies, the song’s seamless structure takes audiences through a gamut of scenes that support the silky, studied, and sculptured vocal textures and melodies that make up this brilliant work.

The lyrics, though introspective and sometimes fairly personal, immerse listeners deep within this duo’s universe — a tango of promises and regrets that amount to a compelling, rich and vast pop song that is sure to go around the airwaves.

Don’t let the title fool you... The folk music forecast just got brighter and livelier with the release of “The Wind of Death” from Canadian acoustic quartet, Samways.

The second single to drop ahead of the group’s forthcoming debut album, the song juxtaposes   a muscular, driving rhythm and sunny vocal harmonies with the moving poem, “The Wind of Death.” Written by Canadian poet and journalist Ethelwyn Wetherald well over a century ago, the poem touches on the tenuous and reflective last moments of someone’s life.

The wind of death, that softly blows
The last warm petal from the rose
The last dry leaf from off the tree
Tonight, has come to breathe on me

Respectively all known and loved Toronto-based artists in their own rights, lead songwriter, guitarist and composer Nathan Hiltz — and the vocal trio of Shannon Butcher, Jessica Lalonde and Melissa Lauren — have combined their formidable talents to form the creative core of Samways.

As they succinctly put it, they create and perform “acoustic music with lyrics drawn from early Canadian poetry.”

Being mature used to be an antithesis to rock and roll, but no more with folk rocker John Stamp and his soaring new single, “Airplane Mode”.

A fifty-something year old on a whim, you can hear the energy of a satisfied, fulfilled lifetime of helping others in his works... Which would make sense, as he successfully ran a social care company until he was recently fifty-something-else, he shares.

As a music lover, Stamp also had the opportunity to see a ton of concerts around the world — which led to his collaboration with Sheryl Crow’s touring guitarist, Peter Stroud.

Check out “Airplane Mode” on YouTube here:

When a particular 2018 show left Stamp’s jaw on the floor when it came to Stroud’s playing, he reached out to the musician via social media in regards to his project. Stroud was, at the time, and like many of us, stuck at home, and therefore evermore happy to partake.

Chicago-based indie singer/songwriter Jennifer Hall leans into empathy and compassion with the release of this, the newest single “SFA”.

Long-time fans of Hall will instantly distinguish the new track as having a softer lilt to the songbird’s vocals than previous releases. There’s a classic, bass-driven vibe to “SFA,” smooth on its cut, while Hall’s perfectly timed vocals give leverage to the overall tone of the track;  where once she soared to effortless heights with an infinitely booming instrument, “SFA” steps back into a decidedly softer, more muted undertone. Hall recognizes the track showcases her deviating away from her sound of yesteryears, pushing play in a forward momentum. “It really needed a different kind of touch, vocally speaking,” Hall says. “Different from how I’m used to singing, with lots of power and volume.

“’SFA’ called for softness, and singing that was still full of feeling — but also gentle. It felt really great to sing in this way. I felt like I had opened a new door and found another way to express myself vocally, like I was really letting in the softness.”

Check out “SFA” on YouTube here:

Genre-defying singer/songwriter and spoken word artist Elina Filice has returned with her third release of the year — an infectiously groovy tune called “Everything About You.”

Available now, Filice this time enlists the help of friend and groove-master, Neolithic. The pair met while studying at BIMM Dublin, and have collaborated on projects and performances over the years.

“Everything About You” features a laid-back beat, jazzy guitar licks, and a stuck-in-your-head chorus. Sprinkled with hooks and layered vocals, the thoughtful lyrics are coupled with intricate production and a surprise acapella outro.

“This song is about when love gets hard,” Filice shares. “It’s realizing that love goes through seasons, and even the less shiny things about someone or a relationship are still your favourite parts.

“All of the imperfections make up a perfect whole.”

Simply put: rarely do you come across a globally heralded, multi-award winning female veteran of the music industry who continues to be a ground-breaking, ceiling-shattering revolutionary in all she does for three decades, and counting.

But such is the case for Canadian electronic music scene queen Melleefresh as she toasts her landmark and visionary 25 year tenure helming Play Records — and even longer as a veritable artistic force to be reckoned with in her own right.

Deemed “one of the pivotal figures in North American dance music” by Clash Magazine, the Toronto-based EDM dynamo has been a prominent avant-garde performance artist for the last 30 years.

Linked above are 16+ pages of deeply entrenched, wildly fascinating Canadian industry lore (think crossover tales of: deadmau5, Kevin Hearn pre-Barenaked Ladies, Peaches, Atom Egoyan, The Tragically Hip, Fashion Cares, an arrested ‘Care Bear’ on the front page of The Sun…)

And yet, the candid collection barely scratches the surface of the insightful tales this iconic artist and businesswoman can speak to.

At over 130,000+ streams, Canadian producer Mellow Fields is back to haunt your dreams with this, his new single, “Gemini Rising”.

The track starts with electronic beats rising to a swell before making way for sweet, ethereal vocals from featured artist, Jenny Palacios, that light up the song’s compelling poetry. Mellow Fields — aka Michael David’s — rhythms are irresistible and, together with Palacios’ lead and harmony vocals in a mesmerizing stream of lyrics, her singing floats above them like a butterfly.

Check out “Gemini Rising” on YouTube here:

It's a track that goes from soft to insistent, kinetic to moody, still to emotional, and back.

Funk-rock four-piece Nightfly want to know “Who’s In” when it comes to this, their swingin’ and groove-infused new R&B single.

In layman’s terms, “Who’s In?” is five minutes of straight-up good vibes, and a must-listen for anyone feeling extra stuck inside during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Give a watch and listen to “Who’s In” on YouTube here:

The R&B-inspired track is the latest to land from the Florida-based quartet’s recent three-track EP, But Wait, There’s More (2021). Driven by a jazzy combo of piano licks, bass grooves, and buttery guitar melodies from lead guitarist Whitey Bryan’s beautiful and aged Fender Telecaster (as seen in the music video), the funk doesn’t stop start to finish.

Canadian rockers Cigar Club are storming the scene with this brooding, bone-chilling, goosebump-inducing new single, “Like White Flats in Winter”.

The song lands ahead of the Toronto-based band’s forthcoming and highly-anticipated debut album, Day, Now, and serves as yet another pitch-perfect introduction to the crew, offering you a little bit of everything and more.

“Like White Flats in Winter” is the third and latest single from the upcoming record, and quite possibly the band’s most unique to date. It kicks off with a simple, yet catchy, chord progression, which is accompanied by the longing vocal phrases of frontman Trev Coughlin — which instills a powerful feeling of sadness and doom within the listener.

Check out “Like White Flats in Winter” here:

Award-winning reggae rock-pop duo Black Creek Reign continue to ride the wave of recent critical acclaim with this, the release of their newest single, “Run Away”.

Check out Run Away by Black Creek Reign with The Band Destiny & Login here:

Echoing calls to a lover to pick up and take off for a night, and teeming with sweet thoughts and island vibes, the track features Black Creek Reign members Darren Armoogam and Lex Stultz alongside collaborations with fellow Toronto-based crossover group, The Band Destiny, and Caribbean artist, Logun.

“Reggae is a genre that’s been near and dear to our hearts since our inception,” Armoogam shares. “It’s energetic, vibrant, calming, and can even be political at the same time.

There’s a ‘beauty in tragedy’ and ‘dreaminess to heartache’ that Canadian multi-instrumentalist Esther Spiegelman — and group Let’s Be Giants — weave into their encapsulating new single, “I Don’t Mind”.

Landing ahead of the Montreal-based band’s forthcoming album, Fade In / Fade Out, the song features simple lyrics with a profound message; Spiegelman both implores you to listen, and also hear what she’s feeling, what she’s wishing, and what she's needing. Drawing on the nostalgia of 90s soundscapes — think Liz Phair asking Dolores O’Riordan to the dance, only to find out that Mazzy Starr was the opening band — “I Don’t Mind” lulls you into memories of heartbreak, but with an air of hope that you’ll survive this, too.

Having fronted several outfits over her tenure as a singer/songwriter, it was Spiegelman’s assembly of Let’s Be Giants where she found her niche. After recruiting Jeremie Dallaire on guitar, Matt Wozniak on bass, and Simon Pesant on drums, songs Spiegelman had started penning began to take a life form all their own.

Canadian pop-rock singer/songwriter Robert Corbett sets a nostalgic scene with this, his new synth-laden love song, “Drive85”

His sixth single, the Toronto-based artist uses the song to usher audiences on, not only a metaphorical musical journey, but one of the highs and lows of being in love too.

Check out “Drive85” on YouTube here:

Though the sonic elements of this spacey love song might inspire a happy-go-lucky feeling, the lyrical content is much deeper than it may seem on the first spin; Corbett reveals its creation spawned from the concept of trying to navigate one’s way through the denial of being in a great relationship — one that’s almost-ethereal — and the fear of heartbreak. “If you don’t put yourself out there, it’ll never work,” he considers. “Facing the possibility of heartache and loss is worth the gamble of potentially gaining real love.

We’re confident the current year is 2021, but one listen to Canadian rockers The Great Fuss and their new single and video for “Hairbrain,” and… It’s hard to not double-check the calendar!

An homage to yesteryear’s pulsing piano melodies and indelible electric guitar riffs, this Saskatoon-based four-piece goes for a generational collision, capturing a decidedly 60s vibe within a new-age kaleidoscope of rhythm and lyrics on the track.

On “Hairbrain,” the band explodes with chiding questions, including scathing sentiments like ‘You think you know what I’m after? I’ve seen your kind, it’s clear that you’re a disaster.’

Laced with low-fi pop rock riffs that earworm their way into your consciousness, the track’s accompanying music video showcases the band interspersed with places of travel, dimly lit, brightly coloured, black and white, in and out of focus.

Check out “Hairbrain” on YouTube here:

It’s ‘the thrill of the chase’ in this cut from California songwriter Bobbo Byrnes as he weaves yarn on the tale of a van of young American dudes ready to tear up the stage, night after night, in Canada.

Byrnes quickly sets the scene from the first sentence: crossing the border, passing by Niagara, and heading to Toronto to play a host of sets at some of the nation’s finest clubs along the troubadour passageway.

Byrnes chants, “chasing rock and roll for the rest of our lives.”

And aren’t we all.

In his signature melodic fashion, Byrnes observes the nightly pastime of many-a-rocker: winning over patrons and audiences alike, finding inspiration at the sound of a Blue Rodeo album, seeking refuge on the floor of hotel rooms for a few moments of rest, and doing it all again the following night.

What “Chasing Rock and Roll” provides the listener with is an insight audiences rarely get to see; the song delivers the inside track on the path to stardom for a band that kicks it nightly on the stage. Suddenly privy to the goings-on behind the curtain instead of dancing in front of it, Byrnes offers audiences a lyrical “backstage pass.”

Award-winning and Internationally acclaimed Canadian female vocal group ViVA Trio are set to summon audiences out to sea with this, their stunning new single, “Siren Song”.

Give a listen here on YouTube here:

The three-piece’s two sopranos Anna Bateman and Katya Tchoubar, along with mezzo-soprano Erin Fisher, discovered a rare silver lining in the interruption of their international touring schedule due to COVID-19; the newly-freed up time meant they could create some new musical masterpieces to follow their breakthrough debut, Nothing Else Matters.

Telling the ancient sailor’s tale of the ‘Siren’s’ hypnotic voice and powerful lure, “Siren Song” instantly surrounds, haunting and hypnotizing from start to finish between its electronic mixing and multi-layered vocal mastery.