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Country Artist Travis Dolter Glances Back Fondly While Looking Ahead in Jangly “Senior Year”

Eric Alper
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Country Artist Travis Dolter Glances Back Fondly While Looking Ahead in Jangly “Senior Year”

Whenever we’re about to close one life chapter for the next, there’s guaranteed to be a flood of memories and emotions, and graduating from school is certainly no exception. Award-winning Canadian country crooner Travis Dolter captures the heady yet scary experience of leaving college for the real world in his new single, “Senior Year.”

Smooth and poppy with just the right amount of jangle, “Senior Year” gives us a list of all the fun, memorable activities a college student might have engaged in over the course of four years – ‘Tuesday night drinking and wing Wednesdays,’ watching Friends marathons, ‘playing late-night pool in a Midterm craze,’ and taking a girl out on a first date, ‘falling in love, jumping in too fast’.

All of these are based on the Camrose, AB-based artist’s real memories from his time at Augustana University. “When I wrote ‘Senior Year,’ it was the night before I started the final semester of my degree,” he said. “At the time, I didn’t know for sure what I wanted to do with my life or what I would have the marks for, and my feelings came pouring out as I wrote this song straight from the heart.”

He remembers fondly the half-price discount on wings at his favorite pizza place in Camrose, Tuesday-night beer pong tournaments, and when his girlfriend introduced him to the show Friends, which offered a greater lesson – and some much-needed hope. “As I watched the amazing series, it became clear to me that it was ok to not know what life has in store for you,” he said. “If you have that great support group in your life, it all turns out in the end.”

“Senior Year” is like all the songs that appear on Dolter’s double EP, Every Song and A Story, in that it tells a real-life story. One of Dolter’s main influences is Kenny Chesney, particularly Chesney’s song “Don’t Blink,” which deals with life going by so fast. “Luckily, I realized how fast my university degree was going by and took that time to create more memories with friends and slow myself down,” he said.

Singer-songwriter Travis Dolter is known for his energy, positivity, witty sense of humor, and creative storytelling abilities. Raised on the family farm southeast of Edmonton, Alberta, Travis developed confidence and charisma on stage from a young age, starting in the family band at age six, and then fronting his own band by 15. Although his interest in music began early, it was the emotions that were inspired from attending a live performance of The Buddy Holly Story when he was 13 that motivated Travis to follow his passion. Heavily influenced by country music and old-school rock ‘n’ roll, Travis’s self-penned originals have a unique country sound.

An accomplished artist and entertainer, Travis was selected as the September 840 CFCW Homegrown Country Music Alberta Spotlight Artist of the Month. His fall release “Somewhere” continues to be heard on 840 CFCW as well as several other stations. 2021 saw him earn a second ballot nomination for Male Horizon Artist of the Year through Country Music Alberta, building on the previous list of achievements — including first place in the 2019 North American Country Music International Male Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year Awards, in Pigeon Forge, TN, first place in the Country 106.5 Star Search, and placing in the Top 3 in the 2018 Global Country Star Search.

AC/DC’s “Thunderstuck” As Played On The Guzheng

Eric Alper
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AC/DC’s “Thunderstuck” As Played On The Guzheng

Moyun performs with great skill AC/DC’s Thunderstruck where the Guzheng instrument is her weapon of choice, never once losing its power of the original.

Oasis Re-Releasing ‘Be Here Now’ For 25th Anniversary

Eric Alper
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Oasis Re-Releasing ‘Be Here Now’ For 25th Anniversary

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Oasis’ Be Here Now, the group’s third album will be re-released in a variety of formats on August 19 as a silver-coloured double heavyweight LP, plus a double picture disc and cassette, all with remastered audio.

This limited edition album format which celebrates the silver anniversary of Oasis’ historic third album ‘Be Here Now’, originally released on 21st August 1997. Originally mastered by Mike Marsh at The Exchange; the album was then remastered in 2016 by Ian Cooper at Metropolis Studios.

‘Be Here Now’ was produced by Owen Morris and Noel Gallagher and recorded at Abbey Road, Ridge Farm, Air, Master Rock and Orinoco Studios between November 1996 and April 1997.

As well as ‘D’You Know What I Mean?’, the band’s 3rd No. 1 single, the album features the ambitious 9-minute ‘All Around The World’ plus evergreen classic ‘Stand By Me’. The epic elements of ‘Be Here Now’ are contrasted by the heartfelt introspection of ‘Don’t Go Away’ and the surreal psychedelia of ‘Magic Pie’.

‘Be Here Now’ stands as a unique album in the Oasis catalogue with its unrepentant excess and supersize swagger. 25 years on, it enjoys legendary status as the sound of a generation-defining band at their absolute peak.

Go here to see all the formats avaialble.

Grateful Dead’s “In And Out Of The Garden: Madison Square Garden ’81, ’82, ’83” Gets An Official Release

Eric Alper
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Grateful Dead’s “In And Out Of The Garden: Madison Square Garden ’81, ’82, ’83” Gets An Official Release

Madison Square Garden, the world-famous New York City arena, was a home away from home for the Grateful Dead, a reliable sanctuary where the band would ultimately play 52 shows, a record at the time. The venue’s fine acoustics combined with the fans’ unbridled energy consistently brought out the best in the Dead. At the band’s 2015 induction ceremony into Madison Square Garden’s Walk Of Fame, Bobby Weir said “This place was both horrifying and titillating with an audience that was discerning but ravenous. We had to rise to the occasion every time.”

IN AND OUT OF THE GARDEN: MADISON SQUARE GARDEN ’81, ’82, ’83 is a new, 17-CD boxed set that celebrates the band’s rich history at “the world’s most famous arena,” introducing six previously unreleased shows recorded at MSG between 1981 and 1983. The collection is available now for pre-order and will be released on September 23. Production of the set is limited to 12,500 individually numbered copies and available exclusively from Dead.net. Full audio will also be available in its entirety as a digital download exclusively at Dead.net in Apple Lossless and FLAC.

The boxed set includes six unreleased concerts recorded at Madison Square Garden on: March 9 and 10, 1981; September 20 and 21, 1982; and October 11 and 12, 1983. IN AND OUT OF THE GARDEN features newly restored and speed-corrected audio by Plangent Processes, was mastered by Jeffrey Norman and produced for release by Grateful Dead archivist and legacy manager David Lemieux.

On the same day, the March 9, 1981 show from the boxed set will be released separately at all regular retail outlets. MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, NEW YORK, NY (3/9/81) will be available as a 3-CD set and digitally.

A previously unreleased performance of “Feel Like A Stranger” from the March 9, 1981 MSG show is available today on all digital download and streaming services.

“As Jerry Garcia famously said, Madison Square Garden was ‘juiced.’ It had an energy unlike any other venue the Grateful Dead played, particularly of this size, owing to the symbiotic relationship between the Dead, the Dead Heads, and New York City itself, says Grateful Dead legacy manager and archivist David Lemieux. “The Dead didn’t play the Garden until 1979, almost the midpoint of their performing career. but once they got rolling, they made it a home away from home, playing 10 shows in the next 15 years. These performances from 1981, 1982, and 1983 are six of the best the Dead played at the Garden, any of which could have been released on their own. We’re thrilled, though, to allow these six complementary shows to be housed together, each one its own story, its own event, but all contributing to the story that is the entirety of the Dead’s 52 show run at Madison Square Garden.”

IN AND OUT OF THE GARDEN (aptly named after the line in “St. Stephen,” which the band played live for the first time in four years at the October 11, 1983 MSG show) offers a front-row seat to the Dead in the early 1980s, an overlooked and underestimated era of rebirth for the band. At the time of the recordings, the group consisted of singers-guitarists Jerry Garcia and Bobby Weir, bassist Phil Lesh, drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, and, on keyboards and vocals, Brent Mydland.

Mydland’s vocal power and colorful keyboard palette energized the band, invigorating older material like “The Wheel,” “Truckin’” and “Eyes of The World.” He also gave the band more musical flexibility, which encouraged them to dust off rarely aired treasures like “Dupree’s Diamond Blues” and “Crazy Fingers.”

IN AND OUT OF THE GARDEN touches on the three-year period after 1980’s Go To Heaven was released, a time when the Dead were constantly on the road, playing more than 200 dates. While they were in no rush to return to the studio during this time, they continued to write new music. In 1982 and ’83, the band performed most of the songs that would appear on 1987’s In The Dark, a Top 10 double-platinum album that stands as the group’s biggest commercial success. The new collection includes performances of four songs from that album – “Touch Of Grey,” “Hell In A Bucket,” “Throwing Stones,” and “West L.A. Fadeaway” – plus the B-side, “My Brother Esau.”

The set comes in a custom box featuring new artwork by Dave Van Patten celebrating the band’s eclectic fanbase, with a cavalcade of illustrated Dead Heads. The collection also includes detailed liner notes by award-winning music journalist David Fricke, who explores the band’s connection to the Big Apple. He writes: “Welcome to the unique, enduring phenomenon of the Grateful Dead in New York City, a mutual devotion, forged in concert, that ran for nearly as long as the band itself—from June 1, 1967, a free show in Tompkins Square Park on the Lower East Side (ahead of the band’s official, local bow at the Cafe Au Go Go), to the Dead’s last Garden run, six nights in October 1994…te Dead’s affinity for New York City…was instant and arguably their most profound with any city aside from San Francisco.”

The band’s offcial podcast, the Good Ol’ Grateful Deadcast, will also be deep diving into the MSG shows and is currently collecting stories from concertgoers at stories.dead.net.

IN AND OUT OF THE GARDEN: MADISON SQUARE GARDEN ’81, ’82, ’83
17-CD Track Listing

Madison Square Garden (3/9/81)
“Feel Like A Stranger”
“Althea”
“C.C. Rider”
“Ramble On Rose”>
“El Paso”
“Deep Elem Blues”
“Beat It On Down The Line”
“Bird Song”
“New Minglewood Blues”
“China Cat Sunflower”>
“I Know You Rider”>
“Samson And Delilah”
“Ship Of Fools”
“Estimated Prophet”>
“Uncle John’s Band”>
Drums>
Space>
“The Other One”>
“Stella Blue”>
“Good Lovin’”
“U.S. Blues”

Madison Square Garden (3/10/81)
“Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo”>
“Franklin’s Tower”>
“Me And My Uncle”
“It Must Have Been The Roses”>
“Little Red Rooster”
“Don’t Ease Me In”
“Lazy Lightning”>
“Supplication”
“Brown-Eyed Women”>
“Looks Like Rain”>
“Deal”
“Scarlet Begonias”>
“Fire On The Mountain”>
“Lost Sailor”>
“Saint Of Circumstance”>
Jam>
Drums
Space>
“The Wheel”>
“China Doll”>
“Truckin’”>
“Sugar Magnolia”
“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”>
“Brokedown Palace”

Madison Square Garden (9/20/82)
“Shakedown Street”>
“New Minglewood Blues”
“Candyman”>
“El Paso”
“Dupree’s Diamond Blues”
“It’s All Over Now”
“Never Trust A Woman”
“Row Jimmy”
“Throwing Stones”>
“Keep Your Day Job”
“Scarlet Begonias”>
“Fire On The Mountain”
“Man Smart (Woman Smarter)”
“Terrapin Station”>
Drums>
Space>
Spanish Jam>
“Truckin’”>
“The Other One”>
“Stella Blue”>
“Sugar Magnolia”
“Touch Of Grey”

Madison Square Garden (9/21/82)
“Playing In The Band”>
“Crazy Fingers”>
“Me And My Uncle”>
“Big River”
“West L.A. Fadeaway”
“Beat It On Down The Line”
“Loser”
“Looks Like Rain”
“China Cat Sunflower”>
“I Know You Rider”
“Touch Of Grey”>
“Samson And Delilah”
“High Time”
“Estimated Prophet”>
“He’s Gone”>
Drums>
Space>
“Throwing Stones”>
“Not Fade Away”>
“Black Peter”>
“Good Lovin’”
“U.S. Blues”

Madison Square Garden (10/11/83)
“Wang Dang Doodle”>
“Jack Straw”
“Loser”
“Me And My Uncle”>
“Mexicali Blues”
“Bird Song”
“Hell In A Bucket”>
“Keep Your Day Job”
“China Cat Sunflower”>
“I Know You Rider”
“I Need A Miracle”>
“Bertha”>
Jam>
“China Doll”>
Drums>
Space>
“St. Stephen”>
“Throwing Stones”>
“Touch Of Grey”
“Johnny B. Goode”

Madison Square Garden (10/12/83)
“Cold Rain And Snow”
“New Minglewood Blues”
“Ramble On Rose”
“My Brother Esau”
“It Must Have Been The Roses”
“Cassidy”>
“Cumberland Blues”
“Looks Like Rain”>
“Might As Well”
“Help On The Way”>
“Slipknot!”
“Franklin’s Tower”
“Man Smart (Woman Smarter)”
“He’s Gone”>
Drums>
Space>
“Truckin’”>
“Black Peter”>
“Not Fade Away”
“Revolution”

Eminem Announces ‘Curtain Call 2’

Eric Alper
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Eminem Announces ‘Curtain Call 2’

Rap legend Eminem announces his second greatest hits collection, Curtain Call 2, set to be released on August 5th. The news comes on the heels of the just released “From the D 2 the LBC,” an epic new single featuring fellow icon Snoop Dogg. The song – and it’s accompanying James Larese-directed video — made its global premiere on June 23 at Ape Fest, the Bored Ape NFT event at NFT.NYC.

The song is the lead single from Curtain Call 2, a hits collection comprised of the inimitable Detroit MC’s creative output since the 2005 release of Curtain Call: The Hits. Curtain Call 2 will include music from all Eminem projects from Relapse forward, including side-projects, guest appearances, film soundtrack songs, and of course selections from his solo albums.

In addition to the standard release, there will be a limited edition box set and a limited quantity of autographed vinyl available on Eminem.com – sign up for first access to these offerings here. (shop.eminem.com)

The Eminem/Snoop Dogg collaboration follows the June 16th release of “The King and I,” a CeeLo Green-assisted song Eminem contributed to the soundtrack for Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic, which is also included on Curtain Call 2.

Along with the two recently released songs above, there will be one additional previously unreleased track on the collection, to be revealed in the coming weeks.

Watch the official video for “From the D 2 the LBC” below.

Known for his acerbic wit, rapid flows, and endlessly personal songwriting, Eminem’s presence continues to loom large over both hip-hop and pop culture itself. Since releasing his debut album, The Slim Shady LP in 1999, he’s gone on to become the best-selling rap artist in history, having recently been certified with six diamond awards from the RIAA, and is now the most certified artist for gold and platinum singles in history.

Over the course of his career, Eminem has sold over 130 million albums and 389 million singles worldwide. He was Nielsen SoundScan’s top-selling artist of the 2000s with 32.2 million albums sold in that decade in the U.S. alone. In addition, Eminem was also named Billboard’s Artist of the Decade for the same period, 2000 through 2009. Eminem has won 15 GRAMMY® Awards and an Academy Award®. His 2010 album, “Recovery,” was the first album in the U.S. to be certified platinum digitally. In March of 2021 his greatest hits album, “Curtain Call: The Hits,” became the first hip-hop album to spend a full decade on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart. His most recent album, “Music To Be Murdered By” was released January 17th, 2020 and was his ninth straight studio album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200, selling over 279,000 units. “Music To Be Murdered By – Side B” is an expanded version of the album which was released in December 2020. Its release brought the album back to No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200, breaking a 50-year record for biggest chart leap.

Indigenous Artist Hayley Wallis Takes A Cathartic Journey Through Heartbreak In “Think Of You”

Eric Alper
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Indigenous Artist Hayley Wallis Takes A Cathartic Journey Through Heartbreak In “Think Of You”

Young love can be difficult to navigate, especially when it ends… Canadian singer/songwriter Hayley Wallis captures this raw vulnerability and longing ache in the aftermath of a breakup in her new single, “Think Of You.”

With an emphasis on the craft of storytelling, “Think Of You” taps into Wallis’ own experiences intertwined with those of friends to create a heartfelt, soulful, and melodic journey through trying to let go of someone you once loved. From lyrics like “I wish you stayed” to “I have so many, many questions,” the song’s aim is, ultimately, to get over the hurt.

Co-written with producer David Hodges, the two aimed to pen an emotional heartbreak story that was universal and relatable. “My personal experience with this song was losing someone you aren’t ready to let go of after building a ‘codependency,’ which a lot of people experience with young love,” Wallis says. “In the moment, it feels as though you’re never going to let them go and it feels like your heart will hurt forever and you’d do anything to win them back. I wanted this song to capture those feelings in the moment.”

Storytelling is deeply rooted in Wallis’ culture and bloodline, and she wanted to call on its healing properties to not only tend to her own wounds but to help others. “Storytelling is ceremony, it’s special and it’s powerful,” she explains. “We are taught that words are powerful, so you want to make sure that every lyric you’re writing down has good intention. With that being said, I really want to make every song and lyric in this upcoming EP count and hold meaning.”

Now based in Vancouver, Hayley Wallis began her musical journey at a young age singing for her family and community in a small, isolated island known as Klemtu, located in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia. Being part of the Kitasoo/Xais’xais Nation has ultimately shaped who Hayley is today and helped carve a path for where she is bravely steering her journey with her second single and her debut EP. Passionate about leaving a strong legacy, she sings for herself, her children, and her people, and hopes to set an example that will empower the young generation of her community to pursue their dreams.

Singer-Songwriter Henry Lees Releases “Walking With Fear” in Support of Anxiety Canada

Eric Alper
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Singer-Songwriter Henry Lees Releases “Walking With Fear” in Support of Anxiety Canada

Time is the ultimate healer, but music is one of the strongest medicines that can help along the way. Often, all it takes is a song that your mind, heart, and soul connect with to bring relief to whatever may be troublesome. That’s the prescription award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter Henry Lees aims to fill with his very personal but widely relatable new single, “Walking With Fear” — available now.

An empowering folk-rock anthem built on a bed of beautiful acoustic and electric guitar interplay and a driving, heartbeat rhythm, “Walking with Fear” isn’t about being scared stiff. It’s about feeling those uncomfortable, fearful and anxious emotions and still finding the resolve to stay your course.

I’m walking with fear, side by side
Out in the open
No place to hide
Sit on my shoulder, scream in my ear
But, I ain’t running
I’m walking with fear

“‘Walking with Fear’ pays tribute to the courage it takes to put one foot in front of the other when fear and anxiety are working overtime to paralyze you,” Lees shares. “It’s about being at a place of peace and strength that so many who live with high anxiety struggle to find.”

It’s a situation the Vancouver-born, Toronto-based artist is intimately familiar with after living with debilitating anxiety for most of his life and being diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder just over a decade ago. A combination of therapies including cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness training has helped him live peacefully and successfully with GAD.

“I finally had a name and an explanation for the fear and apprehension that had dogged me almost daily since childhood and had manifested in troubling mental and physical issues,” explained Lees in a recent interview with Anxiety Canada. “I used to call it Chicken Little Syndrome: ‘The sky is falling! The sky is falling!’ But I’ve learned to cope with my GAD now.”

‘I’ve grown to know you so well, just like the bravest part of myself.’

In deciding to tell his own story in song, Lees knew that he wanted it to be both personally cathartic and potentially helpful for others.

“I discovered June 10 is Action Anxiety Day in Canada and knew it would be the perfect release date for ‘Walking with Fear’. The song and the day are both all about taking action to cope with fear and anxiety.”

Lees reached out to Anxiety Canada about the single release plans for Action Anxiety Day and to offer “Walking With Fear” in any way they may find helpful. They responded by partnering with him to interview him about his story and the song for an article currently featured on AnxietyCanada.com; Lees has also launched a personal challenge fundraiser for the organization, and donated 100% of the song’s proceeds from June 10th – 15th in further support towards Anxiety Canada’s cause.

“I am thrilled Anxiety Canada is honoured that I’m releasing this song in conjunction with Action Anxiety Day and that they wanted to share my story. I really hope it helps amplify their mission to provide accessible, science-based anxiety relief,” shares Lees. “I also appreciate Anxiety Canada’s #ACTonAnxiety approach of Awareness/Advocacy (sharing stories); Colours (wearing blue and orange); and Treatment (raising funds for evidence-based resources and treatment).”

The last two-plus years of a global pandemic have seriously tested everyone’s mettle, especially those who live with anxiety disorders.

Lees and his “Walking With Fear” co-writer and producer, multi-award-winning singer-songwriter and 2022 CFMA nominee David Leask, also knew it was a good time to record and release their song about facing fears, but how?

They teamed up with multi-JUNO-winning musician/producer Steve Dawson (Birds of Chicago, Matt Andersen), as well as acclaimed drummer Gary Craig (Jann Arden, Bruce Cockburn) and bassist Jeremy Holmes (Colin James, Jill Barber) to record remotely in three different cities. Leask, Lees, and Craig recorded guitars, keyboards, vocals, and drums separately in Toronto. Holmes recorded bass in Vancouver and co-producer Dawson recorded guitar tracks and mixed the song at his Nashville studio, The Henhouse. Additional mixing and mastering were done by David Vanderploeg at Naturally Digital in Brampton, Ontario.

“It was truly an international, intercity effort to be very proud of by a group of stellar talents,” recalls Lees. “I was completely floored by how extremely well everything came together and how simpatico it all sounds.”

A singer, songwriter, and percussionist since his teens, Henry Lees’ love of writing, recording, and performing everything from radio jingles to musical theatre has taken him on to the airwaves and on to stages across Canada — including singing on two cross-Canada Huron Carole benefit tours with singer-songwriter, actor, philanthropist and Order of Canada recipient Tom Jackson.

In 2018, Lees co-wrote three songs on the Maple Blues Awards nominated Recording of the Year “Monarch” by Canadian blues artist Chris Antonik. In 2021, Lees was honoured with a Top Ten Finalist Award from the International Acoustic Music Awards and a Second Place Award from the Indie International Songwriting Awards for his song “Nothing Left to Lose”, co-written with rising Vancouver songwriter/producer Sean Thomas.

These recent successes have buoyed Lees with plans to release two more digital singles in 2022 with an EP on the way in early 2023. In the meantime, the focus is on sharing the powerful, supportive message of “Walking With Fear”.

“I hope ‘Walking With Fear’ is relatable for others struggling with anxiety and inspires them to feel hopeful and remember that it is absolutely possible to live peacefully with anxiety,” says Lees.

Rock-Metal Artist SymLa-3000 Explores the Gloominess of Lost Love in Melancholy “Monochrome Story”

Eric Alper
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Rock-Metal Artist SymLa-3000 Explores the Gloominess of Lost Love in Melancholy “Monochrome Story”

From the land of the rising sun ascends the charming Japanese rock/metal outfit SymLa-3000 and their first English language song about the gloominess of lost love; the melancholy new single “Monochrome Story” from the album The Spectrums are both available now.

SymLa-3000, which is derived from the Japanese word Shinra-Bansyo (森羅万象) — which means the nature of the entire universe and also translates to “sympathize” — is the brainchild of singer/songwriter and frontwoman for SymLa-3000, Hakula.

Founded at the beginning of 2020 with the release of her debut single, “Rejected,” Hakula continues to push sonic boundaries with a distinct rock/metal fusion. The unique sound of SymLa-3000 is inspired by musical influences that span both ends of the world — ranging from bands like Bullet For My Valentine and Evanescence to artists that dominate Japanese entertainment. “I’ve been influenced by lots of heavy metal and hard rock music, and also influenced by lots of theme songs of TV programs and animation made in Japan,” Hakula shares.

Amplified by poignant lyrics sung beautifully by Hakula, SymLa-3000 captures an emotional depth in the melody of “Monochrome Story.”

“The days in the light
And the days in the dark
They don’t know I’ve been living
With these memories
I feel like I am watching
A faded black and white movie.”

For its part, The Spectrums was crafted to communicate the various shades of life seen through the diverse perspective of SymLa-3000. “Each song is the spectrum of my life,” Hakula reveals. “This album was not only healing for me, but for anyone else who has experienced hurt in their heart like I have.”

The entirety of the 11-song album was written and recorded during the global pandemic in Osaka, Japan, which presented many challenges both logistically and emotionally. “I felt so lonely being isolated, but several great musicians were so supportive,” says Hakula.

While the album was written and arranged by Hakula herself, she employed a group of hyper-talented musicians to bring her metal edge to life; alongside Hakula’s airy vocals is metal guitarist Akira Tejima, who receives backup from bassist Makoto Kitamura and drummer Takayoshi Ochoco Saita.

Ritalin Boy Summons Brigade of Demonic Soldiers with Rip-Roar Rock Single, “The Skeleton Army”

Eric Alper
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Ritalin Boy Summons Brigade of Demonic Soldiers with Rip-Roar Rock Single, “The Skeleton Army”

Canadian singer/songwriter Ritalin Boy harnesses ethereal forces to summon a brigade of demonic soldiers hellbent on enforcing the right to PARTY in the name of the Queen with the rippin’ new single, “The Skeleton Army.”

“The Skeleton Army” is the title track from Ritalin Boy’s forthcoming sophomore album that features an electrifying sonic diversity amongst the six sophisticated arrangements to form a quintessentially Canadian record; the album is an epic testament to Ritalin Boy’s comprehensive sound palette and realist perspective when tackling an array of social phenomena.

Inspired by prohibition-era Victorian England, the single “The Skeleton Army” is set during a period in history when the newly formed Salvation Army sought to rid the city folk of their alcohol and debauchery-based sins by raiding brothels and pubs of its inhabitants. Historically, “The Skeleton Army” was the name given to the rat-skin wearing, sea-shanty singing citizens of the time who were brave enough to stand up for their rights against prohibitionist enforcers.

When writing the song, Ritalin Boy knew the rhythmically appropriate themes that needed to be included. “The song is pure rock and roll. No studio gimmickry. Just raw guitar, bass, drums, piano, and vocals, with a sprinkle of Raagini spice, like the great Rolling Stones songs of the ‘60s.”

The rockin’ message of the song is in honour of Queen Elizabeth for giving her Royal Assent to legalize cannabis in Canada, effectively ending a century-long marijuana prohibition.

The entirety of Ritalin Boy’s album The Skeleton Army was recorded during the pandemic lockdowns at the Toronto-based recording studio, Kuhl Muzik. Aside from the percussive contributions of St. Catherines, Ontario drummer Tony “The Torch” Cirasuolo, Ritalin Boy laid down all of the vocal and instrumental tracks you hear on the album.

The Skeleton Army came together under the steady hand and expertise of GRAMMY Award-nominated, JUNO Award-winning producer and owner of Khul Music, Gary “GWIZ” Honess. The album is the collective effort of a few artists through countless hours of musical refinement to fully capture that Ritalin Boy aesthetic. His latest single, “The Skeleton Army,” is also a love letter to cannabis for its effort in chasing away all the other substances waiting to ruin Ritalin Boy’s life.

Ritalin Boy started his music career painstakingly playing along with the Salvation Army Ottawa Citadel Jr. Band. Around that time, a much younger Ritalin Boy found rock and roll in his older brother’s hidden vinyl collection, changing him forever and leading him on a long and winding road of fulfilling artistic expression.

Ritalin Boy brings the heat in time for the summer with the title track off his masterfully conceived and executed album; “The Skeleton Army” is available now on all digital platforms.

Pop-Country Duo Broadtree Say “You Only Miss Me Cause I’m Gone” with Catchy New Single

Eric Alper
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Pop-Country Duo Broadtree Say “You Only Miss Me Cause I’m Gone” with Catchy New Single

Combining catchy pop-country with their signature theatrical flair, Toronto-based duo Broadtree say “You Only Miss Me Cause I’m Gone” with the release of their new single.

Written by co-fronts Armand Antony and Nicole McCafferty, and mixed and mastered by Sean Andrews (Glass Tiger), the song is officially for anyone who’s been wronged; the upbeat, post-relationship anthem swirls and soars with themes of knowing your worth and standing up for yourself as it further cements the pair’s place within the Canadian country music scene.

“This is a big, loud, and fun song about female empowerment,” Nicole shares. “It keeps the message at heart through banter in the lyrics without getting too preachy; there are so many sad breakup songs in this genre that we wanted to write the same outcome — but in an extremely positive way.

“This song was actually inspired by characters in a musical we both love,” she adds, revealing the long-lauded Broadway hit, Waitress.

“As two musical theatre actors, our songs always tend to have a fun or dramatic intensity to them,” Armand adds. “While we both love writing country songs, no matter how hard we might try, our theatre influence is always there. Even with a simpler song like ‘You Only Miss Me Cause I’m Gone,’ we still have a full backstory we could tell you about that you won’t hear in the single!”

Compared to previous singles, the new tune lands as the closest they’ve steered towards the country genre path, they consider. “But there’s still great dialogue between the two characters, and that allowed us to stay true and keep this a ‘Broadtree song’ as much as possible,” Armand notes.

Nuanced story building, clever lyricism, topics that range from racial equality to mental illness to love gone sour, and everything in between — all captured through the lens of two multi-talented theatre-minded artists — is the ‘Broadtree way,’ already resulting in the 11-song debut LP, Feeling Bad. Feeling Better. (2021).

“We wrote ‘You Only Miss Me Cause I’m Gone’ the week after our album was released which was pretty funny; here, Feeling Bad. Feeling Better. was finally released, and we went right back into a writing frenzy!”

Not soaking in any downtime speaks to the sense of spark-filled chemistry the two have shared since meeting on the set of a play they were each performing in. From there, they’ve shared the stage in additional theatrical productions — including the two-person production, and their mutual “dream show,” The Last Five Years — all the way to musically, having just completed an extensive 23-date tour cross-country.

It’s their stylized storytelling through song, however, that lays the foundation for Broadtree’s breakthrough presence.

“We have a really close relationship when it comes to songwriting,” Armand shares. “Nicole calls it a bit of a ‘mind twin’ dynamic; we finish each other’s sentences, lyrics, lines, melodies…”

Something audiences would certainly miss out on if it weren’t for releases like this…

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That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

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