Singer/songwriter Mark Oproiu and his mononymous named band – featuring Chris Tondreau (lead/rhythm guitars, production); Calvin Beale (bass guitar); Michael Farina (drums/percussion); and Joel Joseph (keyboards) have released their debut single “Need Your Love.” The incessant, groove-oriented rock pastiche finds Mark Oproiu snarling over a tribal beat while guitars are ablaze. The band perfectly emulates the raw emotion and drive that Mark dreamed of as a child.
He discovered his calling when he received Queen’s ‘The Works’ and KISS’ ‘Creatures Of The Night’ albums for his eighth birthday. Recalls Oproiu, “I couldn’t stop listening to ‘Creatures Of The Night.’ (KISS) were not just any rock band, but one that would ultimately become mentors as I began my journey as a singer/songwriter and entertainer…I was transfixed on how music made me feel, and I wanted to make others feel the same.”
Oproiu continues, “I started teaching myself how to play the guitar with instructional videos and a lot of practice. At 17 I started taking private vocal lessons, and continued until I was 21.” It was then that he started playing in bands and playing in clubs. Then Grunge exploded and nearly wiped-out Hard Rock as a genre. Oproiu’s band members at the time soon started to get married, and have children. “In 1997, upon the completion of our 2nd LP – a hard rock album – I too made the decision to walk away and have a family. And so that’s what I did.”
But it wouldn’t be the end of Mark Oproiu’s vision, “It was in my 2nd year of university that I met Orlando Cicchello. He had graduated from the Music Institute of Guitar in Los Angeles at the top of his class. (I told him) my experiences with music, and my passion for songwriting. We built a 16-bit home studio, and started recording together. Orlando would lay down riffs and progressions, while I arranged them and wrote lyrics and melodies, and off we went. We worked like this for the better part of 18 years.”
That brings us to the present where OPROIU, the band, has realized Mark Oproiu’s musical vision on the new ‘Rock Lives’ 4-song EP, and its dynamic new single “Need Your Love.”
Folk-rocker Taylor Simpson is proud to announce the upcoming release of his sophomore album, “New Sights in a Familiar Place” on November 18, 2022.
Ahead of “New Sights in a Familiar Place,” Simpson has released the album’s first single, “Long Time Coming,” a nostalgia-riddled hymn to youth and indecision written and composed by Simpson and produced by Adriano Loparco of Stone Roof Studios.
Simpson’s new album will continue the concept and storyline introduced earlier this year in his full-length debut “Learning to Live with Precious Time,” diving deeper into his struggles with mental health issues, the complications of modern romance and the death of his parents.
Accompanying the release of “Long Time Coming” is a brand-new music video, shot on a beach near Simpson’s adopted hometown of Toronto and featuring that same sense of nostalgia with beach toys, laughs and friendly hijinks galore.
The video’s bright coloration and playful atmosphere serve to underscore the sense of loss felt for a time when we felt surer of ourselves and our place in the world — a time before life became so complicated.
Taylor Simpson is an indie folk-rock singer songwriter from Toronto, Canada. Unafraid to wear his heart on his sleeve, his unabashed and vulnerable lyrics create deep connections with his listeners. His songs bristle with acoustic and electric guitar, steady drums and potent lyrics which leave his audience members in a state of nostalgia whilst dancing, singing, and clapping along.
Taylor released his debut full-length album ‘Learning to Live with Precious Time’ earlier this year, with the single ‘Pretending’ garnering over 40,000 streams within the first 3 months of the release. His next release ‘New Sights in a Familiar Place’ is set to come out November 18th and will serve as a continuation of the concept and storyline from his debut release.
Probing intensely poignant themes of self-destruction and relationship turmoil, Chris Caulfield turns pain into alleviative art in “Walls Come Down,” a new single out now. The track melds unblemished trap beats with impassioned, 2000s emo-rock sensibilities, akin to the genre-bending amalgam of artists like Machine Gun Kelly and iann dior.
The single chronicles a harrowing conversation between Caulfield and his wife, who sings alongside him on the song. In the Fall and Winter of 2021, the couple experienced a trying strife that tested their 12 years of marriage, but they came out stronger on the other side, creating a contemplative, conversational song that pulls at the heartstrings with the umbra of achingly familiar pain.
“I can remember my wife repeatedly commenting how this wasn’t real, this wasn’t me, nothing was making sense, and in retrospect I of course agree, and it’s part of what made this such an awful stretch, that feeling of not being able to really connect with where you were mentally, emotionally in a moment,” Caulfield reflects.
Caulfield cites 2021 as being the most challenging year of his life. Traversing the sticky web of mental health struggles, chronic pain, and work stress, among other clashes, he was at a record low. “Walls Come Down”, however, marks a turning point for the just-outside-Toronto-based artist, who worked for a year with various production and engineering teams to bring his artistic vision of the song creating a “pensive, dark environment” to fruition.
“I think anyone who has been through something similar, be it an episode with their mental health, or a serious relationship issue/period, can connect with the feelings, emotions, perspectives, etc.,” Caulfield shares.
After a decade-long hiatus, in late 2020, Caulfield dove headfirst back into a craft that proven to be a powerful outlet for him: music. He played in bands around Toronto in his teens and early 20s, but veered away to manage his own businesses and start a family. Struggling with the enduring hardship of the Covid-19 pandemic and numerous conflicts of his own, he found solace in making music, and in March of 2021, released his first projects in over 10 years.
His first three singles, “The Other Way,” “Gripped,” and “Wolves” were followed promptlyby his next release, “Letdown”, which fans were clearly receptive to, garnering 10,000 streams in its first month on Spotify. Caulfield’s perseverance through adversity reflects in his musical tenacity, embarking on numerous projects from working on singles with two European independent record labels to scoring the opportunity to write music for TV and film, and finally, an artist development project on the home front with a Canadian indie label.
With so many projects in the works, Caulfield is one to watch. His unrelenting candor is refreshing in this day and age – Chris Caulfield has a story to tell, and he’s on a mission to share it.
Gender is a construct cobbled together by a multitude of influences over the millennia, but our concept of a deity, or deities, has certainly had a significant impact. Ottawa-based pop artist Lady Charles tackles religion’s influence on gender and the LGBTQ+ community in the lighthearted, dance-heavy banger “Godx.”
Synth-y and steeped in the ’80s in the best possible way, “Godx” boasts a bubbly groove and a fierce-but-whimsical bassline. “I wanted to write a song about gender that touches on issues like how colonialism enforced the gender binary and how LGBTQ+ people have historically been excluded from religious life,” Lady Charles said. “I did not, however, want to create something too serious or overt, and instead wanted to create a silly pop song you could dance to that would still feature those themes beneath the surface.”
With the use of the term “Godx,” Lady Charles imagines a genderless or multi-gendered deity who wears a fabulous bodice of gold and onyx, and has the backs of all people without any trace of the usual judgement:
Get down, the Godx has a plan
And if you don’t know, you’ll find out in the end
The Godx is with you when you sing this song
So worship by dancing and singing along
“Godx,” and the rest of their forthcoming album Manic Pixie Dream World, came about as the result of the pandemic. “The beginning of the pandemic was a reckoning for me, unsure of whether I wanted to continue in music,” they said. “It became clear to me however, that I would need to stop trying to fit in with the masculine rock image that was big in Canada and be unapologetically myself – genderfluid, genre-fluid, and exploring every wild musical and aesthetic tangent that I wanted rather than chasing what I felt others would want.”
A big part of this reckoning came about when Lady Charles posted their song “Manic Pixie Dream Boy” on a discord channel dedicated to ‘90s band of Montreal, and frontperson Kevin Barnes themself responded with enthusiasm. “My idols didn’t hold back, and neither do I now,” Lady Charles said, “and Godx is partly a celebration of that new freedom.”
Lady Charles was even able to recruit producer/engineer/mixer Erin Tonkon, who had worked on David Bowie’s Blackstar, for the project. “Erin told me her musical point of reference for the mix was ‘Of Montreal covering Prince’s ‘Let’s Go Crazy,’ Lady Charles said. “Her mix made the song come alive, making the ’80’s musical references become explicit and sound authentic.”
Lady Charles is a shape-shifting art rock enchanter from Ottawa, Canada. They released their self-titled debut EP in 2020, blending elements of folk, indie rock, and electronica with themes of gender, apocalypse, and loss. Their 2020 single “Manic Pixie Dream Boy” brought their sound and image to a wider audience, racking up thousands of listens and views and setting the stage for a string of unique singles including the cyberpunk prog freakout “Apocalypse Girls” and the kaleidoscopic, pandemic-era love song “Noella.” Buoyed by a vibrant aesthetic, Lady Charles’ blend of art rock sensibilities, glam visuals, and punk rock abandon chart a new course into musical parts unknown.
In September 2022, Jacob Okatsiak released “Fly High”, his first single leading up to the release of Inuugapta his 15-song debut album which is slated for release in early 2023.
“Fly High” is an homage to Okatsiak’s late friend who died in a tragic camping accident. The single’s artwork features a photo of his friend during a happy moment described in the song.
Much of the album was self-recorded in Okatsiak’s home studio, with virtual artistic and technical support from legendary Inuk rapper and producer, Hyper-T, as well as Sarah Elaine McLay and Thor Simonsen from the Iqaluit-based record label, Hitmakerz. The album was created with financial support from the Government of Nunavut.
Jacob Okatsiak is sometimes referred to as the “Drake of Nunavut” due to his ability to rap, sing, and perform just about any musical instrument. Jacob is authentic in his music, inviting listeners to share in his journey through the highs and lows of life.
Originally from Arviat, Nunavut – one of the creative centers of the Arctic territory – Okatsiak has been honing his musical skills since his late father first began teaching him piano at the age of 7. His love of music began with the gospel music that his father would play with him.
Since then, Okatsiak has continued improving his talents. In addition to playing piano, guitar, bass, harmonica, violin, drums, and accordion, he also sings, raps, makes beats, and even records and produces music for other Inuit artists.
Okatsiak has also been improving his knowledge of the music industry. In 2021, he traveled to Ottawa to begin working on his album alongside Hyper-T, as well as a host of other accomplished music industry veterans.
In addition to being a prolific songwriter and performing artist, Okatsiak is also deeply involved in his community. He is a Recreation Director, a devout Christian, and a promising athlete, having often represented his territory at national sporting events.
Inuugapta will include a variety of songs that explore life in the remote communities of Canada’s Arctic region. Okatsiak’s music covers the spectrum of human emotions, including love, loss, ambition, and joy.
In October 2022, Okatsiak will be performing at the new NUPOP showcase festival in Iqaluit. In November 2022, he will tour in communities across Nunavut with the Atii Angutiit men’s program
“Fly High” is now available on all streaming platforms. The full album, Inuugapta, is scheduled for release in early 2023.
Wintersong Music Festival has officially announced the headliners for their 4th edition, taking place January 20th – 21st, 2023 in Stouffville, ON. The annual festival draws thousands to the local area in the shoulder-season of Winter, giving a much-needed boost to the local economy.
Wintersong will be headlined by Montreal indie-pop band Stars; two-time JUNO award winning musician Dan Mangan; and 80’s new wave/synth-pop band Men Without Hats.
They will be joined by 2022 Polaris shortlisted OMBIIGIZI – a collaboration between Zoon’s Daniel Monkman and Status/Non Status’ Adam Sturgeon; and local indie-folk band Man Made Forest.
Also announced were indie buzz acts Hollowsage, Jerome Tucker Band, Junestone and Stouffville’s own Evan Farrell. They will be joined by 100+ acts, performing across 15+ venues over the two-day event including local restaurants, bars, theatres, cafés and retail spaces.
“Wintersong was the last festival to occur in Stouffville in 2020 and the first to return in 2022 and we’re proud to be back in 2023,” Kevin Ker, from Epidemic Music Group said. “We are incredibly excited to be expanding even more this year. The enthusiasm and excitement from the local and musical communities is encouraging and we’re looking forward to the long-overdue opportunity to gather in celebration of live music and support local businesses after a long, quiet two years.”
The highly anticipated Kensington Market Jazz Festival (KMJF) returns this year for the 7th year of performances, boasting an incredible lineup. Since its inception, the can’t-miss festival has brought the biggest names in jazz music and up-and-coming superstars to Toronto in a series of ticketed and curated busking shows.
The KMJF will return to in-person entertainment Oct. 1-2 in Toronto’s vibrant neighbourhood of art, vintage shops and multicultural cuisine, a designated National Historic Site of Canada.
Created and helmed by award-winning jazz vocalist Molly Johnson, KMJF will kick off at Tom’s Place (190 Baldwin St), the hub of the festival’s solo piano series, hosted by Holly Nimmons. The other participating venues include Tapestry (formerly Poetry Jazz Café), Handlebar, Supermarket and Pamenar with seven shows each per day. There are also Pay-What-You-Can shows in Bellevue Square Park on Saturday and Sunday from 1-2:30pm and 4-5:30pm.
The weekend concerts run from 1 p.m. until 11 p.m. The media invite and details to the festival’s kickoff is below.
There are no advance tickets. All shows will operate in the traditional KMJF format of ‘Audience Pays Artist,’ – Cash Only – where the trusted KMJF volunteers collect a cover charge at the door. For full transparency, KMJF takes a 10% service charge to go towards festival production and the remaining 90% is given to the band leader. This format works for all as KMJF has a track record of filling venues through word-of-mouth, and extensive promotion through the festival themselves and artists working together. 100% of the proceeds from CD sales during KMJF go directly to the artist.
This year confirmed artists include Kevin Barrett & Julie Michels, Sammy Jackson, Billy Newton-Davis, Micah Barnes, Diane Leah, Heavyweights Brass Band, Amanda Martinez, Jay Douglas, Laura Fernandez, Allison Au, Elizabeth Shepherd, Michael Occhipinti, Eddie Bullen, Barbra Lica and more. The complete list of artist and venues can be found here.
KMJF will once again after two years of virtual programming, return to in-person programming the city’s beloved Kensington Market clubs Tapestry, Handlebar, Supermarket, Pamenar and El Gordo’s (Big Band Stage).
The Kensington Market Jazz Festival is a Charitable organization, committed to presenting live music in the heart of Toronto’s heritage market neighbourhoood throughout the year and with a festival in early fall.
An intimate, coming-of-age memoir by legendary guitarist Kid Congo Powers, detailing his experiences as a young, queer Mexican-American in 1970s Los Angeles through his rise in the glam rock and punk rock scenes.
Kid Congo Powers has been described as a “legendary guitarist and paragon of cool” with “the greatest resume ever of anyone in rock music.” That unique imprint on rock history stems from being a member of not one but three beloved, groundbreaking, and influential groups — Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, the Cramps, and last but not least, The Gun Club, the wildly inventive punk-blues band he co-founded.
Some New Kind of Kick begins as an intimate coming of age tale, of a young, queer, Chicano kid, growing up in a suburb east of East LA, in the mid-‘70s, exploring his sexual identity through glam rock. When a devastating personal tragedy crushes his teenage dreams, he finds solace and community through fandom, as founder (‘The Prez’) of the Ramones West Coast fan club, and immerses himself in the delinquent chaos of the early LA punk scene.
A chance encounter with another superfan, in the line outside the Whiskey-A-Go-Go to get into a Pere Ubu concert, changes the course of his life entirely. Jeffrey Lee Pierce, a misfit Chicano punk who runs the Blondie fan club, proposes they form a band. The Gun Club is born. So begins an unlikely transition from adoring fan to lauded performer. In Pierce, he finds brotherhood, a creative voice, and a common cause, but also a shared appetite for self-destruction that threatens to overwhelm them both.
Quirky, droll, and heartfelt, with a pitch-perfect evocation of time and place, and a wealth of richly-drawn supporting characters, Some New Kind of Kick is a memoir of personal transformation, addiction and recovery, friendship and belonging, set against the relentless creativity and excess of the ’70s and ’80s underground music scenes.
Through the day-to-day struggles of life, we often get lost in the monotony, something that resembles an inescapable cycle of ups and downs paired with a tall glass of anxiety – and maybe even some dread. It’s Big Lou’s anthem that reminds us that we are in control of this supposed destiny and our lives ahead of fate. It is “Tayrona” – and it is available now.
There is power in the comforts that those closest to us can provide – while it may not always be easy to ask for help, it is often the bravest outcome. This message becomes rapidly present in Big Lou’s newest single, “Tayrona.” The song opens, teasing its deeply rooted message of perseverance;
“A letter to depression / born from reflection / upon inspection he sees resurrection.”
From there we are delivered a heartfelt message of survival packaged with a hard-hitting production – an infectious Spanish guitar lick paired with deep bass kicks programmed to subconsciously open the listener to “blue pill” themes while covered by a façade of trap music.
Listening through Big Lou’s newest single makes it obvious that these choices were entirely intentional. The production feels harrowingly personal to Big Lou, containing an internal power drive that can only be described as inspiring. Big Lou reflects on this by saying, “Everyone out here is struggling with something. Instead of contributing to the problem, I want to be part of the solution. I try and inject as much positivity and hope into my music as possible. There are difficult & ugly aspects to this life but with each other’s support, we can make our lives that much better.”
“Tayrona” encapsulates the daily struggles people go through to merely “feel okay,” often taking things on a day-to-day basis. While this struggle initially feels heart-rending it is often the tribulation that leads to ground-breaking self-discovery and acceptance; it is our transition into a warrior.
Big Lou offers his consolation on the subject:
“I understand that struggle is a part of life. From it, we get the opportunity to grow despite how ugly it may look although there can be beauty in the struggle. An important first step to take to identify this beauty is to talk about our struggles. Depression needs to be a bigger part of the conversation. Too many people are struggling alone and that is only making the problem worse.”
This powerful moral is paired perfectly with a triumphant production, adding an unmatched voracity to this powerhouse anthem of self-importance and perseverance. Powerful lines are delivered with perfect cadence as Big Lou reflects as he reflects on his journey with depression and taking charge of life.
“I chose to call this song ‘Tayrona’ because of what the word means. It translates to ‘sons of the jaguar’ or ‘Jaguar warrior.’ Some say that the jaguar represents the power to face one’s fears or to confront one’s enemies. This is exactly what the people of Tayrona did and it is what we need to do to overcome our depression.”
Big Lou began his artistic journey honing his lyrical penmanship and singer/songwriting skills in mid-2019 while practicing his raps for any and all willing listeners. As Big Lou dealt with many personal hurdles, including depression, he subsequently launched the Go Produce podcast, featuring interviews with music industry professionals offering advice to up and comers. With experience, persistence, and determination, he would realize his musical vision with the debut single “As A Crew,” which was released to overwhelming praise.
Big Lou has been breaking into the Canadian hip-hop scene ever since, featuring catchy hooks, infections flows, and dynamic rhythms sure to appeal to all hip-hop fans. With the release of singles like “Tayrona,” it is obvious that Big Lou’s musical career is on a crushing upward trajectory.
It’s a sad symptom of the human condition. Sometimes we just don’t realize what we really have until it’s gone. This cornerstone component of the blues gives award-winning singer-songwriter André Bisson the foundation for his funky, driving new single, “Missing You.”
The first taste of the Hamilton-based, internationally touring artist’s 9th album, “The Ballad of Lucy Stone”, due out September 30, “Missing You” emphatically checks all the boxes of a killer, scathing blues track with a funkified soul. Bisson’s guitar is meaty and rhythmic, and his voice is primed with emotion and gravelly heartache. The horn section jumps in with searing melodic fills and the super tight rhythm section solidly ushers the whole song along at a pace guaranteed to inspire maximum groove.
“‘Missing You” is about a man who has talked his way out of a good relationship and hopes that it’s not too late to fix it,” says the 2022 Hamilton Arts Award nominee. “There is a revelation that becomes clear: it’s not who we can live with but instead who we can’t live without.”
Some say that loneliness
Lives alongside misery
Till that girl came and saved my soul
I was keeping both company
We’d all like to avoid having them but, regrets are definitely the fuel that drives “Missing You” and makes the song universally relatable.
“Sometimes all the little changes that are asked of us are for our own benefit, to improve our own quality of life,” explains Bisson. ”Sometimes it takes being deprived of that to realize just how truly special our relationship is. The hope is that this epiphany is realized before it’s too late.”
“Missing You” is the first introduction to Bisson’s new album “The Ballad of Lucy Stone”, set for release on September 30. This is the Bruce Mines, Ontario-born, Hamilton-based singer-songwriter’s 9th album release since 2009. That’s a staggering average of a new album every 18 months for the past 13 years from this prolific singer-songwriter and tireless live player. And all that hard work is delivering. Over those 13 years, Bisson has gained notoriety with awards such as Hamilton Blues Awards’ “Male Vocalist of the Year”, “Song of the Year” from Blues and Roots Radio, and he’s been nominated for four Hamilton Arts Awards. He was also selected by the Grand River Blues Society to compete at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee.
“The Ballad of Lucy Stone” is a tribute of sorts to a real, historic figure and builds its theme inspired by her story. Lucy Stone (1818 – 1893) was a women’s rights activist in mid-19th century Massachusetts. Stone was the first woman in the State to earn a college degree and became a vocal advocate and organizer for the women’s suffrage movement, which eventually led to passing the 19th amendment which granted women the right to vote in the U.S.
The story of Lucy Stone reflects the theme of this album,” notes Bisson. “The road to change may be difficult, but many things worth doing often are. We must not avoid the obstacles in our lives but instead face them head on. Fear is only a reminder that we are working towards something worth fighting for.“
Bisson certainly exhibits fearlessness and pure joy when fronting his band that can range in size from 6 to 20 members. However, he’s a do-it-yourself artist when it comes to songwriting and arrangements. Much like his previous albums, He’s the sole writer of all 10 tracks on “The Ballad of Lucy Stone” and produced the album. He’s no one-man band in the studio though. While Bisson plays all the guitars and sings lead and some background vocals on this album, he was joined by Jesse O’Brien on piano and keyboards, Mike Rowell on bass guitar, Keagan Early on drums and other percussion, Pat Carey on tenor sax, Gordon Aeichele on tenor & baritone sax and clarinet, Loretta Hale on trumpet and cello, Shawn Moody on trumpet, Rob Somerville on trombone, Lizuarte De Sousa on flute, Kevin Matthews on clarinet, Dan Rodrigues on dobro, accordion and piano, Paul Barna on violin/viola and Theresa Hale-Charters, Quisha Wint and Selena Evangeline on background vocals.
With 13 very busy years of music career building leading Bisson and his band to play sold out shows in Canada, the U.S., U.K. and Europe, he knows the work and dedication it takes to establish and grow in the music biz.
Big changes do not happen overnight,” says Bisson. ”It is the little actions we take each day that make the difference.”
Lucy Stone’s reported final words are also words to live by for Bisson and his music.
“Make the world better.”
For Bisson, it’s one great song and one sold out show at a time.
“Missing You” from the forthcoming “The Ballad of Lucy Stone” is available now.
