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Music NB 2020 Breakthrough Artist Of The Year KYLIE FOX Navigates Nostalgia And The Now In GREEN Album

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Music NB 2020 Breakthrough Artist Of The Year KYLIE FOX Navigates Nostalgia And The Now In GREEN Album

Winsome and tender at every turn, Saint John and this week announced as Music NB’s 2020 Breakthrough Artist Of The Year KYLIE FOX has released both her new alt-folk LP, Green and its latest single, “Glowstars.”

The album wastes little time showcasing Fox’s unique brand of song-based storytelling, and the results teem with unmistakable genuineness and endearing charm — all traits that have earned Fox an attentive audience coast to coast, including features on CBC, charting on earshot!, festival stage spots, and more, for the quick wit, signature sarcasm, and inherent empathy that drives her delightful songwriting.

“‘Glowstars’ was inspired by the experience of teaching school while, at the same time, living with my parents,” she recalls. “I finished writing the song during my prep when I was supply teaching at my old high school, and filling in for my favourite English teacher.

“Each morning, I would put on a blazer and maintain a role of authority all day, and then come home to my parents asking how school was before going to bed and laying under the glow-in-the-dark stars I’d put on my ceiling when I was ten.

“The song speaks to the role-playing of adults,” she continues. “It speaks to how we feel a certain jealousy to the naivety of those experiencing the era of our own nostalgia, which I think is childhood, and to the tragedy of growing up and losing the inhibitions that make children so compelling.

“I felt it was so poignant to film the video at Harbour View High School where I experienced both sides of the duality the song speaks of: the teenager wanting to move on from school, and the grown-up in denial.”

The video shoot wasn’t fully in the clear without one minor hiccup, however. “All the little kids in the video are my nephew’s friends, and all the ‘big kids’ are friends I went to high school with,” Fox details. “We were supposed to shoot the dance sequence in the hallway and, when everything was perfectly lit and enough smoke had filled the space, the fire alarm went off!

“The fire department came, and it was very embarrassing, but the following day the principal emailed the crew to apologize. They said they shut the alarms off for us that day, which I thought was the hippest thing.”

The song is the latest to land from Green; the heartfelt album is her debut LP and sophomore offering following 2017’s six-track introductory release, Balcony – EP.

“I recorded with Dale in his remote Nova Scotian farm house,” Fox recalls of laying Green with East Coast Music Award-winning producer Dale Murray. “I would drive over from Saint John and stay for a night or two at a time throughout the summer to work on it.

“Dale’s wife (and fellow ECMA-winning artist) Christina Martin is an insane cook. I would relish in the opportunity to ask them about bizarre touring stories and professional advice while we shared meals and a bottle of wine at the end of a work day. Christina even bought fireworks for the session drummer’s birthday…

“The process was a dream.”

St. Catharines’ Jazz-R&B SAMMY JACKSON is ‘With You’ In Her Sophomore EP

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St. Catharines’ Jazz-R&B SAMMY JACKSON is ‘With You’ In Her Sophomore EP

Jazz-R&B artist Sammy Jackson is With You in song, thanks to the release of her sophomore EP and its title track — both available now.

The five-track album’s unveiling follows this year’s earlier release of single, “Past Tense,” and fully encapsulates Jackson’s uniquely distinct, genre-fusing sound with thoughtful lyricism that’s honest and relatable.

“With You explores themes of vulnerability, broken relationships, and love,” the St. Catharines, Ontario-based singer/songwriter shares. “The song ‘With You’ was inspired by the many road trips my husband and I have taken in Canada, the most memorable being our cross-country trip from Toronto to Vancouver where we marvelled at some of Canada’s finest landscapes, monuments, cities and parks.”

“‘With You’ symbolizes the overall journey in a relationship and the changes you encounter,” Jackson continues. “Much like a road trip, you often face detours and setbacks, but the destination is worth it.”

As heard and seen on JAZZ FM, One-Stop Jazz Safari, The Rex Hotel Jazz and Blues Bar, Luminato, TIFF Bell Lightbox, and more, Sammy Jackson has also shared the stage with the likes of Barbra Lica, Robi Botos, Rich Brown, and Larnell Lewis, to name a few.

The follow up to her debut release, 2016’s Take Me Back, With You features all-original compositions in collaboration with vocalist and songwriter Jacqueline Teh, as well as Tom Fleming (guitar), Chris Pruden (piano), Mark Godfrey (bass), and Ian Wright (drums).

SULTANS OF STRING Raise Awareness of 26+ Million Stateless Around the World with New Single, “Refuge”

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SULTANS OF STRING Raise Awareness of 26+ Million Stateless Around the World with New Single, “Refuge”

For their latest release, Canadian world music collective Sultans of String set out to raise awareness of the nearly 26 million+ refugees currently stateless and away from their homes in a project centred around the positive contributions of new immigrants. The result was Refuge, and its title track, the award-winning “Refuge” featuring Edmar Castaneda — both of which are available now.

The song just won Folk Music Ontario’s Songs From The Heart Award — Instrumental, and is raising funds for the band’s campaign to aid the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Canada.

The single spotlights the work of the astonishing Colombian harpist known for reinventing the instrument the world over, and celebrated for his improvisation and dynamic counterpoints created in the track. “It’s a great vibe, the whole tune,” Castaneda says. “It fits right with the harp, so I’m happy to be a part of this.

“I just added my soul into the track.”

Sultans of String are sharing the wealth. In more ways than one.

“We love to expose people to sounds they might not have heard before,” explains violinist and bandleader Chris McKhool, summarizing the mission statement of the groundbreaking and acclaimed world music ensemble. “And we love collaborating with other artists.”

Over the past dozen years and six albums, McKhool and his bandmates — co-founding guitarist Kevin Laliberté, bassist Drew Birston, Cuban percussionist Rosendo ‘Chendy’ Leon and second guitarist Eddie Paton — have excelled at both. Thrilling listeners around North America with their genre-hopping fusion of Celtic reels, flamenco, Gypsy jazz, Arabic, Cuban, and South Asian rhythms, Sultans of String celebrate diversity and creativity with warmth and virtuosity. And they often do it with artists such as Paddy Moloney and The Chieftains, Richard Bona, Benoit Bourque (Bottine Souriante), Nikki Yanofsky, Alex Cuba, Ruben Blades, Crystal Shawanda and Ken Whiteley.

With their historic and visionary seventh album Refuge (released March 20, 2020), McKhool and co. bring their unique brand of musical synergy and collaboration into the studio like never before. Their most ambitious, diverse, inclusive and passionately political album, Refuge puts the Toronto-based Sultans face-to-face with a VIP roster of artists from around the globe — including American banjo master Béla Fleck, Israeli vocalist Yasmin Levy and others, like Iraqi violinist Imah Al Taha and Iranian santur master Amir Amiri, who have fled the peril and persecution of their homelands for the safer shores of North America.

Sultans of String have never taken the easy road. Since releasing their debut album Luna in 2007, they have continually strived to make each chart-topping album more original and meaningful than the last. That includes working with an orchestra (2013’s Symphony), teaming with Pakistani sitarist Anwar Khurshid (2015’s Subcontinental Drift) and even crafting a world-music holiday album (2017’s Christmas Caravan), which landed them on the Billboard charts and the New York Times. Their ambition and work ethic have garnered them multiple awards and accolades, including three JUNO Award nominations, first place in the International Songwriting Competition (out of 15,000 entries), three Canadian Folk Music Awards, and countless other honours.

Their live resumé is similarly stellar. Equally at home in a concert hall, jazz club or festival setting, the Sultans have gigged at the legendary club Birdland in New York, the renowned Celtic Connections Festival in the U.K. and the San Jose Jazz Festival. They have performed with symphonies across Canada and the U.S., and played live on BBC TV, Irish National Radio, World Cafe and SiriusXM in Washington. No matter the venue, the goal is the same, McKhool says.

“I’ve always wanted our concerts to be a place where everyone feels welcome. I want to reach out to diverse communities to say, ‘Come out and enjoy music with us — you’re going to have a really good time.’ And it’s great to see people from, say, the South Asian community mixed in with the hipster crowd. Or to play some very small towns where they might not have heard a sitar played live before. It benefits society as a whole, to have people from around the world blending their ideas, mixing their cultures.”

And sharing the wealth.

Sultans Of String’s Chris MCKHOOL & THE GANG Present A Free Kids Halloween Zoom Party Online October 31

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Sultans Of String’s Chris MCKHOOL & THE GANG Present A Free Kids Halloween Zoom Party Online October 31

Halloween 2020 is bound to look a little different. As parents watch the cases of Covid-19 continue to rise, many are trying to figure out how to carry on the tradition while keeping their children safe. In many parts of Canada, where cases numbers continue to soar, politicians and doctors are saying they would that prefer parents not take their kids door-to-door as Canada works to keep the virus under control.

Enter JUNO Award nominee and MASC artist Chris McKhool with an idea: a free Kids Halloween Zoom Party on Saturday October 31 at 6:00 PM EST, where children can show off their costumes, sing some songs, and have a dance party with other children… virtually.

“I love Halloween, and I wanted to do something nice for all the families struggling with what to do with their kids. I wanted to find a fun and safe way for me, my wife, and 9 year old daughter to celebrate Halloween with her friends and neighbours,” says McKhool.

“The idea grew from there and now we are extending the invitation across the country for families to join with us. We will sing a few songs, have a dance party, a costume contest, and give away prizes. This will be on Zoom so we can see each other and celebrate together.”

“As a MASC artist, Chris has already had to be innovative in his approach to sharing his music with schools and communities across Eastern Ontario and Western Québec” says Micheline Shoebridge, Co-Executive Director of MASC.

“Since the pandemic has necessitated restrictions on live performances and workshops, he has transitioned to offering an online program with MASC, through which he has been able to reach even more children and youth across Canada. We are grateful to the Canada Council for the Arts for supporting Chris’s latest creative project!”

Community-minded Chris McKhool is hailed as a “Children’s musical star” and “Canada’s greatest eco-troubadour for young people.” (Mississauga Living Arts Centre). He is also the bandleader and violinist in three time JUNO Award nominated Sultans of String, but the band will not be joining him for this show.

Instead his educator wife will be helping to lead the party with the Zoom kids, and his daughter will work the puppets and stuffies. Tickets are free but must be reserved in advance to ensure a safe moderated Zoom room to party in.

Reserve your free tickets here: https://sidedooraccess.com/shows/OpBNeLGNHbk8E6bUVVVw

Gowan: Livestream From The Empire Theatre in Belleville October 29

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Gowan: Livestream From The Empire Theatre in Belleville October 29

GOWAN – LIVESTREAM FROM THE EMPIRE THEATRE IN BELLEVILLE
Date: Thursday October 29, 2020
Time: 8pm
Live Stream Link here

If any performer/musician was built for these times…it’s Gowan.

He is recognized internationally as one of the planet’s most electrifying & talented entertainers, from both his stellar solo career and as a member of the legendary STYX.

His mastery of the video art form with his landmark works: “A Criminal Mind”, “Strange Animal” and “Moonlight Desires”…have long since defined the ever evolving artist, that is Gowan!

A concert for the ages…prepare to be blown away!

Be sure to leave any question you may have of Gowan in the chat and he will answer those after the show.

Live From The Empire Theatre is a live streaming service coming to you direct from The Empire Theatre in Belleville Ontario Canada. A State of the Art Audio / Video studio has been set up to capture the beautiful setting of the Empire Theatre and the amazing performances by many artists.
The Empire Theatre has been Live Streaming multiple shows for the past 12 weeks.

JUNO Winning Reggae Artist, Producer & Activist KIRK DIAMOND Offers Message of Unity & Hope in New Single & Video, “Let It Be Done”

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JUNO Winning Reggae Artist, Producer & Activist KIRK DIAMOND Offers Message of Unity & Hope in New Single & Video, “Let It Be Done”

JUNO Award-winning reggae singer, songwriter, producer and social activist Kirk Diamond offers messages of unity and hope in this, his new single and video “Let It Be Done.”

“‘Let It Be Done’ was written in light of the political climate and social unrest that has affected so many worldwide, myself included,” Diamond shares. “That’s directly, indirectly, or psychologically.”

The video was filmed in Uganda, a directive reflective of his creative works influenced by the philosophies of Haile Selassie and Marcus Garvey. “As a student of Garveyism, believing in the unification and empowerment of African-American men, women, and children under the banner of their collective African descent — and the repatriation of African slave descendants and profits to the African continent — I felt it was befitting to take it back to the motherland for the video.

“As demonstrations continue across the world as an expression of frustration over longstanding issues of police brutality and inequality, all while facing a pandemic, the world just seems a bit dark and gloomy right now,” he continues. “This song is meant to give the world hope of the change that will come, to encourage people to shine amidst the darkness, and remind them we are stronger united.”

This is among what he’s known for: spreading musical messages of inclusion, unity, and love for all walks of life.

Holding multiple #1 spots on the Canadian Reggae Chart for over 25 collective weeks, it’s no surprise Kirk Diamond has been named one of CBC’s 10 Canadian Reggae Artists You Need To hear. A multi-JUNO nominee, he won for his debut EP, Greater, in 2018. Kirk Diamond and his band The Movement Of Ahryel deliver reggae and dancehall en masse — including opening for Maxi Priest, Third World, Luciano and Etana, and more.

Edmonton’s Chart-Topping Motown-Surf-Punksters BAD BUDDY Unleash the “Hunters” With New Single

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Edmonton’s Chart-Topping Motown-Surf-Punksters BAD BUDDY Unleash the “Hunters” With New Single

Motown-inspired surf-punksters Bad Buddy unleash the “Hunters” with the release of their newest single to land from this year’s self-titled breakthrough album.

“At the time of Bad Buddy’s inception, we were all thoroughly fermented in folk music,” Bad Buddy vocalist and guitarist Emily Bachynski recalls, most especially of their Edmonton, Alberta base. “The scene was dripping with it.

“I bought into this,” she continues. “I had been convinced that, if you were going to be a solo artist — especially a female artist — you just sort of had to play acoustic folk tunes until you choked.

“I didn’t even listen to folk music, but I sure wrote and played a lot of it through my shitty solo project that I weakly tried to pound into something remotely palatable. It was so unnatural for me, and Bad Buddy is the polar opposite. Nothing against folk music, it’s just not meant for me.

“Bringing ‘Hunters’ to our first rehearsal felt like a big stretch after a long, cramped car ride. We all met up in my basement as ‘not exactly strangers’ but also ‘not quite friends.’ I think I played the song once through for everyone before we all looked at each other as if to say, ‘alright, let’s fire this baby up and see what she can do.’”

“That first rehearsal I was kind of nervous, wondering what I had gotten myself into,” guitarist and vocalist Andi Vissia adds. “I had never played electric guitar, and any acoustic performances were reserved for campfires and at kitchen parties. Playing in Bad Buddy really gave me the room and confidence to be creative on a brand new instrument, in a brand new genre, and “Hunters” was the kickstart of it all.”

“Hunters”, much like the rest of the release, is gritty, primal, dissonant, and unsettling, a stark juxtaposition to the tight-as-can-be three-part harmonic explosions. It is the song Bachynski, along with bandmates Andi Vissia, drummer Geoffrey Hamdon-O’Brien, and bassist and vocalist Alex Vissia credit as Bad Buddy’s inaugural foundation.

“‘Hunters’ seriously captures the long-lost spirit of The Pixies, and just has this menacing, predatory, ‘evil grin in the dark’ (thing) going for it,” the Edmonton Journal says. “To be honest, Bad Buddy scares the hell out of me, they’re so electrifying; comical and fierce, a total confidence machine with thrash-y pop songs so infectious, you’re still banging your head to them six months later. Easily one of the most exciting bands (right now).”

“The song definitely holds a place near and dear in my heart,” Bachynski says. “It’s simple, but it unleashed a fury in each of us. It was so satisfying to not have to sing ‘pretty’ or be ‘pretty’ or be… Anything for anyone but ourselves.”

Hitting #1 on Earshot!, their eponymous debut 13-track LP was released earlier this year, and was preceded by EP, The Sneakie Peakie.

At Upwards of 25,000+ Streams & Counting, Hamilton, ON’s BUBL T’S Push the Limits of Pop & Love with New Single, “Intimacy”

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At Upwards of 25,000+ Streams & Counting, Hamilton, ON’s BUBL T’S Push the Limits of Pop & Love with New Single, “Intimacy”

Hamilton, ON’s artists Bubl T’s continue to push the boundaries of pop and limits of love with the release of their newest single, “Intimacy.”

“We’re exploring that certain subtle but very telling details of a close romantic relationship,” Bubl T’s hint of the progressive pop song’s content. “There are metaphors that reach places beyond Earth to truly imply the scope and beauty inherent in such a relationship.

“This is a pure and straightforward love song.”

That said, not all is light in its love; the final line in both verses, ‘even on Earth throughout all the most wonderful years,’ has a slightly haunting quality to it, despite its upbeat delivery. “We wanted to usher the listener to a somewhat safer and warmer place than the one implied by our present situation on Earth,” composer and producer Robert Bruce says.

Featuring Alex Whorms on vocals — and with other tracks including esteemed musicians in their own rights, such as Martina Aswani, Mark Shannon and Ruth Chan — Hamilton, Ontario’s Bubl T’s embrace a wide spectrum of genres and influences while creating their own unique brand of sound: catchy, fun and danceable pop songs with solid melodies, engaging structure, and great production.

With over 25,000+ streams across Spotify and counting, Bubl T’s have released four additional singles since stepping onto the scene earlier this year: “Strange Reaction,” “Ready for Love,” “Loser,” and “Dance In The Moment.”

Calgary’s Synth-Pop Post-Punk Art-Rocker DEEP COVERS Ushers You into the Dark World with Inspired Sophomore Album

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Calgary’s Synth-Pop Post-Punk Art-Rocker DEEP COVERS Ushers You into the Dark World with Inspired Sophomore Album

Canadian synth-pop post-punk art-rocker Deep Covers ushers you into their Dark World with the release of their new album and single “Repeater.”

“There are albums in the annals of music history that are tied to and influenced by certain geographical locations,” Calgary, Alberta-based multi-instrumentalist (and man behind Deep Covers) Daniel Wilson says. “This is one of those albums.

“In September 2019, shortly after experiencing the beautiful and foreboding volcanic landscapes of Iceland, I returned home and began writing Dark World,” he continues, explaining the backstory behind the sophomore release. “The imagery of geological contrasts and alien terrain translated directly into my frothing organic analogue synthesizers.”

There was more to the experience of both the trip and creative output that resulted from it, however. From its first opening, Dark World dives deep into themes of sustainability while travelling expansive sonic landscapes brought forth by Deep Covers’ icy guitars and mechanical percussion.

“I experienced the effects of global warming in real time while I was there,” Wilson recalls. “I watched pieces of ice fall off a glacier and float out into the sea. I thought it to be a good metaphor for a life lived unsustainably, both in the physical and mental realms.”

Deep Covers has previously released their eight-track self-titled debut, Deep Covers, in 2019.

“Dreaming My Life Away”: Winnipeg’s JAMES COHEN AND THE PRAIRIE ROOTS ROCKERS Revisit a Favourite Single with New Video

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“Dreaming My Life Away”: Winnipeg’s JAMES COHEN AND THE PRAIRIE ROOTS ROCKERS Revisit a Favourite Single with New Video

Winnipeg’s James Cohen and the Prairie Roots Rockers have dipped into their archives once again to release a new video for their critically acclaimed single, “Dreaming My Life Away.”

A pull from their self-titled 2011 12-track LP, the song follows the album’s master missive, along with this year’s earlier re-release, “These Long Nights.”

“The origins of these songs go back several years,” frontman and band namesake James Cohen considers. “The general themes are one of loneliness and isolation which, unfortunately, are sentiments many of us can relate to during these difficult times currently.”

First on the scene for their 2011 self-titled debut via Soccermom Records / Warner Music Canada, the album’s banner single “So Long Sweet Deception” charted for 16 weeks, hitting the Rock Top 50 along the way.

An alumnus of Hollywood, California’s prestigious Guitar Institute of Technology, Cohen and co have performed at Canadian Music Week, the Grey Cup Festival, and more. A forthcoming album in the works, James Cohen and the Prairie Roots Rockers are also set to perform with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in 2021.

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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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