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Jazz Flutist Marie-Véronique Bourque Captures Endless Winter Snow with Holiday Song “The Shovel Shuffle”

Eric Alper
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Jazz Flutist Marie-Véronique Bourque Captures Endless Winter Snow with Holiday Song “The Shovel Shuffle”

There’s a satisfaction in shoveling snow, a certain athleticism, a nuanced choreography to it all. Who are we kidding – shoveling snow is the worst! But if you live in Canada, it’s a necessity, and jazz flutist Marie-Véronique Bourque and her band are here to add a little bit of levity to the situation with their new single “The Shovel Shuffle.”

With tinkling piano, passionate vocals, and fiery flute, “The Shovel Shuffle” is a lighthearted and completely jazzy holiday jingle to get you ready for snow, snow, and more snow. But first let’s be realistic …

Sometimes you wish you were born in Australia
Or in another warm place such as California
No fingers turning blue
No runny nose, no flu
No snow day stuck babysitting your sister
No winter coat to wear
No tuque flattening your hair
A bit of sunshine would be fair

The chorus then roars in with “Hustle, hustle, get your shovel/ Get your shovel it’s a snow day.” The accompanying music video pans back and forth between the band playing on a close, cozy stage and Marie-Véronique alone in a vast snowscape, shoveling away. The video is a fun way to watch the deft instrumentation of the band, and to get a few well-placed chuckles at the frustrations of shoveling winter’s never-ending white stuff.

Originally from Quebec, Marie-Véronique Bourque is a 2021 Trille Or and Saskatchewan Music Awards nominee, and a winner of the NFA 2021 Jazz Flute Big Band Competition. Her second album Entre Québec & Saskatchewan, released in 2021, and her debut album Une porte s’ouvre, released in 2018, were both voted the No. 5 Best Album of the Year (2018 and 2021) and landed on the !Earshot National Jazz Charts.

Born and raised in Québec, Marie-Véronique was awarded First Prizes in flute and chamber music from the Conservatoire de Musique de Québec. In 1992, she joined the RCMP band. After its disbanding, she served as a police officer for more than 25 years.

Singer-Songwriter Sharron Katz Releases “Santa Soulmate” Just In Time For The Holidays

Eric Alper
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Singer-Songwriter Sharron Katz Releases “Santa Soulmate” Just In Time For The Holidays

Canadian through and through, Sharron Katz’s gentle soulful storytelling gives us an original special holiday song ‘Santa Soulmate.’ Arriving now, the single shows Katz’s ability to deliver truthful emotion straight from the heart without any frills.

Throughout the track, there is Alanis Morrisette style-storytelling present with a foundation of roots, blues, and folk. Plus, an added nod to the 90s with a Seattle-sounding production, delivering a welcoming nostalgia to Katz’s sound.

‘Santa Soulmate’ gives us a holiday track with a surprise beginning. Katz explains how the song was born out of sorrow and being alone at Christmas. She explains openly how the song had an emotional foundation.

“Well, it was going to be another Jewish Christmas — Chinese food and a movie. So, I sat in bed, crying, and suddenly I picked up my guitar and began writing a Christmas song.”

With a surprise twist and with a new lease on life, Katz brings us a fresh vision for the song. Reworking the track to bring a more untroubled holiday tune. ‘Santa Soulmate’ is about manifesting the perfect Santa that comes and brings joy to the life of the protagonist of the song.

“If I could dream up my perfect guy
He’d be just like Santa, funny kind and wise
He’s care about his fellow man, do the things he’d say
See the world with loving eyes each and every day”

The idea of the perfect Santa whether he’s a friend, companion, or lover comes across in this heartfelt track by Katz. She brings us Alanis Morrisette’s unburdened truth and storytelling alongside gentle pianos, acoustics, bass, and drums. And of course, jingle bells being added to the song gives this the instant Christmas sound that it deserves.

The original version started with Katz on vocals and acoustic with James Mallin and Myke Mazzei on guitars and bass duties. The revamped version brings in Don Baird on keys and Katz’s husband Mike McCullough adds Santa’s persona and those ever-important jingle bells, as well as fine-tuning the production and engineering.

Lemmon Entertainment Releases Holiday Mixtape To Benefit MusiCounts Band Aid Program

Eric Alper
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Lemmon Entertainment Releases Holiday Mixtape To Benefit MusiCounts Band Aid Program

Lemmon Entertainment is releasing the Lemmon Holiday Mixtape – available now – featuring a wide variety of Canadian artists spreading Holiday cheer for an excellent cause. 100 percent of the mixtape’s proceeds will go to the MusiCounts Band Aid program.

Available from Dec. 9 through Dec. 30, the mixtape features Jess Moskaluke, Bif Naked, Josh Bogert, Olivia Penalva, Andrew Allen, Maggie Szabo, Jim Bryson, Pavlo, Zach Oliver, Ellen Doty, Chris Hadfield, Cassie Dasilva, The O’Pears, Helix, Chris McKhool (Sultans of String), Myles Goodwyn (April Wine) and more. The compilation will be available for purchase on S!NG for $9.99 CDN.

MusiCounts’ Band Aid Program provides up to $15,000 worth of musical instruments and equipment to school music programs to ensure their continued success and sustained growth. And it absolutely helps: In 2022, two thirds of the schools who asked for MusiCounts’ help reported having an annual budget of $500 or less for their music program.

For many of these schools, the budget is $0. An investment through the MusiCounts Band Aid Program transforms music education at these schools, and reaches many generations of students. It provides access for kids who couldn’t otherwise afford to take music lessons, and offers educators the resources to deliver culturally-relevant, modern music programming that celebrates identity, promotes collaboration and confidence, and helps kids find their voice.

Track Listing:
• Andrea England – Jolly Melancholy Christmas
• Andrew Allen – I Wanna Be Your Christmas
• Bif Naked – I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause
• Carla Muller – Christmas At Home
• Cassie Dasilva – Season’s Greetings
• Chris Hadfield – Jewel In The Night
• Don Amero – Sometimes a Whisper
• Ellen Doty – Red & Green
• Emi Jeen – All Together For Christmas
• Helix – Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
• Ian Sherwood – Christmas Without You
• Jay Douglas – Merry Christmas
• Jess Moskaluke – Grown Up Christmas List
• Jim Bryson – Mary New Year’s Eve
• Josh Bogert – Christmas Village
• Maggie Szabo – Christmas With You
• Myles Goodwyn – On The Road To Bethlehem
• Olivia Penalva – Dream You Home
• Pavlo – Frostbite
• Sultans of String – Sing For Kwanzaa (feat. Richard Bona and Waleed Abdulhamid)
• The O’Pears – Carol of the Bells
• Zach Oliver – A Christmas Song

Carla Muller Crystallizes The Meditative Beauty Of A Snowstorm In “Snow Came Falling”

Eric Alper
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Carla Muller Crystallizes The Meditative Beauty Of A Snowstorm In “Snow Came Falling”

Woolwich, ON folk artist Carla Muller captures the peaceful beauty of gently falling snow with the soothing, hypnotic holiday single “Snow Came Falling” – available now. Inspired by a snowstorm the night of her daughter’s birth, it’s a meditative song of gratitude that reminds us to count our blessings this holiday season.

Featuring understated guitar, violin, mellow piano, and Muller’s heartfelt vocals, “Snow Came Falling” is evocative of gazing out the window and enjoying the sight of a winter wonderland.

On the night I first held you in my arms
A harvest moon rose in the sky
And the frost hung still with bated breath
To hear your first cry
Snow came falling to the ground

“You know, I wrote this on the way home from the hospital after Charlotte was born,” Muller recalls of that night now many years ago. “There was a great storm, which actually snowed us in for a few extra days at Guelph General Hospital. But, it was the most peaceful storm I’ve ever seen.”

Everything outside the slowly moving car was white, still, and perfect. “Of course, Tom had a white-knuckle hold on the steering wheel the whole time, but Charlotte and I were cozily tucked in together in the back seat, and the words just came so easily.” So that she wouldn’t lose the song forming in her head, Muller kept singing the song over and over, like a lullaby to her newborn child, so that she could remember it when she got home and be sure to record it for her baby girl.

The song has a universal message as well, especially in the difficult post-pandemic times we’re living through. “How lovely is it to savour that stillness,” Muller says. “It’s been a difficult few years, filled with sadness and uncertainty, but snow keeps falling. Life goes on, and beautiful moments are still ahead.”

Carla Muller is a singer-songwriter from Woolwich, ON. She’s written more than a hundred songs, which run the gamut from country to R&B and include a few standards like Christmas music and lullabies. She has been writing since she was a child and has a sharp insight into the emotions and experiences of those around her. She also owns a children’s boutique called Baby Charlotte in Kitchener, ON. The store will match the proceeds collected for the Food Bank of Waterloo Region up to $5,000.

Budweiser Anthem of FIFA World Cup 2022 Is Lil Baby and Tears For Fears

Eric Alper
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Budweiser Anthem of FIFA World Cup 2022 Is Lil Baby and Tears For Fears

Watch the official music video for ‘The World Is Yours To Take’ [Budweiser Anthem Of The FIFA World Cup 2022] by Tears for Fears & Lil Baby.

Singer/Songwriter Christine Savard Is Back After Three-Year Hiatus With “Wicked Woman”

Eric Alper
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Singer/Songwriter Christine Savard Is Back After Three-Year Hiatus With “Wicked Woman”

Christine Savard’s first single in three years proves that motherhood hasn’t slowed down her rocking style. The Victoria-based singer/songwriter/producer’s “Wicked Woman” adds to the classic tradition of love-at-your-own-risk songs with her smoky-smooth vocals, flowing melody line, pulsating bass, and no-nonsense lyrics:

‘Cause she’s a wicked, wicked woman
She’ll take your heart out without warning
Then she’ll make you carry the burden.

The track’s multilayered instrumentation features strings, synths, sax, lap steel guitar, a flute solo, and a siren introduction—for the lady is a siren, after all—to cinematic effect.

In addition, the multitalented Savard co-produced and co-directed the song’s video, a stunning mix of vintage and modern atmosphere. The action takes place at a lavish 1930s mansion (once owned by a grifting business mogul who went on the lam). A pair of female dancers add a frisson of dark sensuality as they interact with Savard, the Wicked Woman herself, and the hapless lover who doesn’t take the singer’s advice until it’s almost too late. As the contrasts between the luxe and shady elements play against the song’s complex arrangement, the results demand multiple listens and multiple viewings.

Christine Savard grew up in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and currently calls Victoria, British Columbia, home. Her music reflects a wide range of influences from Fiona Apple to Led Zeppelin, and her sonic journeys have taken her from producing electronic dance tracks to opening for live bands on acoustic piano and vocals.

Blues Band Mud Bay Releases “Love And Forgiveness” From Latest “Best Laid Plans” Album

Eric Alper
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Blues Band Mud Bay Releases “Love And Forgiveness” From Latest “Best Laid Plans” Album

Eclectic rock and rollers, Mud Bay, land back on the scene with a new laid-back number called “Love and Forgiveness,” the second single from their latest album Best Laid Plans. Their take on a good time brings a wide range of influences to the party—blues, country, Cajun, rock, and soul, they’re all there. Reaching musical parts that other bands cannot reach.

Born in 1978, Mud Bay has been entertaining audiences with their spectacular shows—made up of their version of blues and roots music mixed with just about anything. Hailing as “Saturday night entertainment, any day of the week”. The talented five-piece features three main vocalists along with four songwriters which open the scope up for a plethora of musical range, diversity, and creativity. The band consists of Mud Bay Slim (Harold Arnold) on harmonica and vocals, Mark Branscombe on guitar and vocals, Randall T Carpenter playing guitar, steel, and vocals, Dennis Ingvaldson pumping the Bass, and Murphy Farrell taking on the rhythm section with Drums and Percussion.

“Love and Forgiveness” has a blues swing and rhythm that wouldn’t be far removed from that Van Morrison sound. With Randall T Carpenter taking lead on this track, “Love and Forgiveness” delivers on storytelling with a rhythmic beat offering the listener a heads up on love and lies in life. Randall T Carpenter delivers a plea to past mistakes in love with the hope of getting absolution as he reflects on chaotic relationships.

“People tell me talk is cheap and I found out that it’s true
For every promise that we keep, we break more than just a few”

Thanks to musical guests Jerry Cook and Norm Quinn, Mud Bay brings horns into their original version of blues and bop, adding a classic Blues Brothers sound. With the additional dulcet tones of Pete Sweetzir’s Hammond underlining the foundation of Mud Bay’s new single.

The stand-out chorus of “Love and Forgiveness” delivers on that prominent Dennis Ingvaldson walking bass line with Randall T Carpenter following on vocals every step of the way.

“Love and forgiveness, true ties that bind
Are so very hard to find, seem to be in short supply
So we see time after time how the heart deceives the mind”

“Love and Forgiveness” is just one of fourteen original tracks off their new album Best Laid Plans recorded at Afterlife Studios, Vancouver, Canada, produced by the band themselves and Erik Nielsen.

EVIL CREEK Releases “Lovely” From New ‘Away From The Sun’ EP

Eric Alper
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EVIL CREEK Releases “Lovely” From New ‘Away From The Sun’ EP

Evil Creek, winner of Music Group of the Year Award at this year’s Ottawa Awards, have blasted onto your rock radar with their new EP, Away from the Sun, with the indignant single, “Lovely,” characterizing the wistful longing, plaguing doubts, profound loneliness, and tender reminiscence we all experienced during the pandemic.

“As we all got a little older, more experienced, and perhaps a little, but not much, wiser, and as the music scene in Ottawa had less and less opportunities available for heavier music, we each found ourselves gravitating towards additional musical tastes that were accessible to more people – never losing our personal tastes for the harder-edged music but exploring other avenues as well. It’s pretty fun working in heavy rock riffs together with very different things; a little bit of country, maybe some bluegrass, some humor, and just good old hard-driving rock music. We don’t take it too seriously,” Evil Creek said.

Evil Creek’s “Lovely” chapter erupts with a twangy, acoustic guitar lick is “a fast-paced breath exhaling and inhaling, before a heartbeat of drums draws you in and pounds in your chest,” Evil Creek said about the opening of the song.

Turning the page, vocalist Mark Garrod launches into vexed lyrics.

Wake up with the shakes
Until I take another drink
Drop another pill to calm me
A shattered reflection and
I can relate
This is who I am

Annoyed with his life and reality, Garrod directs his anger toward a yearning to have a different life. To be a different person.

Because you’re so lovely
Because you’re so lovely

Garrod sustains each refrain like Dave Grohl’s unwavering rock euphonies.

“Drawing inspiration from a society struggling with self-loathing and addiction, ‘Lovely’ captures a dire need to want to be somebody else in a toxic and plastic world,” Evil Creek explained.

This desire to become someone else parallels the reality of social media presence. Looking at someone’s edited pictures evokes a sense of jealousy and hostility, but when you strip back the photoshop, you find the real person probably isn’t on vacation with a smile plastered on their face 100% of the time.

The heavy driver concludes with the forty-second build-up of an exasperated drum and piqued guitar pulse before culminating into Garrod’s final reflexive statement.

You’re like an angel flying
Through a wall of fire
Wake up crying, crying
I still hear your laughter

Don’t miss Evil Creek’s new EP, Away from the Sun, and accompanying single and music video, “Lovely,” are both out now.

MDMP’s “I Can’t Hold You Closer” Grapples Relationship Status in a Pop-Punk Dreamland

Eric Alper
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MDMP’s “I Can’t Hold You Closer” Grapples Relationship Status in a Pop-Punk Dreamland

Nanakuli, Hawaii-based MDMP’s, new single, “I Can’t Hold You Closer,” fuses hyper pop, dark pop, alternative rock and pop punk in a three-and-a-half-minute commentary on a relationship with unclear status. This single release comes a year after MDMP’s explorative 27-track LP “Day One” and his collaboration with Dayshell “Strength.”

MDMP’s name attributes no meaning to the singer or the fans, but he abides by one concept. To collaborate on a global level with other musicians. Part of this desire stems from his proximity to other musicians in Oahu, and the other half ensues from a drive to create a new method of making music.

“I Can’t Hold You Closer” opens with rainfall and a female vocalist imploring, “Baby, you know I love you. I just was wondering if you dream this way?”

A couple licks of confident rock drumming and hard guitar strumming later, Meyer launches into grungy vocals asking his counterpart, “Do you really know what it’s like to hold on to something? Grip it oh so tight, the fear of unfolding?” Noting his fear but committing to his belief in the pair.

MDMP grapples with the idea of wanting something he can’t (or shouldn’t have) and convincing himself to stay away from his true desires.

“I can’t sing for you in this room made of blue. I can’t feel for you. Can we pull this through? I am sick from your sense and presence. But I love these poison intentions,” he sings.

“Having the song ‘Strength’ featuring Dayshell already under MDMP’s belt, the desire to try something more daring by fusing an island vibe with metalcore was born. The demo was sent, and he was down for round two. This song was written off the western shores of Oahu, Hawaii with collaboration from all over the planet,” Meyer mentioned collaborations for this single also sprung from the UK and Kazakhstan.

As his album traversed new and familiar territories, MDMP promises his new releases, including “I Can’t Hold You Closer”, travel the same path.

“Some artists are determined to be the same and never change, and they’re going to go down with that ship,” he says. “I don’t want to do that. But I also don’t want to be like bands that have a style and then abandon it. Right now, it’s rock with synths. That’s where it’s at. But that doesn’t mean it can’t evolve and change as I collaborate more. And I’m definitely going to keep doing that. The more people I have invested in it, the better it is for me.”

Siibii Follows Up Top 10 on CBC Music’s Searchlight With “YOY”

Eric Alper
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Siibii Follows Up Top 10 on CBC Music’s Searchlight With “YOY”

Montreal-based queer, non-binary Indigenous artist Angel Baribeau, known through their music as Siibii, has released their newest release, “YOY.”

“YOY” is a gut-pulling anthem professing the woes of watershed moments highlighting youth – some good, some bad, and some downright traumatizing.

Production-wise, “YOY” is an infectious melody that resonates within listeners’ ears long after the song is playing. When you couple proficient musicianship with the lyrical prowess of someone learning to love themselves, you get the inspiring ballad that “YOY,” and Siibii, truly represent.

Siibiii is hailed as a champion of mental health awareness among their listeners, and their newest release double’s down on their empathetic abilities. Preaching kindness and self-acceptance, “YOY” holds the listener accountable for daily assaults on their mental health without being condescending. The entire production comes from a place of love, regardless of how confusing our actions my be sometimes.

Lyrics such as “My inner child needs a little help / to show some kindness to my future self. I’m gonna need it / if I’m gonna get there,” represent this idea perfectly.

At 300,000+ streams across all platforms, Siibii’s messages within their debut EP For Those I Love(d) (released under their former performance name, Angel Baribeau) continues to ring loud and clear. Siibii is stepping into their new name with a total artist rebrand and an upcoming music catalog.

With stunning vocals to amplify vulnerable and honest lyrics, Siibii’s debut EP For Those I Love(d) included “Wish We Were Older,” hitting #1 on the Indigenous Music Countdown and won “Best Music Video” award at the Toronto Indie Shorts Film Festival and garnered them the Young Canadian Songwriters Award presented by the SOCAN Foundation. Siibii is currently working on their second music project, a self-titled album set to release in 2023.

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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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