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Paul Cargnello Rages Against Silence on ‘Combat Blues’ – A Battle Cry for the Apathetic Age

Eric Alper
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Paul Cargnello Rages Against Silence on ‘Combat Blues’ – A Battle Cry for the Apathetic Age

“What happened to the protest singer?” asks Paul Cargnello on the searing opening single of his new album, and it’s not rhetorical. With his 20th album, Combat Blues’, out now on Quartier General, the Montreal-based singer-songwriter and producer is back with a defiant, groove-laced, politically charged collection that refuses to look away. Think The Clash filtered through Curtis Mayfield with a jolt of Gil Scott-Heron. This is protest music for people who aren’t done fighting.

‘Combat Blues’ isn’t here to make you comfortable. It’s here to shake you awake. “This record is about speaking truth when it’s easier to whisper,” explains Cargnello. “We’re watching the world burn through our screens, and we’ve forgotten how to yell. This is me yelling.”

Opening track “Protest Song,” written, composed, and produced by Cargnello, is a funk-punk anthem aimed squarely at the armchair activists and a gut-punch to the music industry’s obsession with apolitical vibes. “Can you imagine a world where you would take it to the streets / instead of hashing it out with a handful of memes?” he sneers, harmonica blazing and drums pounding like a clenched fist on the table. The video, shot in Parc Frédéric-Back in Montreal by longtime collaborator Nik Brovkin, features Cargnello and the Combat Blues band in full revolutionary mode.

Then there’s “Fascists In Our Midst,” a no-holds-barred reggae-rock detonation featuring Tuff Gong’s own Jonathan Emile, who co-wrote the lyrics with Cargnello and delivers a scathing verse in patois that takes aim at white supremacy, political manipulation, and spineless centrism. “Be careful who you break di bread wit,” Emile warns. “When you play politricks just rememba who you are.” Co-written musically by Cargnello, James Challenger, and Frantz Calestin Jr., the track showcases the full sonic power of the band—raw, urgent, and righteous.



Recorded and mixed by Cargnello at Upper China Studios, and mastered by Grammy-winner Adam Ayan (Bruce Springsteen, Lana Del Rey), ‘Combat Blues’ also features: James Challenger on backup vocals and bass, Frantz Calestin Jr. on drums, Jasmine Beile on backup vocals, and Jonathan Emile as featured vocalist. Every note is steeped in resistance. Every lyric is a call to act.

Paul Cargnello has never played by the rules. From his 90s political punk days with The Vendettas to Top 10 francophone hits and his celebrated NDG Arts Week, he’s spent the last two decades defying industry trends and forging community through sound. Whether writing theme songs for the Montreal Fringe Festival, collaborating with KRS-One and Maxi Priest, or penning verses for Dawson’s Creek, Paul’s motto remains the same: Lyrics matter. And so does showing up.



The man is a machine—20 albums deep, with an additional 3 Vendettas albums, 3 Skinny Bros records, 7 EPs, and more than 50 total projects under his belt. As ‘Le Devoir’ put it: “Et bon Dieu que ça groove!”

Shout it loud. Turn it up. Take it to the streets.

NOTÖRIOUS Drop ‘Live It Up’ and Self-Titled EP – A Glam Metal Gut-Punch for the Ages

Eric Alper
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NOTÖRIOUS Drop ‘Live It Up’ and Self-Titled EP – A Glam Metal Gut-Punch for the Ages

If you thought rock was resting, NOTÖRIOUS just kicked down the door. With the release of their new single “Live It Up” and their self-titled EP *NOTÖRIOUS*, Norway’s wildest metal export is throwing a no-holds-barred, beer-soaked party that screams from the rooftops: glam is not dead, and it never left Bergen.

“Tonight’s the night, the city is alive / Gonna take on the world” – from the first line of “Live It Up,” NOTÖRIOUS lights the fuse and never lets up. With pounding drums, razor-sharp riffs, and the kind of anthemic choruses that make you want to tear your shirt off and howl at the moon, this is the band’s boldest and loudest work yet.

“We made this record for the stage, for the sweat, for the chaos,” shares frontman Chris Höudini. “It’s about going all in—no regrets, no looking back. Just crank it and LIVE IT UP.”

Formed in 2018, NOTÖRIOUS is Chris Höudini (vocals), Andy Sweet (bass), Nikki DiCato (guitar), and Freddy Kixx (drums). These four headbangers take their cues from the sleaze and scream of ’80s Sunset Strip heroes—but with a heavy dose of black metal frost and Norwegian defiance. They call their sound True Norwegian Glam Metal. The world calls it addictive.

Following up 2024’s *Marching On*, the new *NOTÖRIOUS* EP is a five-track firestorm recorded at Bergen’s Polyfon Studio. Each track cranks the volume and dials up the drama. “Shout Out For Love” kicks it off with a gritty, lust-drenched explosion. “It’s My Time” charges forward with arena-shaking bravado. “Into the Night” is built for fist-pumping under strobe lights, while “Holding On” reveals the band’s tender underbelly with an emotional slow burn.

But it’s “Live It Up” that seals the deal. With lyrics like “Hearts wide open, chase the thrill / Bend it to our will,” NOTÖRIOUS taps into the spirit of reckless freedom that defines glam at its most glorious.

“This EP is for the road warriors, the dream chasers, the heartbroken romantics and the late-night legends,” says Andy Sweet. “If you’re looking for permission to lose your mind and find your soul—this is it.”

Critics and fans alike are shouting along. The band’s streaming numbers have surged, and fans across Europe are catching the fire live. With big choruses, bigger hair, and the biggest energy around, NOTÖRIOUS aren’t just playing metal. They’re living it.

Nancy Diaz Steps Into the Spotlight With Irresistible Pop Anthem ‘Hey Mami’

Eric Alper
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Nancy Diaz Steps Into the Spotlight With Irresistible Pop Anthem ‘Hey Mami’

In an era where pop songs too often feel manufactured for the algorithm, Nancy Diaz’s ‘Hey Mami’ asserts itself as something refreshingly human: a playful, flirtatious dance track with a sly undercurrent of longing. “If you think you’re free think twice / Freedom’s more than rolling dice,” she might sing elsewhere, but here she flips the script, leaning into the thrill of attraction while daring her suitor to “put a ring on it.”

Born and raised in Toronto to Chilean and Spanish parents, Diaz grew up steeped in rhythm, melody, and movement. That multicultural foundation informs everything she writes: songs that fuse Latin grooves with pop immediacy and dance-floor punch.

Now based in Kelowna, British Columbia, Diaz has positioned herself at the intersection of tradition and reinvention, channeling her heritage into something both global and local, personal and communal.

‘Hey Mami’ arrives as the culmination of a steady climb. Over the past few years, Diaz has released more than ten singles, built a dedicated online following, and honed her live performances into joyous, high-energy celebrations. The release of ‘Hey Mami’ marks her boldest step yet: a track engineered for both radio rotation and sweaty festival nights, as well as intimate headphone listening.

Recorded at Toronto’s Ignaua Studios, the single benefits from a tightly wound production ethos. Its polished sheen doesn’t obscure its warmth: syncopated percussion and glossy synth lines wrap around Diaz’s vocals, which alternate between coy seduction and direct declaration. The chorus is pure immediacy, the kind of hook that feels inevitable in retrospect, while the verses flirt with restraint, offering flashes of intimacy before spilling over into dance-floor abandon.

For Diaz, the song carries autobiographical resonance. “Since I recently got married, this song also carries a special meaning for me: it reflects my own journey of finding love and the joy of stepping into that commitment,” she explains. That lived experience makes ‘Hey Mami’ more than another summer jam: it’s an anthem of agency, a declaration of desire on her own terms.

At the same time, Diaz refuses to reduce empowerment to slogans. “For me, Hey Mami is more than just a dance track — it’s about celebrating women who know what they want in love and aren’t afraid to say it,” she insists. That balance—between cheeky flirtation and serious assertion—anchors the song, transforming it into something simultaneously fun and formidable.

Industry-wise, ‘Hey Mami’ lands at a moment of opportunity. Streaming platforms are increasingly hungry for global-facing pop that resonates across demographics, and Diaz’s fusion of Latin, pop, and dance fits seamlessly within playlists that thrive on genre cross-pollination. More importantly, she approaches these contexts not as an outsider but as someone writing from within the culture, with roots in both Spanish and Chilean traditions.

Thematically, the single extends a lineage of Latin-inspired pop hits—think Jennifer Lopez’s ‘Let’s Get Loud’ or Rosalía’s ‘Despechá’—but it’s filtered through Diaz’s own hybrid lens. Rather than mimic, she adapts: her melodies are unmistakably pop, but her cadences and rhythmic inflections reveal her cultural DNA. It’s this duality—mainstream polish, personal authenticity—that makes ‘Hey Mami’ resonate.

Culturally, Diaz’s emergence is part of a larger story: the growing visibility of Canadian artists with immigrant heritage reshaping what “Canadian pop” can sound like. In the same way Drake blurred Toronto’s musical borders with Caribbean and African influences, Diaz is folding her Latin lineage into something that refuses categorization, instead leaning into hybridity as a strength.

Ultimately, ‘Hey Mami’ is as much about memory as it is about movement. It recalls the sweaty joy of last calls, the thrill of unexpected encounters, and the deeper desire beneath playful flirtation. It’s a reminder that the best pop songs don’t just soundtrack our nights out—they expand our sense of what’s possible in love, community, and culture. With ‘Hey Mami’, Nancy Diaz stakes her claim as one of Canada’s most compelling new voices in global pop.

Hamilton/Toronto’s TRIBZ Bring Indigenous Soul, R&B, and Blues to International Day of Peace With “Save the World”

Eric Alper
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Hamilton/Toronto’s TRIBZ Bring Indigenous Soul, R&B, and Blues to International Day of Peace With “Save the World”

On International Day of Peace, TRIBZ bring their Indigenous roots and genre-spanning soul, R&B, and blues to the forefront. With the release of their official video “Save the World” and a live performance at Hamilton’s Corktown Pub, the band affirms its role as PEAC’s Official ‘Pause for Peace’ International Peace Ambassador for Canada.

TRIBZ is more than a band; it is a coalition of experience, heritage, and conviction. Comprised of Juno Award–winning vocalist Errol Starr Francis, Six Nations Tuscarora guitarist Earl Johnson, Mohawk bassist Donny Hill, and Hamilton drummer Dave Davidson, the group has over four decades each of lived musical history. Their music is a melting pot of R&B, blues, Motown, reggae, rock, and Indigenous tradition, unified under a mission of peace, love, and empowerment.

“Save the World” carries both urgency and uplift. “Save the world… let’s save the world for the children,” the chorus insists, sung over modern reggae with an R&B feel and a reggaeton intro. The song is described by the band as a statement on global crises — war in the Middle East, conflict in Ukraine, and the displacement of Indigenous people worldwide. Yet it is also deeply personal. Francis reflects, “I do have grandkids and I am wondering, what kind of world are they going to be in if we don’t start to turn some of this around?”

The track was born from guitarist Johnson’s initial lyrics, fleshed out collectively by the band. Donny Hill describes it as both message and method: “Maybe we can show other people through music… it’s nice to show that we can come together no matter what our lineage is, and hopefully put on something positive.”

Recorded with community contributions, the single includes a children’s choir and features Candy Barrotti on vocals, Don Baird on keyboards, and Isax InJah on horns. This intergenerational collaboration amplifies the message of legacy and responsibility, embedding hope in the very structure of the song.

As Peace Ambassadors, TRIBZ emphasize that peace is not abstract. “Peace comes from within,” Francis notes. “It starts at home and in the end that vibration can go out into the community, into the culture and eventually into the world.” For the band, the International Day of Peace is not symbolic — it is a chance to practice peace in real time, through performance and community gathering.

The Corktown show, scheduled from 2:00 to 5:30 p.m., will be broadcast internationally as part of PEAC Institute’s 24-hour “Pause for Peace” global concert. Organized in partnership with LIVE Peace, the festival brings together voices across continents, with TRIBZ representing Canada’s Indigenous and R&B lineage.

TRIBZ’s trajectory has always reflected a balance of lived heritage and contemporary urgency. Johnson’s history with King Biscuit Boy and Moxy, Hill’s grounding in Rez Blues and collaborations with Murray Porter, Davidson’s decades on global stages, and Francis’s legacy as the voice behind the Canadian soul hit “Angel” all converge in this new chapter.

For the band, “Save the World” is not just a song but a declaration. “We are for Peace! This is the main thing,” Francis states. It is an anthem for a moment that demands attention, a soundtrack for a day that insists on change.

The music video, produced by Vance World Media, captures TRIBZ in landscapes that mirror the scope of their vision — rooted, expansive, and urgent. With each refrain, the band extends an invitation: to sing, to act, and to remember that peace is collective work.

Damn Coyote Chris Embraces Humour, Mortality, and Melody With “Destination Funeral”

Eric Alper
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Damn Coyote Chris Embraces Humour, Mortality, and Melody With “Destination Funeral”

With his album Departures, his 2025 collection of “comfort-food songs from my Private Reserve,” Damn Coyote Chris turns again to themes of mortality, resilience, and the curious way laughter keeps us afloat. “Destination Funeral,” stands as one of the most personal and playful testaments yet to his lifelong songwriting craft.

Chris Nikiforuk-Rhyason — known to Alberta audiences for more than 35 years as Damn Coyote Chris — has long worked at the crossroads of music, tattoo artistry, and visual creation. As the force behind Them Damn Coyotes through the ‘90s and 2000s, he built a reputation for raw energy and unfiltered storytelling. With his solo work, Chris channels those same instincts inward, merging blues, jazz, and classical guitar techniques into songs that balance humour with unshakable honesty.

“’Destination Funeral’ was a song that had itself written in my mind for years,” Chris reflects. “Struggles with mental health, a self-destructive nature, and a dark slapstick sense of humour always bring it to mind and consistently get a laugh.” What began as a joke to his grandmother — a riff on a canceled wedding and the imagined gathering of friends at his funeral — grew into a narrative about acceptance, community, and humour’s strange partnership with grief.

The song’s lyrics capture that tension directly:

“Folks I’m sending you this message / Hopin’ that it finds you well / Cuz I had a great idea / I know it’s not an easy sell…”

It’s an invitation not to mourn, but to travel together toward the inevitable horizon.

Recorded in Edmonton with longtime collaborator and producer Stew Kirkwood, “Destination Funeral” carries a tropical lilt. Steel drums and commanding guitar work give the track a celebratory air, somewhere between Vince Gill’s precision and Jimmy Buffett’s wry spirit. When Chris laid down his lead solo, Kirkwood spun around in disbelief: “That was YOU!! See, I knew you needed to get some music out.”

Humour anchors the composition, but so does vivid imagery. Chris laughs as he describes picturing a catamaran equipped with a woodchipper: “Let’s go swimmin’ with them sharks man… Chum the waters with me.” This macabre humour sits comfortably next to the tenderness of sharing the final journey with friends.

As with the rest of Departures, Chris leans on what he calls “100% human generated” songs — music without pretense or polish for its own sake, but sharpened through decades of lived experience. The result is a record that uses humour, philosophy, and craft to bridge the distance between sorrow and celebration.

“Destination Funeral” is not a farewell, but a continuation — one more adventure where melody becomes memory, and humour softens what might otherwise be unbearable. In Chris’s hands, the weight of mortality becomes lighter, even joyful.

With his guitar, his voice, and his unique ability to frame the hardest truths in laughter, Damn Coyote Chris reminds listeners that the best songs are not simply written — they are lived, shared, and carried together.

JUNO Award-Winning Inuk Artist Susan Aglukark Shares Her Story in New Memoir ‘KIHIANI’

Eric Alper
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JUNO Award-Winning Inuk Artist Susan Aglukark Shares Her Story in New Memoir ‘KIHIANI’

HarperCollins Publishers is proud to release KIHIANI by Susan Aglukark with Andrea Warner, out now. This deeply moving memoir from one of Canada’s most celebrated artists traces Aglukark’s journey of healing and self-discovery, weaving together trauma, resilience, and the redemptive power of art. Within moments of it arriving on Amazon, it quickly became a Top 10 on numerous sections, including Composer & Musician Biographies.

Born in Fort Churchill, Manitoba, and raised in Arviat on the western edges of Hudson Bay, Aglukark grew up in a humble but loving home with six siblings. At age eight, while living in Rankin Inlet, her life was disrupted by a profound event that created a lasting inner schism. Writing poetry at fifteen became a lifeline, and eventually music carried her into a career that would reshape Canadian arts and culture. From her early feature on a CBC Arctic artists compilation to signing with a major label for her third album This Child, Aglukark has consistently transformed personal struggle into anthems of hope.

KIHIANI captures both the disruption and the milestones, the devastation and the healing, that define Aglukark’s life and career. It is her profoundly honest story of navigating pain, reclaiming identity, and finding strength through song. You can get it now at Amazon or Indigo.

Susan Aglukark is a four-time Juno Award–winning Inuk singer-songwriter and the first Inuk artist to ever win a Juno. She is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a recipient of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for lifetime artistic achievement, and holds several honorary doctorates. Aglukark’s legacy includes beloved songs like “This Child” and “O Siem,” as well as a lifetime dedicated to bridging cultures through art.

KIHIANI is co-written with Andrea Warner, author, critic, and broadcaster known for her insightful work on music, culture, and identity.

In tandem with the memoir, Aglukark will mark another career milestone this summer with the 30th anniversary vinyl release of her breakthrough album This Child out now. Remastered from the original source tapes and pressed to vinyl for the very first time, the record features the landmark single “O Siem,” which reached #1 on the Canadian adult contemporary and country charts in 1995, making Aglukark the first Inuk performer to have a Top 40 hit. Additional hits “Hina Na Ho (Celebration)” and “Breakin’ Down” further cemented This Child as a cornerstone of Canadian music, with the album ultimately certified triple platinum (300,000 copies sold).

Reflecting on the album’s title track, Aglukark explains:

“This Child was my artist statement, my call to personal action. At the time, I was writing from a life of deep alone-ness. Leaving home felt like disconnecting from something critical—the land-based way of connection that is the Inuit way. The song was a message to my future artist and Inuk self: write who you are so you never forget where you come from, who you are, and why you left.”

This Child 30th Anniversary Vinyl Track Listing

Side One

  1. This Child
  2. Shamaya
  3. Suffer In Silence
  4. O Siem
  5. Dreams For You

Side Two

  1. Hina Na Ho (Celebration)
  2. Kathy I
  3. Pond Inlet
  4. Breakin’ Down
  5. Casualties of War

Econoline Crush Announce New Era With “New Gold Magic” Single And Canadian Tour

Eric Alper
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Econoline Crush Announce New Era With “New Gold Magic” Single And Canadian Tour

For three decades, Econoline Crush has thrived in the space between industrial grit and melodic uplift. With their forthcoming single ‘New Gold Magic’ out September 26 —produced, mixed, and mastered by Kane Churko at The Hideout—the band signals not just survival but reinvention. Frontman Trevor Hurst frames it succinctly: “New Gold Magic is about getting your swagger back.”

The Vancouver-born band’s roots stretch back to 1992, when their debut EP Purge earned them a Juno nomination and set the tone for a career defined by collisions of metal, electronica, and arena-sized hooks. Their 1997 breakthrough The Devil You Know went platinum, buoyed by the serrated synths of ‘Surefire (Never Enough)’ and the soaring melancholy of ‘All That You Are (X3).’ Alongside contemporaries like Gravity Kills and Stabbing Westward, they carved out a uniquely Canadian lane in the global industrial-rock surge.

But where many of their peers fossilized in late-90s nostalgia, Econoline Crush mutated. After early-2000s label setbacks, Hurst briefly stepped away, later reemerging as both musician and psychiatric nurse, working in Indigenous communities across Manitoba. That second vocation inflected his songwriting with lived empathy, tethering rage to resilience. When the band returned with When the Devil Drives in 2023, it sounded less like a comeback than a recalibration: guitars sharpened, electronics sculpted, vocals stripped of artifice but rich with scars.

‘New Gold Magic’ is their next combustion point. Over a chassis of jagged guitars and sleek industrial pulses, Hurst spits defiance: “You’re the doubt I hate in a world of fake / Am I the only thing that is real? I will dedicate all the hurt I take, and give you all the pain I feel.” These lyrics feel less like performance and more like invocation, a reclamation of vitality against both external naysayers and internal fracture.

Musically, the track is all forward momentum. Churko’s production—known for his work with In This Moment and Papa Roach—balances machine-tooled aggression with a radio-ready gleam. The chorus detonates around the mantra “I got that new gold magic,” a line that crystallizes the song’s duality: swagger as survival mechanism, glamor as armor. In the tradition of Econoline Crush’s biggest singles, it’s abrasive and anthemic at once.

If their 1990s work embodied the alienation of post-grunge malaise, ‘New Gold Magic’ addresses the 2020s’ crisis of confidence. Its attack on “worn-out plastic” and embrace of something “lethal and automatic” reads as a critique of disposable culture, a refusal to surrender authenticity in an era of algorithmic sameness. As Hurst explains, “There was a period of time in my life where I found myself surrounded by doubt and a choir full of discouraging voices. New Gold Magic is about feeling triumphant, defiant, and confident when the vision, the dream, the song starts to connect.”

This isn’t merely nostalgia for the days when MuchMusic rotated “You Don’t Know What It’s Like.” It’s a reminder that industrial rock—once dismissed as an anachronism—remains adaptive, capable of reflecting contemporary anxieties with precision. Econoline Crush, far from being museum pieces, continue to interrogate what resilience sounds like when filtered through distortion pedals and samplers.

The band will take ‘New Gold Magic’ on the road this fall, with a Canadian tour kicking off October 4 at Vancouver’s Rickshaw Theatre and winding through cities like Winnipeg, Hamilton, Toronto, and Ottawa before closing in Oshawa on November 23. For Hurst, these stages aren’t just venues—they’re laboratories where songs reveal whether they still spark collective catharsis.

In the end, ‘New Gold Magic’ is both statement and spell: an alchemic transformation of doubt into drive, pain into propulsion. Econoline Crush have always been about extremes—the brutal and the beautiful, the mechanical and the human—and their latest single insists that those tensions are not relics of the ’90s but vital languages for the present.

Econoline Crush — New Gold Magic Tour 2025

  • Oct 4, 2025 — Vancouver, BC · Rickshaw Theatre
  • Oct 25, 2025 — Fort MacMurray, AB · Keyano Theatre
  • Oct 29, 2025 — Moose Jaw, SK · Mae Wilson Theatre
  • Oct 30, 2025 — North Battleford, SK · Dekker Centre
  • Nov 1, 2025 — Medicine Hat, AB · Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre
  • Nov 5, 2025 — Kamloops, BC · The Blue Grotto
  • Nov 6, 2025 — Vernon, BC · The Vernon Towne Theatre
  • Nov 7, 2025 — Cranbrook, BC · Encore Brewing
  • Nov 17, 2025 — Winnipeg, MB · Park Theatre
  • Nov 18, 2025 — Hamilton, ON · Mills Hardware
  • Nov 19, 2025 — Guelph, ON · Sonic Hall
  • Nov 20, 2025 — Toronto, ON · Lee’s Palace
  • Nov 22, 2025 — Ottawa, ON · Brass Monkey
  • Nov 23, 2025 — Oshawa, ON · Biltmore Theatre

Jacob Moon Brings Rush, Troubadours, and Timeless Classics to Ontario Stages in 2025

Eric Alper
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Jacob Moon Brings Rush, Troubadours, and Timeless Classics to Ontario Stages in 2025

Jacob Moon is a master performer whose concerts fuse technical brilliance with heartfelt storytelling. Known for his soaring vocals, virtuosic guitar work, and innovative live looping, Moon doesn’t just perform songs—he builds worlds on stage. Audiences across Canada and beyond have come to know his shows as nights of unforgettable music, where classic songs are reimagined and timeless stories are retold with passion and authenticity.

Moon’s career has earned the respect of music legends like Rush, Marillion, and Gordon Lightfoot, who have praised his artistry and invited him to share their stages. With 12 albums released and countless tours across Canada, the US, and Europe, he has built a reputation not as an imitator, but as a unique interpretive voice and a creator of powerful concert experiences that resonate long after the final note.

In 2025, Jacob Moon will bring a series of dynamic shows to stages across Ontario, each with its own distinctive theme. These concerts are not simply tributes, but reinventions—crafted with care to give fans and newcomers alike a chance to experience beloved music in new ways.

Jacob Plays PROG! The Songs of RUSH and More!

Nov. 15, 2025 – Old Town Hall, Waterford, ON

Classic Troubadours: The Songs of Sheryl Crow & Stevie Nicks

Oct. 18, 2025 – First Ontario Arts Centre, Milton, ON

Oct. 25, 2025 – Wingham Town Hall Theatre, Wingham, ON

Nov. 8, 2025 – McIntyre Performing Arts Centre, Hamilton, ON

Shake It Up: The Songs of Elvis Costello & The Cars

Sept. 27, 2025 – The Aeolian, London, ON

Oct. 1, 2025 – The Registry Theatre, Kitchener, ON

Classic Troubadours Live: The Songs of James, Joni, Jackson & Carole

Sept. 24, 2025 – Flato Academy Theatre, Lindsay, ON

Oct. 3, 2025 – NewRoads Performing Arts Centre, Newmarket, ON

Oct. 15, 2025 – Meaford Hall Opera House, Meaford, ON

Oct. 17, 2025 – Stocky Centre for the Performing Arts, Parry Sound, ON

Oct. 24, 2025 – Roselawn Theatre, Port Colborne, ON

Nov. 1, 2025 – #ForParis Centre, Paris, ON

Nov. 7, 2025 – Midland Cultural Centre, Midland, ON

Nov. 28, 2025 – First Ontario Performing Arts Centre, St. Catharines, ON

Jacob Moon’s 2025 tour offers more than concerts—it offers journeys through the soundtracks of our lives. Each show is carefully crafted to deliver both nostalgia and discovery, performed with the artistry and soul that have made Moon one of Canada’s most respected performers. For tickets and more information, visit www.jacobmoon.com.

Timmy McKeever Leans Into 1950s-Inspired Country Soul on New Single “Break My Heart Tonight”

Eric Alper
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Timmy McKeever Leans Into 1950s-Inspired Country Soul on New Single “Break My Heart Tonight”

ne of Nashville’s most buzzed-about newcomers Timmy McKeever is showing a raw and unfiltered side of heartbreak with the release of his brand-new song, “Break My Heart Tonight,” available everywhere now. Listen here.

“I wanted this song to feel like one of those late-night conversations where there’s no use sugarcoating anything anymore,” McKeever shares. “It’s about facing heartbreak head-on, without the games, without the drama. Sonically, it’s a little left-of-center for me, leaning into this nostalgic, 1950s-inspired vibe that I haven’t really explored before. I can’t wait for my fans to hear it.”

Written with sharp honesty and delivered through McKeever’s signature soulful vocals, “Break My Heart Tonight” strips away the dramatics of a breakup and instead embraces the painful truth head-on. The track balances tender vulnerability with bold delivery as McKeever pleads for honesty over prolonging the inevitable.

The release of “Break My Heart Tonight” comes on the heels of McKeever’s recent single “Hold You To It” and a run of tour dates with Gabby Barrett, as he prepares to join Ryan Hurd on his tour this fall.

Upcoming Timmy McKeever Tour Dates

October 3 – Ocean City, MD – Country Calling

October 13 – New York, NY (Ryan Hurd Tour Kickoff)* – Gramercy Theatre

October 14 – Washington, DC* – The Hamilton

November 6 – Wyandotte, MI* – District 142

November 7 – Chicago, IL* – Joe’s on Weed Street

November 8 – Grand Rapids, MI* – The Intersection

November 13 – Nashville, TN* – Cannery Hall

*indicates opening for Ryan Hurd

ABOUT TIMMY MCKEEVER

Rapidly emerging as one of country music’s most compelling new voices, Timmy McKeever is stepping confidently into his next chapter with two major announcements: a signing to powerhouse label Big Loud, and the release of new music. His latest single, “Break My Heart Tonight,” is out now, showcasing his raw, emotional storytelling and further cementing his reputation as a rising star. Earlier this summer, he released his label debut single, “Hold You To It” (August 1), marking his official introduction under the Big Loud banner and placing him among the label’s chart-topping roster that includes Morgan Wallen and HARDY. Blending modern country production with grounded, honest songwriting, McKeever began shaping his sound and stage presence in his home state of California, performing at venues like The Maverick and House of Blues Anaheim. Since relocating to Nashville in June 2024, his momentum has skyrocketed, earning him national attention and bigger stages. Since the release of his debut album Devils & Angels on December 6, McKeever has racked up nearly 20 million streams, with over half of that total coming post-album. On social media, he continues to generate serious buzz, consistently reaching more than 5 million monthly impressions and 600,000+ interactions, underscoring his growing grassroots fanbase and national reach. A seasoned performer, McKeever has logged over 400 live shows, including opening slots for Cody Johnson, Ashley Cooke, Gabby Barrett, Lee Greenwood, Dylan Scott, Chris Janson, and Drew Baldridge. His streaming success is matched by over 30 featured placements on DSP-curated playlists, including Spotify’s Next From Nashville, Fresh Finds, Fresh Finds Country, and New Music Friday Country, Amazon’s Breakthrough Country, and Apple Music’s New in Country. Since Devils & Angels, McKeever has continued to deliver fan-favorite releases, including the emotional “I’ve Known Better” (video released March 21), “Tennessee Orange (Breakup Version)” (March 28), a reimagined take on Megan Moroney’s Tennessee Orange, and the high-octane full-length video for “Lightning Speed” (June 23), which captures the chaos and thrill of chasing a dream. With “Break My Heart Tonight” now available and “Hold You To It” ushering in a bold new era under Big Loud, Timmy McKeever’s rise is only just beginning.

Foo Fighters Shake Up San Luis Obispo with Ilan Rubin Debut Before Announcing Santa Ana Show

Eric Alper
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Foo Fighters Shake Up San Luis Obispo with Ilan Rubin Debut Before Announcing Santa Ana Show

The 3.7 earthquake a few miles west of Atascadero wasn’t the only seismic activity to rock San Luis Obispo County last night, as Foo Fighters treated a capacity crowd of FF faithful at the Fremont Theater — many of whom camped out overnight for tickets — to a career-spanning set featuring the thunderous debut of new FF drummer Ilan Rubin.

And they’re doing it again — as announced this morning, Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, Rami Jaffee and Ilan Rubin will play their second show of 2025 Monday, September 15 at the Observatory in Santa Ana, CA.

For Santa Ana ticket info, doors, showtime and more, go to https://foofighters.com/news/live-in-santa-ana-monday-sept-15

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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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