HiSQ & Minna Ora

Skillful band HiSQ and a great singer Minna Ora, this Finnish collaboration serves you a beautiful modern ballad with 80’s vibes.

https://www.hisq.fi/

Robert Ocean Band

Hailing from Vancouver, BC, the Robert Ocean Band stands as a beacon of inspiration in the Alternative Rock scene. Established in 2017, the band has evolved, and Robert Ocean, its heart and soul, has undergone multiple transformations, always emerging stronger. Recognized for its deep commitment to social causes, the Robert Ocean Band's music isn't just for listening – it's a call to action. From addressing climate change and mental health to plastic pollution, their songs have become anthems of awareness. Beyond just music, the band has formed alliances with volunteer organizations in Africa dedicated to environmental clean-ups. They not only sing about change, but they're also actively participating in it, with initiatives like selling T-shirts to fund these environmental endeavors. 

The Robert Ocean Band is about more than just social change. Their journey has been about music's power to enlighten, unite, and inspire positive growth in humanity. Since their commercial debut in March 2022, they have witnessed nothing but exponential growth, garnering a rapidly expanding audience across platforms like Spotify, YouTube, and beyond. The Robert Ocean Band represents more than music; it signifies a movement. Holding steadfast to the notion that music is the gateway, they serve as messengers, illuminating the shadows. Defined by their dedication, authenticity, and purpose, each of their songs transcends melody, delivering a profound message. 

Discover more about the Robert Ocean Band, their mission, and their incredible music by visiting their official website and following their journey on major platforms like Spotify, YouTube, and Facebook.

https://www.robertocean.com/

Glenn Foster

After four decades in the music business, Glen Foster has earned the right to break any rule he wants. And this happy iconoclast shows no signs of compromise on “White Funeral,” a whimsically morbid country-blues number that appears on his latest album, the trend-bucking Unnatural Tendencies. 
 
Like a winking eulogy to a vanishing era, the song finds Foster chronicling the impending demise of one Old Snake, a “hardened old metaphoric character” who gets stranded in the desert just as it’s starting to snow.
 
It’s a sure sign of winter, the geese are flying south 
A sure sign of winter, when you see that harvest moon full out
A sure sign of winter, it don’t leave much room for doubt
It’s going to be a White Funeral if Old Snake don’t make it out
 
Snake’s truck isn’t the only thing that’s breaking down here: It’s his life itself, as Foster’s plaintive yet sardonic vocal makes painfully apparent. All the while, the singer-songwriter-instrumentalist’s Dobro curlicues circle like hungry buzzards over the tasteful burial plot of a backing track laid down by his bandmates in the Glen Foster Group: Marg Foster (harmony vocals, percussion) Marty Steele (keyboards, harmony vocals), Colin Stevenson (bass guitar, harmony vocals) and James McRae (drums).
 
Playful elegia is just one of the many moods to be discovered on Unnatural Tendencies, a nonconformist manifesto of a record that plays like a defiant response to the winnowed attention spans and fixation on salability that are setting the direction of today’s musical culture. Few marketing consultants, after all, would encourage an artist to begin his album with a title track that’s nearly 17 minutes long and moves fluidly through three different songs, each in a different key but with the same chord progression and tempo. Nor would an A&R executive be turning cartwheels if said artist chose to include another number that incorporated a rapped intro, heavy guitar riffs, a satirical sitar hook, an accordion solo set to a polka beat, a bluegrass banjo break, and a highland bagpipe solo—oh, and a disco finale, complete with walking bass and falsetto vocals. Throw in some lyrical references to the plight of First Nations peoples and the pitfalls of religious obsession, and whammo! Instant anathema to the TikTok generation.
 
And Foster couldn’t be happier about it. This far into his career, he’s still willing to risk it all to remain genuine.
 
“Natural tendencies are what we tend to gravitate towards in life,” he says. “My concept of Unnatural Tendencies includes thinking outside the box and attempting things that we would normally shy away from. It involves taking risks and trying different things that could be glorious or disastrous.”
 
But then, it’s been that way for the Nanaimo-based rock/folk maverick since he burst onto the scene in the ’70s with his original band, Falcon, whose 1980 single “Los Angeles” won a talent contest on CKOC Radio Hamilton. Since then, Foster has worked with the likes of Daniel Lanois and Ray Materick (“Linda Put The Coffee On”) and has taught more than 20 years’ worth of students in his side gig as a professional music teacher, receiving two silver medals from the Royal Conservatory of Music in the process. But the biggest feather in his cap has been his stellar run as a solo artist, which encompasses 10 albums of music in a breathtaking diversity of styles—from the “Rockabilly Fever” of 2020’s Not Far Away to the seasonal side he explored on The Spirit of Christmas the very next year.
 
Now he takes another bold step into the great unknown with Unnatural Tendencies, which he co-produced with Rick Salt (The Irish Rovers, Kerplunks, Jack Connolly, Gerry Barnum, Phil Dwyer) at Nanaimo’s Mountainview Studio. It’s seeing release on Foster’s own Rescue Records label, which is part of the reason he felt the freedom to stretch out in multiple directions at once.
 
“This is my tenth album (which prompted the word ‘Tendencies’ in the title), and I’m making it fit for me,” he says. “It’s the way I like to hear music, in album form the way I believe my fans do. These are some of my best songs ever; I’m singing and playing guitar better than I ever have, and I brought in the best musicians I could find, rather than use synthesizers and samples.”
 
So even though the devil-may-care approach he took to composition this time might not have been devised expressly with the stage in mind, he and his band still have all the ammo they need to further their reputation for killer live work when they do take the new material on the road. Venues across Canada have witnessed the little miracle Glen is live, both on his own and sharing the bill with the likes of Lighthouse, Sammy Hagar, Dr. Hook, Jose Feliciano, Valdy, Jesse Winchester and Stan Rogers. With the new album done, look for them at a showroom, festival, park concert or pub near you. Anything else would be … well, unnatural.

https://glenfoster.ca/
 

Different Moon

Different Moon was founded in 2015 by North Carolina (USA) songwriter/producer Jim Piper. At the early age of 37, Piper’s long-time high school friend and fellow keyboardist/songwriting partner, Mike Smith, passed away. Piper chose to honor his memory by sharing with the public five unreleased songs co-written by Piper/Smith, thereby releasing a debut EP under the artist name Different Moon. Encouraged by interest from new fans and driven by a passion for music, Piper decided to continue writing and releasing new songs as Different Moon. Piper has released three EP’s, seventeen singles, and received over thirty international songwriting nominations. 

The music of Different Moon continues to evolve, but its foundation is a blend of pop, rock, and alternative melodically crafted together.

https://www.differentmoon.com/

ne=ro

"Just a normal guy doing a normal job who always dreamed of being a rock star. My songs are influenced by personal experiences as well as being a narrative on what I've seen in the world around me. 

I'm a singer songwriter who penned a bundle of songs a few years ago and now I'm keen on others to hear them and hopefully have their lives touched by them. I remember how certain songs would be on repeat in my headphones as a child and I'd listen to them over and over, feeling myself change and evolve with each repetition. I'd be honoured if any of my songs had the same effect on someone else. I like to think that my music is a bit of a throwback to the late 80s and early 90s with some guitar driven ballads as well as some tracks that will hopefully get your foot tapping and head bobbing! 

I hope you enjoy listening.".

https://www.nero-music.com/

The Refusers

Blasting through the establishment’s twisted goals, The Refusers perform songs of musical defiance. The Refusers speak today’s spirit of rage and simmering revolution against the establishment. As audacious as some think they are, The Refusers passionately refuse to go along with the program. Could they know something we don’t? Yes ladies and gentlemen. Punk rock has always been all about fighting the man, but now it’s about fighting for your life.

Battle lines have been drawn and these Pacific Northwest rockers encourage their viewer to dismiss the notion to 'build back better”, but instead 'fight back bitter'.

https://therefusers.com/

Sami Jo

Sami Jo has had a pen in her hand since day 1 and picked up a guitar to accompany her writing by the time she reached high school. She moved to Nashville, TN out of college and developed a name for herself around town, notoriously writing all the personal, gut wrenching details of life and disguising them with pretty, catchy melodies. 

When you hear a Sami Jo song, artists like Noah Kahan, Colbie Caillat, and Kacey Musgrave may come to mind. Though her writing styles vary, her artistry stays true to her folk pop/americana roots. Sami Jo’s move to Nashville began with a simple email on November 1, 2015 with a return sender: The Bluebird Cafe. Although famously known for their long audition process, the legendary music venue personally reached out to Sami Jo inviting her to play a Sunday Writer’s Night. Since that date, she has been recognized as NSAI’s “Ones to Watch,” has won the #1 song in SUSC International Songwriting competition, and a top 12 finalist in American Country Star worldwide competition. 

Though new to releasing music, her latest single, “Black & White Reality” hit 22k streams in the first 3 months with the top countries: United States and United Kingdom. She regularly plays to packed audiences in Nashville and in the past year she has led a successful International tour through England and Ireland where she performed on iconic stages including The Cavern Club, The Jacaranda, The Adelphi Hotel, and more. When Sami Jo is not touring Internationally, she is Nashville’s beloved host of “Sams Jams” bi-weekly writers round at the prestigious Virgin Hotel on Music Row. She uses her networking and promotion skills to provide a platform for nearly 800 artists per year to share their original music with industry professionals.

https://www.samijosongs.com/