Danny Marks And BLUZ FM Mark 25 Historic Years As One Of Canada's Most Influential Blues Radio Programs

 

This month, Danny Marks and BLUZ FM celebrate 25 years on the air, a milestone that lands in the middle of what Marks calls a triple play of a year: hosting the inaugural Canadian Blues Music Awards in January, watching his new album 'Back to the Blues' climb to Top 5 on Canada's Big Blues Chart, and now marking a quarter century of the program that made him one of the most recognizable voices in Canadian blues broadcasting. "It's a positive affirmation that creativity is born out of adversity, turning coal into diamonds," Marks says of the convergence. "In this moment, that's the icing on the cake."

The story of BLUZ FM begins in the summer of 2001, when Marks got a call from CJRT general manager Chuck Camroux about bringing the blues back to 91.1 FM as the station rebranded into JAZZ FM91. Marks walked from his home in Cabbagetown to meet Camroux, who asked what he'd call the show. "Saturday Night Blues is taken," Marks told him. "The station is JAZZ FM, I'll be BLUZ FM."Camroux had his assistant register the domain on the spot and hired Marks before the meeting was even over. That September, BLUZ FM took to the air, and Marks still has the script from his first broadcast as a keepsake, though he abandoned scripts entirely not long after, choosing instead to riff on the music in a stream of consciousness that has defined the program ever since.

That first episode opened with "Let's Have a Party" by Amos Milburn, a tribute to Toronto blues champion Dave "Daddy Kool" Booth, and closed with "Lights Out," a track from Marks' own 1996 album 'Guitarchaeology.' That closing song, along with his signature sign off, "Good Night and May the Good Blues Be Yours," has ended every broadcast since - one of several old-fashioned touches Marks has kept deliberately intact through 25 years of change in how people find and listen to music.

BLUZ FM launched into a Toronto blues scene that was thriving seven days a week, from Albert's Hall, where Marks' own band produced the Stormy Monday television show for Rogers Cable 10, to Grossman's, the Elmo, the Silver Dollar and the wider Wing Circuit of clubs across the city. International legends including BB King, Albert King, Freddie King, Etta James and Hound Dog Taylor were still touring, and the Toronto Blues Society was actively building the local scene that would eventually give rise to the Maple Blues Awards.

Over 25 years and thousands of hours behind the microphone, Marks has met and hosted a remarkable list of guests. BB King, he says, may have been the most impactful of them all, an artist he places in the same company as Louis Armstrong for the reach of his influence. Buddy and Phil Guy, Robbie Robertson, Ronnie Hawkins, Eric Burdon, Bettye Lavette and Texas soul man Roy Head all passed through the studio, alongside Canadian greats like Harry Manx, Donnie Walsh, David Wilcox and Rita Chiarelli, each leaving Marks with stories he still tells today.

Canadian talent has always been at the centre of the show, with BLUZ FM carrying a self-imposed Canadian content commitment well beyond industry standard. Marks was the first to play Crystal Shawanda in a blues context, gave Jim Bowskill, now of Blue Rodeo, an early platform, and continues to break new Canadian artists like Dee Long of Klaatu. Heather Morgan's "Johnny Edwards" remains the single most requested song in the program's history, and Marks has made it part of his mission to keep the memory of artists no longer with us, from David Clayton Thomas era contemporaries to lesser-known local legends, alive on the airwaves.

None of it came without challenges. Marks points to management turnovers at the station as some of the toughest stretches BLUZ FM has weathered, moments when knowing when to stay quiet mattered as much as knowing what to play. "The soul of CJRT has prevailed through tough times thanks to the listener," he says, and today he counts the station's current leadership among the strongest it has ever had.

Marks arrives at 25 years with plans already taking shape for what comes next, including a home broadcast and recording studio currently under construction that will let him bring live music and rare vinyl deeper into the program. Between the anniversary, the CBMAs and 'Back to the Blues,' Marks calls this moment exactly what it looks like: a lifelong student and champion of the blues still finding new ways to share it. "The future looks bright," he says, "all the colours of the blues, one beautiful, blessed day at a time."

Vancouver Vintage Soul Quartet HONEYBEAR, THE BAND Announces New Album 'The Cure' With Two Album Release Shows

 

Vancouver based vintage soul, blues and roots quartet Honeybear will release its new album, 'The Cure,' on September 4, marking the follow up to a debut that turned four longtime friends into one of Canada's fastest rising roots acts. The band celebrates with two album release shows, first at Upstairs in Victoria on September 9 alongside Emmett Jerome, then home in Vancouver on September 10 at the Hollywood Theatre.

Honeybear formed in 2023, though the members had already spent decades crossing paths on tours across Canada and down the West Coast. The band's origin traces back to the pandemic, when the group found itself jamming outdoors in parks, running amps and PA systems off jerry rigged motorcycle batteries just to keep playing live music together. That same instinct, chasing the sound over everything else, still defines the band, described by music blog B-Side Guys as sounding "like The Teskey Brothers collaborated with the ghost of Muddy Waters."

'The Cure' expands that sound well beyond the original quartet. Across 11 tracks, Beaty and Brumelle's songwriting is joined by rotating keys from Mike Kenney and Cindy Fairbank, drums from Geoff Hicks and Tim Watson, pedal steel from Scott Smith, horns from Jerry Cook, Jocelyn Waugh, Adam Kyle and Gregory Dent, and background vocals from Dawn Pemberton and Colleen Rennison. The album was recorded across two studios, with Jeff Zipp behind the board at Light Machine and John Raham recording at Afterlife Studios, before Zipp mixed the record and Doug Krebs handled mastering, the same team responsible for the warm, horn laced sound the band has built its reputation on.

The album's early single, "Just Your Fool," offers a preview of what's ahead, a classic blues ballad built around devotion that may not be entirely returned. Written by Beaty and Brumelle and produced by Zipp, the song is a riff on the Slim Harpo classic "Raining in My Heart" and has already passed 100,000 streams, proof that there is still a real appetite for horn driven, human sounding music made the old way.

That appetite has followed the band since its 2025 debut, 'I Was Wrong,' which has surpassed nine million streams on Spotify with 200,000 monthly listeners, landing placement on official Spotify Editorial playlists including Retro Soul, The New Retro and Best Blues of 2025, along with airplay from CBC, NPR, CKUA and indie and co-op stations around the world. The band has become a festival favourite at Rifflandia, Barnside Harvest Fest, Vancouver Jazz Festival, Calgary Blues Fest, Kitchener Blues Fest, Wapiti and Starbelly, and has sold out club dates across Canada from The Horseshoe in Toronto, Upstairs in Victoria, Rainbow in Ottawa to the Ironwood in Calgary.

The industry has taken notice as well, with Honeybear recently nominated for a Blues Music Award from the Memphis based Blues Foundation, a Blues Artist of the Year nomination from the WCMA, a spot on the Vancouver Sun's "10 Artists to Watch in 2026," and Roots Music Canada's New Discovery of the Year.

With 'The Cure' arriving September 4, Honeybear, the Band brings its road-tested chemistry and growing cast of collaborators into its most fully realized record yet and invites fans out to hear it live at both release shows.

Tony Rust and The Mudhorse

 

It`s been quite a wait since Tony Rust and The Mudhorse`s released their last single "Can`t Believe My Eyes", which was released at the very start year, 1<sup>st</sup> January 2026! So it`s a bit of a welcome back for the band, with a new track "Nevada Dust", a track the band have been play in their live set for sometime. A new album is still forthcoming, as there`s no release date, but the band has signed to a label, with an album planned for end of 2026/beginning of 2027, ear marked for release.

Nevada Dust

A psychedelic rock track inspired by the sound and atmosphere of 1960s Spaghetti Westerns.

The idea for Nevada Dust came to life during a trip through the Nevada desert a few years ago. We’ve been playing this song live since 2023, and after all these years, we’re finally excited to share the studio version with you.

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/Tonyrustandthemudhorses

https://www.instagram.com/tonyrust/?hl=fr

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR9iS_5A_MIn5-yyCOiKVWQ

 https://tonyrustandthemudhorses.bandcamp.com/

Advent Horizon

This week see`s the release of the 3<sup>rd</sup> single "Gravity" from US based progressive rock group Advent Horizon`s new studio album "Falling Together" which was released on 15th May 2026. The response to the album has been fantastic within progressive rock/metal circles, in the few months of release. The first single`s "Past Life Parable" released back in March and Faith`s Window in April, the band have really been on a roll of releases. There`s been lots of shows for the band in-between and even a live stream concert back in May. I hope you enjoy the sounds that this band create and feel your listeners might enjoy this very talented band.           

     

Gravity is a gripping two-part Prog Metal mini-epic which features a dreamlike intro, leading into a hard-hitting, riff-filled banger led by Grant Matheson on lead vocals. Conceptually, Gravity talks about how positions of power in so many areas of our lives are so often used to manipulate the people through fear. This is true of Religious and Political leadership, but also in the context of relationships, careers, and more. The phrase "Gravity is what holds us together, we are one when we are all afraid" sums this up nicely. 

https://www.adventhorizonmusic.com/the-band-v2

AMARAX

 

We are AMARAX! Birthed in Perth Western Australia and bringing back the true spirit of the 80's heavy metal packed with shredding guitars, killer riffs and soaring vocals. if Dio and Doro had a kid, this would be it! we're not here for f#@k spiders or chase modern trends. we're about staying true to the sound that defined a generation. Loud, bitchin and unapologetically metal.

 

https://www.facebook.com/amaraxofficial/

https://www.instagram.com/amaraxofficial/

https://www.youtube.com/@amaraxofficial

https://open.spotify.com/track/2Pme2F6tVxw08FtDNhdvX5?autoplay_ok=1

Ethan Askey & The Elevators Have Plenty to Say in New Single "Big Bad Bossman" and Soulful Roots and Blues Album 'Outside the Lines'

Ethan Askey & The Elevators release "Big Bad Bossman", the spirited third single from their forthcoming album 'Outside the Lines', out now. The upbeat blues shuffle takes aim at every petty tyrant who ever mistook control for strength. Askey wrote the lyric about a universal figure, any bully or leader whose insecurity and self-regard gets in the way of good living. Anyone can relate to the song about power dynamics and reclaiming your footing, set to a rhythm that refuses to sit still.

While it is the second track in the album sequence, the single is a good entry point for the album as it wears its blues lineage proudly. "Big Bad Bossman" stands squarely in the footprint of blues pioneer Jimmy Reed. Driven by frontman Askey's baritone vocals and tasty harmonica blowing, the song also features Keith Larsen's explosive guitar playing over a locomotive rhythm section of drummer Ben Dunn and bassist Mike Honeyman, who keep the groove rolling.

The songwriting is clean and clever. "You may act the big dog, you may call the shots," Askey sings, before adding with a wink, "but how you do that is the rub, and friction’s all you got". The previous single release (in March 2026), “Zamboni Girl”, is another song written with a sense of humour and fun, and which also manages to pay respect to the blues masters by invoking several by name even though the subject matter of the song relates to ice hockey.

The singles land in good company on 'Outside the Lines', with its eleven original tracks that reach into folk, funk, swing and varying shades of blues. While the song compositions by Askey and Larsen are diverse in texture and delivery, Askey’s thoughtful lyrics have threads running between them all: there are consistent themes of community, honouring others, finding inspiration in people and places, and squeezing life a little for the sweetest juice. His is a voice of someone who’s lived more than a little, reflected a lot, and who cares for others. At his most somber, Askey offers us “Freakshow” (closing Side A of the vinyl release) which he describes as “a meditation on mindfulness in a dark time of doublethink”. Most joyfully, he describes the vibes of an annual roots and blues music gathering on Canada’s west coast in “My Heart Explodes”, with that song dedicated to the late, great Tim Williams.

The album's roots run all the way to the source. A catalyst for the record was a January 2023 Road trip Askey and Larsen made through Mississippi and Tennessee, timed to the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, where the two northern souls soaked up dozens of bands, played some music, and reconnected with the spiritual birthplace of rhythm and blues. That journey sparked their songwriting partnership and is captured in the album's earlier single "Clarksdale”.

To finish the album, Askey and Larsen travelled east from the Rockies to Ganaraska Recording Co., the Ontario farmhouse studio owned by Blue Rodeo guitarist Jimmy Bowskill, where multiple JUNO Award winner Steve Marriner came aboard to mix the album and do some of the recording there. In that farmhouse setting, Askey recalls magic happening: “The last time Suzie and Jared and I were together we shared the Baltic Blues festival stage in northern Germany, then at Ganaraska we picked up right where we’d left off”. Venerated root and blues artist Suzie Vinnick and rising talent Jared Sowan contributed powerful vocals to the almost gospel-tinged “Purpose”, a prayer for a life on this Earth. The album title track and closer, “Outside the Lines”, has an entirely different feel from the rest of the album as it was captured at Ganaraska using just two vintage microphones on the stripped-down acoustic trio of Askey, Larsen and Marriner.

This album displays an evolution in songwriting and thematic intent since Askey's 2022 solo debut 'Walk When You Wanna Run', an independent release he created with studio musicians that earned steady radio play and the distinction of spending 150 weeks on the roots and blues charts worldwide. This new album reflects the chemistry of band members who collaborate with the ease of old friends. Ethan Askey & The Elevators may be just out of the gate together, but they carry decades of shared history: Askey, Larsen, Dunn and Honeyman had performed together more than twenty years ago in other bands and on local festival stages before life sent them their separate ways. Now living near one another again, voilà! the band.

https://www.ethanaskey.com/

https://www.facebook.com/p/Ethan-Askey-the-Elevators-100090840564193/

https://www.instagram.com/ethanaskeymusic/

New song by Will Ludford

 

We are pleased to announce the new song by Will Ludford KEEPING MY EYES ON YOU. 

 

More info on his sites:

https://www.facebook.com/bigbuzzardrecords

https://www.facebook.com/willludford/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/38Cggr0Z1Nq1vzeUunVC31

 

LISTEN TO HIM HERE

LIVE STREAM >> HERE

Kamloops Teenage Blues Phenom Jake Soberlak Releases Debut Single 'You Gotta Leave' Ahead of September Album 'I'm In Trouble'

At 17-years-old, Jake Soberlak of Kamloops, British Columbia plays the blues with the authority of someone who has lived inside the music for half a century. Today, the young guitarist, singer and harmonica player shares his debut single "You Gotta Leave," the first taste of his forthcoming album 'I'm In Trouble', arriving September 11, 2026. The song announces the arrival of one of the most compelling young voices working in Canadian blues today.

Soberlak's path into the blues began with a discovery that reached across generations. Digging through a collection of his grandfather's old records brought over from England, he found something scratchy, raw and utterly alive that grabbed hold and never let go. He followed the threads the way devoted blues listeners always have, one name leading to another, one record to the next, building a deep self-education in a tradition more than a century old. B.B. King, Peter Green and Eric Clapton became his teachers. He picked up guitar at thirteen and harmonica at fourteen, and word soon spread through Kamloops that something special was happening.

"You Gotta Leave" is an original Soberlak composition, and its origin offers a window into how completely he has absorbed the form. He wrote the song after hearing "Wine, Whiskey and Women" by Papa Lightfoot, a recording where the vocal sounds as though it is being sung straight through the harmonica microphone. Soberlak set out to write something where he could capture that very effect, channeling a vintage technique into a fresh new song. The result swaggers with confidence, anchored by a piano solo that he counts among his favourite moments on the entire record.

The lyrics carry the plainspoken directness that defines the best of the genre. "You gotta leave now babe go away from my door," Soberlak sings, "it's over now baby I don't want you around no more." There is a knowing assurance in lines like "won't you tell me where you learned to be so cold," delivered by a young artist who understands that the blues was always about connecting to something real and giving it your own honest take.

The single arrives from sessions that honour the way the great records were made. Soberlak cut his debut album at Afterlife Studios in Vancouver with producer and drummer Leon Power, known for his work with City and Colour and Frazey Ford. Power assembled a seasoned band for the dates, with Darren Parris on bass, the acclaimed Darryl Havers on piano and John Raham engineering. Every track went down live off the floor across two days, four musicians playing together in a room, capturing the spontaneity and feeling that the form demands.

For a teenager recording his first album alongside players of that caliber, the experience proved joyful and affirming. "They're all great people and great musicians, and it was so much fun," Soberlak says. He approaches the music with a humility that runs deeper than his years. "Not all blues songs are sad," he explains. "It's really a reflection of life. I like finding songs from the 30s, 40s or 50s, these gems that I really connect with, and I enjoy giving them my own take once I've learned them."

Soberlak has been building his live reputation across Kamloops and the surrounding region one room at a time, and his goals remain refreshingly uncomplicated. "I just want to be playing music and gigging," he says. "That's all I want to do." That clarity of purpose runs through every note of "You Gotta Leave" and points toward a debut album that introduces a genuine old soul finding his voice.

https://jakesoberlak.bandcamp.com/album/im-in-trouble-2
https://www.facebook.com/JakeSoberlakMusic/
https://www.instagram.com/jakesoberlak/

Honeybear, the Band Channels Vintage Soul on New Single "Just Your Fool"

Vancouver-based soul, blues and roots quartet Honeybear, the Band releases its new single "Just Your Fool" out now, a classic blues ballad built around the timeless pull of devotion, even when that devotion may not be entirely returned. The track continues the band's run of vintage inspired storytelling, delivered through the warm, horn laced sound that has become their signature.

“Just Your Fool” has already racked up more than 30,000 streams, proving there's still a strong appetite for authentic, human performances and timeless songwriting. A riff on the classic Slim Harpo tune 'Raining in My Heart,' the song harks back to an earlier era, both sonically and lyrically.

Written by bandmates Colin Brumelle and Ian Beaty and produced by Jeff Zipp, "Just Your Fool" brings together the full lineup, with Beaty on bass and vocals, Brumelle on guitar, Cindy Fairbanks on keyboards and Geoff Hicks on drums, joined by Jerry Cook on saxophone and Jocelyn Waugh on trumpet. The horn arrangement adds a rich, old-school texture to the track, grounding the song's emotional weight in the kind of soul instrumentation the band has built its reputation on.

Formed in 2023, Honeybear brought together four longtime friends and veteran performers who had crossed paths for decades on tours across Canada and down the West Coast. The band's origin traces back to the pandemic, when the group found itself jamming outdoors in parks, running amps and PA systems off jerry rigged motorcycle batteries just to keep playing live music together. That instinct to connect through sound has carried through to every release since.

The band's debut album, 'I Was Wrong,' self released in June 2025 on their own Playmor label, has surpassed eight million streams on Spotify with close to 180,000 monthly listeners, earning placement on official Spotify Editorial playlists including Retro Soul, The New Retro and Best Blues of 2025. The record has also found a home on the airwaves, receiving support from CBC, NPR, CKUA and indie and co-op radio stations around the world.

That momentum has translated directly to the stage, with Honeybear quickly becoming a festival favourite at Rifflandia, Barnside Harvest Fest, Vancouver Jazz Festival, Kitchener Blues Fest, Wapiti and Starbelly, alongside sold-out club dates at celebrated rooms like The Horseshoe in Toronto, the Rainbow in Ottawa and the Ironwood in Calgary. The band's rise has not gone unnoticed within the industry, earning a nomination for a Blues Music Award from the Memphis based Blues Foundation, a Blues Artist of the Year nomination from the WCMA, a spot on the Vancouver Sun's "10 Artists to Watch in 2026," and Roots Music Canada's New Discovery of the Year for 2025.

https://honeybear.band/

Blonde Rose

 

 

There`s no stopping the guys from Trodheim, Norway, Blonde Rose are back with another new track, hot on the heel`s of their previous double release last month. The guys have released a new single "Anhedonia", which seems to deal with a darker side of life, compared to their previous release`s? The subject matter is about struggling to find joy in the things that normally give you pleasure and enjoyment. Which may lead to depression and mental health issues, when having to deal with the lack of desire to enjoy things we loved.

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/blonderoseband

 https://www.instagram.com/stories/blonderoseband/

https://open.spotify.com/album/1rxTN3ja0FkW7bXTarzzTa

https://www.youtube.com/@blonderoseband

 

The Name Droppers

The Name Droppers are dropping more than names this summer with the release of their new album, “Let’s Live Together,” on HMG Recordings, available now. The band’s last three albums have seen consistent radio play and chart action on blues shows and blues radio across the country and in Europe.

The Name Droppers have a storied history. The Name Droppers were the backing band for legendary Guitarist Charlie Karp who played with Buddy Miles. The band will be performing at the Park City Music Hall in Bridgeport CT July 30th along with another Buddy Miles alumni – Bassist David Hull – who along with Charlie, dropped out of High School to play with Buddy. His career went on to perform with many major artists and his band The Dirty Angels will also be on the bill – giving the audience a night of nostalgic Connecticut Rock and Blues history.

The Name Droppers are guitarist Rafe Klein, who played alongside Charlie Karp for years and co-wrote with him. Drummer Bobby ‘T’ Torello has an extensive career most notably as the drummer for the Johnny Winter band along with Scott Spray who was the bassist for Johnny Winter. On keyboards is Ron Rifkin whose unique style of playing puts him high on demand as a session player.

Their new album “Let’s Live Together,” also features the vocals of Simone Brown who has sung background on the band’s two previous releases ‘Cool Blue Shoes,’ and ‘Starshine.’ Guest performer is the world -renowned musician Crispin Cioe on saxophone - a member of the Uptown Horns, Crispin has toured and recorded with many artists - the Rolling Stones, Peter Wolf, Joe Cocker, James Brown and the list goes on. The album was produced by Vic Steffens, who is a two-time New England Music Awards winner for ‘Producer of the Year’.

The Name Droppers upcoming gigs in Connecticut :

July 23rd Madison Beach Hotel, https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/mpecuqq-madison-beach-hotel/
Park City Music Hall on July 30th https://www.parkcitymusichall.com/#/events
July 31st The Rocking Horse, Vernon https://rockinghorsebarandgrill.com/
August 1st , The Wolf Den, Mohegan Sun https://mohegansun.com/
August 15th, The Old Well Tavern, Simsbury https://oldwelltavern.com/
For more info on the album, tour dates and tickets www.thenamedroppers.net
Video for the single, ‘Let’s Live Together’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc9HFv4IX5U&t=1s

LISTEN TO ONLY THE NEWEST!

 

 

JAM 66 RADIO BRINGS YOU THE NEWEST ROCK, BLUES AND BLUES ROCK!

Playing only new blues/rock bands! Every day, lots of new groups and songs added to the playlist on the radio!

 

Listen at https://jarnanz.wixsite.com/jamradio , hear with your favorite player or download the app. See links in the right column.

 

LIVE STREAM >>  https://eu4.fastcast4u.com/proxy/jam66?mp=/1

 

ENJOY ONLY THE NEWEST on JAM 66 RADIO!

Crystal Shawanda Honours Raul Malo With Soulful Cover of "Come Unto Me," First Single From Upcoming Album 'Homesick Indian Blues' + Announces Canadian Tour

 

JUNO Award-winning powerhouse Crystal Shawanda releases "Come Unto Me" today on all streaming platforms, a heartfelt cover of The Mavericks classic and the first single from her forthcoming album 'Homesick Indian Blues'. The recording carries deep personal meaning for Shawanda, serving as a tribute to Raul Malo, the Mavericks' famed frontman, whose early support helped launch her career.

The story reaches back to Shawanda's earliest days in Nashville, when she and her band played for tips in the back room upstairs at Tootsies on Broadway, a room reserved at the time for acts the industry had given up on. Performing a mix of pre 1975 country, blues and rock and roll, Shawanda’s group built a devoted following among the songwriters, artists and producers who came to watch, Malo among them. "We never bothered Raul when he came in," Shawanda recalls. "We could see he was trying to lay low."

That changed the night of her RCA Records showcase, when Shawanda looked up and saw Malo in the crowd. His presence meant everything to a young artist who admired him precisely because he never fit the country music mould. "That support, that interest, it inspired me and encouraged me," she says, calling it one of the breadcrumbs that told her to keep going. When The Mavericks reunited years later with Eddie Perez joining the lineup, Shawanda and her husband, producer and guitarist Dewayne Strobel, began dreaming of one day collaborating with the band whose records had shaped them both.

That dream took on new urgency when the couple began working up "Come Unto Me" just before Malo's passing in December 2025. Strobel encouraged Shawanda to carry the song forward as a tribute rather than set it aside, and invited Perez to be part of the recording. Perez accepted, contributing electric and acoustic guitars and backing vocals, and personally walked Shawanda through his parts on the track. "I was like a little kid, so nervous and excited," she says of the session, describing Perez sharing stories of his years alongside Malo.

Malo himself once explained that the song drew inspiration from the film King Kong, the idea that even a giant can be rendered vulnerable by love. Shawanda has embraced that same spirit in her version, delivering the material with the commanding, full throated vocal power that has defined her blues catalogue for over a decade, set against the Tex Mex textures of a Flamingo Pink Stratocaster that Strobel acquired directly from Perez. "My husband and I have lived these words," Shawanda says, "and I think that really shines through in this track."

Born and raised in Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island, Shawanda signed with RCA Nashville in her early twenties and released 'Dawn of a New Day' in 2008, the highest charting album by a full blooded Canadian Indigenous country artist in the SoundScan era. She became the first Indigenous woman to win the Canadian Country Music Award for Female Artist of the Year in 2009, before shifting fully into the blues, a run that has produced JUNO wins for 'Church House Blues' and a Billboard Blues Chart Top 10 debut with 'Midnight Blues.' Her most recent album, 'Sing Pretty Blues,' topped the Indigenous Music Countdown in 2025 and earned JUNO and Canadian Blues Music Award nominations. In 2012, she founded New Sun Records, the first female and Indigenous owned record label in Canada, which she continues to run while mentoring emerging Indigenous artists.

Crystal Shawanda Tour Dates:

July 31 @ 10:00 AM, Wikwemikong Park Centre, Wikwemikong, ON

August 6 @ 7:00 PM, Red Arrow Brewing Company, Duncan, BC

August 8 @ 6:30 PM, Maffeo Sutton Park, Nanaimo, BC

August 15 @ 6:00 PM, Berczy Park, Toronto, ON

August 29 @ 8:00 PM, Massey Fair, Massey, ON

September 5 @ 8:00 PM, Playland Amusement Park, Vancouver, BC

September 11 @ 6:00 PM, Port Credit Memorial Park, Mississauga, ON

September 12 @ 5:30 PM, Badlands Amphitheatre, Drumheller, AB

September 26 @ 7:30 PM, Palais Montcalm, Québec, QC

September 27 @ 3:00 PM, Lakefield United Church, Lakefield, ON

January 16, 2027 @ 8:00 PM, Italian Cultural Centre, Thunder Bay, ON

January 18, 2027 @ 7:30 PM, Dryden Regional Training and Cultural Centre, Dryden, ON

January 21, 2027 @ 7:30 PM, Townshend Theatre, Fort Frances, ON

Heezer

 

Heezer was formed in South Karelia, Finland late 2020 when the global situation at the time left four rockers hanging loosely from the neck. Something had to be done. The musicians got together one cold winter evening to jam and see what comes out of it. Basic idea that followed was: STONER ROCK. It took only a couple of jam sessions when members of the band found out that playing together was effortless and the basic sound of Heezer was born almost by itself.

In summer 2021, recordings of the 4-song debut EP started. Raw sound and powerful riffs combined with memorable melodies and groovy rhythm section immediately attracted attention and got some great reviews. In 2022 Heezer already had songs ready for the debut album. “Sungrinder” came out via Argonauta Records in March 2023, taking songwriting even further as the band’s synergy grew more. All releases so far have been highly praised by multiple reviews and more music will follow as the band’s journey has only begun. And in the present day when live music is flowing, Heezer is ready to say what they have to say.

 https://heezerband.com/

Kitsa

 

Kitsa is a heavy rock band from Port Orchard, Washington, blending crushing riffs, groove-driven sludge, stoner rock, and the grit of ’90s heavy metal and grunge. Kitsa delivers a sound built on massive guitars, hard-earned melody, and unapologetic heaviness.

Following the release of their debut album, Dead by Dawn, Kitsa returns with their second full-length album, II, set for release on September 18, 2026. The new record pushes the band’s sound further into heavier, darker territory while sharpening the hooks, grooves, and dynamics that define Kitsa.

II features Tony Reed on bass, who also produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered the album. The record was captured at APL and Heavy Head Recording Co., bringing Reed’s unmistakable ear for heavy, organic rock into the heart of Kitsa’s evolving sound.

Leading into the album, Kitsa will release the upcoming single “Avaleigh” on July 7, 2026. Inspired by a real person the band met while playing shows in Oregon, “Avaleigh” carries a deeply human story beneath its weight and atmosphere, capturing the connection that can come from a brief encounter and the lasting impact of someone willing to share their life with strangers.

With II, Kitsa enters its next chapter louder, heavier, and more focused, carving out a sound where Pacific Northwest grit meets Southern sludge, stoner rock haze, and ’90s metal muscle.

Kitsa is Skot Davis on vocals, Chris Pound on guitar and vocals, and Randy Fort on drums, with Tony Reed featured on bass for II.

https://www.facebook.com/kitsaband

 

LISTEN TO THEM HERE

LIVE STREAM >> HERE