Project Grand Slam release Greetings from Serbia (Live LP)

Patiently Awaiting the Meteorite release Strange Intuition

URL: https://patientlyawaitingthemeteorite.band/

When Dee hits the first line of “Strange Intuition”, you know you are in for something special. The Canadian three piece of The Grand Brothers and rising star Dee are coming up fast as a force to be reckoned with under the moniker Patiently Awaiting the Meteorite, but devoted music fans know these young powerhouses have been making their way up the ladder for some time. The decision to bring their talents together under this name has resulted in one of the year’s best studio albums from anyone, Canyon Diablo, and the push accompanying the album’s release has stressed their full array of talents in a masterful way. “Strange Intuition” does so as well thanks to its bracing revitalization of rock music’s coupled alongside modern touches and a production style involving listeners from the first. Patiently Awaiting the Meteorite isn’t all about the guitar and drums, per se, but they use that as one of the key building blocks in constructing a sound capable of incorporating a variety of elements.

Gary Douglas Band’s new album Deep in the Water

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thegarydouglasband/?hl=en

Like a rocket launching into the heavens above us, the Gary Douglas Band’s new album Deep in the Water doesn’t waste any time letting off fireworks with the blistering “River Road,” which has been conquering indie country radio waves since its release earlier this year. The buzz around “River Road” has led to even more buzz surrounding Deep in the Water, but when “Million Miles Away” starts up it becomes quite evident that Gary Douglas is anything else but a one hit wonder. The sonically eclipsing folk ballad is significantly milder than the opening track, but it’s nonetheless a captivating bit of American soul, the sort that some of us feared had all dried up in this great land of ours.

Hughie Mac release Hughie Mac Sings Some Great Songs, Pt. 3.

URL: https://www.hughiemac.com/

While every genre and style of music presents us with something unique and intriguing to consume, there’s something really special about vocal music. The godfathers of standards – from Frank Sinatra to Nat King Cole – were always backed by really great bands, but it was their voice and the majesty of its echo that really attracted crowds by the hundreds. Singing is often considered but a mere accent to an otherwise complex musical track, but for artists like the brilliant Hughie Mac, it can be the centerpiece of their entire sound. Hughie Mac doesn’t claim to be reinventing the structure and delivery of pop music as a whole; in a fact, he would likely tell you that he’s trying to do the exact opposite with his new album Hughie Mac Sings Some Great Songs, Pt. 3. Mac looks back in time over the course of this album’s litany of dynamic material, which spans decades of the universal pop catalogue and diversely exhibits all of the skill that this enthralling vocalist brings to the table. It’s one of the smoothest playing records of 2018 and could be described as required listening for anyone who enjoys a slick pop beat in the tradition of the old school.

Kanisha K releases new Music

I-TUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/album/id1412981639?ls=1&app=itunes

The individualistic strand running through all of Kanisha K’s recording output stands out more vividly than ever with the release of her latest single “Talk is Cheap”. The song is labeled country, but it’s too tidy of a classification for my taste. Instead, I’ve listened often to the song impressed by the ability of Kanisha K and her collaborators to mix up a number of different stylistic touches without ever falling squarely into one camp. There’s strong flashes of rock guitar coming through at various points in the tune, but it’s never omnipresent and the underlying acoustic guitar and swaths of banjo running through the mix rounds out the song’s sound. “Talk is Cheap” has an authentic character, but there’s an ample amount of polish courtesy of another top notch production job framing Kanisha K’s performance.

Del Suelo quits job, releases Music & Novel

URL: https://delsuelo.net/

Experimental rock musician Del Suelo got all of our attention with I Am Free back in 2016, and now he’s taking over the indie world with The Musician’s Compass: A 12 Step Programme. I’ve been in the music industry for most of my life, and only a few other times can I say that a record has been as widely anticipated as Del Suelo’s latest release. The Musician’s Compass is an emotionally charged concept album that dabbles in everything from traditional jam band music to more focused, straight forward hard rock, but in the aftermath of I Am Free’s experimentalism I expected this album to be nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. My expectations proved true, and I can now personally vouch that Del Suelo has produced one of the most thrilling listening experiences of the decade.

In/Vertigo - Bad Enemy

PURCHASE LINK: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/invertigo2

The single “Bad Enemy” from In/Vertigo’s forthcoming debut EP Sex, Love, and Chaos positions this Canadian band as the latest major hard rock talent to emerge in an era when it seems like such acts are at a premium. The band certainly touches on a number of familiar tropes and sound familiar to any hard rock fan, but those same hard rock fans will note how In/Vertigo leaves their own distinctive stamp on the form while still providing hard rock fans with an identifiably entertaining listening experience. The production, likewise, is ideally suited for the style but brandishes a nice lower end sound while still surrounding both the guitar and vocals with warm gravitas. “Bad Enemy” will likely prove to be a five star introduction to the band and the EP, based on this track alone, seems primed to propel In/Vertigo far beyond the Great White North home base.

Wave 21 drops LP

URL: https://www.wave21.com/

The debut of songwriting team Mary Lynn and Emmy Lou Doroschuk’s band Wave 21 is self-titled and includes ten country rock inspired numbers. “Ya Ya Ya” has the album come charging out of its corner with muscular drumming definitely playing to the rock side of the band’s character. It’s a lively number perfectly suited for a wide audience and I can’t imagine it being anything less than a powerful live number. The guitar playing on this opener won me over from the first and never let me down; the drumming and bass playing alike are every bit as assertive and Stefan Doroschuk’s production brings it into seamless balance. “Love Shouldn’t Make Me Cry” has a much stronger blues taste than anything previously on the album, but it’s always orchestrated well against their traditional acoustic sound and country influences.