Toronto and Hamilton-area band Elephants and Stars are back with more music following the release of 2020’s Recovery EP. Just before COVID lockdown, the band entered the studio with heavyweight Canadian musician and producer Ian Blurton (Lowest of the Low, The Weakerthans) and recorded 6 new tracks. The upcoming EP Dreamland leans a little more on the band’s rock influences with edgier riffs and bigger choruses as heard on lead single, “Ceasefire.”

VIBI is the alias of Canadian born pop singer and dynamic vocalist Valerie Borghesi who has been making a statement through her intense energy performance, red hot aesthetic, and impressive vocal abilities. Locally praised in her home region as a “rising pop-star” by Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati, as well as local newspapers, VIBI took home “Best Female Vocalist” and “Adult Contemporary Artist” at the 2020 Niagara Music Awards. 

“Fallback Girl,” the first single under VIBI’s new name, is a reminder that you are powerful and have evolved enough to not let yourself fall into a pattern of being someone’s second choice. Have enough self respect to let go of the people and habits that have proven to not be healthy for you.  

Philadelphia based singer-songwriter, Kaitlyn Myers, takes inspiration from the vintage sounds of Motown and soul, but adds the modern rhythms of today’s pop music. Recently, not only was Kaitlyn featured on the voice, but she has released her gorgeous and vibrant new video and single for “Technicolor,” which you can watch below!

Her passion for mental health and social justice are vividly reflected in her lyrics. In her debut EP, “Chasing Dopamine” (produced by Shannon McArthur), Kaitlyn discusses her trifles with depersonalization and anxiety throughout all five songs. In her more recent single, “Star Spangled Revolution”, she modified the American National Anthem to represent the Black Lives Matter Movement, donating all proceeds to organizations that support the cause (Learn More under the Activism tab).  She is currently writing more original music and looks forward to more releases this Spring.

Raphaela Gilla is a songstress for the ages. Her new record “Ancient Angel” takes the listener on a journey to reunite with their own guardian angel. The journey begins with the track Remember Your Love, as a reminder for the unconditional eternal love, and ends with The Reunion, the reunion with your own guardian angel. The Reunion consists of three parts – Part One: The Ancient Call, Part Two: Coming Home, Part Three: I am Here With You. With her new video in tow for “The Love of All” she takes the viewer on a musical journey.  We sat down with Raphaela as she dives into her process and video, below!

1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically in this way?

The song is about the simplicity of things and the acceptance of things as they are. It’s about the element air- “when the spirit is spirit let her go”, fier- “when the sun is sun let her glow”, earth- “when the mountains are mountains let them dream” and the art of music- “when the songs are songs let them sing”. All these elements are coming through, being presented and supported in the video in order to achieve an angelic transformation in the end of the video for The Love of All.

2. What was the inspiration behind this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?

The inspiration was my guardian angel, the purity and the simplicity of things or the world around us through his eyes and the unconditional love that they bring when we see them, recognise and accept them as they truly are.

3. What was the process of making this video?

The process was a wonderful collaboration with a visual artist. She and I talked about the images that going to present the elements and the transformation in the video. The artist understood the perpus and the essence of this video and made every visual image inspired by my vision and fotos. We communicated during every step of the making of. I was open to her creative ideas as well. This artistic collaboration was a fantastic and harmonies experience of 2 female artists from different art genres that support, understand each other and create a wonderful, inspirational multimedia art together.

Dirty Snowman Society has recently revealed their new video for “Say Nothing,” off of their latest release “Snowblind.” The quartet furthers the continuum with modern touches of grunge and alt-rock, and a rural bravado informed by a vigorous high-altitude lifestyle in an environment where it snows 350 inches a year. The band’s smoldering emotive musicality recalls Alice In Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, and other beacons of the 1990s riff rock revival. Lyrically, the band touches on everyday life struggles, politics, and romance. For Frank Costantini (vocalist / drummer / co-songwriter), who has had a successful professional career as a writer in advertising, working on original music unlocked a flow of words he had never previously accessed. For most of the guys in Dirty Snowman Society, the band is a chance to reclaim a love of rock n’ roll, and share the joy of music with others. “It’s never too late—no matter what—to do what you love,” Frank says. “Especially when you’re playing music with the right people, and putting in the time to make it quality.”

Folk singer/songwriter Carolyn Shulman just released the debut single, “Double Stars” off of her upcoming album, Grenadine and Kerosene. The track is a beautiful ode to love that uses the metaphor of a binary star system in order to describe a relationship. It gives the song a unique perspective that pairs perfectly with the light drum beat and guitar. This Denver, Colorado-based songstress was able to create a beautiful song and music video for her debut that could make anyone appreciate the love in their life just like Shulman appreciates the love she has between her and her husband.

Carolyn Shulman moved to Denver with her family in 2014 and decided to pursue her lifelong passion for music and spend more time with her family instead of practicing law. The result of this decision was a beautiful folk sound and truly emotional lyrics that can touch any person who listens to them. With such strong female inspirations like Mary Chapin Carpenter and Patty Griffin, it is no wonder Shulman is able to effortlessly join the folk scene with her debut single. 

The video for “Double Stars” is an amazing addition to this release, using the beautiful scenery of Colorado and Shulman playing her guitar as the backdrop for the song. The visuals are so soothing and really just make you want to go outside and experience nature with the person you love. The scenery, the instrumentation, and Shulman’s stunning vocals all come together when it comes to “Double Stars” and I can’t wait to see what else is to come before the release of Grenadine and Kerosene in May 2021.