Taylor Simpson is an indie folk-rock singer songwriter from Toronto. Unafraid to wear his heart on his sleeve, his unabashed and vulnerable lyrics create deep connections with listeners. His songs bristle with acoustic and electric guitar, steady drums and potent lyrics which leave audience members in a state of nostalgia whilst dancing, singing and clapping along.
The latest single speaks about depression and its accompanying dark emotions Simpson has battled these last couple of years. Reeling from the pandemic, job loss, a break-up, and alcohol addiction, “Holding On” captures feelings of emptiness and anger. But he turns that frustration on its head and comes out on top. “I’ll keep holding on” is the powerful main melody and hope-instilling message.
His EP, New Sights in a Familiar Place, is set to come out November 18th; a continuation of the concept and storyline from his debut LP, Learning to Live with Precious Time.
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. Championed by her hometown, VIBI took home awards in the “Best Female Vocalist” and “Adult Contemporary Artist” categories at the 2020 Niagara Music Awards.
Her new single, “Nights Like This,” has already had a huge impact ahead of its official release. VIBI performed it in front of 60k people when she opened for Bryan Adams, it won in the Pop Category for the John Lennon Songwriting contest, and it got her accepted with a scholarship into the LAAMP (Los Angeles Academy for Artists and Music Production) program.
At the end of summer 2019, Vibi was commuting 2 hours to and from Toronto for various co-writing sessions. It had been a whirlwind summer, new friends, a new fling and very little sleep. On one particular night, the writing session she had booked was canceled due to the producer having a scheduling conflict. Not about to let that roadblock put out her fire, she opened up my laptop to test her production skills.
From that session, she ended up writing “Nights Like This” in about 30 minutes and sent a bounce to her drummer, Daniel Nicoletti. When he sent back the groove with more drums and bass, they knew they had something special. It’s crazy to think that this song almost didn’t happen – sometimes good things come from canceled plans!
“I want this song to feel like a good cry,” Vibi explains. “While you’re in it, it’s intense and you might even pity yourself a bit, but by the end of it you feel empowered in owning your feelings.”
Grimelda (fka The Faps) is the collaborative art-punk meets freak-rock project of Blair Colwell and Skyler Cafferata. This new name, taken from their 2018 album, symbolizes a shift into further exploration – from punishing noise-rock anthems to math-y future-punk ragers. Their loud-yet-catchy compositions and gregarious, interactive stage presence (often handing instruments to total strangers, for better or worse) has landed them alongside an array of notable acts like Single Mothers, TEKE:TEKE, Obnox, JOHN, The Dirty Nil, and Shannon & the Clams.
Their new single “George Thorogood,” named after the American musician, is for living in the moment and rocking out! Grimelda’s aim was to make their own fun version of a radio-friendly rock song that mixes modern, classic, and DIY aesthetics.
Check out the official video, for which they explain: “We’re all George Thorogood. It’s about embracing your inner George.”
Expect to be pleasantly annoyed and excited by a louder, weirder, and wilder duo that forever lurks in plain sight. “[Grimelda] follow in the footsteps of outsiders like The Cardiacs and Primus, not necessarily musically, but in the context of bands who always trod their own eccentric path, regardless of commercial appeal.” –ThePunkSite
Mixed-race musicians Brava Kilo & Annie Sumi are tracing their histories through Kintsugi, a new anti-racist, interactive, multi-disciplinary art installation which reflects on racial identity, healing ancestral trauma, and the fragmented history of the Japanese Canadian internment.
The duo are sharing “Chattels,” taken from the collaborative Kintsugi EP, inspired by archival documentation which listed their ancestors’ belongings that were confiscated and auctioned off during that period of time. This song acknowledges the impact of stolen heirlooms and the process of healing ancestral trauma.
The experimental track combines spoken word over playful beats, melodies, and rhythms, juxtaposing the weight of the lyrical content, which lists items from the collection of Kilo and Sumi’s lost family heirlooms which were auctioned.
The Kinstugi installation can be experienced at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre in Toronto, Ontario, beginning October 14. Learn more about the installation here: https://kintsugi-installation.com/about
The Americans stroll into town for a night of Americana Rock n’ Roll that you will not soon forget, this Sunday, November 6. Head out to the show for an incredible evening of music, storytelling and good vibes at The Bitter End.
Showcasing an undeniably fresh approach to a tried-and-true genre with unparalleled proficiency the group who hails from Los Angeles is one to watch.
Upon hearing their new album “Stand True” — the band’s latest 11-song, sophomore studio LP (via Loose Music) — it’s evident why revered producer T Bone Burnett raved, calling them, “genius twenty-first century musicians that are reinventing American heritage music for this century. And it sounds even better this century.”
The band’s distinctive, powerful works have captured the attention of a number of stars. They’ve backed Nick Cave, Lucinda Williams, Ashley Monroe, and Devendra Banhart, and twice joined Ryan Bingham on national tours. They worked closely with Jack White and T Bone Burnett, joining Nas, Elton John, and Alabama Shakes in the PBS primetime series American Epic. Their live show, honed over many hundreds of performances, is something to behold.
American band Siren has released their brand new album Beyond the Rainbow.
This is an album that you can truly become immersed in; raw, authentic, contemporary metal rock. The opening track “Lawless Life” starts with a progressive metal guitar riff. The lyrical “High Wire” and “Sympathetic Response” are more laid-back rock songs, written by Mike and Rob Phillips.
Many songs on this album are unexpected, in the sense that musically it is extremely tight and well written, as well as experimenting with different musical concepts. Siren have really gone the extra mile with this new release.
¨When we began writing Beyond the Rainbow, we would write as a group with the exception of ‘High Wire.’ ‘Empty Ocean,’ and ‘Sympathetic Response,’ which Mike and I wrote. Normally Mike and I will bring the songs to the band, and let them work out their parts. A process we have gone back to for our upcoming material, as it seems to work much better for the writing process.” – Rob Phillips
When Phillips had sought to reunite the band back in 2005 with drummer/engineer Mike Cupino, and a new musical direction, the band did release their first Siren album called “Don´t Mind”. It wasn´t until much later, as three new band members joined the group, that the musical sound developed even more.
Today, Siren exists with the same lineup as previous releases, except for the lead guitarist. Todd Grubbs replaces Leo Boland as the lead guitar, and brings a guitar virtuoso which really makes the band stand out with a progressive, fusion style.
The first track on the album, “Lawless Life” was released earlier this year as a single to much critical acclaim, together with a music video produced by Nathan Mowery. With influences such as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Foo Fighters, it is hard not to enjoy this eclectic blend of progressive rock.
Modern Mystery 
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