London, Ontario’s Texas King is currently regarded as one of the most exciting up-and-coming live rock bands active in Canada, full of high energy and fun party vibes. Having seen radio success and cracking the Top 15 with previous singles “Boomerang” and “Chandelier,” the band now have the backing of the Universal Music Canada radio team in their corner.
“Whatever You Break,” the trio’s brand new single, is about life’s constant struggle to escape from and set boundaries with toxic relationships whether that be with a family member, a lover or an old friend. Produced by Brian Moncarz (Moneen, The Tea Party, Bleeker), the song’s not-so-secret sauce is truly the power and emotion in Jordan MacDonald’s vocals and words. Backed by equally impressive talents in the rhythm section made up of Phil Spina (bass) and Melvin Murray (drums), Texas King’s time is now.
A classical pianist who came to jazz through her love of old-school hip-hop, velvety-voiced Elizabeth Shepherd is among the new wave of jazz-influenced musicians bringing the art form to a younger generation of music fans. The six-time JUNO nominee and two-time Polaris Prize nominee has released seven widely acclaimed records, featuring collaborations with such musicians as Lionel Loueke and UK producer Nostalgia 77
At heart, Elizabeth is an improviser, playing off of whatever is around her. During the pandemic, she suddenly found herself stuck at home with nobody to create with. Having to find another way to ride her creative wave, she improvised. Elizabeth took inspiration from sounds around her – typewriters, garbage cans, records skipping, birds, people talking – you name it. She then wove them into snippets from old recordings of jams with friends, turned stuff upside down, added layers and synth parts, and came up with the new full-length album, THREE THINGS.
THREE THINGS remain: faith, hope and love. But of the three, the greatest is love. Nothing else matters.
Frenetic focus track, “Time,” uses a skip from Elizabeth’s copy of a Rickie Lee Jones record to backdrop a song about the controlling construct that runs our lives. “Time is the unit of our transformation, the end of presence where we stop and take stock…”
Tied together by family and soaring harmonies, The Pairs share stories of life’s hope, hilarity, and hardship. Pull up a seat around their lively kitchen table for a unique blend of music that will hug your eardrums and make you want to groove.
A smattering of feelings and self-doubt, “Superhuman” tells a personal yet relatable story of realizing how we get caught up in the way we’re being perceived by others instead of truly experiencing life and all the feelings that come with living. We’re not perfect, so why do we put so much energy towards trying to convince people that we are? This song marks the intention to try and drop the hyper perfectionism and accept ourselves as fallible and human. “Superhuman” reminds us that we can be wrong, that we can make mistakes, that we can say things that hurt people, and that none of that makes us bad people, or unlovable.
Sam Corbett, founding member of JUNO Award-winning and platinum-selling band The Sheepdogs, presents NUTANA which finds Corbett singing lead and playing drums, percussion, and keyboards on a dazzling and highly nuanced set of songs certain to appeal to both Sheepdogs fans and discerning rock lovers.
The first single is jangly, simmering, serpentine “You Belong” which explores the notion of what Corbett calls “imposter syndrome” as a wailing sax elevates the chorus. “I think a lot of successful people wonder, ‘Do I deserve this?’ For me, there always seems to be so many amazing musicians out there,” Corbett allows. “But the song reinforces the idea that I do belong here, and that I do have something to say.”
NUTANA’s towering debut solo album will be released on April 7th, featuring 10 original songs (plus two captivating covers) Corbett wrote while stepping away from the band to undergo cancer treatment, one month before his first daughter was born. NUTANA features contributions from Jim Bowskill (Blue Rodeo), Chris Mason (The Deep Dark Woods), Clayton Linthicum (Kacy and Clayton), Shamus Currie (The Sheepdogs, Bros) and former Sheepdogs guitarist Leot Hanson.
As a prolific content creator, you may be familiar with DATSUNN from his Twitch streams, his captivating Instagram beat making videos, or his collaborations with major brands like Native Instruments, Roland, and many more. But no matter how you arrive, Datsunn’s entrancing blend of classic hip-hop, soul, and R&B will entice you to stick around. Citing influences that run the gamut from J Dilla to Lewis Taylor, DATSUNN has perfected an ultra-smooth brand of engrossing eclecticism that is as fresh as it is familiar.
His new song, “End of the Day,” inspires a sense of peace and calm. It was created as part of a YouTube series he was working on, called Behind The Pads, where he picked a random sample and made a new piece of music based on it. This particular sample came from Toronto producer, The Kount.
The lyrics came to Datsunn easily as he was thinking about what he values in this world and wanted to share it with his audience: “All these things we need, like money, fame and greed. Do they mean anything? At the end of the day.”
“The world, especially on social media revolves around the things we have or don’t have, and we’re always made to feel like we need more,” says DATSUNN. “I came to the realization that I really don’t need any of it. Does it all mean anything to us at the end of the day?”
Last December, the abrupt emergence of a mysterious music collective piqued heavy curiosity within the global music industry. As the members associated with this new alliance continued to grow in global recognition, the rise of this stacked ensemble is bound to make huge sensations in the music industry in 2023 with D.N.A Music Alliance, created by the multi-talented musician and global superstar Lay Zhang (LAY). Members in this stacked lineup include Danko, GALI, Victor Ma, Shan Yichun, Wang Ziyi and Vinida, all of whom are hugely popular and talented musicians based in China. Just recently, the seven members of the D.N.A Music Alliance created two group Cyphers, each with a distinct style, to showcase the group’s versatility and talent within the music industry.
The production team consist of global hitmakers such as GRAMMY® award-winning heavyweight producers such as Murda Beatz, who has worked on more than 20 Billboard No. 1 albums, as well as BoogzDaBeast, who has worked with Kanye West for 25 years, and FNZ, the Australian duo, providing a substantial touch of guarantee for music production. This represents the first co-release of Cyphers by multiple top musicians in China, as well as an unprecedented collaboration on a global music project among top-notch producers from 4 countries.
D.N.A Cypher I
D.N.A Music Alliance’s “The Cypher” consists of two parts, the first of which adopts an R&B style for a soothing love song featuring Lay Zhang, Shan Yichun, Wang Ziyi and GALI. With Lay Zhang’s signature singing style setting the tone for the work, GALI injects raw emotions with his stellar rap verses that perfectly compliment the overall vibes of the music. Shan Yichun highlights the quality of a super international singer with her solid prowess, and Wang Ziyi adds unique layers to the piece, heightening its complex sound with exceptional tone shifts.
LIN, an artist who has yet to make his debut under LAY’s Chromosome Entertainment banner, also contributed to the Cypher with his highly recognizable, deep husky voice. While skillfully conveying emotions in Cypher I, the four singers have also successfully created a stunning sense of image that sufficiently illustrates the theme of “love” in this work. Through the combined, concerted efforts of three top-notch producers, the sophisticated post-production more than sufficiently demonstrates the unrivaled competencies of famous producers like BoogzDaBeast and FNZ – both who worked with unparalleled artists such as Kanye West in the past.
D.N.A Cypher II
Juxtaposed against the soothing R&B style in Cypher I, Cypher II carries with it a more authentic hip-hop style, this time a joint creation by Lay Zhang, Danko, Victor Ma and Vinida. Unlike the more lyrical tones spotlighted in Cypher I, part 2 offers an antithetical opportunity to allow these four members to showcase their stunning rapping skills. In terms of production, the work is a manifestation of the strong personal style of Murda Beatz. As a producer ranked on the top of platinum records, the award-winning hitmaker has customized the work that lives up to the highest international standards for the singers. Matouqin, a traditional Chinese string instrument, is flawlessly integrated into the arrangement, another M-Pop concept that LAY has strongly advocated for as a producer.
Building on the rock-solid foundation by Murda Beatz, Lay Zhang, Danko, Victor Ma and Vinida demonstrate their individual musical characteristics to interpret a story about love from an entirely new perspective. The two Cypher pieces by these seven alliance members tell a cohesive narrative through a plethora of different aesthetics and attitudes, all tied together via this theme of “love”.
Murda Beatz is rated by Billboard as the most influential hip-hop producer, topping the list of producers on Billboard Rap. He has produced more than 40 Platinum records. His musical catalog has been played over 1.1 billion times across major streaming media. During his career, he has worked with hip-hop heavyweights Drake, Travis Scott, Migos, Cardi B, Nicki Minaj, Polo G and Lil Baby. The world-renowned producer, BoogzDaBeast, hails from Kanye West founded independent label, G.O.O.D. MUSIC. Forming a close relationship with Kanye West during his youth, BoogzDaBeast collaborated in Kanye West’s monumental album “Donda”, including the eponymous title track “Donda” as well as “Come To Life”. FNZ, another renowned production team, has worked closely with countless artists such as Kanye West, A$AP Rocky, Wiz Khalifa, Chris Brown and MGK. Drake’s “Rich Flex”, which gained explosive success at the beginning of the year is just one of the many other tracks co-produced by the duo and BoogzDaBeast.
With their vigorous efforts to invite top-notch overseas musicians and production teams, D.N.A Music Alliance is committed to building a second-to-none communicative platform for original music, welcoming and encouraging talented Chinese musicians to create high-quality work ready for the global stage, introducing and pushing Chinese music to the world. With such a commitment in mind, the team will continue to work with other high-profile international musicians. Lay Zhang and his label will launch an album later this year. Make sure to follow along, since this is just the beginning as the label continues to grow and develop into an unprecedented musical feast, consisting of more world-renowned music producers, more artists, and, most importantly, exceptional music.
Modern Mystery 
You must be logged in to post a comment.