News, reviews and more
Welcome to the Maple Leaf, the regular RGM column that brings you news of the best sounds emerging from Canada. Since the decade turned we’ve been deluged with music but have meticulously sifted to bring you a carefully curated consignment of Canadian confections. Or something.
Read MoreIf you’re feeling the November chill, there are few better ways to warm your winter-wary bones than to cosy up with a hot cup of Canadiana. The best new bands and balladeers of Canada continue to throw out little sonic gems and, once more, we find ourselves spoilt for choice as we bring you the latest cluster of musical magic that is the Maple Leaf Roundup.
Read MoreOh, Canada! How we are overwhelmed by all your musical offerings! Yes, our cousins over yonder have been working harder than ever since our last Maple Leaf column and here at RGM we have been hand-selecting the very best of the bunch so that you, dear reader, can sample (probably) the very finest in new Canadian music.
Read MoreOur Canadian cousins are apparently incapable of producing anything other than top-quality new music and October alone has yielded yet another bumper crop of goodies. We’d love to be able to cover more of these acts in an in-depth way but, frankly, we need occasionally to sleep. Nevertheless, carefully curated just for you, we present our latest selection of must-hears from the land of the common loon.
Read MoreLondon based singer-songwriter Keeva has released a new single ‘The Kindest Thing’ her first new music since the excellent ‘Whiskey’ appeared late last year. ‘The Kindest Thing’ is taken from her upcoming EP the intriguingly titled ‘Four Sad Songs and a Ballad’ due October 26th. ‘The Kindest Thing’ features the kind of songwriting honesty that I’m sure will strike a chord with many listeners. A stream of the single and a little more about Keeva follows:
Read MoreOur latest gathering of Canadian grooviness is, shockingly, an all-male affair. Fear not, though, because two Canadian female geniuses are going to be the focus of imminent full-length album reviews… watch this space. But for now, here is a roundup of the latest Canadian boys making (in our opinion) the bossest noise.
Read MoreTime for something a little different at RGM. Many readers will be familiar with Kate Ellis and the track 'I Believe' from her 2017 album 'Carve Me Out'. Out today is a new take on the track as producer David Gould has put together an 'ambient country' remix which mixes electronica with Kate's country vocal. Please read on to listen to the track and leave more about the thinking behind it:
Read MoreUK country-pop duo Holloway Road today (March 23rd) released two new singles 'No Place' and 'In The Dark'. The tracks were road-tested at the recent C2C event and give fans a real insight into where the guys are going musically in 2018 with an EP in the works and touring plans for this year to be announced very soon. The singles are available to stream/download from your preferred digital platform or check them out here at RGM:
Read MoreIn a first for RGM we're pleased to feature the fifth single from Greek singer-songwriter Gadless entitled 'Falling' out today via Ammos Music. Gadless has dubbed his music as "Melancholic Chamber Pop" and with Samuel Marlieri's impressive saxophone contribution alongside a seductive backing vocal from Lou Is (Louiza Sofianopoulou) that seems to sum things up pretty well. To these ears 'Falling' has a feel reminiscent of the underrated debut Adam Cohen album from a few years back which is a very good thing. More about Gadless and the streaming link to 'Falling' featuring Lou Is follows:
Read MoreWe first introduced you to Jimmy Sweet late last year with the release of his debut single, a cover of the Buzzcocks track 'You Say You Don't Love Me'. On hearing the single I compared Jimmy to another Jim (Steinman) and I'm pleased to say he didn't take offence so we're all good. On Valentine's Day, Jimmy will return with his new single 'Burns Like A Fever' and once again I'm pleased to report Jimmy is doing things his way with a wall of shimmering tremelo guitars, sweeping strings and a more gospel take on those massed voices. It all comes together really well, so maybe the time is right to forgo the flowers and the chocolates and buy your significant other a Jimmy Sweet single on Valentine's Day. Please read on to learn more about Jimmy Sweet and you can also check out the single 'Burns Like A Fever' via Soundcloud:
Read MoreWashington DC native Eli Lev recently released his debut EP 'All Roads East' with his band The Fortunes Found. Eli at first glance falls into the indie folk singer-songwriter category but give the EP a listen and you'll find a healthy disrespect for musical boundaries. The 5 track EP (now available from all official digital platforms) embraces folk, country with a dash of old-school rock n' roll to keep you on your toes. The first single from the EP 'Go Down' benefits from an unexpectedly cool funky groove while 'Long Way Back To Shonto' is bathed in bluesy slide guitar. If you're lucky enough to live in the Washington DC/Maryland/Virginia area Eli Lev is probably playing somewhere near you as I type. If not then more about Eli including the video for 'Go Down' follows:
Read MoreBristol based singer-songwriter Katey Brooks will release a new single on December 1st. Produced by Darren Poole 'Will She' is the first taster from her upcoming second album 'We The People' due in 2018. The singer toured extensively in 2016 with dates in Europe, Australia and Canada before she concentrated on the recording of 'We The People' this year. To coincide with the single Katey will be embarking on a short UK tour with stops in London, Manchester, Glasgow and, no surprise, Bristol. More about Katey Brooks and a soundcloud link to 'Will She' follows:
Read MoreThe members of Belle Adair will need no introduction if you've been following the impressive run of releases on Single Lock Records as keyboardist Ben Tanner and drummer Reed Watson run the label. The band has effectively acted as the label house band in recent years backing label founder John Paul White and Donnie Fritts amongst others. Now Belle Adair are taking their place in the sun with the release of the Tom Schick (Wilco) produced 'Tuscumbia' which puts their personal spin on that rich Muscle Shoals musical heritage. More about Belle Adair follows including 'Get Away' the first single from the album:
Read MoreSinger/songwriter Matt Westerman bought a dash of Southern Californian sunshine and positivity to the RGM inbox this week. The track in question 'One Fine Day' is an impressively catchy introduction to his upcoming debut EP 'Life Out Loud' due November 3rd. RGM recently heard the EP and the likes of 'Wait and See' and 'Don't Give Up On You' are prime examples of acoustic based pop and should appeal to a wide audience. Please read on to check out 'One Fine Day' and learn a little more about Matt Westerman:
Read MoreBrighton based Josh McGovern has released a new single 'The Devil Below Me' which finds the singer-songwriter contemplating his life and past mistakes. The results are dark, brooding and introspective and will appeal to fans of Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen. Dig a little deeper though and the versatility of McGovern's voice matched with a darkly spiky arrangement, that utilizes some particularly effective backing vocals, is sure to win the listener over and bodes well for future releases. The stream for 'The Devil Below Me' and a little more about Josh McGovern follows:
Read MoreLukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real will release their self-titled album on August 25th via Fantasy Records. Three tracks that capture a beguiling mix of country, rock and soul from the record are now available to share. When your dad is country legend Willie Nelson and you've been working with Neil Young in recent years then expectations are going to be set pretty high. Well, the good news is the three tracks are all excellent and showcase an album which sounds like it'll be very fine indeed. Please read on for more about Lukas, those tracks and even news of upcoming European tour dates.
Read MoreSwedish trio Crying Day Care Choir release a new single 'Sad Season' today February 3rd. Recently signed to Warner Music 'Sad Season' is the first fruits of this new partnership so expect much more in 2017 from Crying Day Car Choir. More about the band including a link to the single follows:
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