22 April 2022 Releases: Tenille Townes, Patrick Watson…

Twenty full-length albums are out this week, bringing the 2022 total to 188 thus far. Among this week’s batch are hot selling Lydia Képinski‘s Depuis and Siméon‘s pop-rock Présages, Lovers of relaxing jazz will enjoy 501 Lounge Street from Claude Chapleau / Chapcity. Also be sure and check out a trio of choice alternative works: Samantha Savage Smith‘s Fake Nice, Tess Roby‘s Ideas of Space, and Georgia Harmer‘s Stay In Touch. All three are superb.

Country superstar Tenille Townes has a batch of new songs out, care of EP Masquerades. It’s one of a dozen extended plays out this week. Another is Better in the Shade, the latest from the ever popular Patrick Watson. We have tracked 124 YTD EP releases. Check out the table of 32(!) new releases below.

TITLE	ARTIST	GENRE
501 Lounge Street	Claude Chapleau / Chapcity	Jazz
C’est dans vos yeux	Lyne Cadieux	AC
Cosmic Dreamer	Barney Bentall	S-S
Depuis	Lydia Képinski	Alternative
Des rêveurs dans la nuit	Marcel Beaulieu	S-S
Fake Nice	Samantha Savage Smith	Alternative
Faster Than I Can Take	Jane Inc.	Alternative
Home	Les Arrivants	World
Ice Cream In November	Lynne Hanson	Country
Ideas of Space	Tess Roby	Alternative
Jé Lalune	Jé Lalune	S-S
Le temps que passe…	Marie-Pierre Leduc	Folk Pop
L’échelle du temps	Yves Léveillé	Jazz
Nous resterons vivants	Jean-Christophe Lessard	S-S
Présages	Siméon	Pop-Rock
Reine de papier	Jordane	S-S
Stay In Touch	Georgia Harmer	Alternative
Stolen Time	Abigail Lapell	Country
What It Is	Ian Lake	S-S
Who?	Léonie Gray	R&B
À la pêche aux éclairs (EP)	Divers	Rap
Adulescence (EP)	Arielle	Pop
Better in the Shade (EP)	Patrick Watson	S-S
Case Départ (EP)	Missy D	Rap
Embryonnaire (EP)	MiTcheL	Rap
Fraide (EP)	Fraide	S-S
Goodbye Again (EP)	The Johans	S-S
Masquerades (EP)	Tenille Townes	Country
Plaisirs & terreurs… (EP)	Carla Blanc	Alternative
Protagoniste (EP)	K!ra	Rap
Put the Sauce On It (EP)	Duck Sauce et al.	Dance
The Storm (EP)	Q052	Rap

15 April 2022 Releases: Grae, Bülow, Sophia Bel…

A number of satisfying discs were released in mid-April this year including Anxious Avoidant from budding indie pop star Sophia Bel and Whiplash from Grae. JUNOs endorsed German-Canadian singer Bülow has a new EP out entitled Booty Call. CMB also recommends EP Sad In a Good Way from Hawa B. Find these and more in the table below.

TITLE	ARTIST	GENRE
Anxious Avoidant	Sophia Bel	Pop
Born Losers	Altameda	Alternative
La route est longue jusqu’au top	Ben Claveau	Folk
Le sablier	Alex & Caro	Country
Nuances	Marion Cousineau	AC
Oh Suzana Blues	David Owen	Folk
Psychic Jailbreak	Cancer Bats	Metal
SOUL URGE	Modlee	R&B
Whiplash	Grae	Alternative
Apricity (EP)	Winterglow	S-S
Booty Call (EP)	Bülow	Pop
C’qui reste (EP)	Les Dérapeutes	Folk
Drowning In The Culture (EP)	AVIV	Alternative
Fauve (EP)	Velours Velours	S-S
Pour marcher à tes côtés (EP)	Pierre Bédard	AC
Reckless Reckless (EP)	Anyway Gang	Rock
Sad In a Good Way (EP)	Hawa B	R&B
Super (EP)	JP Couet	Country

Carla Chanelle’s Music Is On Our Cheeks

Scholarship recipient from the Canada Council for the Arts, Carla Chanelle, recently dropped a first-rate EP, with a splash of perfume, entitled Sur nos joues. With this, find yourself swimming in pensive waters harbouring a syrupy melancholy while stately beats keep things flowing along gracefully and intricate details convey a charming loneliness that will have the listener immersed in a warm glow. There are some subtle funky grooves, massaging keyboards, and soothing guitar strokes on this little gem. And, my goodness, Carla’s voice is like honey. All five tracks have us hooked, smiling, and … entering this as a contender for 2022’s EP of the year. Don’t miss out on this, folks! The embedded MV for “Mandarine” (track 3) below will give you a taste.

New Singer Alert! Emmy Rouge

New Canadian singer Emmy Rouge recently launched her debut disc: Catalogue, a five-song EP. We feel it has more going for it than recent releases from the A-listers. Beauteous vocals self-penned lyrics, catchy writing, progressive sounds, assuaging moods, delicious beats, random details, and expert production. It’s pop sprinkled with a jazzy vinaigrette and wafting chillout aromas. And to think that Emmy leapt into the music community a mere 1.5 years ago! We have embedded the MV for “Laisse-moi” below but bear in mind that all tracks on the disc are winners.

Besides the funky electropop of the latter, clap-along opener “Miroir” hits the spot. The hazy “Tours les jours” comes complete with teasing vocals and colourful chords, and then it casually tosses in a sax! OMG! “Girls Night” contains some urban jazz vibes and intricate percussion. Capping things off is groove extravaganza “Miami Vice”. Emmy Rouge’s Catalogue hits a homer, and so we hit the golden buzzer. Top marks from Canadian Music Blog. Very, very cool EP. We’re hoping for a full-length on CD as soon as possible.

8 April 2022 Releases: Dear Rouge, Josh Ramsay…

Vancouver’s SkyTrain has become an instrument of permanent hearing loss for the metropolitan area’s millions of residents. The noise the trains make far exceeds safety limits, but of course, nothing is being done about it by TransLink, a company with an annual operating budget of $1.4 billion. Why not treat your ears to something far more pleasant than deafening rattles and squeaks?

JUNO award winning modern rock duo Dear Rouge releases its latest disc this week, the full-length Spirit. The opening track alone is dee-lish! Marianas Trench frontman Josh Ramsay tosses a solo album into the smorgasbord. The Josh Ramsay Show features a host of popular Canadian recording artists including Tyler Shaw and Serena Ryder. Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson is behind a new progressive rock project called Envy of None featuring the sizzling vocals of budding singer Mariah Wynne. The group’s self-titled album is out now. Other discs to check out are EP In Good Time from New West which contains some good tunes. Find these and more in the table of new releases below.

TITLE	ARTIST	GENRE
Avery Raquel	Avery Raquel	R&B
Cheer for the Deer	Melted Wings	Alternative
Envy Of None	Envy Of None	Rock
Far From Folk	B. Knox	S-S
Fluxus Pop	Rip Pop Mutant	Alternative
Glossolalia	Jordan Klassen	S-S
Just One Voice	Michelle Willis	AC
L’échec héroïque	Thick Glasses	Punk
Papillon de Nuit: The Night Butterfly	Tanika Charles	R&B
Perdre	Jules et ses pilules	Rock
Seul à la fin	Félix Lemelin	Pop
Shrug	The Henrys	Alternative
Solo	Jesse Mac Cormack	Pop
Spirit	Dear Rouge	Rock
The Josh Ramsay Show	Josh Ramsay	Pop
To Hell With You, I Love You	Deanna Petcoff	Rock
Colors (EP)	Avril Jensen	Alt Pop
Dans ta lumière (EP)	Alex Métivier	Alternative
Digital Damage (EP)	Emma Beko	Rap
Hellscape Suburbia (EP)	ElyOtto	Pop
In Good Time (EP)	New West	Pop
Je ne parlerai pas fort (EP)	Myriam Arseneau	S-S
Looking Around (EP)	Pelch	S-S
Maison de Paille (EP)	Alex Pic	S-S
Ready To Burn (EP)	Saya	Pop
Top Net (EP)	Dope.gng	Rap

Take a Satellite Ride with Geneviève Racette

Satellite is the latest album crafted by the genius of Canadian singer & songwriter Geneviève Racette. On the disc she explores the concept of love as a satellite which is attracted to and encircles another object. When the love ends, it loses orbit and crashes down in painful ruin. Popular artist City and Colour makes an appearance on the album in the track “Someone”. The album offers soul-stirring moods of pensive melancholy and heartfelt reflection. We were hooked immediately. Geneviève’s voice is lovely and the music charming. We have embedded a live version of opening track “Hostage” below. Don’t let this one pass you by.

BAAB’s La Cible Hits the Target

Montreal’s BAAB consists of aces Charles-David Dubé and Mariève Harel-Michon. Joined by musicians Olivier Bernatchez and David Marchand, EP La Cible came out last month, and we are really taken with it. The four-track effort, dressed with silky female vocals, is detailed, soothing, jazzy, and funky – an electronic chillout disc that cast us into a curious world of energizing dreams. La Cible is really, really good and has been targeted as a strong contender for 2022’s EP of the year. If you like this, check out also the full-length Rédactions tranquilles BAAB released last year. Embedded below is audio for the title-track of the new EP to give you a taste.

The Silence In Between Bob and Moses

Four-time Juno nominated Vancouver duo Bob Moses (Jimmy Vallance and Tom Howie) recently released its latest album The Silence in Between. The disc, the outfit’s best yet, benefits from inspired composition and is, as one would expect, sprinkled with savoury EDM spices. Though we would not call every track dancefloor ready, the excursion through droning bass pulses, synthy burbles, and the occasional unexpected crescendo is satisfying. The energy pumping through the album never runs dry, and we never lose interest. It’s a most worthy effort impressing the CMB. Do check this one out.

1 April 2022 Releases: Lights, No Frills…

As we begin 2022’s fourth month, Canadian artists have released 142 albums and 93 EPs. Find the latest below.

TITLE	ARTIST	GENRE
Consumed in Key	Plastikman & Chilly Gonzales	Instrumental
Set The Record	HOROJO Trio	Blues
Un homme et son piano	P’tit Belliveau	S-S
Voice Leading	Kellarissa	Electronic
Abri de fortune	Koriass	Rap
Chutes libres	Lexil	Rock
Downward Dog	No Frills	Alternative
Goodbye Nightlife	Yesterday’s Ring	Folk
Pan est Mort	MAUV	Rap
PEP	Lights	Pop
The Life and Times of Eddie Gage	Aldo Nova	Rock
The Unravelling of PupTheBand	Pup	Punk
Can’t Make This S*** Up (EP)	Pengz and 6ixbuzz	Rap
Past Dawn (EP)	Jeremie Albino	Folk
If It’s Not Forever (EP)	Cassidy Mann	Soft Pop
10 Seconds, Vol. 1 (EP)	A-Trak	Dance
Another Self (EP)	Sara Danielle	AC
Freynet (EP)	Freynet	Country
Interstellar (EP)	Pilla B	Rap
Maximalist (EP)	Common Deer	Pop
The Rise (EP)	The Rural Alberta Advantage	Folk Rock
True North (EP)	The ACT Americana Trio	Folk

25 March 2022 Releases: Corneille, Alicia Moffet, Michael Bublé…

A-lister Michael Bublé drops his latest work, Higher. Even if you’re afraid of heights, this should satisfy. Award winning singer Alicia Moffet releases her second album, Intertwine. You’ll get caught up in it and it will satisfy. The ever popular Corneille tickles with pink ink in Encre rose. It’s a panther of an album and it will satisfy you. Also worth checking out is alt-pop EP Sur nos joues from Carla Chanelle. Wear it on your cheeks or anywhere you like; it satisfies. Check out this week’s new Canadian artist releases below.

TITLE	ARTIST	GENRE
21st Century Lo-Fi	Tom Savage	S-S
Avalon Tassonyi	Avalon Tassonyi	Folk
Construire une table…	Bolduc Tout Croche	S-S
Do All Words Can Do	F****d Up	HC Punk
Encre Rose	Corneille	Pop
Éphémère	Manela	Jazz
Faust	Mahogany Frog	Alternative
Higher	Michael Buble	AC
Intertwine	Alicia Moffet	R&B
Labyrinthitis	Destroyer	Alt Rock
L’aéronaute	François Jalbert & Jérôme Beaulieu	Jazz
Poésinutiles Vol.1	Edgar Bori	S-S
Rap Queb, Vol. 1	Jay Scott	Rap
Sans oublier	Lysandre	Alternative
Songs of the Recollection	Cowboy Junkies	Folk Rock
Subterranea	Sunglaciers	Alternative
Aphélie (EP)	Joseph Boonen	Alternative
Afterlife (EP)	Vi	Alternative
Bonjourno My Friends (EP)	Bernice	Experimental
Enter the Mirror (EP)	Jay Feelbender	Alt Rock
First Thing’s First (EP)	Jon Rivera	Urban Pop
Good Things (EP)	Devin Cooper	Country
Our Lady of the High… (EP)	Steven Doman	Alternative
Se Pa Lèd Ou Lèd (EP)	Denzel	Rap
Sur nos joues (EP)	Carla Chanelle	Alt Pop

18 March 2022 Releases: Lisa LeBlanc, Ria Mae…

Marching through the new releases, Lisa LeBlanc drops the funky Chiac Disco, Geneviève Racette the beautiful singer-songwriter album Satellite, Franky Freedom a self-titled electronic chillout disc, and La Bronze the great pop album Vis-moi. EPs include radio star Ria Mae with Therapy and emerging slayer Emmy Rouge with Catalogue.

TITLE	ARTIST	GENRE
Applaudissez, bande de…	Larynx	Alternative
Chiac Disco	Lisa LeBlanc	Pop
Dis-leur	Psycadelick	Rap
Eleven Dollar Bill	D. Columbus	Country
Franky Freedom	Franky Freedom	Chillout
Gone, Long Gone	Steve Dawson	S-S
ImagiNation	Q052	Rap
Milliers d’étincelles	Atémi	Folk Pop
Nothing Pressing	Jerry Leger	Folk
Roadhouse 02	Allan Rayman	R&B
Satellite	Geneviève Racette	S-S
The Fire Waltz	Little Miss Higgins et. al.	Folk
Vis-moi	La Bronze	Pop
Big Hurt Boy EP	Donovan Woods	S-S
Catalogue (EP)	Emmy Rouge	Pop
Encased in Chrome (EP)	Trench	Metal
Folktopia (EP)	Slide & Popcorn	Folk Rock
Hazed + Amused (EP)	Innr Circle	Pop
Light Yagami (EP)	Kira	Rap
Listen To Your Art (EP)	28. & The.Blind.Monkey	Rap
Love Faster (EP)	Coco Rose	R&B
Midi Pile (EP)	Bkay	Rap
Quand on sera une saison (EP)	Irène	Alternative
Terre! (EP)	Clara and the Sky	Alt Rock
The Night Suite (EP)	Stephan Moccio	Classical Xover
Therapy (EP)	Ria Mae	Pop

11 March 2022 Releases: Ingrid St-Pierre, Men Without Hats…

Ingrid St-Pierre releases piano-themed album Ludmilla this week. Veteran artists join her with new discs. Men Without Hats follows up last year’s EP Again Pt. 1 with full-length album Again Pt. 2. Bryan Adams serves his latest, So Happy It Hurts. Broken Social Scene’s Sam Jr. contributes a self-titled work and Daniel Bellegarde some sweet world music, Pastourelle. Find these and more in the table below.

TITLE	ARTIST	GENRE
Again, Pt. 2	Men Without Hats	Pop
Angel’s 11 vol. II	Angel Forrest	Folk Rock
Astronaute	Fredz	Rap
Hit ‘Em with the Funk	Kalisway	R&B
Ludmilla	Ingrid St-Pierre	Classical Xover
Mark VI	Tony Price	Dance
Pastourelle	Daniel Bellegarde	World
Pink Tiger	Apollo Ghosts	S-S
Sam Jr.	Sam Jr.	Alt Rock
So Happy It Hurts	Bryan Adams	Rock
City Classix, Vol. 1 (EP)	Jayden Premo	Rap
De l’aut’bord (EP)	Woodwolf	Hard Rock
Eleven Achers (EP)	Nemahsis	S-S
Mauvais temps (EP)	Maxime de Wilde	Alternative
Reversal (EP)	Raphaël Reed	Classical Xover
Strates (EP)	Sébastien Lafleur	Alternative
Trapistan the Mixtape (EP)	Road Runner	Rap

4 March 2022 Releases: Luna Li, Bob Moses…

Some great music is out this week in a variety of genres. Find below the latest albums and EPs from Canadian artists. Familiar names include Bob Moses, Luna Li, Maylee Todd, The Weather Station, and Thus Owls. EPs include exquisite works from BAAB and Anna Valsk.

TITLE	ARTIST	GENRE
Ballad of a Tryhard	Scott Hardware	Rock
Baratin d’marins	La Nef	Folk
Bienvenue	Ambroise	S-S
Calamity	biosphere & Xiv	Rap
Calm Fury	Sarah Hiltz	S-S
Duality	Luna Li	Alternative
Ensemble	Philippe Dunnigan	Classical Xover
From 2 to 3	Peach Pit	Alternative
House to House	Matt Andersen	S-S
How Is It That I Should Look…	The Weather Station	Alternative
Lately	JC Campbell	Country Rock
Maloo	Maylee Todd	Electronic
Miroirs	Visrei	Alternative
Pekuaiapu	Scott-Pien Picard	Folk
The Silence in Between	Bob Moses	Dance
Who Would Hold You…	Thus Owls	Alternative
Easy Listening for Jerks, Part I (EP)	The Dead South	Country
Easy Listening for Jerks, Part II (EP)	The Dead South	Country
La cible (EP)	BAAB	Alt-Pop
Les mains pleines de terre (EP)	Bel Ours	S-S
Morphologie A (EP)	Anna Valsk	Alt-Pop
Plus on change… (EP)	Olivier Couture	S-S
Romeo Eats 2 (EP)	Walk Off the Earth	Children’s
Stars We Lost (EP)	Lammping	Alt Rock

Avril Lavigne’s Love Sux: CMB Review

Diamond recording artist and nine-time Juno winner Avril Lavigne of Napanee, Ontario has released her seventh studio album, Love Sux. It’s a return to the style she popularized in the early noughties and a follow up to her more adult contemporary dressed Head Above Water album. Love Sux hurls a punch that feels like a next-door volcanic eruption. Somehow she has tapped into a searing energy pumping through her arteries that will thrill her fiercely loyal little black stars and introduce the genre to a new generation of fans who think autotuned rap is the best thing since Beethoven. The song lengths are remarkably short even clocking in at under two minutes. For those seeking more than just crisp, pumped up jams, “Avalanche” offers some impressive musical composition. Avril ensures the album contains a slow number as well: “Dare to Love Me”. Other standouts include “Kiss Me Like the World Is Ending” and “Déjà-Vu”. Avril Lavigne’s Love Sux does exactly what it’s supposed to do: it shreds concrete. The queen of rock is back.

Late February 2022 Releases: Avril Lavigne, 2Frères…

Find below a list of 23 albums and 13 EPs released the past two weeks. These include the latest albums from Avril Lavigne, 2Frères, and Alice Glass (formerly of Crystal Castles).

TITLE	ARTIST	GENRE
As Promised	Omar LinX	Rap
Charbonneau … Vol. 2	Hugo Blouin	Jazz
Embody	Basement Revolver	Dreamgaze
Last Birthday (the After Party)	Valley	Pop
Le grand détour	Martin Valois	Country Rock
Pish Posh	Church of Trees	Alternative
Prey/IV	Alice Glass	Alternative
Trust Takes Time	Shades Lawrence	Rap
Vox.infold	Ruby Singh	Alternative
I am alive…	Long Range Hustle	Folk Rock
Bells of Hope	Eamon McGrath	S-S
Crossface Chicken Wing	The Golden Age of Wrestling	Alternative
Flashback	Comme dans un film	AC
Honky Tonk Bar	Véronique Labbé	Country
Innu Auass	Ninan	Folk Pop
Les crucifiés figuratifs	Ellemetue	Alternative
LÖV	TÖME	World
Love Sux	Avril Lavigne	Alternative
Mukuin	Claude McKenzie	Folk Rock
Sfumato	Martin Lizotte	Classical Piano
Snake Eyes	Lucill	Folk Pop
Sous le même toit	2Frères	Folk Pop
The Fleur Print, Vol. 2	Jazz Cartier	Rap
Ascension (EP)	MadSci	Instrumental
Fiddleheads & Ferns (EP)	Mimi O’Bonsawin	EL
Le Voyage de M. Lonely… (EP)	Elephant Stone	Alt Rock
Mes ombres (EP)	Olivier Faubert	AC
Pré (EP)	Georgette	Pop
Towards the End (EP)	Katie Tupper	R&B
2022 (EP)	DijahSB	Rap
6 Songs to Midnight (EP)	Dan Davidson	Country
Compact Disc (EP)	Skip Waiters	Rap
Compostelle (EP)	Jalouse	Alternative
Get Home Safe (Part 1) (EP)	Safe	R&B
Layover (EP)	Reve	Dance
Live Your Truth… (EP)	NOBRO	Alt Rock