Category: Song Review

Elyse Saunders is a Canadian country music singer and songwriter who has been making waves in the industry since her debut album in 2008. She has a distinctive voice and style that blends traditional and modern influences, creating catchy and heartfelt songs that resonate with listeners. She continues to be one of the most promising talents in the country music scene.

 

ROOTS

Saunders was born and raised in Peterborough, Ontario, where she grew up listening to her parents' record collection of classic country artists like Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, and Patsy Cline. She started singing at a young age and performed at local fairs and festivals. She also learned to play guitar and piano and began writing her own songs. She moved to Toronto to pursue her music career and signed with a management company that helped her record her first album, “I'm On My Way”, which was released independently in 2008. The album received positive reviews and earned her a nomination for Female Artist of the Year at the Ontario Country Music Awards.

 

MAKING MUSIC

Since then, Saunders has released two more albums: Nothing To Lose in 2011 and Free in 2019. She has also collaborated with other artists and producers, such as Dan Swinimer, Jason Barry, David Leask, and Cyril Rawson. Some of her most popular songs include "Rise", "Feel You Leaving", "Free", and "Sunshine State Of Mind". She has also performed at various venues and events across Canada and the US, such as the Canadian Country Music Awards, Boots and Hearts Festival, Havelock Country Jamboree, Nashville North Stage, and Country Music Week.

 

Saunders has also received several accolades and recognition for her music. She won the Rising Star Award at the 2012 Wire Awards, the Best Country Artist Award at the 2014 Toronto Independent Music Awards, and the Female Vocalist of the Year Award at the 2019 CMAO Awards. She was also nominated for the SiriusXM Rising Star Award at the 2019 CCMA Awards. She has been featured on various media outlets, such as CBC Music, Global News, CTV Morning Live, SiriusXM Canada, Country 105 FM, Canadian Musician Magazine, The Path Radio, and The Monthly Social Podcast.

 

STRONG & FREE

Dale George Lytle of the band, Angeles says, (after) “all the years of aggravation, now I’m finally on my way” as he smiles with a humble swagger, pointing to his recent hit song, “On My Way”.  The self-prophesizing song has more than a cool rock melody that makes you draw the sign of the horn with one hand while you rock your head to it. It has resiliency, perseverance, lived experiences, guitar miles, and relief. In an interview on The Path Radio YouTube channel, Dale says, “it's kind of a celebration of my life… it's kind of like it's time to take off, it's time to go you know.” With more than a dozen records to the band’s credit, and a reconfiguration of members that now has Dale on guitar and lead vocals, next year’s 40^th anniversary album will become the focus as the band continues its 2023 tour and charting ways.

 

 

NEW RECORD LABEL

 The band is also excited to announce they’ve signed with a new label, Curtain Call Records, distributed through Orchard/Sony. “Wow, super excited big announcement coming,” posted Dale to his Facebook followers, inviting them to tune in later for the big reveal of partnering up with the new label. Curtain Call Records adds a hot multi-charting band in the iconic “Angeles”, to an already long and impressive line-up.

You can catch the band on tour from May to August in Illinois, Texas, Ohio, and Michigan, with possibly more shows being added.  Before you see Angeles live, you can catch Dale on The Path Radio YouTube (https://youtube.com/@thepathradiomix) channel for a very personal interview experience.

 

You can also hear Angeles & Dale on The Path Radio Online.

 

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Stacey David Blades, guitarist for the new band Crashing Wayward was recently a guest on The Monthly Social Podcast. There, he talked about the band’s new album, scheduled for a May 12, 2023, release that will deliver eleven tracks, including their current charting power tune, “Breathe”. It’s a powerful performance by the entire band, fronted by commanding vocals. Everything about the song screams “it’s a closer”, admits Stacey during the chat.

 

NEW ALBUM REVEAL

Stacey also gave some song teasers by listing several track names including, “Stranger Days”, the track credited for the band being signed by RFK Media. He paused as he talked about “Tilly”, a song dedicated to a friend’s daughter who was lost to suicide. Then he reveals that “Mouth To God’s Ear” is the album opening track that is also their live set opener. He lists off other tracks like “Disco Kills”, “Badass”, “Death On Holidays”, and “Staring At The Ceiling”, a song he says has “got very Soundgarden kind of Zeppelin vibes to it”. Stacey reflects as he tells us that the last track, a song called “Velvet’s Drawn” is a dedication to his late wife, Paula Ann Mauter, who passed away on November 19, 2021, from COVID-19. The track is the eleventh in honour of Paula’s birth, the eleventh day of the eleventh month. “It’s all killer, no filler,” says Stacey as he affirms how much he loves playing with bandmates, Singer Peter Summit, Guitarist David Harris, Drummer Shon McKee, and Bassist Carl Raether.

 

MUSIC LEGACY

The interview reveals a lot of layers to Stacey David Blades. While he is proud of his work with former band LA Guns and Roxx Gang, he has never wanted those efforts to define his music legacy. The idea of being a replacement guitarist, something he was able to shed as he put his stamp on albums like “Tales From The Strip”, is one of the reasons he decided to play out a new path, with an evolved sound that still stays true to his techniques. He’s also not shy about his journey and short-lived success with the now defunct Electric Radio Kings that disintegrated as they were enjoying Billboard success, while having their debut album “Purr” signed by MI5/Universal. “That band was forced…I knew in the long run [it] wasn’t gonna last…we played this huge show in Houston and [the lead singer] was like screw you guys and quit,” Stacey reminisces as he now laughs about it, still with some disbelief. He believes that experience was a needed step in finding his Crashing Wayward bandmates.

 

CANADIAN ROOTS

While Stacey has largely lived in the USA, he’s also very in-tune and proud of his Canadian roots. Throughout the interview he worked in Canadian musical influences, talked about his hometown of Toronto, Ontario, and looks forward to bringing Crashing Wayward to Canada. He also reminds us that Crashing Wayward’s producer, Mike Gillies, the former Metallica engineer is also Canadian as he shares the constructive level of detail and innovation Mike brings to the band. Stacey eventually picks Timbits over BeaverTails during the 7 Seconds With Stacey segment, asking, “What’s a Beaver Tail?”, as he shares a laugh over the question, edging the sixty plus minutes of conversation to a cordial conclusion.

 

CRASHING WAYWARD

Crashing Wayward delivers a product that blends music, personal stories, and years of integrated experience from a group of artists whose hunger is exactly what the rock scene needs right now. This is a band that will play their studio album live and crush it from start to finish with an abundance of confidence, a slice of humility, and nothing to lose immersion. You may find yourself comparing their songs to a multitude of other bands, like Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver, Led Zeppelin, and even Guns N’ Roses. Sometimes you may even make those observations in the same song. Each member of Crashing Wayward brings a diverse and unique set of skill and musical influence that comes out in a synchronized epiphany of re-energized rock music capable of Grammy Award recognition in the Best Rock Song, Best Rock Performance, Best New Album, or Best New Artist categories. The fact they can adapt so many different elements to their music makes them one of the bands to watch in 2023 as they have the potential to bring people together who might not otherwise be so inclined to co-exist, under the Crashing Wayward banner.

While you can enjoy Stacey David Blade’s interview on The Monthly Social Podcast or any podcast platform like Spotify, Apple, Google, Amazon and others, you can also watch the full uninterrupted interview on The Monthly Social Podcast YouTube, that has only recently launched the channel.

 

You can also hear Crashing Wayward on The Path Radio Online.

 

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I LIKE IT, I LOVE IT

You have probably had breakfast with her, drank with her, drove with her, got prettier with her, cooked with her, and danced with her. You did this all while consuming or using products like Kellogg’s Special K, Covergirl, Suzuki, Surf Laundry, Pinnacle Vodka, LG, Dove, Kitchen Aid and more!

 

Salme Dahlstrom, is a multi-Billboard charting artist who also put such a headlock on music licensing that Wall Street dubbed her a “Music Licensing Queen”.  

 

from her album “The Acid Cowgirl Audio Trade” was licensed and used in commercials, she has kept the momentum going, embracing her panache for blending and bending music genres together to influence your purchasing experience. She will seemingly continue to do that for the foreseeable future and you’re going to like it, even love it!  

 

I DID IT MY WAY

Her New York “I did it my way” aura can be dangerously contagious because while she went all-in with her music, she had and has the attitude, talent, and ambition to make it work, and not everyone can follow that recipe long enough to get people to enjoy it the first time and come back for seconds. She sets the music table with deliberation, and while anyone can get a little lucky on occasion, Salme Dahlstrom knows who she is as an artist and the direction she is going when it’s time to create. “Ambition is a beast, it gets you up in the morning,” says Dahlstrom during an interview on The Monthly Social Podcast as she talks about getting up in the morning to work in her own studio. She leaves no doubt that she works hard and works smart.

 

LOOKING AHEAD

A traditionalist in putting together an album that has a theme of interconnected songs that tell a story, she promises new material as she collaborates with one of her long-time friends Kelly St. Patrick, while embarking on her own new album.  If she applies her tattoo-tough on the outside persona with her savvy, cutsie, witty, saintliness we’re in for more hits and treats from this Swedish-American music rebel.

 

You can hear the full interview, some of her music hits, and access all her media links on The Monthly Social Podcast. You can also hear her music streaming on The Path Radio Online

 

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GONE FISHING

Jennifer Alvarado goes fishing with her new single, “catfish” and snags another country-rock tune hit that will have your foot-stomping, fingers desk-tapping, and singing along to a catchy pause and boom chorus. She wastes little time getting you there too. “Karma has a way of finding, you when you get in her way,” says Alvarado before the suspenseful quiet before she stretches her vocals and pulls you in.  

 

Alvarado’s “Catfish” will hook you and is a formidable follow-up to the spring release, “Rock This Way”, part of a larger project called, “Songbird Part 1” that like “Catfish” shares a country-bite that makes you feel you’ve heard it before and want to hear it again. It has all the elements of a song you hand-slap your steering wheel, sing out loud at home, or hear the jingle of the buckles of your country boots as they keep the beat out on the dance floor.

 

THE CATFISH MESSAGE HOOK

Don’t dismiss this as another country fishing song because it’s not. Catfishing is a figure of speech for tricking someone into believing that you’re something you’re not, to maybe get something you would not otherwise get from them, like money, love, or even stealing their identity. She nails the message and the song, and you can listen knowing it’s all legit and you won’t find any music tricks here, as Alvarado’s “Catfish” will hook you.

 

CASTING OUT

You can learn more about Jennifer’s life journey, her music, and other insights on The Monthly Social Podcast. She is also featured on The Path Radio Online , internet radio on Mini-Concert Mondays, Country Thursdays, and on numerous weekend programs.  Owning her new album and other music is also possible through her website, JenniferAlvarado.com.

 

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REGGAE TO BLUES

Singing the blues doesn’t always mean that you’re sad and in the case of Canadian, multi-Juno nominated artist Jay Douglas it’s the farthest thing from it. The reggae icon sings the blues on his new album, “Confession”, which boasts 14 songs that are equally as hot as the album’s house on fire cover. While the genre changed for this album, his familiar vocals and style bring it all together for a set that that takes you on a fun and sincere journey rooted in history.

ROOTS MATTER

“I’ve always wanted to do a blues album and I’ve had offers to do the blues from different labels, but it just didn’t work out... but I was always researching the music, the history,” says Douglas during our interview on themonthlysocial.com podcast. He is adamant about paying homage to roots when it comes to his music and is deliberate in naming mentors, songs, and periods of time that inspired him to deliver this “confession” as the reggae icon sings the blues, even doing an impromptu vocal while we chat.

LOVE, PEACE, HARMONY DEFINES THE ICON

“Is it ok if I call you brother?”, asks Douglas during our chat, as he opens up about being one with nature, the universe, and each other. His message is one of love and peace as he values connecting with people and lifting each other up. He is especially supportive of ensuring our future through the enablement and support of children. He is sincere and humble as he talks about his music journey, including crossing paths with Bob Marley and later playing with Bob’s son, Ziggy.

CONNECTING

Jay gives a sincere interview with insights on moving to Canada, his music, family, and more on The Monthly Social Podcast. His music is also featured on The Path Radio Online , internet radio on Mini-Concert Mondays and other weekend programs.  You can also buy his new album form his site, jaydouglasmusic.com.

 

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Southern Songbird Jennifer Alvarado started singing before she started speaking. That has translated into the natural voice we now hear as she continues to caress the radio and internet sound waves with a welcoming sweet iced-tea charm on a hot summer day. Her gentle Vale, North Carolina accent has had us more than “curious” about where this is going, and she has kept up the momentum with a new release this summer called “Rock This Way.”

 

As a singles artist she continues to build a portfolio of songs that could and should be part of any major country concert tour.  While doing that, she has also collaborated to make the universe go boom on a song called “Starz Collide”, teaming up with Chris Hale of The Whythouse.  

 

“Rock This Way” is one song from a larger project called, “Songbird” that Jennifer will be sharing with us in 2022. The song has instant grab.  A guitar crunch opens to an anthem-type drum beat that could carry a crowd clap-along while she talks you through it. “We’re gonna keep on keeping on,” says Alvarado as she promises to keep on rocking’.  She leaves little doubt that’s just what she will do.

 

An interview with her on The Monthly Social Podcast reveals how Jennifer uses her music as a tool for helping others. Her ability to help extends beyond music as she provides support through recovery ministry. “We’re given trials in life so we either become bitter or we become better,” says Alvarado as she talks about helping others overcome life challenges.

 

There’s a lot of good music coming from this rising star. There is also a lot of good music already available from her too. You can start your Jennifer Alvarado journey just about anywhere in her music catalogue and it will take you from a country porch to an old memory, a dance floor, and even singing along on your summer drive.  

 

You can learn more about Jennifer’s life journey, her music, and other insights on The Monthly Social Podcast. You can also hear her music streaming on The Path Radio Online.

 

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It’s a little bit urban, a little bit country, and a little bit pop that gives The Whythouse a custom sound, one that breaks-free from cookie-cutter loops, licks, and riffs. That should be reason enough for you to listen to lead Chris Hale and the band. It’s not the only reason though.

 

Chris, a veteran Canadian Hip Hop artist broke onto the music scene several years ago, sharing the stage with talents like Maestro Fresh Wes, Shawn Desman, Melanie Durrant, Blue Rodeo, The Trews, and Sam Roberts. Despite the time gap between those moments and today, he doesn’t shy away from the memories, instead using them as a learning experience to navigate the current path that leads us to The Whythouse.  That experience, along with pandemic reflections led him to today’s million+ streams on Spotify, also supported by other platforms. That doesn’t happen by accident.

 

The Whythouse songs pour ingredients into a mixer and spit out a product that leaves fans coming back for more and music pundits searching for the ingredients in the recipe. Through pockets of classic music homage, cozy country music synergy, modern pop beats, and reaching into a plinko-bag of other genres, the music draws a diverse base that spans generations.

 

“All of our stuff is very feel-good type stuff… with the world today, this is what we need,” says Chris during our interview on The Go On with Guido Podcast as we explored his recent new release on April 10, 2022, called “Let It Roll, which can also be heard on The Path Radio Mix Online.  The Whythouse has been enjoying success with other songs, “She Said Hi”, and “Starz Collide”, a collaboration featuring artist Jennifer Alvarado. If you’re looking for an artist that reflects the music, you’ll get that in Chris Hale as he lives up to another song, “Gotta Be Me.”

 

Chris continues to build the new house with innovative ideas that would surely make it sell for over-asking on the open market as he re-designs, renovates, and brings in a collective of music talents to add something special to each room. Consider this your open invitation to explore The Whythouse.

 

You can get additional insights and links on The Whythouse journey, collaborations, and songs on The Go On with Guido Podcast.

When I first saw Sarah Tolle, she looked familiar. As we began to exchange instant messages and e-mail, it was so casual, I wondered if we’d been friends in high school. Given that she is a native of Wisconsin, USA currently making her home in British Columbia Canada, and that I am likely much older, I knew that was impossible. The observation is a compliment to Sarah’s friendly nature. By extension, her music inherits that same friendliness and other elements of her positive oriented personality.

 

On March 18, 2022, Sarah released a new song called “Like It or Not”, which is playing on the Path Radio Mix Online. It is also featured on The Go On with Guido Podcast, where Sarah’s musical and life journey is explored through an interview that highlights her genuine love for art and people.

 

“Like it or not, this is how I look naked,” sings Sarah as she puts herself out there, identifying her faults, celebrating her talents, and having fun all at the same time as she invites you to dance. The message pours out beyond the music and lyrics as she aims to establish comfort for all of us in who we are, without apology. It also helps that the song has a catchy hook that I find myself singing or humming as I go about the ins and outs of daily life. If you listen, you will too.

 

Tolle also has other tunes in the music box that are sweet on the ear and put a hold on the heart. For instance, she passionately belts out an ode to her dedication to be there for you as she assures, “I will stay through the storm, I will not hurt you,” in her “Fight for You” song. It’s smooth. It’s sincere. It’s credible.

 

While Sarah is working towards several additional singles, she continues to evolve her musical learning journey with instruments and industry relationships. I jokingly call her an honorary Canadian, but maybe it’s not so much of a joke as she captures the oft kind essence of Canada with an authentic, infectious personality that makes you want to hear her music and if the opportunity arose, hang out with her, just about anywhere.

 

Sarah Tolle was inherently naked long before she sang about it. Her self-comfort, humble confidence, and transparency is a rare gift for an artist, and she organically translates that into her music, for you.

“You could tell me anything, just don’t tell me lies” sings Katherine Simons and Will Richards on one of the new songs, “Walk Me Home Tonight”, a song they tell me is about the night they met. “A fan said we sing like we’re in love,” says Will, something that is apparent to me as their casual laughter often intertwines, complimenting moments where they seemingly want to finish each other’s thoughts, but respectfully and organically synchronize their answers.

 

 “The Unreliable Narrators” is the name of the Co-Conspirators new album. A name that Will and Katherine have put considerable thought into. Will explains, “it’s a literary term of someone who is telling you a story, but you have to figure out what is the truth within that story.” The explanation prompts me to ask if the songs are about people they know. They both reveal that to be true and take a moment to share some intimate insights. In a moment of reflection and transparency, Will reveals that the song “Young Billy” is about himself with references to events of his upbringing. Katherine also reveals her personal connection to the song “You Shone So Bright”, which is about the death of her best friend’s daughter. It’s a rare moment, one that as a listener you should cherish because you get to hear the creativity of the music with the context that adds to the listening experience as you process all of it, helping you make your own connections. There is no doubt that Will and Katherine can take you to your thinking place. While the careful consideration of branding continues its artistic impression through the colour selection of the album as Will explains how it reflects “old penguin books”, I become more deeply aware that the Co-Conspirators have all sorts of gems, some more visible than others, each carefully placed in their music and presentation. The fact they can do this in a mostly now digital or online experience is a tribute to their artistic commitment.

 

They use that combination of commitment and talent to also acknowledge, inform, and tackle anti-racism. Will and Katherine became quite passionate as we discussed their song, “The Lonesome Death of Elijah McClain”, a title which I both borrowed and honoured for a short article I wrote reflecting on Black History Month. “Ain’t causing trouble, ain’t up to no good. I’d like to go home please sir if I could”. In those two lines they capture so much of what we’ve come to know about Elijah’s gentleness, but also the horrifying experience in that moment leading to his death. The song is rich and deep, giving me goosebumps at times as it pulls me into that moment. If you don’t know anything about Elijah McClain, I suspect you’ll want to read more about him after you hear this song.

 

This song as do the others, showcase Will and Katherine’s deep musical backgrounds. They are also happy to share how so many of their family are musically inclined. As it becomes increasingly obvious how much music is part of their very fabric, I jokingly ask if Katherine brings the calm to the storm, after Will describes their different but complimentary musical backgrounds. That question draws a chuckle from Will and agreement from Katherine as we all laugh together.

 

Will and Katherine are touring Canada, heading back from Vancouver to Quebec at the time of our interview.  They’re looking to continue touring in the coming months as they promote the new album, “The Unreliable Narrators”. Until you can see them live, their music and other content is available through their website, https://theco-conspirators.com/music . You can also hear them on The Path Radio Mix (https://thepathradio.com) during the Mini-Concert Monday segments, where three songs from the same artist are played consecutively (and both Will and Katherine have their own favourite three that will be alternated). The full interview with more insights, stories, and music is published in the March episode of The Go On with Guido Podcast (https://something4everyone.guidopiraino.com).