@SKOPEMAG NEWS FOR SEPTEMBER 14, 2018 @ 2 PM EST

PAUL DEAN’S LATEST SONG/VIDEO, “HELL YEAH”

LOVERBOY guitarist PAUL DEAN was a veteran Canadian rock musician in a dozen bands before breaking through in 1980 with the multi-platinum group. His newest single/video, “Hell Yeah,” pays tribute to those years with a shout-out to many of his contemporaries with an accompanying video that literally takes us on a tour of those “downtowns” and “cow towns.” Performing the song live with original Streetheart (and current LOVERBOY) bandmates drummer Matt Frenette and Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve on the stage of the Burton Cummings Theatre in Winnipeg, Dean sings the vocals and plays his Floyd Rose equipped Les Paul. The single, which follows the release of “Be With You,” earlier this year, goes online September 13th for streaming at all major sites, including Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon and Deezer.

Future Peers Announce New EP ‘I’m Sorry’ (Out 11/2), Watch “Didn’t I Deny” Video

Canadian band Future Peers will release their new EP, I’m Sorry, on November 2nd via Garment District Records. Self-described as “dance-pop meets art-rock in a demolition derby,” their sound is infectious and innovative, full of pop hooks and danceable beats but with a genre-defying twist.

Today, the band shares an otherworldly video for lead single “Didn’t I Deny,” which director Ryan Thompson describes as “an anxiety-fueled adventure of a mind trying to exist beyond the preconceived perceptions of others.”

RIVAL SONS SHARE NEW SONG “DO YOUR WORST”

Nashville/LA quartet, Rival Sons have shared “Do Your Worst,” the first new music to be released from the band’s forthcoming LP expected to arrive early next year on GRAMMY award winning super-producer Dave Cobb’s major label imprint Low Country Sound / Atlantic Records.

Castle Unveils New Song “Can’t Escape the Evil”

Bay Area dark metal duo Castle will release their new album, ‘Deal Thy Fate’, on October 19 via Ripple Music. Recorded in Portland, OR with producer Billy Anderson (Sleep, Neurosis), ‘Deal Thy Fate’ is Castle’s fifth full-length LP and follows 2016’s Welcome To The Graveyard, an album described as “doomish, old school, classic heavy metal” (Invisible Oranges).

BMG ACQUIRES INDEPENDENT HIP-HOP LABEL RBC RECORDS

BMG has announced the acquisition of Los Angeles-based independent hip-hop/rap label RBC Records (RBC). Launched in 2002, the label is home to a number of prolific and influential artists including Chief Keef, Flippa (aka Skippa Da Flippa), Waka Flocka Flame, Big L, and Gucci Mane, whose catalog sits alongside more than 500 label releases having sold millions of records worldwide.

The first acquisition of a label by BMG since it acquired Nashville powerhouse BBR Music Group (Broken Bow Records, Wheelhouse Records, Stoney Creek Records) in February 2017, RBC joins BMG’s recording operations in Los Angeles and New York, together with Rise Records in Portland, OR, and S-Curve Records in New York City.

RISING SINGER/SONGWRITER MORGAN SAINT RELEASES NEW TRACK “ON FIRE”

The brand-new song finds the inventive artist once again delivering a haunting vocal that enraptures and ensnares, hypnotically topped off by the song’s alluring melodic refrain. It’s a captivating follow-up to last year’s shimmering cache of tracks from her acclaimed debut EP, 17 Hero, featuring the ethereal song “You,” which garnered millions of streams and wowed both critics and fans.

TORI KELLY’S NEW PROJECT, HIDING PLACE, IS OUT TODAY

GRAMMY®-nominated artist Tori Kelly honors her gospel roots on the new R&B infused project, Hiding Place, which was released today by Capitol Records. Produced by 12-time GRAMMY® Award winner Kirk Franklin and available everywhere, the collection features guest artists Lecrae, Jonathan McReynolds and The Hamiltones, official background vocalists for GRAMMY winner Anthony Hamilton.

Rozzi Announces Debut Album, “Bad Together”, And Releases New Single, “Joshua Tree”

Of her new single and forthcoming album, Rozzi says, “This is the most personal song I’ve ever written. I wrote it fresh after a break up when I was so consumed with my own feelings that I kind of forgot anyone would ever hear it. I wrote it fully aware of why my ex and I broke up, but still unable to forget the reasons we were together in the first place. It’s me trying to figure out what happened. It’s part of a story. Think of it this way: if ‘Never Over You’ is leading us to a bad break up, ‘Joshua Tree’ is the aftermath. And the rest of the story is coming as well with my album Bad Together.”

HONORS share underdog anthem “Feel Better” (alt R&B) listen on Spotify’s NMF

Honors, the Canada-bred alternative R&B group known for their #1 Global Viral Spotify chart hit “Over”, today release their newest single “Feel Better”, the first single off of their forthcoming debut album, due out in fall of this year. The fresh track oozes positivity through hardship, searching for the light in dark times with the lyrics “I feel better when I’m broken, I feel better when I’m lonely, I feel better with no money.”

“Feel Better” is a mantra for all of those who embrace their status as underdogs and overlooked. In a world where you are constantly bombarded by social media, it is easy to fall victim to the notion that your success and self worth is constantly measured against the carefully curated highlights of your peers. It is a call to arms for everyone who continues to fight and persevere in hopes of recognizing their dreams.

Neo-Soul band Blesd brings a healthy dose of “Gratitude”

Los Angeles-based five-piece, Blesd, are spreading a message of positivity, love, and harmony with the release of their soulful new single, “Gratitude.” We partnered with EARMILK for the premiere and they called the band, “a blessing no longer in disguise.” With a deep, meditative opening that gives way to captivating vocal harmonies and an earnest message, Blesd are primed to transcend audiences around the world.