Nick Sherman Heads Out on Summer 2016 Tour

Nick Sherman kicked off his 2016 Summer Tour last week in Peterborough at the Garnet. Check out his full summer tour below and catch a show near you.

Anishinaabe singer-songwriter Nick Sherman has long been an RPM favourite and he's out on tour through Canada this summer, heading out from Ontario to BC and back by end of August. Check the full list of shows below and catch him when you can.

Sherman will be touring in support of his most recent album, Knives & Wildrice, which you can stream right here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uobG4h6lA8g

Nick Sherman - Summer 2016 Tour Dates

July 6 | Toronto, ON - The Central July 7 | Orillia, ON - The Brownstone July 8 | Kitchener, ON - The Boathouse July 9 | Six Nations - 6 Arrows Media July 23-24 | Bella Coola, BC - Bella Coola Music Festival July 26 | Port Alberni, BC - Char's Landing July 27 | Nanaimo, BC - The Nanaimo Bar July 28 | Ucluelet, BC - Black Rock Resort July 29 | Ucluelet, BC - Black Rock Resort July 30 | Vancouver, BC - Skwachays Lodge & Gallery August 5 | Sioux Lookout, ON - The Legion August 12-14 | Ear Falls, ON - Trout Forest Music Festival August 24 | Thunder Bay, ON - Live on the Waterfront

For more details visit www.nicksherman.ca

VIDEO: Watch the Recap of A Tribe Called Red's 'Rez Tour' of Native Communities Across Canada

This past summer, A Tribe Called Red added "The Rez Tour" in the midst of their festival season dates, bringing a handful of free shows to communities in Ontario. This week they dropped a new video about the experience. 

A Tribe Called Red's live show is potent, powerful, and always packed. They have performed for huge crowds around the world, and in summer 2016, finally brought their work to "the audience that matters to them most."

"Our main goal was to be able to connect with our fans that we don't get to connect with face to face so much, particularly our fan-base on reservation who maybe aren't getting to our larger shows," says Bear in the good-looking 5 minute video directed by Jon Riera. Deejay NDN adds, "It's important to go to Indigenous youth now and show that we're real, that we're real people and we're accessible to these youth."

The tour included workshops, q&a with the band, and plenty of photo ops in addition to their high powered performances. It's great to get the insight into The Rez Tour and we hope there are more tours like it to come! As one fan states, "Thank you guys for bringing everyone together."

WATCH: A Tribe Called Red - The Rez Tour Recap

DOWNLOAD: NiiKO - "Hit Me With The Lights"

We have a fresh new single from 20-year-old R&B/Soul/Pop Singer-Songwriter, NiiKO, formerly known as Lil' Pappie.

NiiKO, the young prodigy formerly known as Lil Pappie, has been busy creating tracks under his new moniker since July of this year. This tune demonstrates NiiKO's ability to produce seamlessly tight numbers without the support of a management team or label backing. One might think to themselves, Why aren't we picking this artist up?

Definitely an up and comer to keep an eye on. We're happy to share his latest tune with you.

DOWNLOAD: NiiKO - "Hit Me With The Lights"

VIDEO: Shy-Anne - "Run Run Run"

Shy-Anne Hovorka is back with a brand new single and video for her infectious pop-country tune, "Run Run Run".

From the flowing fringe dress to a forest dreamscape of escape, Shy-Anne sings about heartbreak and hope in this latest hit for the up-and-coming singer.

Shy-Anne is also celebrating other good news. On Friday the singer announced that she had been invited to perform at this year's Aboriginal Peoples' Choice Music Awards, calling it "another huge opportunity and honour". This year's APCMAs will be held in Winnipeg on November 2nd. You can catch the performance live on APTN.

In the meantime, enjoy the video (starring Classic Roots and Cherry Hovorka):

Shy-Anne - "Run Run Run"

DOWNLOAD: KodeRed - "My Eyes Are On You"

Cop this new single entitled My Eyes Are On You from Fort Erie Native KodeRed.

You don't need to listen to this song for too long before you think to yourself, Why is this not in my headphones?

KodeRed has been laying it down, and you can clearly hear the production that went into tracks like My Eyes Are On You, which was produced by none other than DJ Shub of A Tribe Called Red.

feelin super tierd and still gotta do some writin and recordin...but its all worth it!

— KodeRed (@KodeRed4us) July 20, 2012

From what we can tell, the hard work pays off. Don't miss your chance to download KodeRed's free mixtape, either. Get it while it's fresh.

DOWNLOAD: KodeRed - "My Eyes Are On You"

DOWNLOAD: Street Pharmacy - "Make You Well"

From alternative-rock-reggae band Street Pharmacy, turn up this week's RPM download - Make You Well - from the band's most recent album Divorce.

Street Pharmacy is a 5-piece band hailing from Welland, Ontario, and lead by Métis singer-songwriter Ryan Guay. Ryan started the band after he was released from the Hamilton Mood Disorder clinic due to a misdiagnosis of Schizophrenia. The experience inspired the band's name and a lot of their early songs. With four albums now under their belt, Ryan and the band are just getting better - Divorce is a polished, solid mix of passionate and driven alternative rock, laced with reggae grooves. Get your prescription filled and download Make You Well now.

DOWNLOAD: Street Pharmacy - "Make You Well"

DOWNLOAD: Siren Call - "Lastone"

From a network of new emerging, electronic artists that includes Black Hands and Stone Mathers, this week's featured artist is Siren Call, of Wasauksing Nation.

Trevor Tabodandung, aka Siren Call, grew up taking in rap, rock and metal music, but it was an album by German elecro-house Digitalism that set him on path to exploring and creating his own house tracks. "I'm still learning lots about how to make music, but I like to make sounds I want to hear" says the young artist from Parry Sound, Ontario. Well Siren, we like the sounds too. Download this track to sweeten up your summer listening.

DOWNLOAD: Siren Call - "Lastone"

DOWNLOAD: Robbie Antone's Blues Machine - "Piece of Mind"

This kind of laid back blues always makes me think of summer, which makes it the perfect pick for the first RPM download of June. From Oneida Nation on the Thames, Robbie Antone's Blues Machine sent us this sweet track to check out and we highly recommend you do too.

With lead singer and harmonica ace Robbie Antone at the helm, he and his Blues Machine have been racking up recognition in the industry and their community, from winning Best Blues at the Jack Richardson Music Awards to the Memphis International Blues Challenge. It's no wonder - their smooth and soulful style will whisk you away like a warm summer breeze.

DOWNLOAD: Robbie Antone's Blues Machine - "Piece of Mind"

Wawatay News with Robin Ranger

There's not a lot of jazz players in Indian Country, but musician and composer Robin Ranger, from Fort William, Ontario, is blazing a trail of change. He talked with Wawatay News about his love of the genre, his goals as an artist, and what album got him hooked on jazz in the first place.

In Ranger discovers voice with jazz, Wawatay News writes:

While walking the streets of Toronto in his early-20s, Robin Ranger heard a guitar-playing busker hit a chord that captivated his ears. Using some of the $40 he had that was to last him three days in the city, the Fort William First Nation member paid the guitarist to play the song again.

“I paid attention while he was playing the song and waited until that chord rolled around,” the 39-year-old recalled. “Then I went back to the hotel, picked my guitar up and made the same chord, and it completely affected the way I played music.” Up to that point, Ranger was into rock and heavy music like Tool and Ministry. But the chord – a B-flat minor6 – converted him to a new style. He began to mess around with seventh, ninth and major-seventh chords and wrote songs based on them.

“After a while, another musician friend of mine said, ‘Wow man, this sounds a lot like jazz,’ and I’m like ‘Jazz? I don’t listen to jazz.’

Based on the comparisons, Ranger decided to give the genre a listen. He asked a friend that since jazz is a 100-year-old medium, where should he start. He was recommended Miles Davis’ 1959 album, Kind of Blue. Ranger was immediately obsessed with the album, considered the best-selling jazz record of all time...

Being a First Nations person, Ranger gets a lot of comments about the oddity of being an Aboriginal jazz musician. Ranger estimates there are about six or seven that perform regularly in Canada.

“Jazz chords aren’t something we hear a lot in our communities,” he said. “As a culture, we’re not big jazz appreciators. I hope that’s changing, because jazz is cool. More people should listen to it."

Read the whole article here.

And watch Robin's This Endless Night:

DOWNLOAD: Clint Hamilton - "In Kind"

From Moosonee, Ontario, Clint Hamilton is a guitar slinging, gritty rock n' roller with the songwriting heart of a poet.

Clint Hamilton generally writes and records in his home studio, utilizing loops and samples but with an eye on keeping the sound as natural as possible. "Writing, recording and producing has a pretty steep learning curve but it is getting easier as I go along, picking up tricks and experience along the way", says Hamilton of working as a DIY artist.

This track was written in response to a request for a "love song" from his wife and at first listen, the song has all the rock must haves - back beat, skilled guitar solos, a rough-around-the-edges lead vocal. But listen closer, and again, because if you missed it the first time, you'll find it also has the more intangible qualities of poetry and passion that make good songs great.

DOWNLOAD: Clint Hamilton - "In Kind"

DOWNLOAD: Nick Sherman - "Drag Your Words Through"

I recently had the pleasure of hearing Ojibway singer-songwriter Nick Sherman, from Sioux Lookout, Ontario, perform live, and I'm thrilled that this week's RPM download is a track from his brand new album, Drag Your Words Through.

Sherman's poetic and honest lyrics, paired with his warm, rich voice had the room near tears when he performed, and luckily the depth and emotion that he so beautifully conveys live is captured well on all the tracks of Drag Your Words Through. Described by Sherman as music rooted in contemporary folk, the sentiments on the album span the best and worst days of four years in his life - so hearts are moved not only to sadness, but to smiles too. Be sure to check out the album at www.nicksherman.ca and get started by downloading the title track here.

DOWNLOAD: Nick Sherman - "Drag Your Words Through"

VIDEO: Luke Sharp - "I Really Love You"

Off his new project The Pretape Hosted by DJ Epps, Rama First Nation hip-hop artist Luke Sharp comes at us with a clean cut video for his song I Really Love You.

The video, directed and produced by Mark Tyler at fedupfilms.net, is dedicated to "Caroline W. and every single mother out there doing their best to provide for their children, even against the odds".

Watch Luke Sharp - I Really Love You.

The Pretape Hosted by DJ Epps which is presented by Coast to Coast Mixtapes is available for download at www.datpiff.com/Luke-Sharp-The-Pretape-Illimitable-Entertainment-Hosted-By-Dj-mixtape.289291.html.

Tracklist:

1. DJ Epps Intro 2. Imma Do Me 3. Cry No More 4. I Really Love You 5. Live My Life Ft. DJ Epps 6. Canada's Genocide (Letters from Thomas Smith) 7. I'm Sorry 8. Just Stop It! 9. Do You Right 10. Real Radio One.Com Interlude 11. Say A Little (Prayer For You) 12. F The Illuminati (Bonus Track)