Bio: In the summer of 2001, a group of four Toronto-based musicians got together and formed the band KROME. While building a good reputation, singer, songwriter and guitarist T.J. Habibi, Sampler and Keyboardist Olivia Zeilinski, bassist Mark Chee-Aloy and drummer Tony Carpino have massively expanded their fan base from touring and have managed to satisfy any individuals who choose to give the band’s high energy sound a listen. KROME has achieved a top 10 ranking on Internet music sites such as www.mp3.com, www.loudenergy.com and www.garageband.com. However, these were only the first few signs of their success with critics. US National TV has licensed KROME to such series as Fox Televisions’ 24, MTV’s Road Rules, Making Of The Band, Extreme All-Star Challenge and the underground TV series Mutant X. The sound of KROME can be described as a mesh of modern rock with electronics and rap. With their new self-titled demo, the band has successfully integrated many styles of music to build a dynamic sound that KROME can call their own.

Bio: Everything has been going very well for Chris Colepaugh and The Cosmic Crew since the release of their latest album Trip. Nominated for ‘Rock Artist of the Year’ at last year’s East Coast Music Awards, the band also became a finalist in the CBC’s Great Canadian Music Dream. The band has had many drummers come and go, therefore Colepaugh, originally a drummer, decided to play the drum parts on his own in the making of Trip. Remi Borque beats the drums for the band during live performances. Their funky blues-y style isn’t far off from groups such as Phish, Blues Traveller and the Grateful Dead. Until a label that can offer the band a good deal with a solid team to work with comes along, Chris Colepaugh and The Cosmic Crew are content with maintaining independent control of their future.

Bio: Spirited and evocative, Melanie Dekker exudes passion through her musical performance. Her progressive acoustic pop sound and sincere lyrics take listeners on an intimate musical journey. Dekker provides unique guitar playing, blending heavy rhythmic strokes, guitar body beats, three finger-pulling techniques and an enticingly quick right hand. She has fun on stage, whether solo or fronting a band, with rare combination of power and sensitivity. Dekker toured Europe throughout January and February of 2003, performing at several packed pubs for many enthusiastic audiences. Melanie Dekker has a true sense of exhilaration.

Bio: Fronted by Newfoundlanders Erin Best & Sandy Morris, pop-folk band RASA’s first album titled Neoprehistoric garnered great critical success and was quickly picked up by two national distributors. RASA has toured Canada and New England. They played at the East Coast Music Awards along with the Pantene Pro-Voice Finals. "SUMO", RASA’s recent single has had several adds on commercial radio. Keep an eye for the "SUMO" video on MuchMusic. At this time, RASA is in the midst of working on their next album, which will be titled Urban Ambrosia.

Bio: Gemini Dream, made up of twin sisters Erin and Jennifer Bassett from Gravenhurst, ON, has had a passion for music their entire lives. They have performed at musical festivals, variety shows and a packed house at the legendary Kee to Bala. Gemini Dream has recently licensed two tracks to CBC Radio and Television for broadcast in the Dreamstream Virtual Music Festival. The tracks include "Nobody" and "Do Ya". These talented twins have also contributed their track "A Matter of Time" to a compilation CD of Muskoka Artists that was in rotation on Muskoka’s Moose FM and was promoted by the New VR and MCTV. Gemini Dream was recently featured on Energy FM 93.1 and also just released their self-titled debut album with producer Brad Rundle at Project Sound. The pop duo’s album can be purchased online at www.muskoka.com or at AVE and CD Plus Records in central Ontario and North Toronto.

Bio: Hemitone, while giving details their full attention, create infectious melodies and put sincerity into their songwriting. The band has shared the stage with artists such as Big Sugar, 54·40, I Mother Earth, Finger 11, Kim Mitchell, Edwin and Roller (Manchester, UK). Hemitone has a tight grasp on rock, which helped their first self-recorded and selfproduced album Shaker gain them some local recognition. Hemitone recently won 97.7 HTZ-FM’s Hamilton Rock Search competition, making the finals with such bands as The Trews, Rocket Science and Wisconsin. With 2002 being a busy and successful year, Hemitone is now entering a new round of writing and pre-production for their untitled sophomore release.

Bio: Beauty, brains and passion fuel Linda M.’s 11-song breakthrough album Bliss Machine, which was released in 2001. The album acclaimed across the country and sat in the #1 position in HMV’s indie section for an outstanding five weeks. A track from Bliss Machine was featured on WB’s hit TV show Dawson’s Creek in 2002. Later that same year, Linda M. earned herself a spot in the TOP 20 Pantene Pro Voice Nation Wide Competition. Known for her dynamic live show, this late bloomer has played supporting slots for Ani DiFranco, Macy Gray, Santana, Natalie Merchant and Lyle Lovett all at Toronto’s Molson Amphitheatre side stage. Linda M. has showcased at North By North East and Canadian Music Week festivals. Currently Linda M. is hosting a residency at famed Toronto club C’est What? called "Girls with Guitars."

Bio: Shane Simpson, described as "Fred Astaire on the Fretboard", has dedicated himself to the art of guitar playing for 20 years. Shane discovered jazz while in his teens and embarked himself on a long journey of musical development that would include many styles and influences from folk to bluegrass, Latin and country/blues. The unique blend of these styles accounts for the diverse approach to Shane’s songwriting. Live performances have been described as "fiercely energetic" and "highly entertaining". In support of his latest album titled More Electric, Shane, from Ottawa, ON, maintains a busy performance schedule. The album received excellent reviews and Shane was voted one of the city’s Top 50 People in Ottawa Life Magazine 2002. The song "Nowhere Near" was both written and recorded by Shane Simpson in his home studio in March, 2002.

Bio: Rose Ranger’s debut CD, Replies, introduces an original and seductive new voice to Canada. The 25-year-old Vancouver singer-songwriter has created an album with honest lyrics and adventurous vocals, brimming with a mixture of youthful idealism and sensual yearning and heartbreak with the help of Chris Zurba and his polished studio magic. Replies has been described as a perfect pop confection from an emerging star, featuring some brilliant ingredients such as jazz masters Brad Turner and Tom Colclough; Robbie Steininger sweetening songs with his guitar and mandolin; Robbie King’s elegancy on the Hammond B3 organ; Randy Raine Reusch with his exotic sounding percussion and Jerry Adolphe’s authoritative drumming. All this adds to the soundscape of Ranger and Zurba’s intriguing studio creation.

Bio: Founded by Matt Ruttan, meraudio (pron. "myrrh-audio") is an acronym for Matt Elton Ruttan (mer) and the experience medium (audio). Matt developed a stage persona in lead performance and acting roles in high school shows. After his experience had grown, Matt began playing for larger audiences while opening for acts such as the Crash Test Dummies, Dexter Freebish, The Jeff Healey Band and David Wilcox. Meraudio started selling out of EP CDs before the sets had come to an end. Grants from F.A.C.T.O.R and the Ontario Arts Council helped the band’s recorded material reach even more people. Songs appeared on a Toronto indieartists compilation by Revent Records and a Muskoka summer compilation called "Moose Trax" sponsored by Moose FM Radio. In August 2002, Meraudio released their first full-length album titled Angels & Gasoline to highly receptive college radio and rave reviews. Meraudio’s songs are edgy and direct but listeners will find themselves smiling.

Bio: AITI MAA (pron. "I-Tee-Mah") has been performing in Toronto’s indie scene since 1999. The present line-up for the band originated in 1998 when drummer David Drake and keyboardist/guitarist David Thomas Lynch joined co-founders and singer/songwriters Caroline Spence and Colleen Gray. AITI MAA is Finnish for ‘Earth Mother’. While Caroline and Colleen are the primary songwriters, every member of this close-knit group of friends contributes to the development and arrangement of the music. The group has received some success with their first EP Miracle Smile. The single "We Are Lost" from that EP placed first runner up in a small songwriting contest (of 900 entries) for its lyrics, with the winning track being played on CBC Radio. The song chosen for this CD is "Window Seat", produced by Michael Jack (Amy Sky, Jann Arden), which is set for release in 2003. Caroline wrote and sings this song, which was inspired by her watching too many episodes of Dawson’s Creek.

Bio: The "half electronic, half synth-pop, half goth" style of music blended by Delica captures the emotion of an unspoken word. Delica was recently voted the second best band in the 2002 Toronto Goth Awards. Their latest album, What Brought Me To This, has earned more critical acclaim and chart positioning than their previous releases. As proven by enthusiastic fans during performances at Toronto’s DarkRave and EBMfest, Delica’s appeal cannot be denied. The band has opened for acts such as Hocico and Decoded Feedback, and has also appeared on the television program The Scene. While escaping the drudgery of commercialism, Delica’s straightforward approach has led to music and performances that captivate listeners.

Bio: Rainmaker, formed by Steve Casey and Dan McNeil, had its inception 15 years ago in Ottawa, ON. In 1984, Steve first tested the musical waters with his band Signature who after three years disbanded with a new project called Network. After building a strong local following and playing opening act slots for Tom Cochrane, The Pursuit of Happiness, and Frozen Ghost, they chose to focus more on writing and recording which resulted in their first self produced effort "Take Time" in the early ’90s. Casey and McNeil, over the next decade, continued to write together penning clever and catchy tunes, recording a second album, which created a wealth of demos as well as pursuing the ever-elusive publishing deal. Rainmaker is the culmination of the diligence and hard work of these two talented tunesmiths. Written over a couple of days, "Shiver You Up" was recorded in Steve’s basement studio.

Bio: Lori Morrison, who is bringing a fusion of today’s happening pop sounds routed in the traditional values of country music, began performing at the young age of eight years old. Born in rural Northern Ontario, Lori performed at school concerts, weddings and family jam sessions while accompanying herself on the piano. Influenced by several stars such as Reba McIntyre, Lorrie Morgan and Barbara Mandrell, "Keep The Candle Burning", penned by some of Nashville’s best, will be the lead independent single release effort from Lori. Having just finished recording a Christmas song she wrote for the Christmas Penny Toy Drive Charity CD sponsored by KX96 Radio in the Region of Durham, Lori is presently back in the studio working on her debut album which is to be released in mid-2003.

Bio: Being one of Canada’s most highly acclaimed touring bands, Mocking Shadows are originally based in blues and R&B. However, the seven-piece band has evolved and developed a massive repertoire and can amaze a crowd with many unexpected departures from their R&B and blues roots. Mocking Shadows, based out of Calgary, belts out a variety of jazz, funk, ska and rock and roll originals and cover tunes. The band features a vintage Hammond B-3 with Leslie speakers, clavinet, piano, three-horn section, electric guitar, bass, drums and four vocalists. Having a unique vintage yet modern sound, the band plays as many mainstream venues as traditional blues and R&B venues as well as Blues, Jazz and music festivals of all sorts. The band also received the greatest compliment any band could ever receive, which was to be asked to tour with the great B.B. King a second time for a series of seven dates in Eastern and Middle Canada including the Montréal Jazz Festival.

Bio: Starting off in a living room, Canadian rock band One Cross had no idea that they would ever get the chance to share their music in front thousands of people. You would think that this indie band has pretty much had their share of success after touring across North America, releasing four albums, having regular radio play, sharing stages with international artists such as P.O.D. and J. Englishman, TV/Radio/Newspaper interviews, magazine write-ups and even their own issue in Quest Comics. But, the release of their fourth album Welcome to the Real World has made these high school students in higher demand. One Cross recently entered a competition in southern Ontario and became one of the top three finalists of 58 bands. They also have been the only indie band nominated for "Best Rock/Alternative Album of the year" at the 2002 Vibe Awards.