Montreal soul singer brings Motown magic to Kelowna's Rotary Centre for the Arts - Castanet

Last week we asked Guide subscribers to tell us about their favourite record labels, and the response was enthusiastic. Clearly, even in this age of streaming services that flatten albums, singles, EPs and mixtapes into one single “feed”, the lure of a label – and its role in identifying, nurturing and developing musical talents – remains. So this week, a celebration of the record label: along with some readers’ favourites, we’ve asked music writers to share their personal picks. They’ve put together a great list of familiar and off-the-beaten-track labels that might just help you discover your next favourite album (I can already tell I’ll be spinning the Verlaines record recommended by reader James a fair bit!).‘Record labels throb with thrill and romance’“As a stream of AI slop joins the torrent of content that arcs across popular culture, well-curated labels become more important than ever for time-poor and garbage-resistant listeners. One of today’s best is AD93, founded by Londoner Nic Tasker. It manages to be totally open-minded, while its signees nevertheless have a shared spirit: experimentalism used to dig out beauty and originality.