Cleveland's Cory Grinder and The Playboy Scouts is out with its new album, "Honky Tonkin' Beauty Supreme." The band is the first recipient of a new micro-loan program to support local musicians, and is the first signed to new Cleveland label, Blue Arrow Records.

Cleveland nonprofit Twelve Literary Arts will release its debut album, “In Search of the Land,” June 19. The release, which includes contributions from more than 40 Black artists in Cleveland, will fall on Juneteenth.

Cleveland.com's music writer, Annie Nickoloff, shares four of her favorite local albums of the year so far, and has details about the return of Cleveland's Wonderstruck music festival. Artists featured in this episode: Uno Lady, The Sonder Bombs, Rob Kovacs, Juice Newson.

A historic building in the heart of downtown Massillon is undergoing renovations and will open as a record shop called Erie St. Vinyl this summer. Samantha Heaton talks about getting in the music business in the waning days of the pandemic, and the independent labels and local artists she's working with to fill the shelves.

Songwriting retreats aimed to foster and unite local musicians has taken root during the pandemic. Elijah Bisbee says despite the pandemic, he was able to host two retreats last year, each with 8-10 established and aspiring musicians. He has another scheduled for June and is planning more this year.

Singer-songwriter Chrissy Strong spent 2020 getting serious about her music after focusing for years on motherhood, sobriety and relationships. Her debut EP, “Bones,” was released in April 2021. It was recorded live at The Rialto Theatre in Kenmore. It is a raw, unfiltered look into Strong’s life as an addict and her road to recovery.

Youngstown musician Anthony LaMarca, who performs as The Building, is out with a new album of sounds from his corner of the city — from inside his family's pizza shop to the recording studio that's produced Grammy-winning polka music.

Youngstown rock band Rebreather kicked off a pay-it-forward pizza ordering model to support Westside Bowl during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Bullseye" from The Shootouts is out April 30.

Cleveland filmmaker Zoë Mountain and musician TJ Maclin came up with the idea of the UPFRNT virtual series that spotlights and supports Black artists during the COVID-19 pandemic and puts the racial justice movement on center stage.For more information and links, visit wksu.org/shuffle. Have an idea for a Shuffle episode? Email shuffle@wksu.org