Calgary Folk Music Festival

The 2012 Calgary Folk Music Festival is fast approaching and the line up this year is one you will not want to miss. This years festival will run from July 26th - 29th on Calgary's beautiful Prince's Island Park. Below are some artists you should definitely check out if you end up going to the festival. Check out the Full Lineup on the Artist Page.

Beirut
Blackie & the Rodeo Kings
Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires
Iron & Wine
Chris Isaak
Leeroy Stagger & the Wildflowers
Jeff Mangum
Dan Mangan
The Rural Alberta Advantage
Rae Spoon
Serena Ryder
Whitehorse

Check out The Head and the Heart, performing Cats and Dogs and Coeur D'Alene at Folk Fest last year:



- Bryce

The Dudes - Barbers, Thieves, and Bartenders

Veteran Calgary rockers, The Dudes, are back with their 3rd studio release entitled Barbers, Thieves, and Bartenders. You can stream the album below or over on their Facebook Music Page. Start with the single, American Girl, and roam from there.



The Dudes are also on tour. Check out their schedule below.



Enjoy,

- Bryce

In Concert - Garth Brooks

The 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede is fast approaching and there was a big concert announcement this morning. Garth Brooks will be playing a show in Calgary on July 12th at the Scotiabank Saddledome. I know we don't post much in terms of country on this blog... but this is big news. Garth is one of the best selling musicians of all time in the United States following only Elvis and The Beatles.

Ticket information will be announced this coming Tuesday.



Yeehaw!

- Bryce

Introducing: Cold Specks

On my drive home to Lethbridge recently listening to trusty CBC Radio 3 I heard this incredible song coming through the speakers of my car. I was blown away, and not just because of the Lethbridge winds. The song was "Holland" by Cold Specks. Cold Speck is lead by Al Spx from Etobicoke, Ontario however currently based in London, UK. And although she is new to me and probably many Canadians, she is already well known and respected in the UK. 

Cold Speck's album I Predict A Graceful Expulsion is due out May 21 of this year, but you can listen to "Holland" right here and download it via Soundcloud. In addition to the new album she is returning to Canada for a tour this summer with Great Lake Swimmers, including dates in Lethbridge and Calgary. Here is the album artwork, tracklist, and tour dates.




I Predict a Graceful Expulsion


 
Tracklisting:

1. The Mark
2. Heavy Hands
3. Winter Solstice
4. When The City Lights Dim
5. Hector
6. Holland
7. Elephant Head
8. Send Your Youth
9. Blank Maps
10. Steady
11. Lay Me Down


Tour Dates:

May 4th - Winnipeg, MB - West End Cultural Centre
May 6th - Edmonton, AB - McDougall United Church
May 7th - Calgary, AB - Central United Church
May 8th - Lethbridge, AB - Southminster United Church
May 9th - Nelson, BC - The Royal
May 11th - Vancouver, BC - The Commodore Ballroom
May 12th - Victoria, BC - Alix Goolden Hall
June 2nd - Toronto, ON -  Danforth Music Hall

 - Spence

Bry Webb - Provider

Last night I had the privilege of watching Feist play at the Jack Singer Concert Hall in Calgary, Alberta. It was my first time seeing her live and I am glad I went to see her. The Calgary crowd kept their emotions fairly repressed during her songs simply absorbing what she offered; people wanted to listen. However, after every song ended everyone offered up their thanks with loud applause and cheering.

It's funny how a mood can be set collectively from a thousand people. Some concerts people seem ready to cheer and be loud throughout the concert, while at others the crowd wants to sit in silence.

The quiet mood at the Feist show may have been in part to the opener, Bry Webb. This ex-lead singer/guitarist of The Constantines opened the show and sang to crowd slowly strumming his guitar with a slide guitar crying in the background. It reminded me remotely of Damien Rice's style of music. I really enjoyed his stuff and am planning on picking up his new album.

You can check out a couple tracks below (I suggest Rivers of Gold) from his new album Provider (Nov 15th).

IF004: Bry Webb "Provider"



- Bryce

tUnE-yArDs & Pat Jordache - Calgary Concert

Last night I had the pleasure of going to see The tUnE-yArDs in Calgary. The opener for the show was Pat Jordache who I had never heard of. I had trouble classifying their sound; It was this 80s experimental stuff (for lack of a better word). Their live show was nothing to rave about, but they attracted a niche market of listeners who really enjoyed them. I have posted their most recent full length for you to judge. If you want to take a 'stab' at classifying their music leave me a comment on this post.

Check out Get It.


Future Songs - PAT JORDACHE

The tUnE-yArDs led by Merrill Garbus put on a great show. She was engaged throughout the concert and everyone in the venue responded.
When I first heard The tUnE-yArDs I knew I had to see this band live and I suggest that anyone who has a chance to go see them live should go. Here are a couple videos to give you an idea:





- Bryce

The Black Keys @ The Corral in Calgary, Alberta

(Credit to the Calgary Herald for this picture from last nights show)

Myself and my good friend Davey were two of the very fortunate people that were able to attend the sold out Black Keys show last night at the Corral. Hear is a quick synopsis of the show for those of you that couldn't make the show. The Corral as a venue is questionable at best, and little small for The Black Keys but it did create a pretty awesome atmosphere. Anyway, Cage the Elephant opened the show at about 8:15 pm with six song set. We enjoyed "Shake Me Down", "Around My Head", and "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" and they gave it 110% but the sound quality just wasn't there. But with clean audio, I would definitely check them out again.

The Black Keys, not only did what Cage the Elephant couldn't do with the venue, they made The Corral their Bitch. Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney understand what live music is and adapted to concrete tomb that is The Corral. They opened their set with four songs from albums including Attack & Release ranging to Rubber Factory. The show had pretty simple set up with Auerbach on the right of the stage, Carney perched up on the left and some average lighting until it revolutionized with bright light lettering of "THE BLACK KEYS" and some art house style video. This for all intents and purposes made it feel like a damn good rock concert. This continued as they crushed performances of Brothers tunes including "Howlin' for You", "Next Girl", "Everlasting Light", "She's Long Gone" and of course "Tighten Up". They finished up the show with encore performances of "Sinister Kid" and "Your Touch" from Magic Potion which was an epic closer. The one and only criticism of the Keys was their set was a little under an hour and half which could have been longer, offering maybe some tunes from Chulahoma and little more from the other albums. Or is this me asking for to much of good thing? Nonetheless, The Black Keys were one of the best live acts I have ever seen and if you ever get a chance to see them, there is no excuse worthy of missing The Black Keys.

- Spence

Bon Iver Album Details

As promised, here are more details on the upcoming Bon Iver album. The extremely anticipated follow up to For Emma, Forever is self titled (artwork above) and will be released June 21st via Jagjaguwar. Check out the track list below, which includes a track called "Calgary" (for you that don't know, Calgary is the city that Bryce and I are from). I'm very interested to hear what it is about and if means Calgary may be seeing a tour date. Anyway, here the tracks and stay tuned for more details such as singles and tour dates as they become available.

01 Perth
02 Minnesota, WI
03 Holocene
04 Towers
05 Michicant
06 Hinnom, TX
07 Wash.
08 Calgary
09 Lisbon, OH
10 Beth/Rest

- Spence

New Death Cab for Cutie - "You Are a Tourist"

Ben Gibbard and his counterparts are back with a new single off the upcoming Death Cab for Cutie Album Codes and Keys, dropping May 31. I'm liking it a lot, and they will be in Calgary at the Coral supporting the new album on May 25. Should be good show and Gibbard may bring his wife, the most beautiful women in the world, Zooey Deschanel. I can only wish, anyway check out "You Are a Tourist" from Codes and Keys HERE.

- Spence