Tag: Folk

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Hillbilly Highway – Sumner Brothers hit town Sunday

by Sheldon Birnie

The Sumner Brothers are a Vancouver based indie-roots act made up of, you guessed it, the brothers Bob and Brian Sumner. Effortlessly blending traditional themes and sounds with a fully contemporary language and feel, the Sumner Brothers craft contemporary roots music at home both within rural honky-tonks and urban dive bars where the bourbon flows free. Releasing their debut In the Garage in 2006, the Sumner Brothers have been at the vanguard of a resurgence of folk music in Vancouver. With the release of their fourth disc, I’ll Be There Tomorrow, the boys hit the road running last week, and are pulling through Winnipeg on the Hillbilly Highway this weekend with two shows lined up. After discussing their influences (large fans of Bruce Springsteen, Townes Van Zandt, and Johnny Cash), Stylus jumped into the following discussion with Brian Sumner, as the boys enjoyed a rare day off in Edmonton. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – Sumner Brothers hit town Sunday”

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Trampled by Turtles :: Slow and steady wins the race


By Scott Wolfe

These bluegrass boys just released their new album Stars and Satellites in April and have a hectic touring schedule planned for the summer. Stylus talked with Eric Berry (mandolin) over the phone to catch up with the band, chat about the new album and (personally) get super stoked for their show at the West End Cultural Center August 30th! Continue reading “Trampled by Turtles :: Slow and steady wins the race”

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Hillbilly Highway – Gordie Tentrees hits the road

by Sheldon Birnie

Gordie Tentrees is a singer-songwriter from Whitehorse, Yukon. For the past ten years, he’s been honing his craft in the land of the midnight sun, and spending months riding the Hillbilly Highway across North America and beyond. He’s currently cranking out dates across Canada to launch his latest album, North Country Heart, which hit the streets this week. Stylus caught up with Gordie at the World Famous Alaska Hotel in Dawson Creek, B.C. (my hometown) at the beginning of his tour that takes him into Winnipeg Thursday, August 9th. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – Gordie Tentrees hits the road”

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Hillbilly Highway – Toronto Troubadour shares Bookworm with the Fringe

by Sheldon Birnie

Bookworm is the one-hour, one-man show written and performed by Toronto’s Corin Raymond. An engaging meditation on reading, childhood, family, school, the Twilight Zone, and Ray Bradbury, Bookworm has been drawing crowds during its run at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, and is totally worth seeing if you have time before the Fringe winds down on Saturday. Being a bookworm myself, and a young acolyte of Bradbury, Stephen King, and the Twilight Zone, Raymond’s monologue had me laughing, moved, and goosepimpled throughout the whole hour. Stylus sat down with Corin after his Monday afternoon performance for a couple beers at the King’s Head to talk about the play, his music, and to nerd out on books for a while. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – Toronto Troubadour shares Bookworm with the Fringe”

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Hillbilly Highway – Folk Fest in the Wheat City

by Sheldon Birnie

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the Brandon Folk, Music and Art Festival in the Wheat City. Boasting an impressive line-up of artists, including Judy Collins, Kinnie Starr, Geoff Berner, Nathan, the Crooked Brothers, and many more, this year’s festival promises to be another great time. Running from Thursday, July 19 through Sunday, July 22, the Brandon Folks, Music and Art Festival offers onsite camping at the Keystone grounds, a main stage that is beautifully shaded, as well as a kids’ tent and a site for spoken word poetry. The Wheat City’s version of the Birds Hill whoop-up is an underrated and over looked gem in the beautiful province of Manitoba. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – Folk Fest in the Wheat City”