This debut solo disc from Texas’ Tif Ginn is at once a fresh sounding 12 tracks and a throw-back to the glory days of honky tonk angels. Continue reading “Tif Ginn – Tif Ginn”
Tif Ginn – Tif Ginn
Hillbilly Highway – Lindi Ortega, honest and raw
by Sheldon Birnie
Lindi Ortega is a Toronto born singer-songwriter with pipes of a honky tonk angel. Now based out of Nashville, Lindi is poised to release her sophomore LP Cigarettes & Truckstops, on Last Gang Records October 2nd. Her tunes touch on classic country themes of heartache, hard travelling, over indulgence, infidelity, and all that good stuff. While the production and writing give nods to country music’s past, Ortega’s tunes are contemporary in all the best ways. Next week, she’ll be cruising the Hillbilly Highway through Winnipeg opening for k.d. lang. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – Lindi Ortega, honest and raw”
Hillbilly Highway – Dylan’s Tempest about to drop
by Sheldon Birnie
Love him or loathe him, it’s impossible to argue the influence ol’ Bobby Dylan has played not only on those who travel the Hillbilly Highway, but how we, as listeners, view the Highway itself. From his galvanizing early work, to his genre defying output on Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde, the new pastoralism of The Basement Tapes and John Wesley Harding, through all the ups and downs from Planet Waves to Street Legal, Infidels through Oh Mercy and beyond, Dylan’s output alone is staggering. The fact that the lion’s share is gold is enough to humble – or shame – any would be songwriter. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – Dylan’s Tempest about to drop”
Hillbilly Highway – Corb Lund pours ’em kinda strong on new release
by Sheldon Birnie
photo: Alexandra Valenti
Alberta’s honky-tonk hero Corb Lund released his sixth solo album last week, Cabin Fever, and the beauty of a disc has already topped the charts here in Canada, in “overall sales,” “digital overall sales,” and “country sales.” I’ve had the disc on repeat for most of the past week, only taking it out to spin the new Propagandhi barn-burner, and there’s good reason it’s dominating sales this week. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – Corb Lund pours ’em kinda strong on new release”
Hillbilly Highway – Three cheers to the Small Time
by Sheldon Birnie
I was witness to some magic Monday night; some pure gold in musical form. I stood along the north wall inside the Times Change(d), sipping Standard lager with my best gal as the place packed itself to the brim and spilled out onto Main Street and the hot night beyond.
The place was a literal who’s-who of Winnipeg’s roots scene, performers and fans alike. Many had seen the night’s performers over the weekend out at Trout Forest, and knew for a fact that the events of the evening would be something special, something to be experienced, no excuses. They weren’t wrong in that. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – Three cheers to the Small Time”
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”
Hillbilly Highway – The Rose n’ Bee Pub opens its doors
by Sheldon Birnie
A favourite Sherbrook Street watering hole will be opening its door again tonight, under new ownership and a new banner. Formerly the Standard Tavern – itself formerly Hooligans, etc – the new Rose n’ Bee Pub is promising to *ahem* “raise the standard of service and expectations” for the iconic West Broadway live music venue. Matthew and Michael Rosenby, brothers and co-owners, took time out of their busy renovating schedule last night to give Stylus the lowdown on their new enterprise. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – The Rose n’ Bee Pub opens its doors”
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”
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”
The Beauties are a bunch of beauties
by Sheldon Birnie
The Beauties are a rock n roll band out of Toronto. Every Sunday night, they tear the Dakota Tavern down and build it back up as a monument to the Old Gods of roots based rock n roll. The Beauties have toured across the country, performing on their own as well as backing heavy weights like Serena Ryder and Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene. In 2010, they released their eponymous label debut for Six Shooter Records. For the next two weekends, Manitoba is blessed to have the Beauties at the Dauphin Country Fest and the Winnipeg Folk Fest. Stylus caught up with Beauty Shawn Creamer as he navigated Toronto in a taxi cab earlier this week, preparing for their time on the prairies. Continue reading “The Beauties are a bunch of beauties”