I Heart Edmonton

Braden Gates' "Perfect Shade of Blue" (2015) by emil tiedemann F ORT Saskatchewan singer-songwriter Braden Gates has been reasonably compared to a young Loudon Wainwright ; a storyteller with a voice far beyond his years, and blessed with a songwriting capacity that is sure to get him far in the Canadian folk music industry. Braden Gates has been described as a "born raconteur." In early 2013 he released his debut album Break It to Me Gently , produced by Miles Wilkinson , who has worked with everyone from Bonnie Raitt  & Emmylou Harris  to Willie Nelson & Dolly Parton . Wilkinson returned to the helm for Gates' sophomore effort, 2014's Ferris Wheel . Earlier this year, at the 4th annual Edmonton Music Awards , Gates was named Male Artist of the Year, and his "Life's a Picture" won for Roots/Folk Recording of the Year. Gates - who also plays the guitar, fiddle and harmonica - recently released a video for h...

Bryan Finlay's "Good Times" (2014) by emil tiedemann Y OU'LL likely notice some familiar locales in the "Good Times" video from local pop singer Bryan Finlay , including Knoxville's Tavern, El Cortez Tequila Bar & Kitchen, and of course the K-Days grounds.  Bryan Finlay was discovered when he won a contest on 91.7 The Bounce Filmed mostly in Edmonton, "Good Times" features actress and YouTube star Rhaea Estelle , and was directed by Edmonton's own Blake McWilliam , who has also directed music videos for Tupelo Honey , Matt Mays , Colleen Brown , Brett Kissel , Reuben and the Dark , and others.  Penned by Finlay, Dan Davidson , and Ari Rhodes , "Good Times" recently won a pair of Edmonton Music Awards, for Single of the Year and Pop Recording of the Year. You can also follow Finlay on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .   

Edmonton's music scene may not always reach far beyond our borders, but the talent here is rampant and it shone bright at the annual #yeg Music Awards last Sunday! By Emil Tiedemann T HE 2015 Edmonton Music Awards were handed out last Sunday night ( June 14 ) at the Royal Alberta Museum Theatre, and there were several multiple winners during the 4th annual ceremony! The 2015 Edmonton Music Awards were held June 14 at the Royal Alberta Museum The vision of the Edmonton Music Awards is to acknowledge, celebrate and promote Edmonton music and musicians in all forms, because in case you weren't aware, there are plenty of talented local artists and bands that are making some pretty damn good music! Names like Bryan Finley, Braden Gates, Kimberley MacGregor, and The Wet Secrets walked away with multiple trophies during the night, which celebrated more than a dozen different genres that are alive and well right here in our own backyard. The complete list ...

The Weekend Kids' "Twenty-Something" (2010) BY EMIL TIEDEMANN W E simply don't have the time to discuss Edmonton indie rockers The Weekend Kids , so we're just gonna go ahead and show you their clip for "Twenty-Something," which is currently up for Best Single and Best Music Video at the inaugural Edmonton Music Awards . The trophies will be handed out on Monday, March 28 at the Haven Social Club .

Diverse musicians and singers are up for hardware at the first-ever Edmonton Music Awards, to be handed out March 28 BY EMIL TIEDEMANN I T seems like every time I ask random strangers or district music makers, "What do you think of Edmonton's own music community?," the responses are generally the same: Vibrant. Thriving. Untypical. Everybody knows somebody who's in a band here, and Facebook is faithfully overflowing with local events promoting open mics, acoustic showcases, or CD release parties. So, it comes as no surprise that homegrown musicians and songwriters, singers and bands will be honoured for their untypical contributions to this miscellaneous musical scene. "It was great to see how many people are paying attention to the local scene," said area producer, musician, and promoter Danny Fournier , referring to the more than 1,100 fans and musicians who submitted nominations to the first annual Edmonton Music Awards . They voted for the bes...