I Heart Edmonton

Whyte Ave. music retailer is a haven for vinyl collectors, CD buyers and/or concertgoers BY EMIL TIEDEMANN A SK anyone in my family or any of my close friends and they'll tell you that music is one of my most preferred past times. So, places like Blackbyrd Myoozik in Old Strathcona are welcoming retreats for folks such as myself when we want to disconnect ourselves from the rest of our net-addicted, TV-hooked, texting civilization for just a moment or two. I finally recieved my record player--as in vinyl for all you iPodders--this past Christmas, and so I was excited to check out one of various Whyte Ave. spots that specialize in selections of this retro format, one that isn't without its charm. Last week I trekked the 30 minutes to the Old Strathcona district and headed right for the Blackbyrd on Whyte & 104th. I had been there a couple of times prior, but this was the first time I had come to specifically sift through their accommodating collection of new and used LPs....

So much has happened over the last 12 months, and 'I Heart' is here to revisit the best (& worst) moments... BY EMIL TIEDEMANN I T'S been another exceptional year for the city of Edmonton, despite some unseasonably cold & record-breaking temperatures, an Oilers losing streak (or two), and that recession that everybody's been talking about. But, as is our intention, I Heart Edmonton is gonna try and stick to the good that has graced our growing metropolis...more or less. So, before I ramble on any further, let's recap some of my favourite or most memorable moments and experiences in my hometown during 2009! (Part 2 of 3): Favourite Local Film of the Year Although director Rosie Dransfeld was born far from Edmonton, her sobering documentary Broke (4/5 stars) was filmed right here in our city. Set at the inner city pawn shop A1 Trading , Broke lent us an inside look into how the poor get by, thanks to their "friendly pawnbroker." In this particula...

Local alt-rockers give Dylan & Young a run for their money?! BY EMIL TIEDEMANN F OR someone who has seen icons Bob Dylan and Neil Young in concert in the last year or so, I can honestly say that I had a better time listening to the alt-country rock sounds of local band Jeff Stuart & the Hearts , who hit up the Pawn Shop Tuesday night (Nov. 10) for their anticipated CD release party. Dylan & Young went through the motions of another arena concert, pushing through their catalogue of classics like they had better things to do. I guess I can't blame them for showing a lack of enthusiasm for what must've been their gazillionth show, but what the hell ?! I expected more outta these legends of rock, and yet got more than expected from Stuart and his squadron of multi-instrumentalists. Almost makes me hope Stuart & the Hearts fail to hit it big! But not really. My sister Carrie and I arrived fashionably early to locked doors at the Pawn Shop on Whyte Ave. , but rig...

Local talent pick hometown Edmonton to reveal their new record for the first time...officially, that is! What: Jeff Stuart & the Hearts CD Release Party When: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 @ 8PM Where: The Pawn Shop (10551-82 Ave./780-432-5058) A LTHOUGH Jeff Stuart and his cabaret of alt-rock misfits have been making music together or on their own for years now, and even released an EP ( Music from the Middle Drift ) in 2004, Tuesday night marks the official launch of their first full-length album, Black Dogs Blue Giants . Foundation Concerts is proud to present the CD release party at one of Edmonton's best small-concert music venues, The Pawn Shop , which will also host performances by the night's guest musicians Ayla Brooks and the Pale Moon Lights . "Killer production, best execution of a set of players I've heard in a while, extra cool they're local," proclaimed SEE magazine's Fish Griwkowsky , who had a sneak peek of the songs months earlier...

Stuart and his outfit of individually-accomplished musicians won't likely hit the big time, but have the potential to make big things happen BY EMIL TIEDEMANN A S reported in newspaper after magazine, Jeff Stuart 's music has been branded somewhere along the lines of alternative country twang blanketed within rootsy indie rock, but whatever the class it most closely resembles, critics can't seem to get enough. Stuart ignited his reputable music ventures on his own, honing his assorted lyrical skills by hitting up festivals and clubs (including Edmonton's Sidetrack Cafè and Black Dog Freehouse ) across Canada, before assembling a clique of adept instrumentalists to back him as the Hearts : Chris Quesnel , Gavin Dunn , Dwayne Martineau , Tim Resaul and Sara Hart (just a coincidence). "Full of country, sure, but with a lot of folk harmonica and tactically repressed sorrow." -Edmonton Sun (January 2004) But before the Hearts were even in the picture, Stuart set...