Chloe Albert ~ Honey Bee

And now for a return to some Alberta-bred musicians!

I saw this girl for the first time at a FolkFest. Was it last year or the year before? Right now, I can't remember. All I always remember about a great musician is how amazing they sound! Check out her myspace page!

Alanna Clarke - Fine Line

“Alanna has a voice that is a natural gift. But it’s the artist behind that voice that excites me. She writes with a depth and passion that reveal wisdom and an unmistakable style. You’ll be hearing this voice for a long time to come.” - Christopher Ward, Clarke's producer

Born and raised in Cochrane, Alberta, this 18-year-old songstress has been performing her music since the age of ten, and it shows. Her lyrics and her voice capture the emotion of mature music soul, and there is no second guessing that writing music is her calling.

Her talent for creating music was discovered by Christopher Ward, through her cousin's performance at a Songwriters Association of Canada panel in ottawa. Overly impressed and aware of talent when he heard it, Christopher Ward approached Clarke's cousin and her big break began to happen. This song, Fine Line, was featured on a movie produced by another Canadian classic, Degrassi, last summer, which will only add to her publicity. That same summer, she was a member of U22, an organization that promotes blooming musical talent under the age of 22. Through U22, she was able to perform at both Canmore and Edmonton's Folk Music Festival, where I was introduced to her sound, and subsequently bought her cd. It's been through my cd player a few times since then, and I am delighted to finally share her with you! As Ward said, "You’ll be hearing this voice for a long time to come.”

For more on Miss Clarke, check out her website:

http://alannaclarke.com/index.php

MASS CHOIR - 90's Inspired

A few months ago, I came across another artist I used to ride the bus with, Matt Skopyk. He's a bit older than me, so I've ALWAYS looked up to him, especially since he was in the artistic programs of high school that I gravitated towards as well. At some point, reverence follows talent more than age; but in high school, it's easier to recognize the latter. Now I recognize the talent, as do members of our current community, Edmonton.

In September, Mass Choir was named SONiC's Band of the Month, which brought the band a bit more face time out there, but they're definitely ready for more. Although not produced in the 90's, their sound is - as Matt explains in the video - reminiscent of those dance mixes we heard in our childhoods, but with a modern beat pounding throughout. You can't here that so much in this live version, but check out their video on vimeo:



You may need to copy and paste this into your browser: vimeo.com/14602653

Then, if you ARE in Edmonton, and still looking for a great way to spend your Friday night, come on out to Teddy's and here them LIVE:

The Bedrooms & Basements Recording Company is proud to present: The Provincial Archive's First Annual Christmas Party!
Featuring:
MASS CHOIR

http://vimeo.com/13395165

&
THE PROVINCIAL ARCHIVE

www.theprovincialarchive.com

&
DJ WIJIT
Spinning the finest in Disco/Soul/House to keep the party shakin'
FRIDAY DECEMBER 17
Teddy's - 11361 Jasper Ave (Upstairs)
Advanced tickets go on sale Nov 25 from


http://www.theprovincialarchive.com/tickets

Tickets are cheap, too, which is something I look for in an up and coming band...

Colleen Brown Love You Baby--The Music Video

Another artist related to Miss Hannah! :-D

Same concert as David Vertessi (Day 77), second performer (last one before Hannah).

Colleen Brown is a local Edmonton artist. In fact, she even mentioned Vegreville that night - so I knew I had to love her!

This video is funny - in a cute way! It reminds me of Degrassi! Or something that would have been featured on a Degrassi episode from the late eighties / early nineties. I miss those shows...Degrassi was awesome!

Last night she played here in Edmonton at Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre. No, I did not see her again :-( I will definitely see her in the future sometime, though. I'm excited about it!

Enjoy!

Local Western Canadian

Twelve hours late, but still posted for - Friday, November 19: Day 64

This is the first song from Ben Sures that I ever heard. Since then, he has randomaly entered my life, and is frequently featured on my iPod. To make things even more coincidental, I was just reading about a new trend for folk artists to do house concerts. That sounds like a cozy atmosphere for listening to any music that "makes people feel." Reading about Ben's upcoming shows, it turns out that he does house concerts himself! It was meant to be...

If that wasn't enough, it turns out that he, too, is from "Western Canada," rather than just one small town in one of our lovely provinces. Born in Regina (a fellow SK man!), he has moved throughout the prairies, calling the Peg home for many years, but even spent parts of his youth in Greece. The son of two artists, his career as a travelling musician makes a lot of sense. His songs are always entertaining - like this one that always makes me laugh - and would make me think of Canada even if I didn't know he was from my motherland.

To top it all off, I couldn't believe the truth within Ben's reflections on writing: "Sometimes I get letters from people saying if they didn't know better they could swear some of my songs were about their life and I like that. I like to make people feel. I wonder if any one actually writes songs or if we just pull them out of the air and then if they like us they stick around and get to be ours. When I go I hope somebody lets out a big old sigh of relief and says he sang what I needed to hear."

For more on Ben, check out his website: www.bensures.com

That'll Be The Day by Chloe Albert

That'll Be The Day by Chloe Albert

It happens sometimes that I have the perfect idea for which song to chose for the day I have had, or I am currently having. Today it was Sunny Day Song by Chloe Albert. It's a bright, cheery tune with a tad of bluegrass longing in it. I love it! Then, after I realize that the song is perfect for my day, I am unable to find it in a form that I know how to repost. Don't worry, I will learn how to share tunes from my personal collection rather than the interweb so that you don't miss out on other great tunes. Well, actually, you don't have to miss out on that tune. All you have to do is go to Chloe's MySpace page, follow the link to iTunes and buy her cd. That would be a great idea!

To continue to sell you on this notion, I've provided one of Chloe's other fabulous songs from the same album. She's amazing - strong voice, a little bit folk, a little bit bluegrass, and a whole lot of prairie love (she's Albertan Grown :-D).

I'm gonna keep this short 'cause Joni Mitchell's Chelsea Morning just came on the radio. I love that tune!

Just another folksinger from the Prairies :-D