2016 Line Up
Delhi 2 Dublin
Vancouver’s modern-electronic rock group Delhi 2 Dublin, is making waves across
the music world with its unique fusion of bhangra, electronic, funk, reggae, hip hop, and Celtic music.
Combining genres from various parts of the world, the band’s innovative approach to its music lends itself to high-energy shows that just about anyone can get into.
The band got its first big break in 2007 when it opened for Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. The crowd was estimated at 150,000 and the show was broadcast live on national television. At that point they had written only three songs.
Since then it has only grown in popularity playing at larger and larger festivals across North America, including Electric Forest, Shambhala, the Calgary Folk Festival and the Santa Cruz Music Festival.
Delhi 2 Dublin has also made inroads outside of North America playing in Taiwan, Dubai, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, among other places.
The band’s debut album, released in December 2007, reached number three on the Canadian world music charts and was heard on the radio across North America, Europe and Japan. It continues to be on the top 100 iTunes world music albums in Canada, 8 years later.
Its latest studio album–We’re All Desi–was released in September 2015 and is inspired by their favourite Bollywood records of the 70s.
Scenic Route to Alaska
Edmonton’s Scenic Route to Alaska is more than just a band. The trio have been best friends since their teenage years and the band’s upbeat feel-good indie rock reflects their unshakeable friendship.
Having grown up together, Shea Connor (drummer), and Murray Wood (bassist), intuitively know what Trevor Mann (guitarist and vocals) is writing about.
The band is currently putting the final touches on its upcoming album Long Walk Home, which is set to drop in early October.
On July 8, it released a teaser track called “Younger,” which by all indications
promises to be the band’s best work yet.
The Brevet
By combining Americana rock, sweeping orchestral tracks and catchy choruses,
The Brevet is one of the hottest bands coming out of Southern California.
Building on its debut album, the quartet from Irvine, Cali., will drop its sophomore album American Novel, August 5.
The album channels a rustic, raw, energy that is felt throughout the record, which translates into a high-energy show on stage.
The creative union between lead singer Aric Chase Damm and pianist Michael
Jones dates back to seventh grade when the two recorded their first CD together.
By college, they had begun scoring short films together, drawing on influences as diverse as composer Thomas Newman and Bruce Springsteen.
Following their graduation, the duo officially formed The Brevet with David Aguiar on drums and Blake Reigle on bass, self-producing and recording the band’s first album Battle of the Heart.
Gordie Tentrees
Yukon roots singer Gordie Tentrees has spent the better part of the last 12-months touring the world, including a stop in Jasper in April 2015, to promote his most recent album Less is More.
With the help of his Juno award winning producer, Bob Hamilton, Tentrees brings his music to life using several unconventional instruments such as a dobro, porchboard bass and a cigar box guitar.
Blending folk, roots and blues, Tentrees’ music runs the gamut of human emotion with touching personal stories, such as “Somebody’s Child”, which he wrote after watching the bombs go off atthe Boston Marathon in 2013, wondering whether his wife had safely crossed the finish line.
The master storyteller and multi-instrumentalist is one act you don’t want to miss.
Rosie & the Riveters
Saskatoon’s Rosie & the Riveters are four fiercely talented and sassy dames who perform uplifting folk music with a vintage 1940s flair.
Their original songs feature sophisticated harmonies, body percussion, scintillating dance moves, humour and just enough charm to keep the audience engaged.
Along with whoops, hollers, and mile-wide smiles, the band’s lighthearted music is delightful.
Inspired by Rosie the Riveter, the feminist icon who represented American women
that worked in factories and shipyards during the Second World War, the band is all about empowering women to be ambassadors for change.
Since the band’s formation in 2011, they have performed more than 100 shows across the prairies and played along other well known artists, such as Serena Ryder, Arlo Guthrie, The Bros. Landreth, and Kat Danser.
Bombargo
Saskatoon’s alternative rock group Bombargo is a band you don’t want to miss.
Known for its intense, raw energy performances, the band delivers a punchy,
energetic conviction, that infuses a hint of blues and soul into their alternative rock vibe with inspiring songs about perusing your dreams, believing in yourself and tapping into your unlimited potential.
The band released its debut EP Back on Main in July 2015 and recently recorded two new singles. The band intends to release a full-length album later this year.
The quartet, led by front man Nathan Thoen, have been riding a wave of success
since the band released its EP with sold out shows in Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina
and Lloydminster.
Tia Brazda
Tia Brazda has established herself as one of Canada’s most promising jazz
musicians, performing at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, the
Toronto International Jazz Festival and Bestival, in the UK.
Known for her sassy songs and pin-up girl style, her music pays homage to the
golden era of jazz while still embracing modern times.
“Her smooth vocals invoke neat glasses of bourbon and smoky Parisian
speakeasies,” wrote one music critic.
Others have described her music as “colourful, sassy and energetic.”
Originally from Vancouver, she honed her skills in clubs in Toronto and has since toured across Canada and the United States.
Her debut EP, Cabin Fever hit number one on the iTunes Canada jazz chart in February 2012 and as was played on CBC Radio 1 and college radio stations across Canada. Her debut full-length album Bandshell also debuted at number one on iTunes’ jazz chart.
WiL
West coast roots artist WiL, explores a wide spectrum of themes and styles in his songwriting and musical ability; blending elements of country, rock, folk, blues and straight up pop to create songs that span a wide musical landscape.
His latest album El Paseo garnered a nod for solo roots album of the year at the West Coast Music Awards in 2015 and boasts a selection of songs, including “Roam,” the flagship anthem to Travel Alberta’s award winning media campaign: Remember To Breathe.
His tunes are catchy but not overstated – a dynamic performer who balances out moments of gritty intensity with moments so tender you can almost hear his heart beating through a microphone.
He has shared the stage with a diverse array of artists such as Fiest, Matt Andersen, Matthew Good and Big Sugar, among others.
Hillsburn
A folk fest wouldn’t be complete without a band from the Maritimes. Fortunately, Halifax’s Hillsburn fits the bill.
The folk band released its first album In The Battle Years in August 2015, and has several shows planned for the summer including a stop at the highly acclaimed Montreal Jazz Festival.
The material on the album was carefully chosen by the quintet over the course of a year before they finally sat down to record it.
A central theme to the album speaks to how difficult life can be–of struggling to make ends meet, of feeling stuck and discouraged–and yet, there’s a light hearted defiance and a resilience found on the album as well.
Birds of Bellwoods
YBack by popular demand, Toronto’s Birds of Bellwoods will once again take to the stage to share their youthful enthusiasm and strong vocal harmonies.
Last year the folk-rock band wowed audiences with its haunting lyricism and entertaining showmanship and even played a second impromptu show on Sunday.
The quartet is led by Stevie Joffe on mandolin and lead vocals, Adrian Morningstar on guitar, Chris Blades on banjo and Kintaro Akiyama on standup bass.
Critics have described the band’s music as “gripping” and “meticulously executed.”
The band released its first studio EP The Fifth last August and will be touring western Canada in September.
Tanya Lipscomb
Jasper has played an important role in Tanya Lipscomb’s musical career.
Over her 20-year career as a solo artist, she has recorded 12 albums, including four, which were recorded in Jasper between 2004 and 2008.
Born in Edmonton, but currently residing in Vernon, B.C., she is currently working on her 13th album.
Perhaps what sets Lipscomb a part from other musicians is her three-octave voice, which sways from rich, deep and powerful, to soft, subtle and sensuous.
When she’s not making new music or tending to her three children, you may also find her performing as her alter ago–children’s entertainer Kiki the Eco Elf–which she will also perform as over the weekend.
Local artists: Athabasca Barnburner, Warrior Women, The Legionnaires, David Cueva, Josh Norgard, Adam Ambrroziak