Rock and Roll Book Club: 'David Bowie Made Me Gay' June 20, 2018 Darryl W. Bullock's 'David Bowie Made Me Gay' chronicles the history of LGBT music in the recorded era. It's a must-read for music fans during Pride month. Read More ›
Music News: Nina Simone childhood home named National Treasure June 19, 2018 Today's top music news stories include a National Treasure designation for Nina Simone's childhood home; and the announcements of a Michael Jackson jukebox musical and a Marvin Gaye biopic. Read More ›
'So many stories to tell': Minneapolis Sound luminaries trace their roots to historic Fergus Falls black community June 19, 2018 On this Juneteeth, there's good reason to shed light on Fergus Falls, a northern Minnesota city where, 120 years ago, a group of 85 African American settlers migrated from Kentucky. Among their descendants are pioneers of the Minneapolis sound, including Jimmy Jam Harris and Andre Cymone. Read More ›
Top ten new Minnesota State Fair foods that sound like band names June 19, 2018 Bananas Foster French Toast These ska sensations will have you skankin’ through the Midway all night long. UpNorth Puff Pasty This Ely rapper will have you nodding your head with his bold lyrics and bouncing beats built on polka samples. Shrimp Ceviche This jazz guitar quartet will wow you with their fleet-fingered renditions of Ritchie… Read More ›
Music News: One dead after van hits pedestrians at Pinkpop June 19, 2018 Today's top music news stories include a tragic death outside the Pinkpop festival, UK festivalgoers facing sexual misconduct, and opener announcements for Lauryn Hill. Read More ›
Music on TV this week: Cold War Kids, Bishop Briggs, Brockhampton, Death Cab for Cutie, Foo Fighters, Paul McCartney June 18, 2018 Artists heard on The Current are frequently featured on TV programs, and we've gathered the listings in one convenient place for you. See the complete listings, and find performance videos as the week progresses. You can also subscribe to receive the week's schedule in your inbox. Read More ›
Rock the Garden 2018: 89 images capture the festival fun June 18, 2018 Look back on Rock the Garden 2018 with images of the crowd, the art, and of course musicians Father John Misty, P.O.S, Feist, Chastity Brown, Kamasi Washington, U.S. Girls, Nikki Lane, and Low-Cut Connie. Read More ›
Jade Bird performs a MicroShow at the James J. Hill House June 18, 2018 Impressed by the captivated audience and the opulent surroundings of the Victorian mansion, singer-songwriter Jade Bird told the audience 'This has been my favorite so far on this trip, so thank you!' Listen to the complete MicroShow, which includes the songs 'Lottery,' 'Cathedral,' 'Good At It' and more, plus a rip-roaring Johnny Cash cover. Read More ›
John Louis performs live at Radio Heartland June 18, 2018 John Louis's songwriting is reminiscent of Kris Kristofferson, John Prine and Townes Van Zandt. Van Zandt was a personal hero of John's, so John's new live album is very loosely based on a live record Townes recorded back in 1977. John Louis recently stopped at Radio Heartland to perform some songs from the new album. Read More ›
McNally Smith auctioning 3,000+ items including Prince mural, many instruments June 18, 2018 When McNally Smith College of Music abruptly shut its doors late last year, hundreds of people were displaced. The institution listed financial trouble and low enrollment as the reasons for the swift closure. Since then, the college has sat empty on Exchange Street in downtown St. Paul. Because everything ended so quickly, everyone was left… Read More ›
Album of the Week: Neko Case, 'Hell-On' June 21, 2018 Neko Case returns with her seventh studio album 'Hell-On', out now on Anti- Records. Read More ›
Music News: Beyonce and Jay-Z drop surprise collaborative album June 18, 2018 Today's top music news stories include Beyonce and Jay-Z releasing a surprise collaborative album, the Prince estate reportedly striking a deal with Sony, and Lizzo discussing her 'rainbow' sexuality. Read More ›
Frank Turner performs in The Current studio June 22, 2018 'Be More Kind,' the new album from Frank Turner, has been described as an optimistic album. 'I think it's important to temper our short-term pessimism with a little bit of medium-term optimism,' Turner acknowledges. Before playing an all-ages show at the Myth Live Event Center in Maplewood, Minn., Turner and bandmate Matt Nasir visited The Current studio for a live session hosted by Mac Wilson. Read More ›
Jade Bird performs a MicroShow at the James J. Hill House June 18, 2018 Impressed by the captivated audience and the opulent surroundings of the Victorian mansion, singer-songwriter Jade Bird told the audience 'This has been my favorite so far on this trip, so thank you!' Listen to the complete MicroShow, which includes the songs 'Lottery,' 'Cathedral,' 'Good At It' and more, plus a rip-roaring Johnny Cash cover. Read More ›
The Raccoon Climbers feat. Mark Mallman - Raccoon Climber #MPRRaccoon June 15, 2018 You watched the world-famous ascent. Now, see the music video. Read More ›
Okkervil River perform in The Current studio June 11, 2018 Macalester College alumnus Will Sheff is frontman of the band Okkervil River. Ahead of their show at the Turf Club in St. Paul, Sheff and company stopped at The Current for a session hosted by Mary Lucia. Read More ›
Caroline Rose rocks, in The Current studio and the 7th Street Entry June 07, 2018 Arriving in Minnesota to kick off a headlining tour, Caroline Rose and her band played songs from their acclaimed album 'Loner' in The Current studio before heading to the 7th St Entry to cap the day with a sold-out show. Read More ›
Coffee Break: LGBTQ artists June 22, 2018 As we head into pride weekend, what LGBTQ artists would you like to hear? Read More ›
Louie Anderson pulls back the curtain on his creative projects June 22, 2018 St. Paul native Louie Anderson is so busy -- with his hit series 'Baskets' on FX, with a new book, a new comedy special and a string of standup shows -- but he still found time to stop by Oake & Riley in the Morning to share some stories with Brian and Jill. 'It's a magnificent love and responsibility to make people laugh,' Anderson says. Read More ›
Coffee Break Suggestions and Archive November 08, 2016 Got an idea for a Coffee Break? Want to see what we did a while back? Read More ›