Friday Five: Ol’ Yeller reunites, Bob Mould rips it up, and Atmosphere guests on new hip-hop compilation
August 24, 2012
I've got a real mixed-bag for you this week, with a little something for every kind of localvore. Slip some headphones on and let these tracks send you into your weekend with a smile on your face...
1. Ol' Yeller reunites
Music community mainstay Rich Mattson has kept busy in recent years performing with the Tisdales and the Bitter Spills and recording roots and rock artists up at his Sparta Sound studio near Duluth, but nothing quite compares to the melodic fervor he was able to whip up with his bar band Ol' Yeller. So it's awesome to hear that not only are Ol' Yeller reuniting to play a show at the Turf Club this Sunday night, but that they're also in the midst of recording a new album.
Here's a blast from the past to get you in the mood:
2. Blind Shake are not animals
With a new run of East Coast and Midwest tour dates just announced (including a stop at the Ritz Theater in Minneapolis on September 22), Blind Shake are back with a new video for "I'm Not an Animal" off last year's Seriousness. Turn this one up nice and loud.
3. Atmosphere featured on first track from Flood Watch compilation
Flood Watch, a much-anticipated local hip-hop compilation that's being assembled by producer Tek and Check the Blog's That Dude Reeg, has yet to get a release date, but we did get to sample one of its tracks this week. On "Shameless," Atmosphere's Slug teams up with MaLLy, Mike the Martyr, and Haphduzn to rap over a beat by Wide Eyes' Dimitry Killstorm. More tracks will be debuted over on Check the Blog, and you can follow the project on Facebook.
4. Bob Mould calmly lights his guitar on fire
The former Hüsker Dü and Sugar frontman channels an Office Space-meets-Into the Wild vibe in the video for his new single "The Descent." Merge Records will release his latest solo album, Silver Age, on September 4.
5. Ashley Dubose finds Somethin' More
It's been a rough week for MN-bred musicians with soul-crushing day jobs, apparently. In this video, one of my favorite emerging vocalists, Ashley DuBose, learns how to make the best out of a very bad day.
