GRRRL PRTY: GRRRL PRTY X Bionik

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The rest of the country is buzzing about GRRRL PRTY’s Minneapolis flavor. GRRRL PRTY premiered their new EP GRRRL PRTY X PRTY via Rookie Magazine last Thursday, along with an in-depth interview. The GRRRLs chose Bionik as their producer this round; he also made a mega-remix of the EP, one song mashing the five tracks into one. Unless you’re obsessed with listening in order, start with “Can I Live.” It’s the standout on the EP. The hip-hop supergroup will be at First Ave on Dec. 11 with P.O.S and Mixed Blood Majority.

Apollos: Violet EP

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Apollos’ title track from their new Violet EP is ambient pop-rock on the verge of arena-rock. Their sophomore effort is set to be a uplifting alternative to the grey skies creeping in for the winter. Even as they brood “gloom, you stare into my heart,” you know the upbeat chorus is about to take flight right around the corner. Think Owl City meets Band of Horses without the country twang. These guys aren’t something you see coming out of Minneapolis everyday. The EP drops today, and the band are celebrating the release with a Dec. 3 show at the Amsterdam Bar & Hall.

We/Ours: Pretty Out There cassette

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Here’s a debut for you if you’ve been itching for a new band with new tunes. No, it’s not another psyched-out garage rock band, or post-punk buried in a pile of reverb. We/Ours blend the post-rock, post-punk genre with mystic tinges of Perfect Circle and Tool. I think I can hear The Cure in there, but the closest local reference would be Wastrels’ “Burn The Mainline.” Check them out on Saturday at the Hexagon.

Aaron Bolton is a senior at the University of Minnesota. Currently he is the music reporter at Radio K. He hopes to continue a career in music journalism.