It’s been over a year since most of us have been able to set foot in our local venues and theaters. In addition to yearning for shows and the community surrounding them, many music fans are looking to ways to connect with the physical spaces where live music used to be played. Michael Welsh and…

This afternoon, a Minneapolis jury found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all counts of murder and manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd. The case drew international attention, sparking months of demonstrations and cries for justice in the music community and beyond. Below is a sampling of artists’ reactions today. For more on…

It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since Prince’s tragic death, which still feels so fresh and painful for his millions of “fams” around the world. It’s been an eventful five years, though, with a trove of releases from the Vault, the opening of Paisley Park as a museum, countless tribute performances, and more.…

What do Carmen Sandiego, Lauryn Hill, and Terry Gross have in common? They’re all among Dessa’s influences, according to her latest single. “Terry Gross” is part of Dessa’s “IDES” series of new tracks, and we’re proud to premiere the lyric video. The track is produced by Doomtree’s Paper Tiger and Lazerbeak along with Andy Thompson;…

Minnesota’s Hard Rock Cafe has closed (again). After reportedly falling behind on rent, the international burger chain quietly closed its Mall of America location Jan. 15, a company spokesperson confirmed. It still had yet to reopen following the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Hard Rock, known for its massive music memorabilia displays and collectors’ shirts…

Musicians around the world, and particularly here in Minnesota, have been sharing grief and anger at the police killing of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center on Sunday. Below is a selection of those responses. Our colleagues at MPR News are continuing to cover this developing story. Nothing to reform. Burn it down and start over…

Few artists are as known for their distinctive eras as Prince. From Purple Rain to The Rainbow Children to PLECTRUMELECTRUM, each Prince album is accompanied by its own creative world. 3121 represents a return to some of the legend’s greatest strengths, situated within the context of the early 21st century. Now, following the 15th anniversary of the release…

The Prince estate has announced that Welcome 2 America, an album Prince recorded in 2010 but never shared with the public, will be released on July 30. Welcome 2 America is the first stand-alone Prince album to be released posthumously, as opposed to re-releases (1999, Sign O’ The Times) or compilations (Originals). It will be…

Last weekend, I left my apartment and made my way to a large room full of strangers. We were all listening to music, whether or not we thought about it. Familiar songs piped through overhead speakers as we shuffled around one another, taking care to remain six feet apart. There was no dancing, no singing…

The music video for Lanue’s “What I Love the Most” captures honey-soaked scenes in the height of Duluth’s summer. A cinematic color palette seeps through scenes of the artist immersed in flourishing greenery and a perfectly still Lake Superior in an endless golden hour. “What I Love the Most” was the first single Lanue, Sarah…