On Thursday, the Minnesota music community reeled from the news that a beloved Twin Cities musician and sound professional died in a tragic highway crash in Arizona. Trevor Engelbrektson, who played bass in Southside Desire and ran sound at numerous Twin Cities venues, was traveling with the Liverpool-based duo Her’s as their tour manager. Around…

Looking for ways to celebrate the life of Prince in April? Here is a list of local events around the Twin Cities. Prince Family Dance Party 2019 Saturday, April 20 Excelsior Brewing Company, Excelsior 11 a.m., free This second annual Prince event has everything you need to celebrate, including a Purple-Rain-inspired soda. Dance the afternoon…

When he graduated from the University of St. Thomas with a degree in journalism, Matt Linden had no intention of starting his own record label. But after a few years of writing about music, he realized that he wanted to become more involved in helping connect musicians with their listeners. Now, Linden runs Forged Artifacts,…

The Better Oblivion Community Center opened its doors for one night in Minneapolis, and a sold-out crowd rushed in. Better Oblivion Community Center is a collaboration between Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst, both successful rock artists in their own right. Their debut self-titled came out in January of this year. This project isn’t Bridgers’ first…

“50°! We did it!” KARE 11 meteorologist Sven Sundgaard tweeted yesterday afternoon. “Last time was Nov. 1.” So if you see Minnesotans lounging outside rather than hurriedly slip-sliding from place to place, you know why. Take a breath of spring air before sitting down to watch these videos. Brianna Kočka – “Kindness” Brianna Kočka enjoys friends,…

In her short career as a musician, London-based artist Nilüfer Yanya has already grown into her own sound. After spending the first few years winning over fans with her jazzy pop tunes, her debut album, Miss Universe — out today — shows her transition to a more minimalist rock vibe. Her music is both crisp and…

Before Rainbow Kitten Surprise’s sold-out show at the Palace Theatre in St. Paul last month, I met up with Sam Melo (lead vocals and keys) and Charlie Holt (bass). The North Carolina band have been on the fast track to success in recent years, their first two albums gaining enough support that they began playing…

Good morning from sunny St. Paul, the city enjoying a compliment bath on my Twitter. Before I head into work this afternoon, I wanted to tell you about a few music videos I’ve enjoyed this week. Here we go. Sleeping Jesus – “Lay” This new Sleeping Jesus video is enjoyable but grim. Frontperson Nick Elstad…

As Brandon Leu began playing his cello, his body seemed to become more and more relaxed. His facial expressions almost implied a music-induced trance. As the prelude to Bach’s first cello suite came to an end, Leu finished with a proudly raised cello bow after an almost flawless performance. He finally smiled as he continued to perform his hand-picked…

“The band Dirt Train has been a mainstay on our stage this past year,” wrote Minneapolis’s Aster Cafe in a Facebook post this morning. “Yesterday, their leader, Tucker Jensen, threw the final punch in his valiant fight against cancer.” Jensen is also being mourned by his father, local rocker Mick Sterling. “Tucker,” Sterling wrote on…