Last night, Adrianne Lenker played a sold-out show at the Cedar Cultural Center with special guest Luke Temple. The crowd were seated throughout the night in front of the elevated stage, and I quickly understood why as I let the sounds wash over me without the constant distraction of moving around to get a better…

Lizzo – “Cuz I Love You” Another month leading up to the release of Lizzo‘s third album, another sensational music video. “Cuz I Love You” is the title track from said album, a song about falling in love accompanied by what The Fader calls a “holy weep-fest” on video. Lizzo plays a very sold-out show…

With the Oscars coming up on Sunday, Pitchfork has just published its editors’ list of the 50 best movie soundtracks ever. Purple Rain is on the list, of course…at number two. “Purple Rain is Prince in his prime, at his peak, at his most audacious,” writes Jayson Greene. “It is Prince at his most sensual, his…

After Willie Murphy passed away on Jan. 13, friends and fans hastened to post remembrances of the West Bank trailblazer online. Last weekend, Murphy’s community gathered to honor him in person: first on Saturday at an Augsburg Chapel memorial service, then on Sunday at “Fairytales,” a Cabooze tribute show and celebration of life. The Cabooze…

While fans of popular artists have been known to sell all sorts of things that once belonged to their idols, a very unusual Bob Dylan item is currently for sale — a bathroom sink. Growing up in Hibbing, Minn., a young Bob Dylan, then Bobby Zimmerman, and his brother David used the sink in their…

Los Angeles singer-songwriter Miya Folick is finding joy in the ordinary with her debut album, Premonitions. The collection of songs, which Folick has described as “domestic pop,” celebrates everyday experiences, documents close relationships, and revels in the moment. Folick released Premonitions last October. While her 2015 Strange Darling EP and 2017 EP, Give It To Me, rest on a classic indie-rock backbone…

Yesterday afternoon a Minneapolis City Council committee unanimously approved a concept plan for the Upper Harbor Terminal along the Mississippi River in north Minneapolis, which includes a Community Performing Arts Center operated by First Avenue. The open-air CPAC would hold around 10,000 guests and include 6,000 stacked seats (a capacity comparable to Rock the Garden). It…

While the Twin Cities may be known for a vibrant jazz scene, it’s no secret that many of the musicians playing the music in Minnesota are white. But even though the Twin Cities jazz scene might not be as diverse as other scenes, there are many artists of color here who work hard and bring…

It had been months since I saw a good thunderstorm. Snow and deep freezes have swept through the Twin Cities lately, but it’s been a long time without thunder and lightning. Sharon Van Etten put an end to that stretch last night at First Avenue. She summoned angry synths, crashing cymbals, and even windchimes and…

Seven rows away from the stage last night, I sat munching on my chocolate chip cookie, not knowing quite what to expect. I was about to see Amy Ray and Emily Saliers — the Indigo Girls — perform with the Minnesota Orchestra. As conductor Sarah Hicks and the folk duo walked on stage, a roaring…