Today is International Women’s Day, and the Current is in the midst of a 24-long celebration of influential women artists — find our full day of programming here. As we spend the day reflecting on the issues facing women around the world, it got me thinking about all the incredible, pioneering artists who have broken…

The City of Minneapolis has launched a study to identify important buildings in Twin Cities music history. Made possible by a grant from the National Park Service and the Minnesota Historical Society, the Minneapolis Music History Project is focusing on buildings built from 1850 to the start of the 20th century and involves asking the…

On February 20, Radiohead announced dates for their 2018 North American tour, and once again, the English rockers are not coming to Minnesota. In fact, Radiohead haven’t visited the Twin Cities since they played at the State Theatre in 1997. So why haven’t the band been to Minnesota in over 20 years? While Minneapolis ranks…

This year, Record Store Day is taking place on April 21. Artists releasing Record Store Day exclusives include Prince, Dessa, David Bowie, Courtney Barnett, Bob Dylan, and the Grateful Dead, just to name a few. Fans of Prince can pick up a seven-track single LP version of 1999 this Record Store Day. This version of 1999 has been…

One chapter in the long and complicated history of Duluth’s NorShor Theatre is the role it played as a rock venue and casual hangout for the city’s burgeoning music scene of the late ’90s and early 2000s when heavy hitters like Low, Trampled By Turtles, and Charlie Parr were just starting their careers. Following that…

Prince always wore tube socks to bed, and he liked to spend nights watching In Living Color with a bowl of popcorn. These are things that only close friends of his would know. Or, perhaps, someone who was once engaged to him. Musician Susannah Melvoin met and worked with Prince in the 1980s, forming a…

Ness Nite, “Tightrope” New York-via-Minneapolis visionary Ness Nite released her debut album today, which means it’s the perfect occasion to watch her in “Tightrope.” Lisa Persson (26 BATS!) shot this psychedelic, borderline-woozy video in the Minneapolis skyways. If you like what you hear, consider scooping up a ticket for her Dream Girl release at the Entry on March…

Going into Drone Not Drones this past January, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Like a lot of people, I wasn’t very familiar with drone music. And as much as I enjoy live shows, I also value being in bed by midnight at the latest, so 28 hours of straight drone music was very much…

“We sell a ton of Surly, so I think it’s going to be pretty popular,” First Avenue’s typically understated general manager Nate Kranz tells the Star Tribune about +1 Golden Ale, a new beer being brewed by Surly and featuring the imprimatur of the legendary Minneapolis rock club. “The key to +1 is balance and…

If you’ve ever listened to a track and thought, “I’d crush this beat,” this is for you. Same goes for “This could use more bass,” “You know what’d slap? My favorite percussion sample pack plus these rhymes,” and even, “What if you just looped accordion under Sims?” Shredders (Paper Tiger, Lazerbeak, P.O.S, and Sims) have…