A seven-band lineup is at least four bands more than I would normally enjoy in a single show, but because First Avenue’s Best New Bands is something special, I took a power nap, hydrated, and put on my comfiest dancing pants in preparation for the night ahead. Hosted by The Current’s own Andrea Swensson, Sylvia…

The second Lana Del Rey stepped on stage at Target Center last night, there were deafening screams from the crowd. Anytime she wasn’t singing during her opening song, “13 Beaches,” there were deafening screams. That’s the kind of fan base the post-modern chanteuse has built for herself. It was Del Rey’s first-ever show in Minnesota,…

Welcome to the residency bonanza of January 2018! We made it to the New Year, and with its first month comes a slew of residencies: weekly shows helmed by locals Metasota, jeremy messersmith, Charlie Parr, the Cactus Blossoms, and Andrew Broder. We’ll be posting photos and a brief recap of several of the series’ first nights. The…

Scrunchies, “Wichita” Laura Larson, Stephanie Jo Murck, Bree Meyer, and Danielle Cusack are Scrunchies, a new band who played their first show last night at the 7th St Entry. They’ve stormed out of the gate, releasing a music video directed by Gordon Byrd and preparing to release their already-recorded first album, Stunner. Superior Siren, “Tomorrow” Superior…

“Oh s–t,” exclaimed Laura Larson, finally coming up for air. “We’ve got three songs left!” Time flies when you’re having fun, and it was a most righteous kind of fun indeed as Larson’s new band Scrunchies made their public debut last night at the 7th St Entry. It’s a supergroup drawing members from a few…

Brian Setzer will reunite with Stray Cats for the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend in April. It will mark the first time in nearly a decade the retro-billy trio will perform together in the United States. Stray Cats formed in 1979 in upstate New York, inspired by 1950s rockabilly. The band were originally called the Tom…

High School for Recording Arts (HSRA) isn’t your regular high school. For 20 years, HSRA has provided students with the opportunity to earn a diploma and develop as music artists at the same time. HSRA just digitally released its archive, with a variety of student-written, -recorded, and -produced music as well as spoken word. Throughout…

Welcome to the residency bonanza of January 2018! We made it to the New Year, and with its first month comes a slew of residencies: weekly shows helmed by locals Metasota, jeremy messersmith, Charlie Parr, the Cactus Blossoms, and Andrew Broder. We’ll be posting photos and a brief recap of several of the series’ first nights. jeremy…

“It’s a difficult and trying time,” says Minneapolis musician Andrew Broder, explaining what motived him to begin his Residency for Music and Action event series. “I think people are kind of waking up and realizing that our new part-time job is giving way more of a s–t than we did before.” The event series, curated…

At least eight acts from Minnesota are heading to SXSW this March. Aero Flynn and Now, Now were two of the first acts announced as performers at the Austin festival. Since that announcement, several more local acts have been added: Low, Kristoff Krane, BdotCroc, Nadine, Moodie Black, and Step Rockets. The festival, which runs from March…