The Hennepin County Library just made it easier to listen to your favorite local artists — and maybe discover some new ones, too. Last week, the Hennepin County Library launched MnSpin, an online streaming and download service that contains over 50 albums by local artists. The project captures the diversity of today’s local scene, representing…

On Dec. 14, McNally Smith College of Music announced that it would shut down the next week due to lack of funds, and as of Dec. 20, the school is officially closed. Since the announcement, community members near and far have wondered how they can help affected students, staff, and faculty, many of whom have…

The doors at 132 E. Superior St. opened again Friday for the first sneak peak at SOUND: Duluth, the new restaurant and venue set to occupy the upper two floors of Duluth’s historic city hall. The space has a tumultuous recent history, having undergone a $2.4 million renovation prior to opening as Tycoon’s in late…

There is an African proverb that says, “Every time an elder dies a library burns.” This morning, it was revealed that hip-hop pioneer Reggie “Combat Jack” Ossé has passed away due to complications with colon cancer. The music mogul revealed his diagnosis in October and had been updating the public on the process through social…

Few groups in the world have carried the torch for modern jazz as effectively as the Bad Plus. Ever since the piano trio first formed in 2000 with ubiquitous drummer Dave King, Reid Anderson on bass, and pianist Ethan Iverson, the childhood friends have forged new ground and created new audiences for the group’s rapidly…

Listen to the year-end episode of The Local Show, which included reflections from over a dozen Minnesota artists. As 2017 hurtles toward its dramatic series finale, it’s difficult to find the words to describe what felt like a very, very long year. There is a temptation to start listing all the devastating news headlines that…

OK Go have partnered with the University of St. Thomas to launch OK Go Sandbox, an online portal that teaches students and educators ways to combine music and engineering. According to an article from the university’s news service, it all started when OK Go began receiving letters from teachers who used their innovative music videos…

Now that the holiday season is upon us, finding the perfect gift can be stressful — but it doesn’t have to be! To make things a little easier, here are some gift ideas for Minnesota music fans. Use Songversations: Talk all about your favorite music with this conversation starter game created by Eric Hutchinson. Electric Fetus…

The release of Comes Alive! breaks a 29-year hiatus by the eccentric trio Yanomamos, consisting of bassist Miss Jane Mansfield, Tim Piotrowski on vocals and guitar, and Grant Hart on drums. Their debut, Quizas (pronounced “Kiss-Ass”), was Grant Hart’s first project after Husker Dü’s initial split in 1987, seeing a vinyl release in 1988. It was around this…

The 2018 Drone Not Drones concert is taking place at the Cedar Cultural Center on Friday, Jan. 26 (or at least, that’s when it’s starting). The event will feature 28 hours of non-stop music by over 50 artists including Wilco guitarist Nels Cline; Low; and Canadian ambient artist Loscil. Luke Heiken coined the phrase “drone…