After 34 years of providing a steady diet of the country’s finest folk, blues, Americana, and roots music to listeners around the world, the revered St. Paul label Red House Records has been acquired by the Nashville-based Compass Records Group and will relocate to the bustling Tennessee music industry hub, shuttering their St. Paul office.…

Midwest music enthusiasts may know him best as the poetic “narrator” of the Eaux Claires Music and Arts Festival, but New York Times bestselling author Michael Perry has a new, and frankly quite funny, book out today. Born out of the chance discovery of 16th century essayist Michel de Montaigne’s work as Perry was doing…

A teal model of Prince’s iconic Cloud guitar has sold at auction for ten times the expected price. At a Saturday auction held by Julien’s, an anonymous buyer paid $700,000 for the instrument, which had been estimated to have a value of just $70,000. The price blew away the $137,500 paid just last year for a…

Bully are dear to me — and not just because their lead singer, Alicia Bognanno, grew up in a Minnesota suburb near my hometown, though that’s pretty cool too. I had just finished high school when their first album, Feels Like, dropped in 2015, and Bognanno’s charged lyrics about the difficulty, monotony, and messiness of…

“You guys were so much more emotional and real,” said Sara Quin, paraphrasing something she’s heard in recent weeks as she and her sister/bandmate Tegan Quin revisit their 2007 album The Con. Sara’s response? “Eh, f— you.” The implication was that people who think synthpop albums like Heartthrob (2013) and Love You to Death (2016) aren’t “emotional and real”…

As holiday shoppers look for gifts related to their favorite bands, two Minnesota greats are cautioning against purveyors of bootleg merch. Earlier this week, Greg Norton shared a post on Facebook warning against bootleg Hüsker Dü merchandise. In his post, Norton (the band’s bassist) includes a photo advertising a t-shirt and sweatshirt with the artwork…

Chastity Brown, “Whisper” Chastity Brown shares her song “Whisper,” from Silhouette of Sirens, accompanied by a sweet love story. She told Out that she envisioned the video as “a string of intimate moments that represent the beauty of queer love.” Lena Elizabeth, “Nobody Wants You (Live)” Lena Elizabeth is a wonder to watch. Strumming her baritone ukulele,…

Local bands and venues are sure to start selling some cool holiday merch, but First Avenue is out ahead of the pack with this one: a Lego model of the iconic Minneapolis club, complete with stars (including a little gold one for Prince) and an awning for the Entry. “Looking for ‘the missing piece’ of…

Recommending people music is one of my favorite games. It’s like buying a present; you listen to someone talk about what they need or like, take a few mental notes, and come back later with the perfect item. Not every gift will click. But when you do it right, you deliver something useful and enriching.…

Many Minnesotans are familiar with Zach Sobiech’s story. Although the 18-year-old tragically died of cancer in 2013, his legacy still lives on through his song “Clouds.” Sobiech never expected the song to go viral, but thanks to the help of Rock the Cause Records, the Stillwater singer-songwriter’s name is now known all around the world. Rock…