The first thing I saw when I arrived at the Xcel Energy Center on Valentine’s Day were the protesters huddled outside — carrying signs and toting Bibles and pamphlets that denounced the AC/DC show about to take place inside the arena. I realized at that moment that I could not remember the last time I had ever…

Like most artists, Kanye West is anything but organized in his creativity — and true to his nature, West seems as though he’s never content with the final product of any of his albums until they are finally dropped. As those who follow his manic, trollish Twitter feed have gathered, perhaps there’s no better word to describe…

Bon Iver is “no longer winding down” as a project, said Justin Vernon as the lineup for this year’s Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival was announced — featuring, as it did last year, Bon Iver. “You know, we’re not just gonna play the same set we did last year,” Vernon told Billboard. Don’t camp out at…

Lana Del Rey has released an 11-minute video for her song “Freak.” Though Father John Misty does not perform on the song itself, he co-stars in the video, which features the pair going on a surreal odyssey together. (Paper) More new videos Mark Ronson and Tame Impala‘s Kevin Smith have also released a new video — for “Summer…

Hip-Hop, History, and the Arts is a Twin-Cities-based arts program founded by Chadwick “Niles” Phillips that seeks to empower youth. It has been taught throughout the city to motivate aspiring musicians to take their careers further. During the summer of 2015, Phillips led a program at FAIR School Downtown — teaching students how to write…

Local hip-hop star Maria Isa will be curating a mix of Latin art at Mixed Blood Theatre on Feb. 19 along with Latina Theory and Radio Pocho, in preparation for the upcoming show DJ Latinidad’s Latino Dance Party. Featuring DJ Miguel Vargas, DJ Caña Brava, and other special guests, the event is part of Mixed…

Thanks to Kyle Matteson, one of the most assiduous local music fans, you can now stream the mixtape that was mailed to early-bird ticket buyers for this year’s Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival. The tape, which is presumed to serve as at least a partial preview of this year’s yet-to-be-announced lineup, includes a new collaboration between Justin Vernon…

A series of up-and-coming local artists take their turn to pack themselves onto the tiny stage in the back corner of the bar. Behind them, the red wall is decorated with an electric guitar; the innards of a piano, keys and all; and several beer signs. The performers’ view is a bar filled with a…

Ben Lubeck: Rented Rooms Farewell Milwaukee frontman Ben Lubeck is stepping into the solo spotlight with his passionate and soulful new album Rented Rooms, a collection he describes as a “love letter” to his father, with whom Lubeck says he has a “complicated relationship” that the singer-songwriter is temporarily “taking a break” from. Listen to…

Producer Rick Rubin has announced that he’s putting together a Star Wars remix album — featuring sound effects and dialogue from the Star Wars movies, melded with original music. The album will feature electronic music artists including Flying Lotus, Röyskopp, Kaskade, and more. Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams, who’s also a musician, collaborates with Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and A-Trak to cut a track called “Jabba Flow.” Star…