Friday in Minneapolis, thermometers hit 92° for the first time in months, and the city headed outside. South Minneapolis drew countless walkers, bikers, and picnickers to the lakes; cars zipped by with their windows down, and cafés ran out of cold press. As the sun set, action continued to buzz on the Southside — a new…

Beyoncé once again paid tribute to Prince at a stop on her current Formation tour. She led a “Purple Rain” singalong at the first tour stop, and then in Dallas she sang the Purple Rain show-stopper “The Beautiful Ones” — which she had previously performed at Glastonbury in 2011. (Rolling Stone) Beyoncé’s tour hits TCF Bank Stadium on…

The Minnesota State Fair has released the schedule of free music for this year’s Great Minnesota Get-Together. Among the biggest national names playing free shows (free with admission to the fair, that is) are G. Love and Special Sauce, War, and Billy Bob Thornton — who’s playing the Leinie Lodge with his band the Boxmasters.…

Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago Bon Iver’s 2007 debut album isn’t exactly a new release — but check out the nifty gold cassette tape that’s been newly released as an exclusive through Newbury Comics. The tape is limited to a release of 500; it will make a good soundtrack for your pilgrimage to Eaux Claires this summer.…

Can music that’s given away for free win a Grammy? The answer is no, and Chance the Rapper wants to change that. The hip-hop star is one of over 15,000 people who have endorsed a petition asking the Recording Academy to change the policy stipulating that music be made “available for sale” in order to achieve Grammy…

On Sunday, Radiohead released A Moon Shaped Pool, their ninth studio album and the successor to 2011’s King of Limbs. The 11-track album is now available for download, and will be released on vinyl and CD next month, with a special edition to follow in September. (Rolling Stone) The band also announced that their back catalog will be reissued…

This week at the Local Current, we’re looking back on Prince’s early career as we dedicate our next few history spotlights to stories behind his music. This time, we’re focusing our attention on “Just Another Sucker,” a 94 East song that 18-year-old Prince co-wrote with Pepé Willie. Recorded in 1977, “Just Another Sucker” came at…

fDeluxe, “Nothing Compares 2 U” Prince wrote scores of songs for the Family (now known as fDeluxe), including “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Following a Susannah Melvoin introduction, fDeluxe and Minnesota’s own STRINGenius ensemble perform the song in this video, offering it up as their heartfelt tribute. Janet Jackson, “Dammn Baby” Honorary Minnesotan Janet Jackson dropped a video…

Artist Chris Larson is creating a video installation called Land Speed Record, named after the 1981 Hüsker Dü album and inspired by the history of the 7th Street Entry. The installation, which will be on display at the Walker Art Center from June 9 to Jan. 8, features video exploring objects damaged in a 2011 fire at the childhood…

“Paisley Park,” the phrase, is everywhere in Prince’s past. It’s a song from his 1985 album Around the World in a Day; it’s also the name of Paisley Park Records, a label, active from 1985 to 1994, that signed artists such as Sheila E., Carmen Electra, and Mavis Staples. Most notably, the phrase serves as shorthand for Paisley Park Studios, which officially…