Joan Jett and Cherie Currie have responded to their Runaways bandmate Jackie Fuchs‘s statement that she was raped, at a 1975-6 New Year’s party, by the band’s manager Kim Fowley while Jett, Currie, and several others were in the room. The Huffington Post article in which Fuchs’s story appeared states that “Currie claims that she spoke up and stormed out of…

Huge news for Minneapolis singer-songwriter Frankie Lee: he’s signed with Loose, the London-based label that’s home to Justin Townes Earle and Sturgill Simpson. No release plans have yet been announced, but everyone seems pretty happy about it: Lee tweeted a photo of himself signing the contract, and the label posted a teaser for Frankie’s recent video…

I remember my first concert well—the first of many, the first time I experienced the high of live performances that would keep me returning to clubs like the Cabooze and First Ave for a variety of artists and experiences. My first show, though, stands out clearly in my memory because I was fully in the…

Happy Friday! It’s been a busy week for Minnesota music, with several high-profile releases coming down the pipeline and the outdoor block party season in full swing. Here’s a look at some of the best videos to emerge over the past seven days: Irie Sol explore the Eau Claire Sound Genre-bending reggae and funk band Irie…

It’s July, which means it’s time to roll into the third month of Local Current’s DJ in Residence! Here at The Current, we’ve been inviting local musicians to take over our all-Minnesota music stream to talk about the local music scene and to spin tracks from other local musicians. So far, Martin Devaney and Sophia…

I spent much of of Amy on the edge of my seat, and it took me a while afterwards to figure out exactly why. After all, the story’s tragic ending is all too well-known—and director Asif Kapadia wisely doesn’t try to insert any artificial suspense. Ultimately, this film’s endless fascination comes from nothing less than the mystery…

NME has turned up an interesting tidbit on the Who‘s website: they were added to this year’s Glastonbury lineup “we were a last-months addition to the show, replacing Prince who decided not to come this year.” (NME) In an interview with the Huffington Post, Jackie Fuchs of the Runaways says she was raped by the band’s manager Kim Fowley…

A sea of friends and fans—and a few moms—flooded the 7th Street Entry for Strange Names‘ highly anticipated reunion with Minneapolis. This was the first hometown show for the group since the new wave duo—now a trio—relocated to New York to be closer to their label Frenchkiss Records. They released Use Your Time Wisely on Frenchkiss…

As he prepares for the upcoming Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver spoke at length with Grantland. Among the topics discussed: the future of Bon Iver (“As far as putting a record together, I don’t really know what’s happening. Our show is our main focus. We don’t have anything booked after this. We…

Jackie Beckey, a Minnesota Historical Society reference librarian and Brute Heart violist/vocalist, is the kind of person you’d want at your next dinner party. Relaxed and approachable, she can talk about anything from rock music to classic films; she laughs often and shares stories. Recently, I sat down with Beckey and learned about her interests…