Eric Mayson is a tad uncomfortable with the idea of being a frontman. Also, he’s rather anxious about using solely his own name and image to market his own music. But based on the quality of his debut album, Detail, the ubiquitous and well-respected sideman should get used to the attention and the spotlight. After…

One of the most iconic names in music hardware—Technics—will once again produce turntables, Panasonic announced at a Berlin consumer electronics show. The line was discontinued in 2010; last year the name was revived for a line of other products, and now comes confirmation that Technics turntables will again be available sometime in 2016 or possibly early…

Artist Demi Anter has created a life-size David Bowie pillow that she’s selling on Etsy for $400. “Sit this Bowie doll onto a daybed or sofa, against a wall as a soft sculpture artwork or on the floor as a makeshift chair,” suggests Anter, who calls it “the ultimate gift for a David Bowie fan.” (NME) Several…

Prince: HITNRUN The prolific Prince is continuing his artistic adventures with HITNRUN. His band 3RDEYEGIRL will also be joining him for what is said to be an experimental album. “HARDROCKLOVER” is a testament to that experimentation—and Prince’s ability to stay relevant at all times. The track’s classic groove and hip-hop-influenced production gives Prince a foot in…

David Bowie is just one of a motley collection of famous musicians who will write new songs for a SpongeBob SquarePants musical opening in Chicago next summer. Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith; John Legend; Dirty Projectors; the Flaming Lips; They Might Be Giants; Cyndi Lauper; T.I.; Lady Antebellum; Panic! At the Disco; and Plain White T’s will also contribute songs. (Rolling Stone) Fallout…

It was a night of reinvention, and of celebrating new beginnings. For First Avenue, Friday night was the first time that the cavernous Mainroom was reopened to the public after a portion of the ceiling collapsed 15 days prior and sent three fans to the hospital with minor injuries. In the time since the collapse the…

On Thursday, an out-of-control pickup truck smashed into the education wing of Duluth’s Sacred Heart Music Center. No one was harmed inside the historic venue, though the driver of the truck suffered minor injuries after his brakes went out and he was forced to swerve to avoid oncoming traffic. Damage to Sacred Heart is estimated at…

Happy Friday! It’s shaping up to be one of the busiest weekends of the summer for local music, with First Avenue’s Mainroom reopening tonight for GRRRL PRTY, the Totally Gross National Party taking over Icehouse tomorrow, musicians playing stages throughout the State Fair, and about a dozen other artists cramming awesome indoor and outdoor events…

It’s been a month since Minneapolis-based alternative synth band Enemy Planes started the trip of a lifetime: flying to Barcelona and winning the Hard Rock Rising international battle of the bands contest. Over 13,000 bands from around the world entered, but only six bands—from Argentina, Japan, Scotland, Kentucky, and New York—were flown out to Barcelona…

Though I’m a huge radio listener—especially public radio—the process of making radio happen has always been a mystery to me. Beyond the occasional in-studio performance, I had no experience with radio when The Current asked me to be the DJ in Residence for the month of August for the Local Current stream. To be honest,…