One of the biggest curveballs in this year’s Rock the Garden lineup was the announcement of St. Paul’s futuristic-R&B quartet thestand4rd, who will kick off the festival on Saturday, June 20 at the Walker Art Center. If you said Who? or simply want to know more about this skyrocketing group, here are four quick facts about…

For local music fans of a certain age, it may be hard to believe that it was nearly 45 years ago that First Avenue welcomed Joe Cocker to the stage of the former bus depot that was appropriately known as “the Depot” to inaugurate a second life for what would become one of the most…

Courtney Barnett, set to release her much-anticipated new album Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit on March 24—and play Rock the Garden on June 20—previewed several songs from the album at a show in her home town of Melbourne, Australia. See video at Pitchfork. The trailer for Montage of Heck, the first authorized Kurt Cobain documentary,…

The Blue Nile, a restaurant and bar in Minneapolis’s Seward neighborhood that’s long been a staple of the local music and spoken-word scenes, is no longer presenting live entertainment. The venue’s last Thursday reggae night was on Feb. 26, and last Tuesday, March 3, was the Blue Nile’s last open mic night. According to a…

With a summer of big festival dates ahead of them—including a homecoming gig at Rock the Garden on June 21—the influential Minneapolis trio Babes in Toyland drove up into the hills of the California desert last month to play their first public show in 14 years. It was a small warm-up gig at an intimate and…

After a short run on NBC’s The Voice in 2013, Minnesotan musician Mark Andrew is currently a contestant on this season of Fox’s American Idol—and he’s doing well. His rendition of the Temptations’ “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” landed him among the top eight male performers; Andrew’s fans are hoping that in tonight’s episode, he makes the…

In a verdict that could have wide-ranging implications for music as intellectual property, a Los Angeles jury declared yesterday that Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke—two of the co-writers of “Blurred Lines,” a 2013 megahit for Thicke—stole elements of Marvin Gaye’s 1977 hit “Got to Give It Up.” Williams and Thicke were ordered to pay a total of just…

Snoop Dogg will be this year’s SXSW keynote speaker, following in the footsteps of Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, and Lady Gaga. (Billboard) Meanwhile, Snoop—who’s seen his share of gun violence—is joining Aloe Blacc and others in a call for individuals with retirement savings account to divest from the gun industry. (Rolling Stone) A Los Angeles jury declared yesterday that Pharrell Williams…

Mod Sun: Look Up Self-described “hippie hop” rapper Mod Sun released his newest effort today, Look Up. Mod Sun brings those feel-good vibes you know him for on the song “Never Quit,” joined by Travis Barker on the upbeat track that oozes a summertime feel. Mod Sun is in the midst of his tour and…

The soundtrack to Montage of Heck, the authorized Kurt Cobain documentary premiering May 4 on HBO, will feature a previously unreleased 12-minute Cobain song recorded alone with an acoustic guitar. The film’s director describes the track as “mind-blowing,” but the album’s release date has not yet been announced. (Rolling Stone) Franz Ferdinand and Sparks will join forces to form a new…