At SXSW, Spandau Ballet are playing their first American show in 28 years, but this year has already seen an even less likely 80s comeback. Spacey, ambient sounds are increasingly pleasing the ears of music buffs both nationally and locally, and a new historical compilation has sparked a reappraisal of the often-derided genre of new…

Each year Hopkins High School Orchestra hosts a Spotlight Concert featuring a special musical guest. Students are gearing up for this year’s February 21 performance alongside the Ericksons. The eight-year-old sister duo have their musical roots in Minneapolis. Bethany Valentini and Jenny Kapernick bring a stylistic blend of soulful and rich indie-folk. Both are excited to…

Earlier this week we asked you to guess the highest-selling singles and albums to come out of Minnesota—and the answers to those two big questions will be revealed this Sunday night on the Current Presents: The Best-Selling Minnesota Artists of All Time. But before we get down to brass tacks, I wanted to share a…

“I know there are a lot of Bob Dylan covers out there,” admits Alain Weber with a chuckle. “Probably new ones every week.” Nonetheless, in the recently released tribute album he’s compiled, From Another World, Weber captures Dylan’s universality in a uniquely global fashion. The compilation features artists from around the world, and each track…

Whether you’ve consciously or unconsciously noticed, chances are you’ve heard an indie rock favorite in an advertisement for some product or another. Ten years ago Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse was blasted by fans when “Gravity Rides Everything” was used in a Nissan Quest commercial after The Moon & Antarctica was released in 2000 to praise…

1994 was a big year for me, musically. It was the year I began my radio career in the Cincinnati, Ohio area and the year that my favorite styles of music shifted from “big hair” to “alternative.” It was the year my best friend introduced me to the Afghan Whigs, a band that got their…

Web of Sunsets: Room of Monsters Self-described as “acid country,” Twin Cities trio Web of Sunsets credit their aesthetic to the “golden hour”—the first or last hour of sunlight in a given day—and have fittingly drenched their downtempo tunes in a warm sonic breeze. It’s a formula that has already garnered early attention from major…

It’s no secret that Minnesotans love to celebrate the successful artists who were born within our borders and rep our state far and wide. Go forth, ye talented ones, and regale audiences worldwide with tales of the magical land of sky blue waters! But when we talk about a musician’s “success,” what are we really…

I was introduced to the Roots shortly after their second record Do You Want More?!!!??! came out. I had just met and started working informally with the first members of my band Heiruspecs. This record sounded very different than us, but did perfectly what we wanted to do early on: be really good, and have…

This week’s Friday Five is stacked. Some of the most beloved names in local hip-hop released videos at a breakneck pace earlier in the week, and we also got a little preview of John Mark Nelson’s forthcoming album and another pair of songs from a very mysterious Minneapolis act. Happy Valentine’s Day, lovers, and hope…