From basement jam sessions to big theatre performances, Pert Near Sandstone live for the inspiration gained from other musicians. The band grew out of jam sessions at a house in St. Paul. “We didn’t get together as a band necessarily,” said mandolin and fiddle player Nate Sipe. Trying different instruments, and collaborating among themselves, led…

Howler: World of Joy From the sound of their second full-length album, you’d think that Howler spent the last two years—since their debut America Give Up—locked in a one-room apartment in England, subsisting on nothing but records by the Replacements and the Smiths. Appropriate, considering Howler’s Twin Cities roots (despite their ambiguous feelings about those roots) and the…

It’s hard to believe that six years have passed since indie rock band the Plastic Constellations released their final album, We Appreciate You, and went on an indefinite hiatus—it was long enough ago, in fact, that the term “indie rock band” could still be used to describe a particular style of music rather than a…

It’s getting to be that time of the week again. With the weekend creeping up ever so slowly on us and the snow slowly melting away outside, let’s slip on the ol’ headphones and take a break from our work to catch up on some of the latest videos to emerge out of the Minnesota…

Friday, March 21 Johnny Questionmark Album-Release Show Triple Rock Social Club, Minneapolis 8 p.m., $7 adv/$10 door, 18+ Johnny Questionmark combines hip-hop with a hard rock sensibility on his new album, Falling in Like. He’ll be joined at this release show by PLC, Out of Bounds, MC Rentz, Professor Fresh, and Imperious Rex. Apollo Quad…

Twitter celebrated its eighth birthday by making it easy for users to find their first tweets. We found the #FirstTweets of some of our favorite local musicians. I'm hating my mobile phone right now. — Jeremy Messersmith (@jmessersmith) February 18, 2009 Hey there, Twitterers. I still don't really understand what this site is for, but…

St. Paul’s newest record store, Barely Brothers Records, now graces the St. Anthony Park neighborhood and plans to celebrate with a day of live music and discounted vinyl this Saturday, March 22. Though the store opens at 10 a.m., the festivities start at noon and feature local artists Matt Arthur & the Bratlanders, Jon Rodine…

RiverRock Studios, in Northeast Minneapolis, is a relatively new recording venue—but it contains a lot of history. Although the studio itself was only constructed in 2010, it’s home to two analog consoles from the 80s that have been used in recordings by music legends including Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, and Usher. Since moving to RiverRock,…

Jake Ilika and the Heavy Set: Jake Ilika and the Heavy Set EP An experienced and multi-talented musician hailing from Winona, Jake Ilika’s live act ranges from intimate solo sets to expansive performances with his band, the Heavy Set. With the band, Ilika presents six gorgeous, thoughtful songs on the Heavy Set’s debut EP, out March 21.…

Tonight marks the 20th anniversary of the first time I saw the Afghan Whigs live on stage. They were part of a quadruple-bill at Dayton, Ohio’s Hara Arena that also featured Guided By Voices, New Bomb Turks, and headliners the Breeders. A local TV legend, The Cool Ghoul, was the emcee for the event. My best…