Introducing the final song of his set with Paul Simon on February 23 at the Xcel Energy Center, Sting said, “This is a song I would’ve written if I were twice as talented.” Actually, even with all the talent in the world, it’s unlikely that Sting would have ever written a quietly urgent story-song like…

This week’s Current Presents special was dedicated to tracking down the numbers and determining the best-selling albums and singles to come out of Minnesota—and as promised, the singles category delivered some surprises. A few notes about these results: The Andrews Sisters dominated the Gold category here, but their results are a little tricky. Prior to…

Who are the best-selling Minnesota musicians of all time? It’s a big question, and after digging into the sales data for hundreds of Minnesota releases, it’s proven to be quite a complicated answer. As I discovered while researching this project, no one knows precisely how many copies of any given album or single have sold,…

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…