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…

Early this morning, a blower fan in the 1940s-era heating system at Duluth’s NorShor Theatre malfunctioned and sparked a fire that caused an estimated $15,000 worth of damage before being exterminated by firefighters. The fire was contained to a single room, and fortunately there were no injuries. The fire is a setback in ongoing efforts…

With the music industry in a state of upheaval across the globe, Shifting Paradigm Records is aiming to own up to their name and foster a closer jazz community in the Twin Cities by changing the artist/consumer relationship. “From what we understand, a lot of jazz labels out there offer little more than some promotion…

Thursday, February 13 Tax Tips for Artists and Music Professionals North Regional Library, Minneapolis 6:30 p.m., free, all ages Not a music event, per se, but certainly of interest to those working in the music scene, this free workshop sponsored by the Minnesota Music Coalition and the new community organizing group Music Mafia will offer…

“Music is an informing energy” in his work, said artist Jim Hodges at a Thursday morning media tour of his new retrospective Give More Than You Take. Knowing that, the Walker Art Center invited Hodges to curate a musical series in association with the exhibit, which opens on Saturday and runs through May 11. Hodges welcomed…

When bloggers describe Andre Cymone’s new album as long-awaited, we really mean it—his fans have literally been waiting 29 years for a follow-up to Cymone’s last album, A.C. As the first bass player in Prince’s touring band and one of the many artists to emerge out of the Minneapolis Sound explosion, Cymone rose to notoriety with…

Piñata Records: Hit Parade Sampler The latest compilation by Piñata Records proves that this local label is aptly named, since Hit Parade Sampler is a mixed bag of sweet treats, so full of energy that you’d think it’s about to burst. Out February 15 and streaming now on Bandcamp, Hit Parade features nine tracks by…

I’m a little older now than I was the last time Neutral Milk Hotel came to town. Unlike most other concerts I’ve been to at First Avenue, on Monday night I did not push my way to front-center. I was not offered any drugs. I did not drink a beer, nor did I drink too…