Photographers Matt Mead and Nate Ryan scoured the grounds at Rock the Garden to capture, not just the sites and faces, but the feel of the festival too. Slideshow: Metric at Rock the Garden Slideshow: Silversun Pickups at Rock the Garden Slideshow: Bob Mould at Rock the Garden Slideshow: Low at Rock the Garden Slideshow:…

Due to a rainy start to Rock the Garden, Dan Deacon decided to rock the underground! When a small, but powerful thunderstorm threatened to cancel his set, Deacon marshaled the backstage crew to move PA’s and other equipment into the temporary shelter of the Walker Art Center’s parking garage. Slideshow: Metric at Rock the Garden…

Low left many of the fans of Rock the Garden puzzled by their one-song set, consisting entirely of “Do You Know How to Waltz?” The performance was lumbering, droning and… divisive. Slideshow: Metric at Rock the Garden Slideshow: Silversun Pickups at Rock the Garden Slideshow: Bob Mould at Rock the Garden Slideshow: Dan Deacon rocks…

  In a mere 24 hours, the gates will be open for Rock the Garden and we’ll be standing outside, soaking in the summer sun at one of the largest outdoor festivals of the season. That’s a beautiful thought, isn’t it? And we’ll have plenty to chat about between sets, too, with all of the…

  Duluth has no shortage of love for its most famous son. Already there is Bob Dylan Way, the annual Dylan Days celebration (which spreads all the way up to Hibbing, where Dylan’s family moved after he was born), and the series of Duluth Does Dylan compilations. And soon, if the Dylan By Duluth project…

The Local Radar is getting a little revamp. Each week, we’ll focus on a single new release that we feel deserves a spotlight. Marijuana Deathsquads In what is probably their most straight-forward song yet (besides the great “Top Down” from last year’s Tamper, Disable, Destroy – sidenote, that song could have been a major hit),…

  The West Bank Music Festival, a burgeoning multi-venue gathering that is the Twin Cities’ closest thing to South by Southwest, will return to Cedar-Riverside on Saturday, August 17. Now in its fourth year, the festival seems to be expanding steadily, with the main stage transitioning out of the Nomad Pub’s parking lot last year…

  It’s official: After years of near-misses, teases, and tantalizing hints, the Replacements have just announced that they will, in fact, reunite to play at least three shows. Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson have signed on to headline three different installments of the Riot Fest, which is scheduled to hit Toronto August 24-25, Chicago September…

Wednesday, June 12 Kitten Forever, Prissy Clerks, and Buzzers Kitty Cat Klub, Minneapolis 10 p.m., free, 21+ Need an exit strategy for dealing with this dreary, endlessly rainy week? Get your bones rattled by raucous punk trio Kitten Forever and basement noise duo Buzzers, who will bookmark the pristine melodies of Prissy Clerks. Thursday, June…

  Healthcare has become a huge issue for musicians in Minnesota. Pick up a copy of the weekly paper and scan the concert calendar listings and it seems that there are at least a few benefit concerts happening every weekend, many of which benefit artists who either don’t have insurance or simply can’t afford the…