Mankwe Ndosi is no stranger to fans of Twin Cities hip-hop. A onetime back-up vocalist for Atmosphere who has been working closely with Medium Zach of Big Quarters, it seems that Ndosi has been quietly moving closer and closer to center stage in recent years. And given the strength of her full-length debut, Science and…

Local music notes from the week of July 16-20

You know it’s going to be a good session when an email goes out warning the MPR staff that the band “is bringing the big amps” and it’s going to get loud. Such was the case with today’s UBS Forum session by Soul Asylum, which invited about 100 Current fans into the studios for a…

Local bands that deserve must-hear status this week

It’s not unusual for bands to request special drinks, food, or other accommodations be made available to them backstage while they are playing a show. But last night at First Avenue, Liars co-founder Aaron Hemphill made one big request: That a tattoo artist be sent backstage to tattoo Prince’s glyph on his finger before the…

News came in overnight via Bob Dylan’s newsletter that his 35th studio album has a title and a release date: Tempest is coming September 11. As noted in the album’s announcement, the release of Tempest on Columbia Records will coincide with the 50th anniversary of Dylan’s first studio album, Bob Dylan, which was issued by the…

Owl City’s Adam Young is the rare Minnesota-born musician whose star has risen so quickly and whose music frolics so unapologetically into the mainstream that his relationship with his home state is all but nonexistent.  That detachment from any particular geographic location may be part of his widespread appeal. His MySpace popularity propelled him out…

With the Pizza Lucé and Pride Block Parties on hiatus for 2012, the Bastille Day celebration outside of Barbette was one of the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis’s only chances to take in some free live music outdoors this summer. The block party’s organizers seemed to recognize this fact and consequently booked one of their strongest…

Read about and download their new track "All I Want"

Local music notes from the week of July 9-13