Jeffrey Bissoy-Mattis recently caught up with St. Paul rapper, J. Plaza, fresh from the A3C Music Festival in Atlanta, to discuss local artists in the Twin Cities, the life of an up-and-coming rapper and the state of hip-hop in Minnesota. J. Plaza also gives some interesting tips on how artists can build their brand and grow their audience.

Today in 1975, the Sex Pistols made their live debut at St. Martin's School Of Art in London, with a performance that lasted 10 minutes. So for today's 9:30 Coffee Break, what punk and punk-influenced songs do you want to hear?

A teal model of Prince’s iconic Cloud guitar has sold at auction for ten times the expected price. At a Saturday auction held by Julien’s, an anonymous buyer paid $700,000 for the instrument, which had been estimated to have a value of just $70,000. The price blew away the $137,500 paid just last year for a…

Bully are dear to me — and not just because their lead singer, Alicia Bognanno, grew up in a Minnesota suburb near my hometown, though that’s pretty cool too. I had just finished high school when their first album, Feels Like, dropped in 2015, and Bognanno’s charged lyrics about the difficulty, monotony, and messiness of…

“You guys were so much more emotional and real,” said Sara Quin, paraphrasing something she’s heard in recent weeks as she and her sister/bandmate Tegan Quin revisit their 2007 album The Con. Sara’s response? “Eh, f— you.” The implication was that people who think synthpop albums like Heartthrob (2013) and Love You to Death (2016) aren’t “emotional and real”…

As holiday shoppers look for gifts related to their favorite bands, two Minnesota greats are cautioning against purveyors of bootleg merch. Earlier this week, Greg Norton shared a post on Facebook warning against bootleg Hüsker Dü merchandise. In his post, Norton (the band’s bassist) includes a photo advertising a t-shirt and sweatshirt with the artwork…

An interjection is a part of speech that shows the emotion or feeling of the author - like yeah! woo! wow! hey! - so for this Friday set of music, what songs with interjections do you want to hear?

Chastity Brown, “Whisper” Chastity Brown shares her song “Whisper,” from Silhouette of Sirens, accompanied by a sweet love story. She told Out that she envisioned the video as “a string of intimate moments that represent the beauty of queer love.” Lena Elizabeth, “Nobody Wants You (Live)” Lena Elizabeth is a wonder to watch. Strumming her baritone ukulele,…

Local bands and venues are sure to start selling some cool holiday merch, but First Avenue is out ahead of the pack with this one: a Lego model of the iconic Minneapolis club, complete with stars (including a little gold one for Prince) and an awning for the Entry. “Looking for ‘the missing piece’ of…

Ever wanted a peek inside the green room of the 7th St Entry? Manchita and Jeremy Ylvisaker are here with your chance. We spoke to the duo about their memories of the iconic green room.