Maria Schneider is a composer and bandleader who has performed and collaborated with musicians from all over the world. She is also a Windom, Minnesota native, a fact that shines through in her latest work, The Thompson Fields. Drawing on memories of her childhood growing up in rural Minnesota, Schneider crafted what some consider an…

This February, The Current is celebrating Black History Month by celebrating four artists chosen by our listeners. We’ll be playing their music on the radio and sharing features online. This week, we’re featuring Billie Holiday. I learned of heartbreak when I was 13 listening to the voice of Billie Holiday. Jazz was a genre I was becoming…

For today's Coffee Break, what songs do you want to hear that tend to get stuck in your head?

Johnny Marr's autobiography is as blessedly beef-free as his diet.

There won’t be another Weathered Heads show as bittersweet, sentimental and emotional as the one that’ll take place on Saturday night — in fact, there won’t be another Weathered Heads show, period. The Winona jam-pop rockers announced on Monday, Jan. 23 that after four and a half years of traveling across the Midwest they have…

Val Camilletti is the owner of Val's Halla Records, a record store located in Oak Park, Ill., just outside of Chicago. In July of this year, Val's Halla Records will mark 45 years in business. Mary Lucia connected with Val Camilletti for a chat about music and about record-store culture.

Singer-songwriter Bobby Freeman has died of a heart attack at age 76. Freeman was just a teenager when he wrote and recorded “Do You Want to Dance,” a top five hit in 1958. The song became one of the era’s most iconic singles, thanks in part to later covers by artists including the Beach Boys and the Ramones, and…

In honor of Valentine's Day, we're focusing on love for today's 9:30 Coffee Break. But not just any love - secret love. Unrequited love. Where the object of desire may not be aware of the seeker's affection. So for today's 9:30 Coffee Break, what songs about secret love do you want to hear?

Hippo Campus are poised to make a big splash on the national music scene with their debut full-length album, landmark, which comes out Friday, Feb. 24. In anticipation of the record’s release, Hippo Campus performed a full album preview at Minneapolis club Icehouse on Feb. 7. Nearly 200 lucky guests filled the room to get…

The Westminster Kennel Club dog show is underway and this year - for the first time ever - features cats. So for today's 9:30 Coffee Break, what songs about cats and dogs do you want to hear?