Many very well-known musicians held a variety of jobs until they were able to rely on their work in the music industry to pay the bills. For today's 9:30 Coffee Break, what songs do you want to hear by artists who have held surprising or unexpected day jobs? Send us your request, and along with it, the job held by the artists you're requesting.

Eric Mayson: Detail Eric Mayson (Crunchy Kids) has played with a variety of artists all over the Twin Cities scene, most notably Caroline Smith, Big Cats, Lizzo, Toki Wright, and P.O.S. He’s now going solo with his Detail release. Mayson’s bright wavering voice will be familiar to some, though it’s a whole new musical world from…

When people around the world can’t stop praising a certain band, it’s best to let curiosity take control. Listen to some tracks and maybe buy a concert ticket—the artists could be worth the hype. If all else fails, at least you’ll get a dose of another country’s culture. Or at least, that was the logic…

Invisible Boy is a new solo project by Chris Bierden. Best-known as the bass player for Poliça, Bierden has also played with Vampire Hands (formerly), Heavy Deeds, Pony Trash, Har Mar Superstar, and Bones and Beeker, among numerous other local artists. Invisible Boy’s first release is a song called “Darling”; you heard it Sunday night on…

Billboard’s analysis of data from two recent surveys shows that adults currently aged 35 to 54—in other words, members of Generation X—attend way more live music concerts per capita than either younger (millennials) or older (baby boomers) generations. The Gen X age group makes up just 17% of the U.S. population, but 43% of concert attendees.…

Kids in Minneapolis start school today; other kids will be back in school soon enough. To help everyone get ready for that first day, for today's 9:30 Coffee Break, what songs do you want to hear that mention school supplies? Send us your requests.

For most people, the words progressive and bluegrass don’t necessarily go together, but that may soon change. A group of four talented musicians looking to make a name for themselves, Sawtooth Brothers are a band that will redefine your understanding of what bluegrass can be. Like the name suggests, Sawtooth Brothers comprise two sets of brothers: Clint…

Pitchfork has just published its much-hyped list of the 200 best songs of the 1980s, and at the top of the list is the title track to Prince’s soundtrack Purple Rain, recorded live at First Avenue. “Purple Rain, the album and the film, were the magic results of Prince’s limitless imagination and bridged an invisible aural…

Wilco's newest album, 'Star Wars', is a rarity amongst Wilco albums in that it seems to actively shy away from analysis or deeper meaning. For us listeners, it may mean we can simply sit back and enjoy it.

Only six months have passed since Babes in Toyland reunited to perform their first shows in years, and their reunion has brought them around the world to play gigs in Barcelona, Los Angeles, and a homecoming show at Rock the Garden in Minneapolis. With still more reunion gigs on the books—including a date this Thursday…