On May 20, Icehouse is hosting an XTC tribute: Senses Working Overtime 3. This ode to Brit-pop band XTC will feature performances by Al Church, Faith Boblett, John Eller, Michael Ferrier, and many more Twin Cities all-stars. The event benefits the Pay it Forward Cancer Research Fund at North Memorial Hospital. This coming show will…

Robert Skoro: Destroyers & Makers Robert Skoro’s “Logicians” single from his new Destroyers & Makers EP—dropping today—was the song of the day last Friday. The track is upbeat, mystical, and introspective. Warbling piano and campfire guitar work create the bed that Skoro and Nona Maria’s vocals ride on. Skoro will be celebrating the release of…

In the U.S., Cinco de Mayo has become an important celebration of Mexican-American heritage. For today's 9:30 Coffee Break, what songs do you want to hear by artists or by bands with Mexican-American roots? Send us your requests.

There is a Mars-like quality to the Mojave desert of Southern California, where an endless sea of copper earth is broken up by the crooked branches and green, spiky sprouts of blossoming Joshua trees. It’s a setting that’s proven alluring for countless wayward travelers and artists over the years, from Gram Parsons and Keith Richards…

Nicole Pfeifer, also known by the moniker Devata Daun, exudes a warm confidence. She smiles easily and invites conversation, our topics ranging from septum jewelry to curry recommendations. This welcoming human being I recently met seems directly in contrast to her recent musical work, best described as “electro darkwave.” Both her persona and her music could…

Four musicians and a producer involved with the Gap Band‘s 1979 hit “Oops Upside Your Head” have been added to the songwriting credits for the Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars hit “Uptown Funk.” A chant in “Uptown Funk” closely resembles the sung hook in “Oops.” This brings the total number of “Uptown Funk” songwriters to 11: in addition to…

We certainly want to encourage safe operation of motor vehicles, but there are a lot of songs that reference speedy driving. For today's 9:30 Coffee Break, what songs about driving fast do you want to hear? Send us your requests.

When my classmates heard Death Cab for Cutie (DCFC) would be in town for a show last night, their reactions ranged from, “I loved that band in high school” to “They’re still making music?” Indeed they are, having just released Kintsugi on March 31 (reviewed on our site by Stephen Thompson and Mac Wilson). The new album…

We're starting a book club! Our first pick for The Current's Rock and Roll Book Club is Kim Gordon's memoir 'Girl in a Band.'

Mumford and Sons third studio album reveals the band's ambitions to be more than the alt-folk sound they helped define.