The Pitchfork Music Festival begins today in Chicago; the three-day festival features headliners Beck, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Kendrick Lamar. The Current’s Andrea Swensson and Leah Garaas will be there; follow them at @SlingshotAnnie and @leahgaraas. Also, read Andy Moe’s post on the Pitchfork/Lollapalooza effect: how the Twin Cities benefit by being in the region,…

In the video for their new single, “War on the East Coast,” A.C. Newman and Dan Bejar of the New Pornographers stalk around a barren city overrun with rioting youths like a pair of undercover cops. I’d say they are playing a familiar role. In the ever-morphing indie rock scene, the Canadian supergroup has become…

Let's get some park songs on the airwaves. What songs about parks should we play for the 9:30 Coffee Break?

After playing a few trial shows with Doomtree this year, rapper P.O.S. will finally get to take the stage to perform a solo set on Saturday, September 13, when he headlines a block party called “The F*cking Best Show Ever.” It will mark P.O.S.’s first headlining show since October 2012—a show that was supposed to serve…

Here in Rochester, summer is marked by the arrival of free music events. You can get a taste of anything from local music to Grammy-winning national artists—just make sure you keep your eyes peeled! Here are some free music events taking place in Rochester this summer. Whether you’re a local resident or a visitor, you can…

Just over a year after releasing his first studio album in ten years—read Mary Lucia’s review of The Next Day—David Bowie has indicated that fans can expect “more music soon.” (Pitchfork) Ron Howard will direct a new documentary about the Beatles’ touring years—from their early days in Liverpool clubs to their final concert at Candlestick Park…

The hearts of fans at Sharon Van Etten’s First Avenue show were already good and tender by the time the singer-songwriter got to her encore. The Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter had already delivered over a dozen smoldering songs, including many from her new album, Are We There, and returned to the stage solo to present a mesmerizing solo rendition of the Lou…

First, Strange Names booked a hometown show at First Avenue. Then they announced that their debut album would be released in 2015. Now, to complete a rock ‘n’ roll hat trick, they’ve signed with Frenchkiss Records—home of bands including the Antlers, the Dodos, and the Hold Steady. The funky electropop duo have been steadily gaining steam…

Stillwater Log Jam may be a new name for the festival hitherto known as “Lumberjack Days,” but this weekend’s event promises to be otherwise old school. After poor community response led to the festival’s cancellation in 2011, a grassroots nonprofit known as the Locals successfully petitioned the local government to resume the tradition this year,…

In The Current's studio to do a session with the band Alpha Consumer, Jeremy Ylvisaker spoke to us about one of his guitars, a Squier Jazzmaster, that he bought in Minneapolis a couple years ago, just before heading out on tour with Andrew Bird.