Real Estate front man Martin Courtney's sea-foam green Fender Stratocaster certainly catches the eye. Courtney tells us how it also caught his ear.

How about an entire Coffee Break of songs from musicians with one-of-a-kind moves? Give us your suggestions and we'll play a few for the 9:30 Coffee Break.

As many college students will tell you, being invited to a professor’s house is a unique and exciting experience. For a Carleton College student to be invited, therefore, to the house of philosophy professor Dan Groll—frontman of the Counterfactuals—was a special treat. After somewhat awkwardly letting myself in, I followed my ears down to his…

Mark Wheat recaps a very exciting weekend in the Premiership, and MPR's Chief Operating Officer Dave Kansas shares a report from Saturday's Arsenal v Manchester City match, which he attended in person. Plus, a music pick that celebrates Crystal Palace's win over Chelsea.

After a series of discussions with the hip-hop community at large, with the president and CEO of Minnesota Public Radio, and with the planning team behind the upcoming hip-hop show at the Fitzgerald Theater, a decision has been reached by all parties to postpone the event indefinitely while continuing a dialogue between the institution, the…

Before Craig Finn led the Hold Steady from Brooklyn to worldwide fame with appearances on arena stages and TV shows, he led Minneapolis-based quartet Lifter Puller on pretty much every stage in the Twin Cities—coffee shops, basements and house parties included. LFTRPLLR, as they were occasionally tattooed on fans’ hands, earned a rabid fan base and the adoration of…

What songs about heroes and heroines should we play for the 9:30 Coffee Break?

The Dead Pigeons: Even if I Knew Tuesday night fixtures at Harriet Brewing, West Bank folk rockers the Dead Pigeons specialize in a back-to-basics breed of Americana. The group is led by Drew Peterson, formerly of 40WattBulb, who has historically been a supporter of big-time Minnesota folk and bluegrass acts like Charlie Parr and Trampled by…

What bird songs do you want to hear for the 9:30 Coffee Break?

Foster the People have made an admirable effort to inject an even more adventurous spirit into their second album, resulting in a mixed bag of new sounds that range from catchy to unfortunate.