Piñata Records: Hit Parade Sampler The latest compilation by Piñata Records proves that this local label is aptly named, since Hit Parade Sampler is a mixed bag of sweet treats, so full of energy that you’d think it’s about to burst. Out February 15 and streaming now on Bandcamp, Hit Parade features nine tracks by…

I’m a little older now than I was the last time Neutral Milk Hotel came to town. Unlike most other concerts I’ve been to at First Avenue, on Monday night I did not push my way to front-center. I was not offered any drugs. I did not drink a beer, nor did I drink too…

Steve Marsh is one of Minnesota’s most well-travelled writers, as likely to be found on a private jet profiling an international celebrity as catching a local gig in an Icehouse booth. He has a million stories to tell, and he hinted at a few of them in an e-mail he wrote to give us a…

What songs that have "something" in their titles should we play for the 9:30 Coffee Break?

In an age of infinite connectivity, the realms of art, music, and technology grow more indistinguishable with every new and interesting project. Musicians have become more innovative in their use of visual and technological media: think of Beyoncé with her recent “visual album,” and Arcade Fire’s interactive online videos. Olga Bell—who has worked under her…

Born only two days before me 97 years ago was a great woman, vocalist and icon. Ella Fitgerald sang her way into the hearts of the jazz world after her legendary performance at the Apollo theater in Harlem. She’s known as a great collaborator because of the vast array of artists she’d create with, and…

This new compilation of covers by various artists has, like all love stories, a few bumpy rides along the way, but hopefully by the end, your heart has been won over and you'll have a positive outlook for Valentine's Day.

London-based illustrator Gary Card has taken album covers, press images and paparazzi shots of Prince and compiled them into an impressive chronology: Prince's hair.

What songs do you want to hear to kick off the Olympics? Get creative and we'll play some of your suggestions for the 9:30 Coffee Break.

This week’s Friday Five grab bag features a rapper who’s gotten his fair share of hype this year, a pair of melodic pop acts with edge, a noise-rock band, and a booty-shaking R&B singer who played our birthday party last month. Just another week here in Minneapolis… Hope you’re staying warm and sane amid the…