When Nick Lowe was first approached by his record company to write a Christmas album, he balked. So, he gave himself an assignment: come up with a Christmas album he would be proud to put his name on.

One of the most respected performers, songwriters and producers in music over the past 40 years, Nick Lowe, has recently released a holiday album, Quality Street. Joining The Current's Steve Seel by telephone, Lowe talks about the new album and about how his initial hesitation turned to enthusiasm.

Help us celebrate the winter solstice with a set of songs.

Oscar Isaac, the star of the critically-acclaimed film 'Inside Llewyn Davis' spoke with The Current's Jill Riley about finger-picking guitar, working with Marcus Mumford and T-Bone Burnett, and having the best time of his life.

I don’t know about you, but the thought of stepping into a shopping mall this weekend with everyone losing their minds over last-minute holiday deals makes me want to curl up on the couch take a big old nap. Shopping for records and other musical paraphernalia at local stores, however? That I can handle. If…

If, as a music fan, you know anything about the Coen Brothers’ new film Inside Llewyn Davis, you know that it’s about the early 1960s Greenwich Village folk scene. That is, indeed, the film’s setting—but this quiet, intensely personal film isn’t “about” that scene in the ways you might expect. Though it has elements of parody,…

What should we play for round two of the best and worst holiday songs?

Thursday, December 19 Mad Ripple Hootenanny Harriet Brewing, Minneapolis 5:30 p.m., free, all agesJim Walsh’s long-running Mad Ripple Hootenanny moves to a new home this week. This time the round-robin style songwriter showcase will happen in Harriet Brewing’s South Minneapolis tap room, which has been hosting a wide array of local talent this year. The…

The staff at RiverRock Studios (formerly WaterBury Studios), in Northeast Minneapolis, have enlisted several local musicians for a new take on traditional holiday music. The Sounds of Giving, an album of Christmas songs, was produced by Tommy Barbarella and engineered by Eric Blomquist. The proceeds from Sounds of Giving will go to The Bridge for Youth program,…

“When we left our home in St. Paul where we started this show many years ago, as part of our penance for leaving St. Paul, the mayor, Chris Coleman, has decided to come wearing a skirt and play the bagpipes for us.” With that introduction from the New Standards’ Chan Poling, Mayor Coleman indeed appeared…