“I know there are a lot of Bob Dylan covers out there,” admits Alain Weber with a chuckle. “Probably new ones every week.” Nonetheless, in the recently released tribute album he’s compiled, From Another World, Weber captures Dylan’s universality in a uniquely global fashion. The compilation features artists from around the world, and each track…

Whether you’ve consciously or unconsciously noticed, chances are you’ve heard an indie rock favorite in an advertisement for some product or another. Ten years ago Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse was blasted by fans when “Gravity Rides Everything” was used in a Nissan Quest commercial after The Moon & Antarctica was released in 2000 to praise…

1994 was a big year for me, musically. It was the year I began my radio career in the Cincinnati, Ohio area and the year that my favorite styles of music shifted from “big hair” to “alternative.” It was the year my best friend introduced me to the Afghan Whigs, a band that got their…

Web of Sunsets: Room of Monsters Self-described as “acid country,” Twin Cities trio Web of Sunsets credit their aesthetic to the “golden hour”—the first or last hour of sunlight in a given day—and have fittingly drenched their downtempo tunes in a warm sonic breeze. It’s a formula that has already garnered early attention from major…

It’s no secret that Minnesotans love to celebrate the successful artists who were born within our borders and rep our state far and wide. Go forth, ye talented ones, and regale audiences worldwide with tales of the magical land of sky blue waters! But when we talk about a musician’s “success,” what are we really…

I was introduced to the Roots shortly after their second record Do You Want More?!!!??! came out. I had just met and started working informally with the first members of my band Heiruspecs. This record sounded very different than us, but did perfectly what we wanted to do early on: be really good, and have…

This week’s Friday Five is stacked. Some of the most beloved names in local hip-hop released videos at a breakneck pace earlier in the week, and we also got a little preview of John Mark Nelson’s forthcoming album and another pair of songs from a very mysterious Minneapolis act. Happy Valentine’s Day, lovers, and hope…

Early this morning, a blower fan in the 1940s-era heating system at Duluth’s NorShor Theatre malfunctioned and sparked a fire that caused an estimated $15,000 worth of damage before being exterminated by firefighters. The fire was contained to a single room, and fortunately there were no injuries. The fire is a setback in ongoing efforts…

With the music industry in a state of upheaval across the globe, Shifting Paradigm Records is aiming to own up to their name and foster a closer jazz community in the Twin Cities by changing the artist/consumer relationship. “From what we understand, a lot of jazz labels out there offer little more than some promotion…

Thursday, February 13 Tax Tips for Artists and Music Professionals North Regional Library, Minneapolis 6:30 p.m., free, all ages Not a music event, per se, but certainly of interest to those working in the music scene, this free workshop sponsored by the Minnesota Music Coalition and the new community organizing group Music Mafia will offer…