By strange coincidence, a guitar make that we hadn't covered before was mentioned by two different guitar players within one week: Anthony LaMarca of The War on Drugs and singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle both describe their acoustic guitars built by San Francisco-based The Loar.

Saturday, Sept. 27, is Cassette Store Day, and that stokes a lot of nostalgia: What was the first cassette you remember owning? What was on the best mix tape you ever made? Do you still own any cassettes? Did you ever make a tape for a potential significant other? Share your cassette-related recollections.

When you're 21 years old, as Mikaiah Lei of the Bots is, a guitar built in 1993 qualifies as vintage. Mikaiah loves guitars; he's got a shedload of them, many of which are in for maintenance right now. But he shares their stories and also talks about his road-ready effects board.

With a successful career spanning more than 45 years, Robert Plant isn't just a talented musician; he's a rock legend. Plant recently caught up with United States of Americana host Bill DeVille to talk about his new album, Lullaby And... The Ceaseless Roar.

Belle & Sebastian front man Stuart Murdoch has made his directorial debut with the film 'God Help The Girl'. The Sound Unseen Festival is presenting the movie's Midwestern premiere Thursday at a screening at the McNally Smith School of Music in St Paul. It's an appropriate site because at its heart Murdoch, said, the film is about music. MPR's Euan Kerr recently spoke to Murdoch about it.

Strand of Oaks' frontman tells us about the Fender Telecaster he received as a gift -- and how he almost lost it in New York's Lower East Side.

A few weeks ago, Jim McGuinn wrote a post wondering about LinkedIn after receiving a mysterious invitation. Reaction to the post was varied, to say the least, but the State Fair offered a chance for Jim McGuinn and Scott Stapp to meet in person.

The Current's Bill DeVille loves music and he loves the State Fair. He shares his thoughts about some of the music acts appearing on stages throughout the 2014 Minnesota State Fair.

In his final On the Ball blog post, Mark Wheat gives a preview of the Premier League season that begins this weekend, along with tips on how to watch and even an invitation to join a fantasy league. He also describes the fun he's had writing this and explains why he's decided to draw a line under it.

Just in case anyone doubted Program Director Jim McGuinn's creed -- er, cred -- he received a mysterious invitation via LinkedIn this week.