It has been a year in the making and Van Stee is following up their popular single "We Are" with a debut album of the same name. Concocted by Charlie Van Stee and Josh Kaplan, the now five-piece has been gaining steam in the Twin Cities with their Brit-inpsired pop rock.

Eels, the shape-shifting and long-running band that serves as a vehicle for the neuroses, quirks and fascinations of singer-songwriter Mark Oliver Everett, have entered the eighteenth year of their prolific and always-surprising career.

Stick with me through this momentary confusion you might be experiencing: Wolf Lords was the name of a project launched last year that you heard a lot of on the station. It's a collaboration between Aby Wolf and Grant Cutler. However, now the project has been transitioned to Aby's name, and the album title has been made "Wolf Lords."

Wake Owl's songwriter and frontman Colyn Cameron and violinist Aiden Brandt-Briscall dropped by The Current for an intimate acoustic performance of their tune "Wild Country."

Sometimes Duluth feels very far away. Unless bands from the area are playing regularly in the Twin Cities, it's typical for some of the brightest acts from the North Shore to get overlooked. Last year, we got a ton of tips regarding musicians producing incredible work just a few hours from The Current's home-base. One of the bands we heard most often was Southwire, and we have a feeling that Minnesota is going to be talking a lot about them this year.

Nashville's Kopecky Family Band recently stopped by The Current's headquarters and played an intimate take on the tune "Are You Listening."

Yo La Tengo are one of indie rock's longest-running and most prolific acts — active since 1984, they've humbly churned out over a dozen full-lengths and seemingly countless EPs and singles.

Mixed Blood Majority may be a new act, but the faces are familiar to Minnesotans. The trio consists of Joe Horton of No Bird Sing, Lazerbeak of Doomtree and Crescent Moon of Kill The Vultures. The new collaboration brings the best of all their projects into a cohesive collective, challenging listeners to embark on a hip-hop journey of styles throughout the years.

For Baltimore's Beach House, 2012 was a whirlwind year the cemented their reputation as one of indie rock's smartest and most talented bands. Enjoy these live tunes they recorded in Baltimore and sent along to The Current.

The New Standards Holiday Show has become a staple of the Holiday season in the Twin Cities, and The Current is thrilled to share their 2012 performance with you. Tune in to hear it on Monday, December 24, 2012 at 8 p.m. and Tuesday, December 25, 2012 at 8 a.m.