The local music scene in Duluth has been gaining some well-deserved attention in the past couple of years, and the addition of a new record label in town definitely won't hurt the spotlight. Chaperone Records may be a baby still -- it was only launched in May of this year -- but its roster already includes some of the brightest talent on the North Shore.

Hard rockin' Austin-based blues revivalist Gary Clark Jr. is out with a new video for his sweaty, horn-powered funk-rock workout "Ain't Messin' Round."

Each week, we do our best to stay on top of all the latest CD-release shows and can’t-miss events happening here in the Twin Cities with updates on this blog, on our weekly Local Show, and on our 24-hour Local Current stream. It can be a lot to keep track of, so we’ve compiled many…

A few weeks ago, Jim Walsh penned an article for MinnPost that asked a bold question: “Is Northfield truly becoming Music City, Minnesota?” In his piece, he profiled several people who are instrumental in Northfield’s bustling scene–most of whom have their hands in at least two or three different aspects of the community–and found that…

Of all of the people who could write a book about the history of the Minneapolis Sound, bassist and singer André Cymone’s stories could blow everyone else’s out of the water. Not only was he one of the musicians who helped to create that seminal era of music, but he was so fundamental to Prince’s…

Madonna just performed in the Twin Cities for the first time since 1987. To celebrate, we played "Open Your Heart," one of Madonna's best pop songs from the 80's.

Neil Young dislikes mp3s and took pains to make this record as analog as possible, believing this to be the only way that fans can hear his soul, the time he puts into making his music and the wisdom of a life lived playing and performing.

It's Dylan weekend on The Current! We're celebrating his legacy by playing a song from throughout his five-decade career every hour.

Local music notes from the week of October 29-November 2

Now in its fourth year, the Minnesota Beatle Project compilation series is practically an institution. It’s consistently one of the top-selling albums of the holiday season at local record stores, and finds its way onto many publications’ year-end lists. And for good reason: Not only is the compilation assembled for a good cause (nonprofit organization…