How’s it going out there? This is kind of a trying time of year, isn’t it? I hope you are staying warm and sane as this winter puts us through one endurance test after another. To fight off the winter brainfreeze, I rounded up a handful of the best and brightest videos (sometimes literally—that sunshine…

For one cold night every January in Minneapolis, the big black stage in First Avenue’s Mainroom becomes a testing ground for some of the area’s buzziest new acts. As fledgling bands from around the Twin Cities (and one from Duluth!) took turns crossing the “Play First Ave” item off their bucket list, more than a…

Today is the first day of Chinese New Year, and it's the Year of the Horse. There's obviously only one topic appropriate for today's 9:30 Cofee Break: horse songs!

Jim Brunzell, director for the Sound Unseen festival, stopped by to talk about his recent trip to the Sundance Film Festival and some of the music movies he saw this year.

The Clash toured the US, Little Richard's movie was released, and The Jackson Five had their first no. 1 Today in Music History.

“I spent 229 days at sea in 2013,” Tom Franek told me. “I know—I just did my taxes.” When we spoke last week, I was sitting at the Current’s snow-crusted St. Paul studios, and Franek was in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. We’d arranged a conversation via satellite phone so that Franek could tell…

Haley Bonar - Last War, the first single from her forthcoming album.

With all the weather-related traffic jams here -- and down south too -- Jane from Minneapolis suggests a Coffee Break about being stuck.

MPR News Arts Reporter Marianne Combs joins Steve Seel and Jill Riley to talk about three reasons to get out of the house this weekend despite the snowy, wintry weather.

Thursday, January 30 First Avenue’s Best New Bands of 2013 First Avenue, Minneapolis 7 p.m., $7, 18+ This annual tradition rounds up some of the best and brightest to emerge in the previous 12 months for a First Ave-curated showcase. Read Jay Gabler’s rundown of all seven acts playing this year, and see below for…