Weezer, Shoveles and Rope, and Dinosaur Jr. make debuts; Atmosphere, Car Seat Headrest and the Tallest Man on Earth make big moves; and Wilco surge to the top ahead of a big gig.

On Tuesday night, Bill DeVille hosted a Time Machine all about music from 2003. Now take the quiz: Listen to the mashup of five songs from the show, and see if you can identify them.

'One thing that comes easily to me is having conversations with strangers,' writes Mary Lucia. 'However, after interviewing bands for a jillion years, I have to tell you that there is nothing natural about having your first chat with five or six strangers broadcast for the world to hear.' Mary shares her thoughts about interviewing bands on The Current.

The Smiths have partnered with PETA to create a video game inspired by the band’s song “Meat is Murder.” In the game, “This Beautiful Creature Must Die,” players try to save animals from being ground into meat. An eight-bit version of “Meat is Murder” soundtracks the game. “This game is the biggest social crusade of all,…

On Saturday, August 20, the Local Show’s Artists to Watch event will feature 10 of my favorite up-and-coming acts in Minnesota performing across two stages at the Cedar Cultural Center. As we gear up for the showcase, you’ll be hearing from the performers in segments on the Local Show and here on the Local Current Blog. Word about Tony…

Sarah Eldred, a development operations specialist at MPR, shares her love for Colin Meloy's eloquent lyrics.

Over in the Oake & Riley studios we are all haunted by a horrifying article from the New York Times that asks you to question whether your friends actually like you. Let's dig into this topic a little. For today's Coffee Break, what songs do you want to hear about friends? Bonus points for song suggestions that include friends that might not really be friends.

A 13-year-old Stevie Wonder started a three-week run at the top of the charts; John Denver was at the top of the album charts; Brian Adams had his first U.S. No. 1 album; Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran was plucked from the ocean; and the great Isaac Hayes entered the pantheon of music legends, Today in Music History.

Bon Iver have been hinting for a while that they’ll be playing new music at this week’s Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival, and over the past couple of days they’ve stepped up the indications that they’ll be premiering much or all of a new album. Among the hints: a new mural in Brooklyn. (Pitchfork)…

As the new Premier League season is set to begin, Mark Wheat looks forward to another exciting campaign. He'll be playing in the fantasy league again ... and in the real-life Premier League, he's dropping a longtime allegiance. 'I can't take it, I'm done,' Wheat writes. 'I resign as a Red Devil fan.' In the new season, Wheat will be supporting a different club (hint: they also wear red).