Today's top music news stories include album covers getting Meitu makeovers, the xx selling more albums than anyone (but not hitting the top of the Billboard 200), and Sprint buying a third of Tidal.

For the week of Jan. 23, 2017, Brian Oake has selected 'Hope You're Alone' by local artist Monica LaPlante. 'This song has a hook so big,' Oake writes, 'it would take a team of surgeons to remove it from my brain.' Read a bit more about LaPlante and listen to the track.

The prolific singer, songwriter and bandleader balances confined chaos and riotous pop hooks on his newest self-titled album.

This weekend in a Meet the Press interview, President Trump's senior adviser Kellyanne Conway said White House press secretary Sean Spicer's claims about the size of the crowd at Trump's inauguration were "alternative facts." So for today's 9:30 Coffee Break, what songs that feature lies, lying and untruths do you want to hear?

Patti Smith broke her back, David Bowie gave the fans control of his set, and Ray Charles was honored Today in Music History.

In honor of Minnesota Public Radio’s 50th anniversary, which was Sunday, January 22, the Current assembled a list of 50 Songs for 50 Years. Which got me thinking about how many important songs have come out of our state over these past five decades, from the commercially successful to the culturally significant. This list was…

It's been five years since the xx released an album, and their new release, 'I See You', bravely wipes away the film that misted over the band's previous music and instead leaps forward with clear vocals front and center.

We have new music from the Kinks' Ray Davies. This British songwriter's fascination with U.S. culture culminates in a new album with the Jayhawks called 'Americana.'

All anyone was talking about this weekend was the inauguration of President Donald Trump - and the response that quickly followed in the form of rallies around the world. Musicians performed, participated, and reacted.

Over the past year, Margaret Glaspy has been touring extensively in support of her album, 'Emotions and Math.' The album title has become a metaphor for her lifestyle over the past 12 months. 'In travelling or touring or making a record or writing songs,' Glaspy says, 'while it's incredibly creative and emotional, it's also really logistical at times.' Glaspy and her band visited The Current studio for a session hosted by Jade.