The Current’s two-day birthday party kicked off Friday night in First Avenue’s Mainroom.  The lineup included local artists deM atlaS, the Social Animals, and Now, Now, with the headliner for the night being Nashville-based band Bully — whose frontwoman Alicia Bognanno originally hails from Rosemount, Minnesota. The excitement built throughout the night, with each act…

The Current's program director, Jim McGuinn, has lived in both Philadelphia and Minnesota. As we approach a big NFL showdown featuring the teams from those places, Jim weighs in with a perspective on both. 'People have been asking me who I'm rooting for this weekend, and if I still love the Eagles (the team, not the band),' Jim writes. 'And the truth is, it's complicated.'

All 10 songs on "Ruins" stay true to the formula that Johanna and Klara first charmed listeners with - lush vocal harmonies and infectious melodies. With some added instrumentation from Peter Buck and Wilco's Glen Kotche, the album is some their finest work yet.

With the Minnesota Vikings advancing in the playoffs, the Vikings fans' 'Skol!' chant has gained national attention. But what does 'skol' mean? Toki Wright wondered the same thing, so he researched it and talked with Mary Lucia about what he discovered.

This Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings will go against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game that could send the Vikings to the Superbowl if they win (have you heard?). In the spirit of brotherhood and moving karma in the right direction leading up to Sunday, what songs do you want to hear from Philadelphia AND local musicians?

Dolly Parton and Janis Joplin were born, The Beatles began recording 'A Day In The Life', and 'The Wall' by Pink Floyd began a 15-week run on top of the Billboard 200 Album Chart.

Here at The Current, we’re getting psyched for our 13th Birthday Parties, which we’ll throw at First Avenue tonight and tomorrow. We’ve been talking to Bully about bandmates, asking JD McPherson for teenage parenting tips…and now, spotlighting a few of our favorite music videos by birthday party bands. See them all at First Avenue this…

Today's top music news stories include the leak of a rap mixtape by actor Tom Hardy, news about a Beastie Boys memoir, and a politically charged new video from U2.

In the Twin Cities for a show at the Fine Line Music Cafe, Destroyer stopped at The Current to play some songs from their two most recent albums.

Mark Twain once said "Don't use a five-dollar word when a fifty-cent word will do." But when we played Car Seat Headrest's "Nervous Young Inhumans" this morning, Sean showed us a Pitchfork article about how an original version of the song used the word "galvanistic" but then Will Toledo took it out in later drafts. So for today's Coffee Break, what songs with 'five-dollar words' do you want to hear?