Email Author Andrea Swensson

Awards

• 2010 - Page One Contest/Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists

  Year in Music

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2008 Stories by Andrea Swensson

• Flyer of the Week: Transmission

  published Dec 31, 2008

  There were a lot of great flyers floating around this week for New Year's Eve, a notoriously busy night for local music. Here's one of my favorites, for tonight's NYE Transmission party hosted by DJ J... More >>

• Jen Markey

  published December 31, 2008

  There are few singer-songwriters quite as blunt and sardonic as Jen Markey. When Ms. Markey played a hootenanny last fall with heavy-hitters Billy... More >>

• Rivet

  published December 31, 2008

  It's not every day that a gang of 18-year-old metal heads overtake a battle of the bands contest and assert themselves as one of the most... More >>

• Alan Sparhawk

  published December 31, 2008

  The music events page for Cafe Maude lists this two-night event as "Alan Sparhawk plays solo guitar and maybe sings." Which will be enough to get... More >>

• Mark Mallman

  published December 31, 2008

  What better time to watch a madman crawl across his piano keys on all fours and fellate his microphone than on New Year's Eve, half-drunk on... More >>

• Hips Don't Lie

  published December 31, 2008

  Fans of Black Blondie's willingness to dip their collective toes into an endless sea of alternating styles and genres would do well to check out... More >>

• Year In Music 2008: Even more lists

  published Dec 30, 2008

  Little Man, opening for Ike Reilly on Thanksgiving Eve. Photo by Alexa Jones.I've never been particularly fond of year-end lists. (I know, I know, what kind of musichead am Ir) There's just something ... More >>

• Flyer of the Week: Hot Roxx

  published Dec 26, 2008

  This week's flyer is for the Hot Roxx Hexmas Extravaganza, a live show this Saturday night hosted by Hot Roxx DJs Jen and Macku$. Gotta love the hand drawn portrait of everyone's favorite Hexagon bart... More >>

• Lucy Michelle

  published December 24, 2008

  With 2008 drawing to a close, this is my final chance of the year to fill these pages with bubbling praise for Lucy Michelle. Though she and... More >>

• Chokecherry play final show tonight

  published Dec 19, 2008

  Punk-infused local country band Chokecherry have announced that they are breaking up following tonight's performance at the Hexagon. Music blog MFR reports that one of the band members has moved away,... More >>

• Best New Bands of 2008

  published Dec 19, 2008

  Save the date: First Avenue has announced that their annual Best New Bands showcase will take place on January 14, 2009 (18+ / $7 / 7 p.m.). According to the First Avenue Twitter page, the bands chose... More >>

• If we had some global warming...

  published Dec 19, 2008

  There really isn't a good explanation for this video. Two Minnesotans' pleas for global warming, set to the tune of "If I Had a Million Dollars." Happy Friday. ... More >>

• Flyer of the Week: Mark Mallman's New Year's Eve

  published Dec 17, 2008

  This week's flyer advertises what is sure to be a great shindig at the Varsity Theater: Mark Mallman, E.L.nO. and Lucy Michelle play the swanky renovated theater on New Year's Eve. ... More >>

• Chris Mars book signing tonight

  published Dec 16, 2008

  Attention 'Mats fans: head down to Magers & Quinn Booksellers tonight for a book signing by Replacements drummer-turned-visual artist Chris Mars. Mars will be signing copies of Tolerance, a collec... More >>

• Mark Olson and Gary Louris announce Minneapolis date

  published Dec 16, 2008

  Photo courtesy of New West RecordsFounding Jayhawks members Gary Louris and Mark Olson have announced a hometown date in anticipation of their forthcoming album, Ready for the Flood, which will be rel... More >>

• Doomtree, Solid Gold, and Vampire Hands deftly dot Minneapolis's music timeline in '08

  published December 17, 2008

  JANUARY Eau Claire neo-folk group Bon Iver, led by Justin Vernon, blows up. Though their debut record, For Emma, Forever... More >>

• Dan Wilson charms the pants off the Pantages Theatre

  published Dec 15, 2008

  Dan Wilson photo by Steve Cohen. Click here for Steve's slideshow.The sold-out crowd at the Pantages was held at rapt attention for a two-plus hour performance by Dan Wilson. The evening was split int... More >>

• Honeydogs release EP tomorrow night

  published Dec 12, 2008

  With all of the hoopla about the Heiruspecs CD release tomorrow night at First Avenue, I almost missed this Honeydogs show tomorrow night at the 400 Bar. The group will be debuting a new EP, Sunshine ... More >>

• Love in October find love in Chi-town

  published Dec 11, 2008

  Photo courtesy of the Love in October MySpace pageMinneapolis based, Swedish-bred pop band Love in October are packing their bags once again and migrating down to Chicago. Brothers Erik and Kent Widma... More >>

• Flyer of the Week: This Again

  published Dec 11, 2008

  This week's moody flyer comes from This Again, who are playing Eclipse Records tonight with Nancy Drew Crew, Bla Bla Black Sheep, and Kitten Forever. As with all of the happenings at Eclipse, tonight'... More >>

• Heiruspecs: the bonus features

  published Dec 10, 2008

  In anticipation for this weekend's CD release show, here are some extra special goodies to accompany our Heiruspecs feature from last week's issue. You can catch the band live, celebrating their first... More >>

• The Hopefuls drop new album December 20

  published Dec 09, 2008

  Local supergroup the Hopefuls have been a little quiet lately. Ever since bass player and co-songwriter Erik Appelwick left the group and joined up with Tapes 'n Tapes, the future of this much-loved p... More >>

• John Lennon, Curtiss A, and walking the streets of New York City

  published Dec 08, 2008

  A couple of months ago, I took a trip out east with a handful of Minnesota bands who were playing a showcase at the CMJ Festival. It was a whirlwind trip; we spent almost four times as much time on th... More >>

• P.O.S. seeking extras for video shoot today

  published Dec 08, 2008

  Photo courtesy of the P.O.S. MySpace pageLocal rapper P.O.S. wants to make you a star, baby. The Doomtree crew member is shooting a music video today and Wednesday, likely for his forthcoming solo alb... More >>

• Dan Wilson

  published December 10, 2008

  There are few local artists quite as fan-pleasing as Dan Wilson. It would be easy for fans to wallow in sadness over the fact that Semisonic and... More >>