With 19 bands on its roster and around 30 releases in its catalog, Modern Radio has been a staple in the Twin Cities music community since 1999. Owner and driving force Tom Loftus has a fantastic ear for talent, and he goes out of his way to make sure that other people hear it, too. Bringing us local rock classics like Grotto's Get a Hustle back in 2000, the co-release (with Guilt Ridden Pop) of Malachi Constant's Pride this year, and the recent vinyl edition of the Plastic Constellations' Crusades, Loftus has proven that he can pick bands reliably enough to astound local music-heads. How does he find these bands? By going to more shows than you, that's how. The guy has street cred and he uses it to snag the Cities' best bands. Our 2005 Picked to Click winners STNNNG, this issue's Best Rock Band, Sicbay, and local notables Signal to Trust, Selby Tigers, Motion City Soundtrack, Volante, and Hidden Chord have all worked with Modern Radio over the years. On top of all this, Loftus sends out the impressive (albeit inconsistently issued) MN Show List e-mails to keep all the minors out there up to date on the latest all-ages shows, and he maintains one of the hippest local music message boards in town. Now, with co-conspirator Pete Mielech on board to share Loftus's load, Modern Radio is not a force to be ignored (although, if you're at all into local rock, you probably wouldn't be able to if you tried).