While it might be trendy in some circles to bellyache over its recent propensity for spinning artists like Mumford & Sons and Adele that aren't exactly starved for airplay elsewhere, any criticisms of the Minnesota Public Radio's 89.3 The Current must first acknowledge its status as one of the... More >>

Armed with a loud bass, a louder, pencil-strummed guitar and a deceptively stripped-down drumkit, Fuck Knights have spent the past few years proudly upholding the hallowed tradition of EZ-setup portable scuzz-rock. Just set 'em up on the floor, wait for the crowd gather around and let 'er rip... More >>

The sounds of Brute Heart might be better-suited for an opium den than a rock venue. The all-female three-piece straddle many a line, drawing from dream pop, Middle Eastern and Indian sources, and art-rock as a whole. The atmospheric and trance-y tunes build from the band's viola, bass, and... More >>

You might've heard of his son -- a man named Jimmy who teamed up with another man named Terry, the rest being R&B history -- but Cornbread Harris is a Twin Cities legend in his own right. Harris is a WWII vet who joined Augie Garcia to record the area's first rock'n'roll record (1955's "Hi Yo... More >>

Usually when someone's referred to as one of the best-kept secrets in town, it's an aspiring journeyman or a niche-genre artist that's flying under the radar. But as the weekly resident of one of St. Paul's premier clubs, Cory Wong doesn't quite fit under either category -- the jazz-and-more... More >>

Make all the jokes you want about the climate differences between Kingston and Minneapolis, but the cultural ones aren't as hard to reconcile. The aptly dubbed Lynval "Golden Voice" Jackson and his band have been a welcome and frequent presence in Twin Cities clubs for years now, and they're... More >>

Fusing fashion-driven, style-conscious tastemaking and deep, crowd-rocking musical knowledge isn't something to be taken lightly on either end of the equation. Do it wrong, and it comes across like surface-gloss pandering wrapped around some flavor-of-the-moment bassbin ephemera. But do it... More >>

Moses Oakland relocated from the Bay Area to the Twin Cities back in 1987, and since then -- well, it'd probably be easier and less space-consuming to list all the venues he hasn't played and the legends he hasn't gigged with. A blues, soul and jazz aficionado well-versed in a wide array of... More >>

"Retro" is a tricky niche to slot a dance night into. Usually you've got to find yourself an era and a genre, hew towards the hits, and maybe garnish it with an outsized wink, a double-pistol-point and a smirking acknowledgement that you think the past is, well, kinda goofy. Clubhouse Jager's... More >>

Friday night gets all the love, Wednesday night has its nudge-wink "hump day" cachet and everyone hates Mondays so much that there's no choice but to go out and wash that start-of-the-week ennui away. But what about Thursday, the day of the week where people are most likely to put... More >>

1987 was a notable year for Minnesota: the Twins won the World Series, Prince released one of his best albums in Sign 'O' the Times, and St. Louis Park's own Coen Brothers released their first great comedy Raising Arizona. 1987 was also the year that Dr. Mambo's Combo was formed, and it just so... More >>

Make all the jokes you want about the climate differences between Kingston and Minneapolis, but the cultural ones aren't as hard to reconcile. The aptly dubbed Lynval "Golden Voice" Jackson and his band have been a welcome and frequent presence in Twin Cities clubs for years now, and they're... More >>

A night of bingo may sound pretty square, but Blingo brings out the big pimpin', glamorous side of the game. How? Rather than being held in a cold, stale church basement, this ongoing party takes place in fun bars like the 331 Club and the Triple Rock Social Club. So bring some friends, order... More >>

The outside of U Otter Stop Inn features a mural of a dapper otter decked out in a top hat, suit, and bow tie, his googly eyes and martini glass saluting patrons knowingly. Step inside and you will find a long bar filled with disco balls, giant football helmets, and electric rodents drinking... More >>