Aretha Franklin

David Zambrano: Soul Project

Heartless Bastards' Erika Wennerstrom on Coffee Mugs, Valentines, & Jim Eno

​Heartless Bastards are gearing up for the release of their fourth album, Arrow on February 14. It just so happens that Arrow is the band's strongest record to date. It features a more versatile mix of psych, glam, classic rock, porch blues, R&B, funk and spaghetti-western. Singer/guitarist ... More >>

Tower of Power

​Heartless Bastards are gearing up for the release of their fourth album, Arrow on February 14. It just so happens that Arrow is the band's strongest record to date. It features a more versatile mix of psych, glam, classic rock, porch blues, R&B, funk and spaghetti-western. Singer/guitarist ... More >>

Lykki Li, Deer Tick, the Civil Wars, and more

​Heartless Bastards are gearing up for the release of their fourth album, Arrow on February 14. It just so happens that Arrow is the band's strongest record to date. It features a more versatile mix of psych, glam, classic rock, porch blues, R&B, funk and spaghetti-western. Singer/guitarist ... More >>

tUnE-yArDs

​Heartless Bastards are gearing up for the release of their fourth album, Arrow on February 14. It just so happens that Arrow is the band's strongest record to date. It features a more versatile mix of psych, glam, classic rock, porch blues, R&B, funk and spaghetti-western. Singer/guitarist ... More >>

Aretha Franklin at Mystic Lake Casino, 10/7/11

​Aretha FranklinOctober 7, 2011Mystic Lake Casino, Prior Lake, MNIn an evening fit for a queen, what comes first is the purse. As her massive (and partially Minnesotan) backing band assembled themselves on stage, a well-dressed man who was presumably the Queen of Soul's handler scurried out o ... More >>

Weekend Checklist: Zombie Pub Crawl, Stephen Malkmus, Jeremy Messersmith, Dick Dale

​Zombies!

Critics' Picks: Aretha Franklin, Battles, 4onthefloor, and more

​Zombies!

Dan Penn at the Dakota Jazz Club, 8/15/11

Photos by Steve Cohen​Dan Penn August 15, 2011 Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis Rock and soul singer/songwriter Dan Penn may not exactly be a household name, but his songs and talents from the past 50 years now are most certainly worth recognition, making his two-night appearance at the Dakota t ... More >>

Tower of Power

Photos by Steve Cohen​Dan Penn August 15, 2011 Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis Rock and soul singer/songwriter Dan Penn may not exactly be a household name, but his songs and talents from the past 50 years now are most certainly worth recognition, making his two-night appearance at the Dakota t ... More >>

The Week That Was: Travis Barker won't go away, Aretha Franklin alive

​What's that you say? All you want for Christmas is to not be Travis Barker? That's easy; wish granted! Unless, of course, you are Travis Barker, in which case: too bad, so sad. You're always gonna look like a skate rat ghoul. Anyway, let's take a gander at what happened in the world of music last ... More >>

The Thermals, The Klaxons, Eels, and more

​What's that you say? All you want for Christmas is to not be Travis Barker? That's easy; wish granted! Unless, of course, you are Travis Barker, in which case: too bad, so sad. You're always gonna look like a skate rat ghoul. Anyway, let's take a gander at what happened in the world of music last ... More >>

Ruthie Foster

​What's that you say? All you want for Christmas is to not be Travis Barker? That's easy; wish granted! Unless, of course, you are Travis Barker, in which case: too bad, so sad. You're always gonna look like a skate rat ghoul. Anyway, let's take a gander at what happened in the world of music last ... More >>

An interview with Danimal on the Parade and Punk Bacchanal this Friday

​We wrote last week, somewhat frantically, about a massive, odd, and beautiful-sounding art parade and equally lovely-sounding show, organized and curated by Gay Beast's Dan Luedtke and Brute Heart's Jackie Beckey. We were so excited about it we asked Mr. Luedtke to give us a little more informati ... More >>

Bettye LaVette

​We wrote last week, somewhat frantically, about a massive, odd, and beautiful-sounding art parade and equally lovely-sounding show, organized and curated by Gay Beast's Dan Luedtke and Brute Heart's Jackie Beckey. We were so excited about it we asked Mr. Luedtke to give us a little more informati ... More >>

Regina Carter's Reverse Thread

​We wrote last week, somewhat frantically, about a massive, odd, and beautiful-sounding art parade and equally lovely-sounding show, organized and curated by Gay Beast's Dan Luedtke and Brute Heart's Jackie Beckey. We were so excited about it we asked Mr. Luedtke to give us a little more informati ... More >>

Ruthie Foster

​We wrote last week, somewhat frantically, about a massive, odd, and beautiful-sounding art parade and equally lovely-sounding show, organized and curated by Gay Beast's Dan Luedtke and Brute Heart's Jackie Beckey. We were so excited about it we asked Mr. Luedtke to give us a little more informati ... More >>

When A Man Loves a Diva

​We wrote last week, somewhat frantically, about a massive, odd, and beautiful-sounding art parade and equally lovely-sounding show, organized and curated by Gay Beast's Dan Luedtke and Brute Heart's Jackie Beckey. We were so excited about it we asked Mr. Luedtke to give us a little more informati ... More >>

When a Man Loves a Diva

​We wrote last week, somewhat frantically, about a massive, odd, and beautiful-sounding art parade and equally lovely-sounding show, organized and curated by Gay Beast's Dan Luedtke and Brute Heart's Jackie Beckey. We were so excited about it we asked Mr. Luedtke to give us a little more informati ... More >>

The Popstream: Bjork & PJ Harvey, "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"

One of the most done-to-death archetypal rock songs in history gets a radical transformation.

Klobuchar shocks the media world with belly laugh jokes

We have to admit we were wrong when we predicted Sen. Amy Klobuchar's likely disastrous evening of comedy last night at the Washington Press Club Foundation dinner.

Barbara Morrison

We have to admit we were wrong when we predicted Sen. Amy Klobuchar's likely disastrous evening of comedy last night at the Washington Press Club Foundation dinner.

Otis Redding gets blue, tops this week's pop culture picks

We have to admit we were wrong when we predicted Sen. Amy Klobuchar's likely disastrous evening of comedy last night at the Washington Press Club Foundation dinner.

Culture Jamming

Elvis Costello's greatest album tops this week's pop culture picks

Missed Connections: Cat Power at First Avenue

Elvis Costello's greatest album tops this week's pop culture picks

Flat Pipes and Firecrackers

Stook and the Jukes make music for the corner bar and, um, Amsterdam?

Culture Jamming

Here are the week's best releases from the pop-culture universe:

What Do You Get When You Cross 'Making the Band' with KOOL 108?

Penumbra's Get Ready delivers a hilarious grudge match set to music

Beat the Crowd

Penumbra's Get Ready delivers a hilarious grudge match set to music

The Box Marked "Other"

When black and white don't make gray

Various artists: Soul Gospel 2, Various artists: Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal

When black and white don't make gray

The Man with the Golden Ears

John Hammond had impeccable taste in music—and rarely hesitated to say so

The Downward Spiral

Disaster in Florida may mark the start of a gruesome January for the Wolves

The Three-Pointer: Florida Fiasco

Disaster in Florida may mark the start of a gruesome January for the Wolves

12/19: Morning Communique

Disaster in Florida may mark the start of a gruesome January for the Wolves

In Da Club: Faith Evans at the Quest

A powerhouse performance from R&B singer Faith Evans

The Rough Guide to Boogaloo, The Rough Guide to Celia Cruz

A powerhouse performance from R&B singer Faith Evans

Just For The Record...

Ten scientifically approved verdicts about the best albums of the year

Real Life Rock Top Ten

Ben Harper summons god and Johnny Rotten proves he's still the antichrist

The Queen of Hearts

Ben Harper summons god and Johnny Rotten proves he's still the antichrist

Love Songs, Nothing but Love Songs

Musicians and critics discuss their favorite aural aphrodisiacs

Something About Mary

With her humble poise and non-Diva tone, Mary J. Blige is the unlikely heiress to Aretha's throne

various artists: 1948: the R&B Hits

With her humble poise and non-Diva tone, Mary J. Blige is the unlikely heiress to Aretha's throne

Lee Friedlander: American Musicians

With her humble poise and non-Diva tone, Mary J. Blige is the unlikely heiress to Aretha's throne

Total and Faith Evans

With her humble poise and non-Diva tone, Mary J. Blige is the unlikely heiress to Aretha's throne

Aretha Franklin:A Rose is Still a Rose

With her humble poise and non-Diva tone, Mary J. Blige is the unlikely heiress to Aretha's throne

William L. Van Deburg: Black Camelot

With her humble poise and non-Diva tone, Mary J. Blige is the unlikely heiress to Aretha's throne

MUSIC: Tindersticks

With her humble poise and non-Diva tone, Mary J. Blige is the unlikely heiress to Aretha's throne

QUICK SPINS

With her humble poise and non-Diva tone, Mary J. Blige is the unlikely heiress to Aretha's throne

A Junkie Travelogue

With her humble poise and non-Diva tone, Mary J. Blige is the unlikely heiress to Aretha's throne