Arts, Entertainment, and Media

Critics' Picks: Andrew W.K., Megafaun, and more

Best of the Twin Cities Readers' Poll 2012 awaits your votes!

​For how much y'all seem to like to leave comments here at Gimme Noise, now it's time to get those things tabulated and have them express something bigger. Yes, the Best of the Twin Cities 2012 is on its way April 18, and an essential part of that is a poll featuring the votes of you, the readers. ... More >>

Bob Dylan's debut album released 50 years ago today

​For all of the profound mythologizing that is done over the illustrious music career of Bob Dylan, he began the process just like any other musician with the bold but tentative first steps of a debut record. While very few Dylan enthusiasts will list Bob Dylan as among their favorite (or even ... More >>

The Lost Shepherds mature in their sound with a new EP

​The Lost Shepherds have been around for a few years, but have only recently been gaining some ground in this ever-changing music industry. Blink, and people are talking about the next big thing, but that is not what the Twin Cities band is not basing their careers on.  With their new EP, Sec ... More >>

Volume 1: Through the Lens of Music Photographer Rob Shanahan

​The Lost Shepherds have been around for a few years, but have only recently been gaining some ground in this ever-changing music industry. Blink, and people are talking about the next big thing, but that is not what the Twin Cities band is not basing their careers on.  With their new EP, Sec ... More >>

Al Di Meola & Gonzalo Rubalcaba

​The Lost Shepherds have been around for a few years, but have only recently been gaining some ground in this ever-changing music industry. Blink, and people are talking about the next big thing, but that is not what the Twin Cities band is not basing their careers on.  With their new EP, Sec ... More >>

Alert: SXSW coverage ahead

​You don't have to spend much time at South By Southwest to know that nearly every building gets used as a music venue during the annual music festival. And starting Thursday, writers and photographers from the music blogs of the Village Voice Media empire plan to go to as many of them as we possi ... More >>

Lil' Twist on Adele, his name, and his mentor Lil Wayne

​Minneapolis has a tendency to become so preoccupied with the local backpack rap mainstays that commercial hip-hop oftentimes gets lost in the periphery. Chalk it up to Rhymesayers loyalty or the fact that a majority of big-ticket rap promoters have settled on dismissing Minneapolis as a flyover c ... More >>

Bosso Poetry Company

​Minneapolis has a tendency to become so preoccupied with the local backpack rap mainstays that commercial hip-hop oftentimes gets lost in the periphery. Chalk it up to Rhymesayers loyalty or the fact that a majority of big-ticket rap promoters have settled on dismissing Minneapolis as a flyover c ... More >>

Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater

​Minneapolis has a tendency to become so preoccupied with the local backpack rap mainstays that commercial hip-hop oftentimes gets lost in the periphery. Chalk it up to Rhymesayers loyalty or the fact that a majority of big-ticket rap promoters have settled on dismissing Minneapolis as a flyover c ... More >>

Patience, or Bunthorne's Bride

​Minneapolis has a tendency to become so preoccupied with the local backpack rap mainstays that commercial hip-hop oftentimes gets lost in the periphery. Chalk it up to Rhymesayers loyalty or the fact that a majority of big-ticket rap promoters have settled on dismissing Minneapolis as a flyover c ... More >>

Buddy Guy at State Theatre, 3/02/12

​By Rick MasonBuddy GuyState Theatre, MinneapolisFriday, March 2, 2012A week after taking part in a stellar blues summit at the White House and personally persuading President Obama to chime in on "Sweet Home Chicago," Buddy Guy reveled in his own role as blues statesman Friday night at Minneap ... More >>

Soundset 2012 lineup announced, includes Big K.R.I.T.

​ Officially on its fifth year of making the Twin Cities a legitimate festival destination for hip-hop lovers, Soundset will celebrate a handful of years when it returns to Canterbury on Sunday, May 27.

Dessa, Tupac, the Roots, and the rap misogyny problem

​The mere announcement that Doomtree rapper/poet/writer Dessa is giving a lecture/performance at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum this evening has already stirred up a bunch of debate regarding her qualifications to give the talk. "Mic Lines: Art, Ethics, and their Contested Connections," is expected t ... More >>

Howler's cranky America Give Up viral marketing guy debuts

​Our Year In Music cover stars Howler are back with a hilariously subversive marketing campaign for their raucous debut full-length, America Give Up, which was created by the Minneapolis-based ad agency Mono. Over at the fittingly titled site americagiveup.com, there is a curmudgeonly old man musi ... More >>

AraabMuzik

​Our Year In Music cover stars Howler are back with a hilariously subversive marketing campaign for their raucous debut full-length, America Give Up, which was created by the Minneapolis-based ad agency Mono. Over at the fittingly titled site americagiveup.com, there is a curmudgeonly old man musi ... More >>

Get Cryphy 4 Year Anniversary at First Avenue, 2/24/12

​Get Cryphy 4 Year AnniversaryWith Plain Ole Bill, Jimmy2Times, Last Word, Fundo, and more.First Avenue Mainroom,Friday, February 24, 2012View a slideshow from the concert here.The combination of crunk and hyphy hip-hop subgenres serves as a decent shorthand for what the four-man Get Cryphy crew s ... More >>

7 Ghostface Killah songs showing his softer side

​For the many who hold Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers among their favorites, Ghostface Killah's upcoming visit to Minneapolis is an event that'll be remembered for some time. Mark 4/20 on your calendar, and along with De La Soul coming, Cabooze is pulling to get that "flyover rap capital" thing re ... More >>

Ballet Works Project

​For the many who hold Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers among their favorites, Ghostface Killah's upcoming visit to Minneapolis is an event that'll be remembered for some time. Mark 4/20 on your calendar, and along with De La Soul coming, Cabooze is pulling to get that "flyover rap capital" thing re ... More >>

American Idiot

​For the many who hold Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers among their favorites, Ghostface Killah's upcoming visit to Minneapolis is an event that'll be remembered for some time. Mark 4/20 on your calendar, and along with De La Soul coming, Cabooze is pulling to get that "flyover rap capital" thing re ... More >>

Mutemath drummer Darren King on the Grammys & the Bible

​Mutemath's equation -- no pun intended -- is simple: take a notable name plus good music and multiply it by high energy to equal success. Even with their success, the band is continually working towards to the next step in their careers to keep the wolves at bay.  Gimme Noise spoke with drum ... More >>

The Sorcerer's Apprentice at Open Eye

Puppeteers make magic happen

Megadeth and Motorhead at Myth, 2/14/12

Photo by Ryan Siverson​MegadethWith MotörheadMyth, MinneapolisTuesday, February 14, 2012For a slideshow from the concert, click here.With mullets galore and a woman retching her guts out in the parking lot outside Myth, Tuesday night had the potential to turn into a Saturday Night Live sketch abo ... More >>

Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires

Photo by Ryan Siverson​MegadethWith MotörheadMyth, MinneapolisTuesday, February 14, 2012For a slideshow from the concert, click here.With mullets galore and a woman retching her guts out in the parking lot outside Myth, Tuesday night had the potential to turn into a Saturday Night Live sketch abo ... More >>

Lizz Wright & Kurt Elling

Photo by Ryan Siverson​MegadethWith MotörheadMyth, MinneapolisTuesday, February 14, 2012For a slideshow from the concert, click here.With mullets galore and a woman retching her guts out in the parking lot outside Myth, Tuesday night had the potential to turn into a Saturday Night Live sketch abo ... More >>

Jin Xing Dance Theatre Shanghai: Shanghai Tango

Photo by Ryan Siverson​MegadethWith MotörheadMyth, MinneapolisTuesday, February 14, 2012For a slideshow from the concert, click here.With mullets galore and a woman retching her guts out in the parking lot outside Myth, Tuesday night had the potential to turn into a Saturday Night Live sketch abo ... More >>

Hip-Hop Valentines: The 14 most romantic rap songs

​Valentines Day is here and you need some help to win over the heart of that sexy B-girl or B-boy?We know hip-hop doesn't have the best history romancing the opposite sex, "bitches better having my money" and "skeeting on walls" doesn't really set the mood.But don't worry, we have you covered. So ... More >>

U of M paper finds no link between movie piracy and box office sales in U.S.

​An academic paper co-written by a University of Minnesota economics professor finds there is little evidence for the notion that movie piracy reduces ticket purchases at movie theaters. That notion, of course, is often a crucial premise in the arguments made by supporters of legislation like SOPA ... More >>

'Werther': Liebe oder Tod?

​I'll be the first to admit that opera is outside my comfort zone. Though I've appreciated the form over the years, like the larger world of classical music it has largely remained an undiscovered country. Still, intrigued by a French interpretation of a classic German novel and the industrial-ins ... More >>

Redbox: Wisconsin is the most romantic state

​Move over Honolulu, see you later San Francisco -- if you're looking for romance, the place to be is La Crosse, Wisconsin. And if that doesn't work for you, go to Green Bay.Or so say the folks at Redbox. The movie rental company recently compiled a list of the Top 10 Most Romantic Cities in the c ... More >>

Critics' Picks: Jeff Magnum, Lenny Kravitz, and more

​Move over Honolulu, see you later San Francisco -- if you're looking for romance, the place to be is La Crosse, Wisconsin. And if that doesn't work for you, go to Green Bay.Or so say the folks at Redbox. The movie rental company recently compiled a list of the Top 10 Most Romantic Cities in the c ... More >>

An Acoustic Café Evening: Carrie Rodriguez, Kelly Joe Phelps, Pieta Brown

​Move over Honolulu, see you later San Francisco -- if you're looking for romance, the place to be is La Crosse, Wisconsin. And if that doesn't work for you, go to Green Bay.Or so say the folks at Redbox. The movie rental company recently compiled a list of the Top 10 Most Romantic Cities in the c ... More >>

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Bloomington Civic Theatre

Sierra DeMulder

Bloomington Civic Theatre

Ragtime

Bloomington Civic Theatre

The May North reveal the story behind their new album, 'Songs from the North Country'

​The music of The May North could simply be condensed down to one genre, bluegrass, but that wouldn't do the band any justice.  Coming together from many bands to form a Frankenstein -- in a good way --like band, the group are set to release their debut album, Songs From The North Country.Wit ... More >>

JJ Grey & Mofro

​The music of The May North could simply be condensed down to one genre, bluegrass, but that wouldn't do the band any justice.  Coming together from many bands to form a Frankenstein -- in a good way --like band, the group are set to release their debut album, Songs From The North Country.Wit ... More >>

Natasha Leggero

​The music of The May North could simply be condensed down to one genre, bluegrass, but that wouldn't do the band any justice.  Coming together from many bands to form a Frankenstein -- in a good way --like band, the group are set to release their debut album, Songs From The North Country.Wit ... More >>

92 KQRS Classic Rock Art Show

​The music of The May North could simply be condensed down to one genre, bluegrass, but that wouldn't do the band any justice.  Coming together from many bands to form a Frankenstein -- in a good way --like band, the group are set to release their debut album, Songs From The North Country.Wit ... More >>

Up in the air: How Minneapolis became a flyover city for major rap artists

​It was 1998, the Smokin Grooves Tour was in its second year, and a group of friends and I were geeked out about going to the show. Public Enemy, Gang Starr, Wyclef Jean, Cypress Hill and others were booked, but everyone was waiting and most excited for Busta Rhymes, known for his killer live show ... More >>

Bon Iver set to play SNL, Justin Vernon starts his own record label

​Justin Vernon and Bon Iver had one hell of a year in 2011. Bon Iver's sophomore album is widely considered the best album of the year, the group played well-received, sold-out shows all over the world (including a memorable two-night stand at the Orpheum Theatre), and capped it all off with f ... More >>

Wu-Tang Clan at Epic, 1/7/12

​They might be battle-hardened rap assassins, but the Wu-Tang Clan aren't above having a good time.  The Clan were clearly up for a party on Saturday night at Epic, with Method Man admitting that hip hop is supposed to be fun:  "Since when are hip-hop fans too cool to put their hands in ... More >>

Wu Tang's Inspectah Deck talks new album & retirement

​ The Wu Tang Killa Bees are on the swarm and headed toward Minneapolis tomorrow, and among the crew members ready to deliver a hot set of old favorites and new jams at Epic is Staten Island native Inspectah Deck. Whereas counterparts Method Man and Ghostface are known for their hyped-up character ... More >>

Sam Phillips born on this day in country music history

On this day in 1923, legendary producer, record executive, DJ and Sun Records/Sun Studios founder Sam Phillips was born to a pair of poor tenant farmers near Florence, Alabama. You likely know the name for his work founding this seminal recording studio/label, as well as for helping discover and fos ... More >>

Adele helps U.S. album sales increase for the first time since 2004

​Who knew that Adele would be the (temporary) savior of the music industry? Buoyed by the 5.82 million copies of Adele's 21 sold in America this past year, album sales for 2011 in the U.S. rose for the first time since 2004. While physical CD sales fell six percent during the year, a huge incre ... More >>

Weekend Checklist: Mason Jennings, New Year's Eve, Kid Dakota, The Cloak Ox

​So this is the new year And I have no resolutions For self assigned penance For problems with easy solutions - Death Cab for Cutie

Notable 2011 deaths in country music

It's an annual tradition to look back at year's end to those who've passed on in the previous twelve months. Whether it's just filler for the year's final broadcast of Entertainment Tonight, or Americans really do feel a need to reflect with sadness on the deaths of celebrities, I do not know. What ... More >>

Best nationally released albums of 2011

​It's a good thing we waited until the last week of 2011 to publish our final best-album lists, since a few bands managed to eke out stellar releases just this December (the Roots' undun and the Black Keys' El Camino in particular made their way onto a few staffers' lists). With only a few da ... More >>

WLTE switching to pop country station BUZ'N 102.9

​If the fact that Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney's show at Target Field sold out in a mere four hours isn't enough to convince you that top-40 country is winning the populist vote here in the Twin Cities, this should do it: The snoozy longtime lite rock staple WLTE (102.9 Lite FM) will switch to an ... More >>

David Hanners, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, brings folk music to Ginkgo Coffeehouse Saturday

David HannersDavid Hanners sings for the doomed and the thoughtful​"It's kind of a joke amongst my songwriter friends that I kill off a lot of characters in my songs," says David Hanners, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and folk singer. He produces his latest CD, "The Traveler's Burden," to ... More >>