Ben Kyle

Lucinda Williams at the Dakota Jazz Club, 2/4/13

Lucinda Williams with the Kenneth Brian Band and Ben Kyle Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis Monday, February 4, 2013"By the end of these five nights, y'all are going to know more about my private life than anything," announced Lucinda Williams last night, after explaining some of the backstory behind he ... More >>

The best concerts in the Twin Cities this week: 1/30-2/5

The Twin Cities is starting to thaw out as January comes to an end. Friday night is especially busy. Retribution Gospel Choir plays the Turf Club while Minneapolis pays tribute to Joe Strummer in the First Avenue Mainroom. Semisonic songwriter Dan Wilson and brother Matt Wilson play a set at Pantage ... More >>

Local Frames: New videos from Now, Now, Chastity Brown, Free Energy, and more

As the Twin Cities music scene grows, more and more artists are creating music that demands our attention. Combine the music with talented filmmakers locally and beyond, and you have a fruitful mix of distinct skills that generates more locally connected music videos than ever before. While it's im ... More >>

Local Frames: New videos from the Starfolk, Toki Wright, SMMNR, and more

As the Twin Cities music scene grows, more and more artists are creating music that demands our attention. Combine the music with talented filmmakers locally and beyond, and you have a fruitful mix of distinct skills that generates more locally connected music videos than ever before. While it's im ... More >>

Local Frames: New videos from Prissy Clerks, Why?, Ben Kyle, and more

Welcome to the first installment of Local Frames of 2013! As the Twin Cities music scene grows, more and more artists are creating music that demands our attention. Combine the music with talented filmmakers locally and beyond, and you have a fruitful mix of distinct skills that generates more local ... More >>

Best Twin Cities albums 2012: Staff lists

The waterfall of opinion flows s'more today with a collection of the best albums released locally in the Twin Cities in 2012. As opposed to the list that appeared in this week's issue, these are 14 distinct opinions on what was impressive in the past year, and a bunch of links to the related stories ... More >>

Best music-affiliated Twin Cities bartenders 2012

When you attend as many shows as the Gimme Noise folks do, you get to know your bartenders. Quite often, the person you see behind the bar is also a familiar face behind the bass, the guitar or drum kit. Among numerous musician and music-affiliated bartenders in this music city, here are a few I see ... More >>

Local Frames: New videos from Night Moves, Leisure Birds, Caroline Smith, and more

As the Twin Cities music scene grows, more and more artists are creating music that demands our attention. Combine the music with talented filmmakers locally and beyond, and you have a fruitful mix of distinct skills that generates more locally connected music videos than ever before. While it's im ... More >>

Romantica's Ben Kyle on his solo album, and Saturday's Northeast Riverfeast

Just as fall is closing in on us, the good people of Northeast Minneapolis have devised a way to let the summer live just a little longer. Introducing the first-ever Northeast Riverfeast, taking place this Saturday, September 22. It's a late-summer music fest that smacks of block party meets farmer' ... More >>

Critics Picks: Summit Backyard Bash, Metric, and more

Ben Kyle CD-release show

Red Stag Block Party, 8/5/12

See Also:Chastity Brown on the Red Stag Block Party, her residency in Germany, and the local music sceneAlexei "Crescent Moon" Casselle on Duluth, Coloring Time, and the Red Stag Block PartyRed Stag Block PartyFeaturing Rogue Valley, Kill The Vultures, The Honeydogs, Mayda, Chastity Brown, and Roman ... More >>

Kevin Steinman's farewell show at Bryant Lake Bowl, 7/23/12

See Also:Kevin Steinman says farewell and thanks to the Twin CitiesU.S. healthcare is too costly for Kevin Steinman, so he's moving to NorwayKevin Steinman with his band, Andy Thompson, Justin Hartke, Matt Novachis and special guests Chris Koza, Jeremy Messersmith, Brianna Lane, Luke Anderson, Linne ... More >>

Weekend Checklist: Needtobreathe, Fanfarlo, Nada Surf, Bowerbirds

​A big focus of Weekend Checklist is local music, because there is so much good local artists in the Cities, but we often forget that Minneapolis and St. Paul is not always a flyover area for national artists. This weekend we welcome to Fanfarlo, Bowerbirds, Nada Surf, and Needtobreathe; a few of ... More >>

Luke Redfield spills Willie Nelson and Ke$ha run-ins, explains Tusen Takk

​There is an element of exaggeration in all good storytelling -- and not to say that Luke Redfield is lying -- but his new album tells a sweeping tale of a man who has lived 100 lives in the ten songs off of Tusen Takk, the culmination of years of hard work and traveling.  The album emanates ... More >>

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

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

Weekend Checklist: Glamorama, Christina Perri, We the Kings, The Head and the Heart

​"Always strive to excel, but only on weekends."-Richard Rorty

Jake Manders releases a collection of songs 15 years in the making

​Dubbing Minneapolis native Jake Manders as a songwriter is partially accurate; he is also a raconteur who has carefully crafted a collection of songs that narrate his life. Manders' self-titled project is rooted in 1994, when he first picked up the guitar and harmonica. A prolific writer, ... More >>

Record Store Day 2011: Complete Twin Cities listings

​Record Store Day, the annual celebration of good ol' fashioned mom-and-pop music shops, seems to balloon into a bigger event each year. Now in its fourth go-'round, RSD will overtake 18 different businesses in the Twin Cities tomorrow--and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak has even gone so far as ... More >>

Twin Cities Year in Music 2010: The highlights

Prince, Gayngs, Gigamesh, and many others dot the calendar

Weekend Checklist: Doomtree, Romantica, Trailer Trash and more

​This weekend is hella packed with local shows. That's right, hella. Check our recommendations below for your best bets for the weekend, from back-to-back Doomtree shows to a raucous sock drive to a matinee show with Trailer Trash.

Romantica on the record

Ben Kyle reflects on performing, vinyl, and rigors of creative life

Romantica's Ben Kyle, Purest Spiritual Pigs' Helena Thompson interviewed in this week's City Pages

Photo by Aaron Schuh​Professionally speaking, Ben Kyle's cup seems to runneth over: He just got back from a European tour with Carrie Rodriguez and is preparing to release a duet album with the famed fiddler in February, is busy mixing the third studio album by his acclaimed alt-country band, Roma ... More >>

Romantica's Ben Kyle: The extended interview

Photo by Marcel Houweling​I recently had the opportunity to sit down with busy Romantica frontman Ben Kyle, who is preparing to release his band's second album, America, on vinyl this weekend, for an interview for this week's print edition of City Pages. Ben and I ended up covering a lot of ground ... More >>

A Tribute to the Replacements, 11/26/10

Photos by Erik Hess​A Tribute to the Replacements' TimNovember 26, 2010First Avenue, MinneapolisReported with special help from Robyn LewisNow in its third installment, the Thanksgiving weekend tradition of reveling in the songs of the Replacements has grown into a gigantic local music event, the ... More >>

Atmosphere, Rogue Valley, Recplacements Tribute, and more

A Tribute to the Replacements

8 righteous Replacements covers to prepare us for Friday's tribute show

​Like the Minnesota Vikings, the DFL, Autumnal beard-growth and cheap beer, the music of the Replacements is just another thing Twin Citians will never give up on. In fact, I can speak from experience about how their beer-soaked odes and observations provide solace and bittersweet inner-warmth ... More >>

Carrie Rodriguez and Ben Kyle play the Dakota tonight

​A couple of years ago, we posted about how swept away we were by a Ben Kyle and Carrie Rodriguez duet of "Danny Boy" that was floating around YouTube. Since that time, Kyle and his Romantica bandmates have developed a close relationship with the Austin, Texas-based songwriter and fiddler Rodrigue ... More >>

Pistol Whippin Party Penguins release album at 331 Saturday

Photo courtesy of band's MySpace page.​I've got this friend who's pissed at me. Over some grave misstep on my part? Sure, I suppose you could say that. I said I'd go sing karaoke with her this week, but then didn't show. Terrible, I know. How do I make her forget what a terrible friend I am? ... More >>

Martin Zellar, Adam Levy, Ben Kyle, more to play unique Americana Showcase

The James J. Hill library will feature a rotating cast of talented local songwriters.

Romantica

Romantica, Mason Jennings, Hunting Club, and more

Romantica to release a new full-length record this spring

On the heels of their latest EP comes news of a follow-up full-length release.

Five Questions For: Anchor Fish & Chips Chef Luke Kyle

Anchor Fish & Chips Chef (and contractor and carpenter) Luke Kyle chats with Hot Dish.

Sunny Day Real Estate, D12, and Dan Wilson

Dan Wilson

Romantica, Kid Dakota debut new material at the Cedar

Saturday night's double-header was chock full of new material.

Romantica

Dallas Orbiter, Sam Keenan, and more

Ben Kyle of Romantica duets with Carrie Rodriguez

Watch a gripping performance of Danny Boy by Minneapolis's own Ben Kyle.

Readers respond to "The GOPFathers"

"Hallelujah": The song remains the same

Despite America's attempt to bastardize the Leonard Cohen song, Romantica gives it new life

Over the Weekend: 2/15-2/17

The Year's Best Local Albums

It may seem greedy, but we couldn't confine ourselves to fewer than 13 riotous / melodious / prodigious records

Of Hooligans and Hootenannys

Romantica's Ben Kyle moved to Minnesota from Belfast, fell in love with the Jayhawks, and never looked back

Picked to Click

To those who have recently begun to rock, we salute you

Romantica: It's Your Weakness That I Want