Iowa City

STNNNG and ft (the Shadow Government) to debut STNNNGVRNMNT at Art-A-Whirl

The rock particles have merged and a new element is being added to the periodic table. STNNNGVRNMNT, as Modern Radio Record Label has lovingly dubbed the new creation, will soon release a limited edition 12" (only 100 copies) to the general public. The ten-member big band collaboration between STNNN ... More >>

Red House Records celebrates 30 years

One of the oldest independent record labels marks three decades with a concert at the O'Shaughnessy

Premiere: Caroline Smith debuts "So it Goes" on Iowa City Song Project

The venerable Englert Theatre in Iowa City is celebrating its Centennial this October, and to mark the historic occasion, the venue has commissioned a new music collection, Iowa City Song Project, featuring songs from 31 bands and musicians who have been inspired or influenced by their time in Iowa ... More >>

De Stijl's Clint Simonson talks music and rates cocktails at Icehouse

It's happy hour at the Icehouse on Eat Street in Minneapolis. Clint Simonson, owner and operator of the small indie label, De Stijl has already found a home at the bar. "Hey man, how you been?" he asks giving me a hug as I sit down. "Have I gotten you this Robust Worlds CD yet?" Checking out the a ... More >>

Prof launches Midwest tour dates in October

See Also:Prof on Summer Set and his pre-show ritualProf brags incessantly with Yelawolf on "New Kid"First Listen: Prof, 'King Gampo' (Free Download)It's going to be that much harder to evade the salacious stunts of Prof this October and November as he forges out on a Midwest tour. Need proof? Over t ... More >>

Night Moves reveal Colored Emotions tracklist and release date

See Also:Night Moves on hotel living, song facelifts, and the new 7-inchBest New Band 2012: Night MovesLocal trio Night Moves are finally ready for their close up. After creating a buzz in the Twin Cities over the last few years with their emergent live shows and their free, digital-only debut, the ... More >>

Brother Ali's Mourning In America tour dates, First Ave in October

Related:Brother Ali arrested at Occupy Homes protest [VIDEO]After setting off the Entry back in May, rallying in Wisconsin, giving us a soulful, somber taste of his new record, and recently getting arrested to help bring attention to the foreclosure problem here in Minnesota, Brother Ali is finally ... More >>

Dave Olson ventures into Americana with Pieta Brown (INTERVIEW)

The country music scene is often overlooked in place of more organic genres, but St. Paul-based musician Dave Olson really isn't classified as country. On his new album, Dave takes the Americana-folk genre and puts a different, yet simple spin on songwriting. Collaborating with Pieta Brown, Benson R ... More >>

Mother of Fire on recording Feral Children and DIY spaces

Hypnotic groove psychedelic rock trio Mother of Fire are known for creating intensely haunting, loud, mesmerizing shows in unique environments. In DIY spaces (their favorite) art galleries, punk squats, house shows, and even rock clubs, they transport listeners visually as well as sonically. Thei ... More >>

Fun. at Myth, 4/13/12

Fun.With Miniature TigersMyth, MaplewoodFriday, April 13, 2012View a slideshow from the concert here.In the early going, frontman Nate Ruess alerted the audience at Myth that this show was "the biggest headlining show Fun. has ever done" -- and the proceedings played out that way. After initially be ... More >>

Dagger Dolls win Minnesota RollerGirls Home Season Championship

The Golden Skate has found a new home. The Daggers Dolls beat The Rockits 76 to 71 at the Minnesota RollerGirls Home Season Championship Saturday night, marking the team's first championship victory since the league's inaugural season. Including the championship, the Minnesota RollerGirls home te ... More >>

Doomtree release "Bangarang" video before starting enormous U.S. tour

​As the Doomtree crew are all getting psyched for their sprawling 2-month-long U.S. tour which starts tomorrow night, they dropped a lighthearted, no-frills video for "Bangarang," one of the most rousing tracks on their recent No Kings album. The clip features all the members of the Doomtree colle ... More >>

Craig Finn's debut solo album 'Clear Heart Full Eyes' is streaming in advance of its release date

​Thankfully, Clear Heart Full Eyes, the debut solo album from the Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn, doesn't signify a fracture between him and his regular bandmates. It just represents a temporary musical diversion for Finn from the wild, late-night hi-jinks that are prominently featured in his ... More >>

Craig Finn solo tour coming to the Triple Rock on February 4

Photo by Stacy Schwartz​With a release date pinned down for his first solo album (due out January 24), Craig Finn is embarking on a short solo tour this winter -- including a stop in Minneapolis at the Triple Rock on February 4.

TCF Bank Stadium fires jerk guard who tried to fight field-rushing fans [VIDEO]

The guard in the pink jacket tried to fight... pretty much everyone.​The University of Minnesota football team actually won a big game on Saturday, stealing a late win over a pretty decent University of Iowa team.As the seconds counted down on the 22-21 comeback victory, Minnesota students, finall ... More >>

U of Iowa apologizes for tweet calling Michele Bachmann a cougar

Michele Bachmann might be a cougar, but you didn't hear it from Iowa.​Michele Bachmann is finally involved in a gaffe that isn't her fault.Earlier today, a University of Iowa staffer made a sly allusion to how foxy the future president is, in a rather regrettable reference to a cougar that had rec ... More >>

Mesa Pizza coming to Uptown this fall

The popular Dinkytown shop expands to Uptown.​Mesa Pizza is opening a third location in Uptown, in the former home of the Ivy clothing shop at 1440 W. Lake Street, reports the Southwest Journal. The business recently leased the space and hopes to have the pizzeria open by October.

STNNNG playing tour kick-off show at the Loring Theater

​By what I'm reading on everybody's online twits, the cool thing this week for a band to do is to pack up their van and skinny jeans and head south to Austin, Texas to razzle and dazzle the flocks of hipsters at the SXSW attention contest. As an alternative, frenetic spazz rock combo, STNNNG will ... More >>

Inside the multimillion-dollar essay-scoring business

Behind the scenes of standardized testing

Now Now kick off two-month tour

​Local rock trio Now Now (formerly known as Now, Now Every Children) are one of the many Twin Cities bands who will caravan down to Austin, Texas this year for the SXSW festival, but they're getting a head start -- the band is already on the road and will complete a full lap of the US that won't f ... More >>

We Are the Willows tour diary, Vol. 9

​Howdy ya'll.  My name is Peter and I play music under the name We Are The Willows. Last fall I was on tour for 10 weeks and kept a diary of my travels on Gimme Noise. It's been about a hair or two over two months since I got home from my last tour and now I'm hittin' the ol' dusty trail agai ... More >>

We Are the Willows kick off tour at the Varsity tomorrow night

​It's only been two months since Peter Michael Miller of We Are the Willows wrapped up his solo tour across the East Coast, and he's already itching to get back in the van for another stint on the road. We Are the Willows will play a tour kick-off show tomorrow night (Thursday, January 6) at the V ... More >>

We Are the Willows tour diary, Vol. 8

​So, the last part of the trip was a bit rag-tag.  That is to say, the shows were set up pretty last minute and were kind of at random places.  Like in Lexington, Kentucky I played the reception for a play called Marx In Soho in which Karl Marx comes back from some kind of afterlife (wei ... More >>

America's Brainiest Metros list skips the Twin Cities

Minneapolis: Not a Brainiest Metro.​We've got our big, fancy universities and our hi-tech marquee names here in the Twin Cities, but it's not enough, people. Our neighbors in Rochester, Madison, Ames and Iowa City all made it onto something called the Top 20 Brainiest Metros list. We did no ... More >>

Black Blondie tour kick-off show tonight

​Black Blondie are preparing to embark on a tour that will take them through the Southeast corner of the country this month, and to ensure a proper send-off they will be playing a hometown kick-off show tonight at the XYandZ Gallery (3258 Minnehaha Ave. S.) with DJ Turtleneck. Tonight's show is $5 ... More >>

Vampire Hands and Daughters of the Sun announce 7-inch and spring tour

Photo by Nikki Miller​Two popular local psych rock bands, Vampire Hands and Daughters of the Sun, are preparing to leave on a massive month and a half tour of the US. The two bands are also getting ready to release a split 7-inch (preview the first track on the Modern Radio site), which will drop ... More >>

STNNNG, Tight Phantomz, and the Tanks storm the Turf Club

Friday night at the Turf Club, however, I got to see that the regional bonds of friendship and camaraderie among smart, hardworking bands are alive and well.

Trampled by Turtles announce new album, tour

The bluegrass quintet will release Palomino on April 13.

Lookbook, One For the Team plan tours

Lookbook will sweep the East Coast, while OFTT is donating tour proceeds to the Red Cross for Haiti relief.

Brett Rogers weighs in at 264lbs. Whew.

He didn't eat all day. But it was worth it. He's about 35lbs. heavier than his opponent.

Brother Ali announces new album, release show

His new record, Us, will hit stores September 22.

Red House Records festival announced

The outdoor concert will feature the Pines, Pieta Brown, Ray Bonneville, and more.

Iowa's legalization of gay marriage: awesome, but not surprising

Gay rights proponents across the country are thrilled--and more than a little surprised--that a state epitomizing "fly-over country" would uphold gay marriage. Here's why the astonishment is unwarranted...

Clutter Control: Down and Above wants you to Hold Your Breath

This week the random gaze of Clutter Control fell on a recent album by a group of local hard rockers

Raccoo-oo-oon: Behold the Secret Kingdom

God Damn Skunk Bud!

...and other true tales from local musicians

Matthew Grimm & the Red Smear

Baby let me hold your hand: Katrina benefit shows archive

not so big

"We Can't Be Stopped!"

The Plastic Constellations discuss manpiles, drinking games, and the best spring break ever

Turn on the Black Lights

In the shadow of Joy Division, Signal and Report find more darkness

A Narrow Escape

Title Fight

University of Minnesota wrestling coach J Robinson's to-do list this season: win big ten championship. Win national title. Put stranglehold on the growth of women's athletics.

Loser's Paradise

The comic-book world of Vincent Stall, master of misery in miniature

The Big Pink

Years after big-label Balloon Guy deflated his passion for making music, Matt Olson returns to his songcraft in Smattering

Bombs Away

Noise artist Bombardier drops some of electronic music's fastest and hardest beats--and waits for the explosion

The Dream Team

House of the Rising Sun

Next week Red House Records issues a momentous tribute album of Pete Seeger's songs. But after 15 years at the margins of American music, this St. Paul label proudly aims to stay there.

Kids in Show Low

Record Roundup