Ryan Olson

Totally Gross National Product drops 2013 sampler, massive future plans

Doing it big is the only way for Totally Gross National Product. The Twin Cities label had a pretty quiet 2012 -- that is, aside from putting out Polica's Give You the Ghost, hosting one of the freshest parties of the summer to celebrate a Marijuana Deathsquads mixtape, and Solid Gold's Eat Your You ... More >>

Polica documentary, Hold You Just a Little While, debuts

Required viewing: 2011 Picked to Click runner up Poliça gets their banner year summed up in a short Pitchfork.tv documentary titled Hold You Just a Little While. Directed by the tireless Dan Huiting, the nine-minute clip is an excellent companion piece to Jeff Gage's cover story about the band from ... More >>

Doomtree's Mike Mictlan talks SNAXXX!, touring with P.O.S., and his shift towards being the "bad-guy wrestler"

Without much preamble, Mike Mictlan released his first solo project in four years, fittingly titled SNAXXX!, on the Doomtree Bandcamp page as a free download. It's a grimy affair, largely produced by the dirty beats guru 2% Muck, and it's a promising glimpse of the dark alleys down which Mictlan is ... More >>

Marijuana Deathsquads' Tamper. Disable. Destroy. mixtape is here! (Download)

See Also:Slideshow: Totally Gross National Party 2012Marijuana Deathsquads releasing new mixtape at 3rd annual Totally Gross National PartyMarijuana Deathsquads "Pink Dust/Sex Accident" video (PREMIERE)Producer extraordinaire Ryan Olson's Marijuana Deathsquads is a crew of pals with mics and laptops ... More >>

Marijuana Deathsquads "Pink Dust/Sex Accident" video (PREMIERE)

Related:Marijuana Deathsquads' Boston Massacre at Turf Club, 4/20/12Marijuana Deathsquads release Crazy Master (Q&A)Marijuana Deathsquads, the unfuckwithable local noise collective that bleeds into whatever musical grouping producer Ryan Olson feels like, is premiering a new video for "Pink Dust ... More >>

Bon Iver's Sean Carey on Hoyas and why he didn't get a Grammy

Related:Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and Astronautalis form band, record albumBon Iver wins two Grammys, and "Bonny Bear" is bornSean Carey has been a key component of Bon Iver's live presence for years. In addition to being the drummer and backing vocalist for Justin Vernon's band, the Eau Claire-based ... More >>

Black Dice/Marijuana Deathsquads/Hasps

Marijuana Deathsquads' Boston Massacre at Turf Club, 4/20/12

Wade Boggs' Wicked Boston Baked Bash with Marijuana Deathsquads, Weird Boggs, Plain Ole Bill, Baby Boys Turf Club, St. Paul Friday, April 20, 2012 When the details were posted no one could've been fully prepared for this gig. The bizarre promo video didn't exactly clarify things either. The lineup ... More >>

Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and Astronautalis form band, record album

Related:Astronautalis makes the move to MinneapolisBon Iver wins two Grammys, and "Bonny Bear" is bornNot everyone can turn a whiskey-fueled weekend in Wisconsin into a conceptual piece of art, but that's exactly what Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon and Minneapolis rapper Astronautalis are shooting ... More >>

Marijuana Deathsquads unleash Boston Massacre at Turf Club on 4/20

​Leave it to the Turf Club to have something this audacious planned for 4/20. The evening is hilariously billed as 'Wade Boggs Wicked Boston Baked Bash,' and will feature a merry band of local characters all presenting something vaguely Bostonian throughout the night. Of course Marijuana Deaths ... More >>

Polica: Wandering star Channy Leaneagh finds her path

Singer okay with vulnerability on Give You the Ghost

Poliça's City Pages cover story interview and photo outtakes

​By now you've hopefully already seen our cover story on Polica in today's City Pages. You may also have seen Gimme Noise's slideshow and our review of last night's album release show at First Ave. But those aren't the only goodies we have for you.Below the break, check out excerpts from my conver ... More >>

Poliça's debut, Give You the Ghost, gets a release date

​Aside from the few sporadic shows they've played around town, fans of Poliça have only had the chance to be exposed to a few of the songs on their ominous and expansive debut. It hasn't slowed down their popularity one bit, but it's exciting to hear that they finally have a release date for thei ... More >>

Marijuana Deathsquads release Crazy Master tonight at Nick and Eddie

Photo by Brian Garrity​The many, rotating members of Marijuana Deathsquads have always had a tendency to do business according to their own unique sense of time. So it's not too surprising that they're just now getting around to putting out their first official release, even though it's been widel ... More >>

Marijuana Deathsquads (record-release)

Polica

Picked to Click 2011

The Cloak Ox, Night Moves, and more

Polica make their debut, head east to open for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Photos by Ben LaFond​The crowd that had gathered at Nick and Eddie on Sunday for the debut of Polica, the new band led by Channy Moon Casselle of the recently split Twin Cities favorite Roma di Luna, was teeming with excitement. The little that has been heard of Polica so far on the band's web ... More >>

Bon Iver isn't afraid to be beautiful

Justin Vernon is headed for the mainstream with his new LP

Roma di Luna nears its end as members move on to other projects

Photo by Stacy Schwartz​The days are numbered for one of the Twin Cities' most popular roots bands. Roma di Luna, who started as a husband-and-wife duo playing folk songs at a farmer market six years ago and have since grown into a brassy, bluesy roots band, will end its impressive run before the ... More >>

Totally Gross National Product planning second annual summer showcase

Photo by Brian GarrityMarijuana Deathsqads​Last summer, Totally Gross National Product tried their hands at hosting an all-day showcase of their artists and related projects in the alley behind Nick and Eddie, and the party turned into a celebration of some of the most engaging and exhilarati ... More >>

Czeslaw's Loop: The Final Opus

Czeslaw's Loop unites dozens of local musicians for massive riverside Art-A-Whirl project

​What started as an annual tradition during Art-A-Whirl has now transformed into a project of monumental proportions. Previously known as the Boat Project, which would invite local noise and experimental rock bands to play on the roof of a houseboat and out in the middle of the Mississippi River b ... More >>

Albert Elmore scoffs at the blue screen of death

Boundary-pushing producer attracts attention with debut

Marijuana Deathsquads raid the West Coast

Ryan Olson, P.O.S., Har Mar wrap up their residency

Doomtree's Gayngs regrind EP: Listen now

About a month ago, Ryan Olson announced that Doomtree would be doing an album (or so) of Gayngs "regrinds" to be called Affiliyated. I wrongly operated under the assumption that the album would be a rap-friendly-ized version of Relayted, everyone in Doomtree would predictably kill it, and everything ... More >>

Gayngs Affiliyated Showcase

Preview the next City of Music with Marijuana Deathsquads

Photos by Brad Ogbonna​Let's not beat around the bush, here--we're pretty damn psyched to debut next week's City of Music video featuring Marijuana Deathsquads. Remember a couple of months back when we couldn't believe that City of Music producer Dan Huiting rounded up 10 cameramen for his shoot w ... More >>

Alec Soth, Kevin Kramp, Robyn, and more: Artists of the year

Influential artists of 2010

Picked to Click 2010

Pink Mink lead the pack in our 20th annual best-new-bands poll

Picked to Click 2010: List of all ranking bands

​The bands who received nods in this year's Picked to Click poll aren't just limited to the 11 we featured in this week's issue. See below for a full list of all of the bands who received votes in this year's poll, with the total points awarded to each band.Remember: Voters were told to choose fiv ... More >>

Gayngs' Austin City Limits set canceled after bus driver absconded with gear

​It's 3 p.m. on October 10, which means that Twin Cities-based collabo Gayngs should be kicking off their first performance at the Austin City Limits festival. The band was forced to cancel their appearance, however, after their bus driver took off with their gear and drove it from Austin, Texas t ... More >>

Prince (almost) joins Gayngs: The movie

​When Gayngs took over the First Avenue Mainroom last May for their pair of decked-out "Last Prom on Earth" shows, even the Purple One himself headed to the club to check out the show in person. At the time, stories were mixed on why Prince stood in the wings with his guitar but never took the sta ... More >>

Loring Alley Party set times, lineup, holy moly

​Not to be outdone by the Pizza Luce Block Party, Totally Gross National Product, Nick & Eddie, and Ryan Olson have put together an amazing day and night of the Cities' best way-goddamn-left-of-center musicians and artists, including Mike 2600, Poop Smeared Mirror (Knife World with added insan ... More >>

Chromeo, Glamorama, Psalm One, and more: Critics' Picks

Four Nights in Loring: Local Bands, Local Films lineup unveiled

​With the first event less than a week away, we are bursting at the seams to let you know who is performing and which movies are being screened at "Four Nights in Loring: Local Bands, Local Films," this year's free music and movie event in Loring Park. Music performances start at 7 p.m. each night ... More >>

4 Nights in Loring: Marijuana Deathsquads

Dark Dark Dark and Gayngs announce new music

​It's practically perfect out today, so a summer coup for me and you.The wayfaring and lovely Dark Dark Dark announced a summer (West Coast) tour, the release of their next album, and a song called "Daydreaming" today, always a treat. The song sees them continuing a progression into a less Old Fol ... More >>

Parliament, Broken Social Scene top our list of best mega-groups of all time

​With the 24 members of Gayngs assembling themselves for a pair of "Last Prom on Earth" shows tonight at First Avenue, we asked ourselves: Who are some other awesome, ridiculously large supergroups and mega-collaborations? Here's a short list of our faves.

Art-a-Whirl, Gayngs, Visqueen and more must-see events this weekend

​Holy Crap! It's Art-a-Whirl weekend! Non-stop art and rock and roll takes over NorthEast this weekend with art shows, all-day indoor/outdoor performances, some bands floating down the river in houseboats, and general festival madness for 72 straight hours. This annual tradition is so broad an ... More >>

Gayngs "Last Prom" rehearsal footage

GAYNGS "The Last Prom On Earth" Rehearsal Footage from MPLS.TV on Vimeo.Filmmaker Isaac Gale shot this short video from one of the Gayngs rehearsals this week, as the group prepares for two shows this Friday night at First Avenue. Watch Zack Coulter, Justin Vernon, Mike Noyce, Ryan Olson, Brad Cook ... More >>

Gayngs mastermind Ryan Olson prepares for big show

Prom-themed gig features local 24 indie superstars at First Avenue

Win Gayngs tickets at 2 p.m. today

Photo by Graham Tolbert​In our recent interview with Gayngs mastermind Ryan Olson (which will post online later today and run in the paper tomorrow), we got a glimpse at some of the details Olson has planned for Friday's pair of "Last Prom on Earth" shows at First Avenue: "Every drink will be serv ... More >>

Gayngs, "The Last Prom on Earth" exclusive

Photo by Graham TolbertGayng-leader Ryan Olson​Ladies and gentleman, welcome to Gayngs week. Surely, by now, you've heard about the 24-person collaboration that is Gayngs, which comprises producer Ryan Olson with members of Bon Iver, Solid Gold, P.O.S, Lookbook, Megafaun, the Rosebuds, Leisure Bir ... More >>

Gayngs debut named 'album of the year so far' by Guardian

​High praise from a big source across the pond: music critic Paul Lester from UK's Guardian has deemed the debut Gayngs album, Relayted, his "album of the year so far." The supergroup recording, which features 25-plus local and regional artists like Bon Iver, Megafaun, POS, Dessa, Solid Gold, and ... More >>

Digitata threatens final performance at the Uptown tonight

A good marketing ploy or the unfortunate truth?

Digitata: Art Work Pays

Building Better Bombs Get Heavy

P.O.S.'s hardcore band release Freak Out Squares

The Electro-Pop Cure

Digitata have the power to break your fever

Hot Android Action

Turning on to Digitata's blippity ballads