The Roots (Band)

Princess: We've been obsessed with Prince for over 30 years

College pals Maya Rudolph and Gretchen Lieberum, the pair behind Prince tribute act Princess, make for the perfect combination of soulful spirit and high regard for the Purple One's ouvre and its musical legacy. Rudolph, who often showed off her singing voice as a Saturday Night Live cast member, an ... More >>

Bobby Z & Friends' 2nd Annual Benefit 2 Celebrate Life

Princetagram iPhone app unveiled by Jimmy Fallon

Some of the greatest innovations and stupidest pet tricks come out of late-night television, so it's no surprise that Late Night With Jimmy Fallon introduced Princetagram to the masses this week.With Prince fan ?uestlove -- who will perform at the Bobby Z's second Benefit 2 Celebrate Life on March 9 ... More >>

Cody ChesnuTT

Dessa plans an intimate benefit show at the MIA

Fresh off of a brief but successful U.S. tour earlier this month, Dessa has announced plans for a special local show at the MIA (not with M.I.A., as I initially, and awesomely, misread the press release). The Doomtree vocalist/MC will be performing at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts' Reception Hal ... More >>

Jose James channels his idols

Switching from jazz to soul, James evokes Al Green and Marvin Gaye on No Beginning No End

Bobby Z unveils second Benefit 2 Celebrate Life lineup

Last February, drummer and radio personality Bobby Z reunited the Revolution, Prince's old group, for their first full-scale show together in quite some time. And now he's got another Prince-inspired party planned with the second Benefit 2 Celebrate Life on Saturday, March 9 at First Avenue. The lin ... More >>

Maya Rudolph is in a Prince cover band called Princess

Anyone who found themselves plopped down in front of the radio this past weekend could've happened upon a NPR story about Princess, a new female-fronted covers act that plays the hits of Prince. This new purple project is fronted by former Saturday Night Live not-for-prime-time player Maya Rudolph a ... More >>

Sufjan Stevens, Andrew Bird, Punch Brothers, and more

Greg Grease's Cornbread, Pearl, and G album release

The Coup at Cabooze, 11/27/12

The Coup With Villa Rosa & Greg GreaseThe Cabooze, MinneapolisTuesday, November 27, 2012 Marxist hip-hop must be a tough flag to march under. Embracing strong political ideals while simultaneously attempting to carve out a large enough fanbase to support their art couldn't have led to a lot ... More >>

Twin Cities' Roots, Rock, and Deep Blues Music Festival

Twin Cities' Roots, Rock, and Deep Blues Festival 2012 lineup, set times

Going by the title of the Roots, Rock, and Deep Blues Festival alone, it would appear that there would be something for everybody at the South Minneapolis music festival. And, when you dig deeper into the stellar lineup for the day, you will find that to indeed be true, as a great, eclectic mix of b ... More >>

Booker T. Jones

The Level Heads on Current Affairs EP, playing with a live band

By Lily TroiaMike Lipset and Logan U'u (aka MC Lipset and producer Lokes) may only be 25 and 24 respectively, but the hip hop duo known as the Level Heads already seem to have their proverbial ducks in a row. The two met five years ago, in Logan's U of M dorm room recording studio, but it wasn't unt ... More >>

Polica make TV debut on Jimmy Fallon Wednesday, unveil U.S. tour

Related:SXSW: Polica as the road teamPolica at First Avenue (with cover shoot outtakes) River's Edge Music Festival 2012 at Harriet Island lineupAlthough MInneapolis electro-percussive soul collective Polica aren't quite at the level of an Ellen DeGeneres shout-out yet, they're about to get a huge a ... More >>

First Avenue's 20 best concerts: #10-1

Related:Slideshow: First Avenue: An archived history via flyers, riders & contracts First Avenue's 20 best concerts: #20-11First Avenue's 40 years of rock 'n' rollTop 20 best Minnesota musicians: The complete list10. Basement Jaxx, First Avenue, 10/08/01Basement Jaxx's first appearance in Minne ... More >>

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 >>

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 >>

Most popular Gimme Noise posts of 2011

​We've learned a few things about our readers in 2011: Your pastimes include Googling the meaning behind the songs "Like a G6" and "Pumped Up Kicks" and researching Minnesota music history, and you love a little bit of controversy. At least, that's what our web metrics told us when we pu ... More >>

Michele Bachmann's daughters await gentleman callers

The Bachmann Bachelor, coming this Fall to ABC​It may be your nightmare to imagine Michele Bachmann as President of the United States, but there may be an even worse title to call her: Mom.During a recent appearance on Sean Hannity, Bachmann revealed that her daughters are not allowed to call boys ... More >>

Bachmann demands apology from NBC for Fallon diss, calls them the 'entertainment elite'

​What started as an LOL for music fans in Questlove's social network has turned into a roaring political migraine for NBC, as Michele Bachmann has gotten word of the "diss" the Roots delivered in the form of her walk-on music on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Monday night.Never one to let a contr ... More >>

The Roots diss Michele Bachmann with 'Lyin' Ass Bitch' as she walks on Jimmy Fallon

​Anyone who follows Roots drummer and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon staple Questlove on Twitter knows that he puts a lot of thought into the walk-on music the band plays for each of the guests on their show. One of the Roots' finest zingers to date was playing the Milli Vanilli song "Girl You Know ... More >>

Al Jarreau talks Prince, the Roots, and spending 40 years in the music business

​Some might say that 34 seems a bit "past one's prime" to have started a singing career. For Al Jarreau, that's never seemed to matter. Having been the only vocalist in history to garner Grammy Awards across three different genre categories (jazz, pop and R&B), and with 21 albums, seven Grammy ... More >>

fDeluxe's St. Paul Peterson talks about the Minneapolis Sound, working with Prince, and the rebirth of the Family

​Shortly after Purple Rain put Minneapolis on the map of the music world, Prince formed a little short-lived band called the Family. They would only record one album and play one sold-out show at First Avenue before disbanding, but their impact is still felt to this day. Though the musicians occas ... More >>

Sade at the Target Center, 8/9/11

Photos by Steve Cohen​Sade with John LegendAugust 9, 2011Target Center, Minneapolis"I've been told Minneapolis is one of the coldest towns in the whole world," Sade told the Target Center crowd last night, only one song into her set. "I don't think so. I think you are one of the coolest towns. And ... More >>

tUnE-yArDs and the Roots melt brains on 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon'

Photo by Erik HesstUnE-yArDs at the Cedar earlier this year​The Late Night With Jimmy Fallon show, which is musically hosted by groundbreaking live hip-hop crew the Roots, has made a habit out of bending the rules of typical late-show musical performances and allowing artists to perform whatever - ... More >>

Dolly Parton, Handsome Furs, Journey, and more

Astronautalis, Lazlo Supreme, and MaLLy at the Guthrie Theater, 7/9/11

Photos by Erik HessAstronautalis​Dessa's Cadence Series with Astronautalis, Lazlo Supreme, and MaLLyJuly 9, 2011The Dowling Studio at the Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis"I'm so excited," Astronautalis beamed on Saturday night, during one of the many breaks in his set where he stopped playing music to ... More >>

Rock the Garden 2011: Live blogging from the Walker Art Center

Photos by Nick WosikaTapes 'n Tapes frontman Josh Grier​Welcome to Rock the Garden 2011! There's a steady rain here right now, and all along the hillside in front of the stage there are brightly colored rain jackets and ponchos as far as the eye can see.Gimme Noise is set up in back of stage at th ... More >>

Talib Kweli talks about his new tour, album, and the role of role models in hip-hop

​On the heels of his latest effort Gutter Rainbows, Queens rapper Talib Kweli rolls through Minneapolis this Sunday at Epic, with a live backing band and recent XXL freshman Fred the Godson in tow. The album, released online and containing some seriously sick beats and impressive flows, is a prec ... More >>

The Grammys: The good, the bad, and the really, really awkward

​Perhaps the biggest surprise from this year's Grammy Awards broadcast is that there are actually some honest-to-god surprises to report, the biggest of which was notoriously indie artists Arcade Fire coming out on top in the Album of the Year category.Here, we present a rundown of some of the mos ... More >>

Twins and Timberwolves players pick their entrance music: What's yours?

A few personal favorites herein.

Angry Birds theme remixed into five amazing covers

​With a cackle and a crash, Rovio Mobile's Angry Birds stormed casual gamers' hearts like a lean-to made of glass, boulders and logs. Rovio, a tiny computer game company in Espoo, Finland, debuted Angry Birds, a mobile phone game, in December 2009. Since then the Birds have become the number # ... More >>

5ingles

Fourth of July, Ten Second Film Fest: Freeloader Friday

​Fourth of July weekend promises to be a good one. This week in Freeloader Friday we have free fireworks, free film fests, free events for families, and more.

The Roots and Brother Ali collaborate on "The Trap"

Watch the hometown hip-hop star collaborate with one of his heroes.

Brother Ali on Jimmy Fallon tonight

Ali will sit in with the Roots for a "rare collaboration."

The Roots to return to the First Ave stage tonight

The Roots thrive in a strange place; they're an active part of modern hip-hop, but also removed from it.

Judas Priest, the Roots, and more

Karriem Riggins Experience

The Roots

Making Music: Black Blondie

Eyedea & Abilities

McNally Smith River Rocks Music Festival: Ozomatli

The Root of All Evil Memorial Metal Massacre

Art of Sweat Rhythm Fest #3

Letters to the Editor

Readers respond to "Dosh's World"

How Atmosphere Went Electro

Why Lemons is like Tom Waits for Prince Fans

4Hero: Two Pages