Twin Cities
Articles, blog posts, and videos relating to Twin Cities artists, figures, or events.
- Guante and Big Cats! at One Day in July (Minneapolis, MN) ()
Photos and video of Guante and Big Cats!‘s set at the July 25, 2009 One Day in July festival in Minneapolis’ Warehouse District, featuring performances of “Bring Out Your Dead,” “Dragons,” and “Old English Letters.” [This post was first published by Culture Bully.]
- Gay Witch Abortion at Grumpy’s (Minneapolis, MN) ()
Video of Gay Witch Abortion‘s July 25, 2009 set at Grumpy’s features performances of “Action Cop,” “Your Own Militia,” “Girl Pop Soda,” and “Biocation.” [This post was first published by Culture Bully.]
- Sonic Youth at First Avenue (Minneapolis, MN) ()
Stepping up to the mic a few songs into the performance, guitarist Lee Ranaldo briefly dropped a disclaimer that the band would be playing a lot of new songs; he was right. As the first chords of “No Way” began to reverberate throughout First Avenue, Sonic Youth immediately set a trend that would remain consistent […]
- Sick of Sarah Critics’ Pick ()
As the old adage goes, it takes 20 years to become an overnight success. Though Sick of Sarah are miles away from catching a glimpse of that two-decade milestone (their five-year anniversary isn’t too far off, however), the five-piece all-female rock group may very well be on the verge of capturing that evasive status. A self-described mixture […]
- Mayhem at Station 4 (St. Paul, MN) ()
Though Blackened Fest had already been off to a rocky start, a delay in the visa process prevented Marduk from joining the tour and the entire Boise date had been canceled, a most unfortunate notice greeted fans as they arrived at St. Paul’s Station 4. An initial glimpse at the notice suggested that three local […]
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs at First Avenue (Minneapolis, MN) ()
Video of Yeah Yeah Yeahs‘ May 30, 2009 show at First Avenue in Minneapolis, MN features performances of “Heads Will Roll,” “Dull Life,” “Gold Lion,” “Miles Away,” “Pin,” “Zero,” “Cheated Hearts,” and “Date with the Night.” [This post was first published by Culture Bully.]
- Flak Radio ()
Podcast guest on the May 22, 2009 Gastro Non Grata edition of Flak Radio.
- Big Quarters ()
Four years ago, City Pages ran a cover story on a young, burgeoning hip-hop group by the name of Big Quarters. The article followed Brandon “Allday” Bagaason and his younger brother “Medium” Zach as they traveled through Illinois, documenting performances, ideologies, and personalities. The most remarkable development captured during the trip wasn’t the struggle of […]
- Magic Castles Critics’ Pick ()
The name Magic Castles conjures up mythological tales of wizardry and adventure. As such, when imagining what a band by that name might sound like, it wouldn’t be out of line to predict a booming prog-rock amalgamation of extended keyboard solos intricately woven between booming guitars and lyrical blasts delicately recalling the stories of knights […]
- Mogwai and the Horrors at First Avenue (Minneapolis, MN) ()
Photos of Mogwai and the Horrors taken May 11, 2009 at First Avenue in Minneapolis, MN. [This post was first published by Culture Bully.]
- How Was The Show/Minneapoliscast CD Reviews ()
How Was The Show/Minneapoliscast CD Reviews podcast originally published for May 5, 2009 by How Was The Show.
- Dan Wilson Critics’ Pick ()
Standing as the premier long-format live interview series in the Twin Cities, the University of Minnesota’s Whole Music Club’s “Making Music” has established itself as a staple in the music scene, consistenly hosting discussions that offer insight into the minds of local and national artists. Now well into its ninth season, “Making Music” follows a celebrated […]
- Cloud Cult Critics’ Pick ()
The last two months have been insanely eventful for Cloud Cult: The band completed the first leg of their current tour while playing a series of co-headlining dates with Margot and the Nuclear So & Sos, made their first-ever appearance at the mammoth Coachella Music and Arts Festival, and released the career-spanning retrospective DVD No One […]
- Mastodon at Fine Line Music Cafe (Minneapolis, MN) ()
Video of Mastodon‘s April 29, 2009 show at the Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis, MN featuring performances of “Oblivion,” “Bladecatcher,” and “Colony of Birchmen.” [This post was first published by Culture Bully.]
- Guante & Big Cats! “One of These Mornings (remix)” ()
“Life ain’t short, it’s just a lot of people waste it.” This could simply be coincidental, but it’s fitting that the tracks on Guante and Big Cats!’s Start a Fire EP have been edited and cut down to their most basic, wasting nothing in the process. It’s not that Big Cats!’s beats are any less […]
- Dan Israel “See the Morning Light” Review ()
From a place of personal crisis comes See the Morning Light, the 10th solo album in roughly a decade from Dan Israel. Following 2007’s rousing Turning, an album recorded with an uplifting spirit guided by the help of countless friends, Israel hit an emotional low, one that left him in the grip of depression, from which it took him nearly […]
- T.Q.D. “The Appetizer” EP Interview ()
Following the release of the Background Noise Crew’s Everybody Does This, the group’s T.Q.D. dropped an extremely limited release of The Appetizer EP as a supplemental CD in preparation for the emcee’s sophomore album, Clench, Grit, Breathe. Speaking of the EP T.Q.D. explained, “When I was making my full length Clench, Grit, Breathe, I wanted […]
- Prince “LotusFlow3r” Review ()
In describing First Avenue to someone from outside of the Twin Cites, it’s easiest to just explain it as “that club” in Purple Rain; Prince returned to “that club” for the first time in two decades as one of three shows he played in Minneapolis on July 7, 2007. Following an in-store at Macy’s and […]
- The Evening Rig ()
Listening to the Evening Rig is a bit like going back home and eating one of grandma’s hearty, home-cooked meals—especially if your grandma is a heavy drinker who has an odd preoccupation with Reckless-era Bryan Adams. You’re likely to hear yourself in the music as it fills you up, and chances are that you’ll hear […]
- Dan Israel “See The Morning Light” Interview ()
In 2007 Dan Israel worked with a number of friends and musicians in releasing his most critically acclaimed album to date, Turning. Noting of the release in his sparkling review, Luke Torn wrote in the the U.K.’s Uncut Magazine, “The world-weariest songs on Turning continue to prick at the emotions and insecurities of the strive-a-day […]
- His Mischief “The Perfect Lover” Review ()
The perfect lover. For each individual those words are likely to conjure a variety images. One might dream of Burt Reynolds tastefully covered in Vaseline, wearing nothing but a Speedo and cowboy boots; another, Jamie Lee Curtis erotically knocking back single serving after single serving of Activia Yogurt. And while we may never know what […]
- Muja Messiah Critics’ Pick ()
Those who hustle tend to get ahead in whatever their game of choice, and that fact isn’t lost on local MC Muja Messiah, who at every turn concerns himself with staying one step ahead of the pack. Recently returning from Las Vegas, where he was recording material that follows the release of last year’s Thee Adventures of […]
- Black Lips at Turf Club (St. Paul, MN) ()
Video of the Black Lips‘ March 16, 2009 set at the Turf Club in St. Paul, MN, featuring performances of “Sea of Blasphemy,” “Everybody’s Doin’ It,” “Time of the Scab,” “Bad Kids,” “Cold Hands,” “O Katrina,” and “Dirty Hands.” [This post was first published by Culture Bully.]
- Tricky at Fine Line Music Cafe (Minneapolis, MN) ()
Photos of Tricky taken March 16, 2009 at Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis, MN. [This post was first published by Culture Bully.]
- Minneapoliscast with Muja Messiah ()
Minneapoliscast podcast recorded at Seabed Recording Studio in St. Paul, MN with Muja Messiah.
- Cloud Cult Interview ()
The Cloud Cult documentary No One Said It Would Be Easy will be released on April 21, and with it comes another credit for a band who for the past decade has been tireless in creating their art. Lead singer Craig Minowa and the film’s director and editor John Paul Burgess took some time to […]
- Dillinger Four Critics’Pick ()
St. Paul’s Turf Club hosts all manner of artist showcases, but rare is the occasion when the club hosts a punk show—let alone a punk show of this caliber—for only $6. Friday night’s show serves as both a homecoming for Pretty Boy Thorson and the F’n A’s (the band returns from a string of shows […]
- A Night in the Box Critics’ Pick ()
Echoing an intense, deep country blues, A Night in the Box has in a few short years gone from being a spare time project for a group of high-school friends to one of the most unique and soulful bands in the Twin Cities. Last year the group released its second studio album via Afternoon Records, Write […]
- Romantica Critics’ Pick ()
How is it that an Irish singer helms one of the Twin Cities’ best answers to modern Americana? After hearing Romantica and digesting the group’s cohesiveness, such a question is entirely moot—just know that the band makes complete sense after even a brief listen. Gaining immense national recognition with 2007’s America, Romantica has steadily been building […]
- The Guystorm “Real Big Business” ()
The Guystorm’s debut EP, loosely titled The Dark Album, contains a handful of whirlwind tracks that the band has been fine-tuning since first coming together in late 2007. If my memory serves me correctly (it usually doesn’t), I believe the band’s performance at the 2007 Clapperclaw Music Festival was its second show ever, and that’s […]