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Friday Five: A. Wolf extends her Claws, Atmosphere drops new student-made video

by Andrea Swensson

February 17, 2012

Thankfully, the Grammys weren't the only thing to rock the Minnesota music scene this week (so over it, amiright?). Check out some of the new tracks, videos, and notes from the local realm:

1. A. Wolf and Her Claws debut first track

Anyone who has seen Aby Wolf perform as Dessa's backing singer or in her solo project can testify that she's one of the most gifted singers in the Twin Cities, hands down. Her range, control, and expression are unrivaled -- and as she demonstrated on her solo debut, Sweet Prudence, she's also been developing her skills as a songwriter. Her new material, which is being released under the name A. Wolf and Her Claws, finds her migrating away from the singer-songwriter realm and into more experimental, electronically driven territory with the help of collaborators Jesse Whitney (synthesizer), Joey Van Phillips (vibraphone, also from Dessa's live band), and Linnea Mohn (additional vocals, also of Rogue Valley). Watch the video for "Drama Queen" by the ubiquitous Dan Huiting below, tune into the Local Current stream to catch another new track, "Zero to 60," and watch for A. Wolf and Her Claws' full-length debut to drop April 17.

For more on Ms. Wolf, her Dessa bandmate Sean McPherson posted a video of her performing Erykah Badu's "On and On" with Big Trouble back in 2009; you can see her live with the new band next Friday, February 24 at Hell's Kitchen.

 

2. Atmosphere teams up with Minnesota School of Business

For their newest video, "Became," Atmosphere and Rhymesayers decided to give a group of area students the chance to convey the song's message visually. The Minnesota School of Business teamed up with Minnesota Transitions Charter High School’s (MTS) Digital Media Academy and several other local professionals to produce Atmosphere’s latest video, and the finished product is out now. “Anytime we can involve ourselves with young artists on any level it’s a cool thing for us to do,” says Rhymesayers CEO Siddiq Sayers. Watch a behind-the-scenes doc about the project here.

 

 3. Photographer Adam Bubolz Kickstarting his first book

What started out as a hobby with a point-and-shoot camera has turned into a 10-year love affair with concert photography for Adam Bubolz, who is taking some time to reflect on his work and compile his first book. From punk shows at the Entry to underground shows in dingy basements, Bubolz's photos capture the unbridled energy of the live experience. He's only a few hundred dollars away from making his Kickstarter goal, which ends in five days, and you can see some additional samples of his work here.

 

4. Ecid releases dark new video for "Back From Japan"

Ecid has a new record coming out February 28, and his newest video takes a morbid turn. As Mike and Midwest Broadcast explains, Ecid created the beat for new song "Back From Japan" the day before the tsunami disaster, and his lyrics were inspired by the aftermath of that tragedy.

 

5. UPSTATE head into the basement

"Here's a video we recorded the other day somewhere in the depths of Minneapolis," UPSTATE said when they sent over this new one, which winds through a grimy basement and finds the band playing an endearing little acoustic ditty. If you dig it, check out their full EP on Bandcamp here.

Clean Water Land & Legacy Amendment
This activity is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment’s Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.