Sister Calypso

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You may not have heard of Sister Calypso yet, but that’s no surprise as the band’s debut just dropped about a week ago and they’ve barely had any shows to speak of. No matter how all that sounds, Sister Calypso’s Bluewater Marauder EP is worth a listen, and the band will hopefully start appearing around town more often. The style-blenders use funk, blues, and soul to accompany lyrics addressing the complexity of relationships. The Bluewater Marauder EP is now available.

More is More

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More is More splurged for the holiday season and released their debut album Roy G. Black a little early. The duo, comprising drummer Chris Dacut and guitarist Tim Kraus, produce experimental post-rock instrumentals that sound like they could be jammed on for hours. The duo recorded Roy G. Black completely analog, and the album's tracks were even ripped into the digital format from vinyl. The duo strived to accomplish a pure analog listening experience, as if any digital 1s and 0s would taint it. You can catch them at the Triple Rock on Jan. 4, and vinyl will be available by early 2015.

Mike the Martyr

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Producer and MC Mike the Martyr is ringing in the new year by dropping his debut, Marbury, on New Year's Day. Marbury is full of slow and soulful production that could stand on its own, and Mike’s witty lines are frosting on the cake. Standout track “No Tears” features Yakub of Audio Perm, and may become your go-to track with its catchy drumbeat buried beneath the crackle of vinyl, distorted piano lines, and bluesy guitar riffs. Most of Marbury can be found on SoundCloud.

Aaron Hedenstrom Quintet

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Aaron Hedenstrom is leading a jazz quintet for the first time in his career, and as debuts have flooded the music scene in recent weeks, the Aaron Hedenstrom Quintet's, A Moment of Clarity, is another to add to the list. The debut was released by way of Shifting Paradigm Records on Dec. 27. Hedenstrom and his group had their release show at Studio Z on the day of the release. A Moment of Clarity is available at the Electric Fetus.

Aaron Bolton is a senior at the University of Minnesota. Currently he is a co-host on Radio K’s Off The Record and is the music reporter at Radio K. He hopes to continue a career in music journalism.