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Friday Five: Maple & Beech, the Symptones, and more new Minnesota music videos

Nicole Wilder in Maple & Beech's "OK"
Nicole Wilder in Maple & Beech's "OK"

by Cecilia Johnson

April 19, 2019

I know we're all busy stanning Lizzo today, but once you've gotten through Cuz I Love You a few times and need a break so you can reappreciate its glory...here's the spot to be. We've got five great videos by emerging Minnesota acts.

Maple & Beech - "OK"

Maple & Beech, masters of the earworm, have added Nicole Wilder to their ranks. Wilder sang lead vocals and co-wrote "OK," the first song on the band's next album, which they promise to share this summer. If you can't wait to hear more from Maple & Beech, catch them opening for Step Rockets at the Amsterdam on May 10.

The Symptones - "Rosetta"

It's hard to believe The Symptones's new song "Rosetta" is just two minutes and 16 seconds long. Despite its brevity, it feels like a fully formed tune — one that makes me excited for more music from Irrational Fears / Overactive Imagination, their LP due out April 26. After checking out this Steven George-directed video, mark your calendar for the album release show at Mortimer's on April 27.

44 - "The Shirt"

Dan Hylton and Pat Gibbons, members of bygone Minneapolis band 44, recently found an analog tape of four unreleased songs they recorded in the '90s. They decided to clean them up and put them out, unveiling a new EP called Escape from Moon Jail. Hylton writes:

For the video we decided to have some fun with original 1995 concert footage from now-defunct Minneapolis club Ground Zero. Current-day Pat & I portray NASA stuffed shirts trying to come to grips with this rogue transmission from the past.

Chris Gale - "The Last Time I Heard Rock and Roll"

Chris Gale (Warehouse Eyes, OSO) recently moved to Los Angeles, but the rest of the team that worked on this song are rooted in Minneapolis. "The Last Time I Heard Rock and Roll" is the first single off Gale's LP A Cloud, which comes out June 14.

Church Traffic - "Declaration Seed"

Church Traffic won't be playing any live shows until fall, but they offer a "Declaration Seed" video to tide you over. Their first music video accompanies the first song from their album Tension.

Bonus: Lizzo - "Juice (Live on Jimmy Kimmel Live!)"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0hsHxuSk1I

Oh, you thought we were done talking about Lizzo in this post? Nope. This Jimmy Kimmel Live! performance is just one of the many promo gigs she's been playing in the last few months, but no matter how many you've seen, it's worth watching: for her stunning vocals, the Dr. Dre-style breakdown, and the Crenshaw jerseys, a touching nod to Nipsey Hussle and his Los Angeles neighborhood.

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