In her short career as a musician, London-based artist Nilüfer Yanya has already grown into her own sound. After spending the first few years winning over fans with her jazzy pop tunes, her debut album, Miss Universe — out today — shows her transition to a more minimalist rock vibe. Her music is both crisp and […]
Before Rainbow Kitten Surprise’s sold-out show at the Palace Theatre in St. Paul last month, I met up with Sam Melo (lead vocals and keys) and Charlie Holt (bass). The North Carolina band have been on the fast track to success in recent years, their first two albums gaining enough support that they began playing […]
As Brandon Leu began playing his cello, his body seemed to become more and more relaxed. His facial expressions almost implied a music-induced trance. As the prelude to Bach’s first cello suite came to an end, Leu finished with a proudly raised cello bow after an almost flawless performance. He finally smiled as he continued to perform his hand-picked […]
Grief can unexpectedly rear its sometimes ugly head at moments many of us are not prepared to handle. Grief can choose to manifest itself in ways that we may not expect and at a time when we may think we’ve beaten the storm. For many dealing with grief, anxiety and panic attacks are not uncommon […]
This year’s harsh winter has brought sheets of snow and ice to the Twin Cities, creating dangerous conditions for homeowners. Last week, local singer-songwriter Channy Leaneagh (Poliça, Roma di Luna) fell and broke her back while trying to clear ice dams from the roof of her house. A GoFundMe campaign is raising money to cover […]
Empress Of performed an exuberant set at the Turf Club Saturday night with special guest Salt Cathedral. “Thank you for sharing your energy with me, and letting me do the same,” she beamed out into the crowd as the stage flashed green and gold. Throughout the night she would make varied use of this stage, […]
The Record Store Day countdown to April 13 has begun, and the list of artists releasing exclusives for this special day has been revealed. Prince, Bob Dylan, Jenny Lewis, Courtney Barnett, and John Lennon are just a few names on the list. Maybe the coolest offering is a recreation of Prince’s 1995 The VERSACE Experience: […]
Big V’s is closing this week (and immediately reopening under a new name and ownership), after four decades as a University Avenue landmark. We asked some local musicians and fans to share their Big V’s stories. Mark Larson (The Fattenin’ Frogs, the Federales) My best memory from Big V’s was at the first show of […]
Spike Lee won an Academy Award last night in the category of Best Adapted Screenplay for his groundbreaking film BlacKkKlansman. On the red carpet, the director/producer/writer wore a purple suit, hat, glasses, and custom-made diamond and opal encrusted Love Symbol necklace in honor of his late friend Prince Rogers Nelson. After 30 years in the […]
While some musicians are financially successful enough to focus exclusively on music, most aren’t quite so lucky. For the average musician, making a living can be a difficult puzzle to figure out. “It’s not going to look the way a lot of people think it will. It’s not glitzy and it involves a lot of […]
