Last weekend, I left my apartment and made my way to a large room full of strangers. We were all listening to music, whether or not we thought about it. Familiar songs piped through overhead speakers as we shuffled around one another, taking care to remain six feet apart. There was no dancing or singing […]
Yusra Jara isn’t aspiring to fit your idea of a pop artist. Known by the stage name Yusra J, she plans to carve a path into the music industry on her own terms: as a young Somali-Oromo woman with a scarf on her head and sneakers on her feet. Jara, 21, first dove into music […]
Last March 13 I went to a party and played music long into the night to celebrate a close friend’s 60th birthday. By the next morning I was panicking, wondering if I had just doomed my family (in fact, we didn’t catch COVID until November), and later that day canceled all my St. Patrick’s Day […]
In mid-January, Colin Campbell learned that Tommy Stinson, Minneapolis music legend and former bassist for the Replacements, was giving away an organ that belonged to his late brother and Replacements founding member, Bob Stinson. For free. “All three of us Campbell brothers in the Shackletons are crazy ‘Mats fans,” Campbell said. “[Stinson’s web manager] said […]
The music industry let out a sigh of relief when the Shuttered Venue Operators grant program (f.k.a. Save Our Stages Act) passed in December after months of nationwide grassroots activism. Included in the latest federal COVID-19 relief package, the program will bring $15 billion in grants to live entertainment venues and promoters who saw a […]
Throughout the past year, many of us have had to figure out how to do our jobs online, replacing offices for a work from home setup and trading the meeting room with the Zoom room. But how does a music teacher work from home? What happens when you can’t play a song along with a […]
When Bob Dylan recently sold his publishing catalog for an estimated $300+ million, or when Stevie Nicks sold hers for a reported $100 million, some fans might have thought it strange that Prince’s entire estate, including all his rights to music compositions and recordings, totaled only $82.3 million in value. So did the I.R.S. The […]
On a Saturday back in April, Kerry Alexander and Chris Hoge of Minneapolis indie pop band Bad Bad Hats appeared on screen sporting sunglasses, flannel, and ‘90s band merch. A stretch of silence took the place of sound check as they waited for fans to join the first episode of “Islands in the Livestream.” After […]
With the entire state snuggled up under a fresh blanket of snow, there’s no better time to curl up for a holiday at home and enjoy some of the best holiday videos Minnesotan’s have to offer. Bundle up, sit back, and happy holidays! New Power Generation – “Christmas Party!” Longtime Prince backing band New Power […]
The Friday Five inbox (submit by shooting a message to fridayfive [at] mpr.org) fills up with an eclectic mix of music videos each week. Sometimes longstanding local favorites, sometimes brand new DIY projects, and this week, a particularly mysterious artist performing under the moniker 85918 who shared an energetic, psychedelic experience for his latest single […]
