I feel I should probably admit right off the bat that I have not been a massive fan of Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes. It’s not bad by any means, but it’s overall not quite melodic or singable enough and, Lord knows, Thom Yorke can write a beautiful melody. I’m more of a fan of, The Eraser or […]
Last time I saw Kamasi Washington, he impressed me so thoroughly that I couldn’t decide whether or not to pick up tickets for his show at the Palace last night. If you look at it one way, Washington’s set at Rock the Garden was a superlative moment – a once-in-a-lifetime, bright-sunshiney storm of drums, horns, […]
I’ve never done a cartwheel in my life. As a chubby six-year-old, I watched my friends spin around the room — insisting it was easy — but I kept falling on my shoulders. That all changed last night. I mean, I may not have lugged my 175 pounds up and over each other. But I grasped the […]
Jain’s sold out concert last night at the Fine Line Music Cafe was a playful and energetic evening led by an artist who took us on a sonic journey. The French pop artist, on a North American tour behind her 2018 album Souldier, is known for mixing sounds from a multitude of sources — from Arabic […]
P.O.S and Astronautalis have released a handful of singles as Four Fists, but if you’re still unfamiliar with their music, I’d actually steer you toward “Fjortis.” It’s not a “spotlight track,” sitting two-thirds through their album 6666. It’s calmer than any of its neighbors. But it links personal narrative, pyro-punk, and a glinty beat in […]
A woman dressed in black and white stares into the middle distance, trying not to blink. Her eyes are wet. She holds an acoustic guitar to her chest, planted on a stage that’s big but not bare. She’s caught in a moment, hesitant to leave when she’s got so much pride and gratitude inside her. […]
If you had a band and a full symphony orchestra to work with, which instrument would you choose to stand in for Prince’s voice? Does your brain reach for a guitar? A saxophone? Or would you rather leave the singing to your favorite recording? New Yorkers might have been asking themselves that last night as […]
Doomtree fans buckled in for a marathon celebration of the collective’s family tree last night at Familia HQ in Minneapolis. While Doomtree have not dropped a group album since 2015, its members have stayed ridiculously busy with side projects. Several offshoots had their chance to shine before the crew took the stage last night at […]
The Current’s Music on a Stick concert at the State Fair this year had a stacked lineup for those who are into bluegrass and romantic indie rock. Lissie opened the night, followed by Lord Huron and local favorites Trampled By Turtles. As the golden hour washed over those of us corralled in the Grandstand, Lissie took […]
On a steamy St. Paul evening in July 1994 (just down the road from where the Xcel Energy Center would open six years later), I saw my first Smashing Pumpkins show. They were headlining that year’s Lollapalooza tour, with a lineup that included the Beastie Boys, the Breeders, and a Tribe Called Quest, among others. […]
