Musicians around the world, and particularly here in Minnesota, have been sharing grief and anger at the police killing of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center on Sunday. Below is a selection of those responses. Our colleagues at MPR News are continuing to cover this developing story. Nothing to reform. Burn it down and start over…
Brandi Carlile's new memoir 'Broken Horses' is a heartfelt, candid, rousing read.
Richard Thompson's 'Beeswing' is one of the most unassuming music memoirs you're likely to read: a gentle meditation on life in the London folk-rock scene (which he helped invent) in the late 1960s and early '70s.
Celebrate your love of music (and public radio) with three mobile wallpapers from The Current.
Sean Tillmann, the Minneapolis musician who performs as Har Mar Superstar, has been accused of sexual misconduct. Multiple women have detailed experiencing “assault or harassment” by Tillmann in incidents spanning 2014 to 2017, reports the Star Tribune. After one account surfaced recently in a private Facebook post, other women shared accounts and have now spoken…
Wisely, biographer Sandra B. Tooze doesn't try too hard to explain the genius of the Band's Levon Helm: she just lets the stories pile up like great performances.
Rhythm Nation 1814, the 1989 Janet Jackson album that served as a statement of purpose for a generation, is one of 25 recordings that have been added to the National Recording Registry, the Library of Congress announced today. “We wanted Rhythm Nation to really communicate empowerment,” said co-producer “Jimmy Jam” Harris in a statement. “It…
Liquor Lyle’s, a 58-year-old bar that’s been a longtime hangout for members of the music, entertainment, and media scene at the northern edge of South Minneapolis, will not reopen under its present ownership, reports Axios. General manager Jeremiah Kline told reporter Nick Halter that “the owners, after going back and forth over the past year,…
Paisley Park has announced that it will open the venue’s atrium for fans to visit, free of charge, and pay their respects to Prince on April 21 — which will mark five years since Prince’s tragic death. The atrium, a light-filled space at the heart of Paisley Park that was very special to Prince, will…
Rich Mattson is a North Country institution, having run Sparta Sound on the Mesabi Iron Range for the past 15 years. In an Instagram interview, Mattson talked about the new album from his band the Northstars; the legacy of his home (formerly church) studio; and his plans for the summer.
Rarely has a book been more aptly titled than this new oral history of an era where shamelessness sold.
After livestreaming last year, the Blue Ox Music Festival is planning an in-person return for August 2021. Justin Bruhn of festival co-founders Pert Near Sandstone talked about the spirit of the festival - and how participants plan to pay tribute to the late Max Graham of Kind Country.
The nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards were announced today, giving H.E.R. an Oscar nomination the morning after she won Song of the Year at the Grammys.
The 63rd Grammys kicked off with the Sunday afternoon Premiere Ceremony, at which most of the awards are actually presented.
For today's 9:30 Coffee Break, what songs do you want to hear that would be great on a mixtape?
When you hear the word 'almanac,' who do you think of? Old farmers? Eric Eskola? Cathy Wurzer? Joe Mauer? It'll probably take you a while to get to Damon Albarn's animated band Gorillaz, but in fact, they now have their very own Almanac.
Minnesota music fans have been following Lydia Liza's musical journey for years - from her breakout fronting Bomba de Luz to her emergence as a solo artist (and viral success rewriting 'Baby, It's Cold Outside') to her collaborations with artists ranging from Big Cats to Justin Courtney Pierre. Along the way she's been candid about her journey.
Today, Minneapolis band Kind Country shared the news that Max Graham — lead vocalist, mandolinist, and a co-songwriter in the group — has died. “It is with deep regret and sorrow that we inform you that our dear brother, Max, has left this earthly home,” the group wrote in a statement on Facebook. “We are…
When you've hung out with Beyonce, Joni Mitchell, Rihanna, Adele, Mariah Carey, and Stevie Nicks, your book about 'women, music, and fame' is pretty much guaranteed to be worth reading.
Hozier's performance of the traditional Irish song 'The Humours of Whiskey,' recorded at The Current in 2019, is going viral on TikTok.