On her third album, singer Janelle Monáe delivers an innovatively inspired release that is honest and funky. Album Grade: A Released shortly after the second anniversary of Prince’s death, Janelle Monáe takes up the purple one’s mantle to deliver a daring, tuneful collection of songs that is both commercial and challenging. Lyrically direct, Monáe drops…Read More
College students do not generally shy away from societal norms. Whether it’s food, fashion or their radio, they recognize the acceptable and try to flip it on its head. It only makes sense that college radio stations would reflect a similar attitude as they defy the norms of commercial radio stations and craft content that…Read More
For a period of time in the early 1990’s, the most reliable place in Minnesota to see touring punk bands — some on the brink of arena stardom — wasn’t the Twin Cities, but Mankato. How and why did our 22nd largest city become ground zero for underground music? I sought out some of the…Read More
Judas Priest delivers a spotty, uneven release that generates sparks but fails to truly ignite. Album Grade: C On the verge of their 50th anniversary, venerable British Metallers Judas Priest defiantly attempt to throw off notions of age on their 18th studio release. While their performance is muscular, the songs show a tendency to fall…Read More
People like to talk about the weather, and perhaps this is due to ‘weather’ being the one thing we are all experiencing at the same degree … Fahrenheit. Bad puns aside, I’ll admit that I share in the opinion that this winter, in its entirety, has sucked a metric **** ton. One could simply dwell…Read More
From his early days in Calvin Krime and Sean Na Na, to his solo career as an indie pop/R&B artist and involvement in soft rock inspired musical band Gayngs, Sean Tillman, better known by his stage name, Har Mar Superstar, has carved out nothing short of an amazing career. And wouldn’t you know it –…Read More
The members of Bad Bad Hats may not hail from the mean streets of Minnesota, but make no mistake; the band’s story starts and continues here. Formed at Macalester College in 2012, the group has made this state its home, frequenting the 7th St Entry and sometimes even posting up at First Avenue, in…Read More
When Red Wing resident and frontman for the Double Down Daredevils, Tom Peschges, heard that there was going to be a music festival downtown in February, he was skeptical. “They do know we are in Minnesota, right?” he thought. But now Tom is a believer in Big Turn Music Fest. And who wouldn’t be after…Read More
What seems like a lifetime ago, I was longboarding the streets of my hometown with a group of people I barely knew, and I first heard of this month’s spotlight artist: Dessa, a 30-something, female, Minnesotan rapper amidst a largely male-based genre. I was taken with her rhymes, the sound of her voice, and the…Read More
JT relies on years of professional show business experience to deliver a heartfelt glimpse into his personal life on a fun and joyously funky release. Album Grade: B Despite the title, Man of the Woods is neither rustic nor gritty. It is a fun and deeply personal album by Justin Timberlake certain to please his…Read More