“Hurricane” is a video from South Carolina’s NEEDTOBREATHE, and happy I was to find this recently dropped in the ebox!  I’m a sucker for this kind of southern rock, and am right excited for this band’s appearance in the Twin Cities at First Avenue on March 20.  You should be too!  Cover for the show is $16.25, doors open at 6:00PM, and access is 18+.

Links

NEEDTOBREATHE – Website / Myspace

posted February 25th, 2010 at 12:03 pm Video NEEDTOBREATHE

Prozac Rat (www.myspace.com/prozacrat) is the kind of band rock writers love to profile because it’s possible to seriously mention any of the following in the lead: homemade didgeridoos, necrophilia, or Phil Collins.

In other words, the men of Prozac Rat are mad scientists—just replace the exploding beakers and lab coats with daffy lyricism and instruments pawned from local electronics stores. Rarely do the experiments blow up in their face, though. Prozac Rat turns out instantly classic pop anthems à la Ween that leave you wondering why it took so long for someone to write a song about pigeons inhabiting chest cavities or girls hauling Easy Bake ovens into house parties.

“Who Invited You” by Prozac Rat

This Tin Pan Alley-meets-Pee Wee’s Playhouse aesthetic has rolled into the World Nomad Pub every Thursday night this February and they’ll be at the Turf Club on Thursday, March 4 for Rock n’ Raffle. A vow has been made to repeat no songs. No sweat. Dietr Poppen and Noah Smith (cousins from Dell Rapids, South Dakota by way of Minneapolis) have written “hundreds of songs” together since 1997—most sitting at home in an Alexandrian iTunes folder, of which some were distilled last fall into their debut LP, Big Palsy, released at the defunct Uptown Bar.

Read more…

posted February 24th, 2010 at 2:35 pm Download, MN Rock, Video Prozac Rat

Here’s a hot live performance of “Working Hard” by Retribution Gospel Choir from their Current session a couple weeks back.  We’ve often wondered exactly how to define the power relations between this band’s state and this band’s record label.  For instance, is Retribution Gospel Choir Minnesota’s ambassador to Sub Pop, or is Retribution Gospel Choir Sub Pop’s ambassador to Minnesota?  At first I thought the latter – now I’m just confused.

Links

Retribution Gospel Choir – Website / Myspace

posted February 18th, 2010 at 7:53 pm MN Rock, Video Retribution Gospel Choir

Our friends over at Dirty Laundry finally got a Minnesota artist in to wash some clothes, and that artist is none other than our Har Mar Superstar.  In addition to some quirky interactions between Har Mar and Malia James (Malia is a quirky, yet very cool girl), one may also witness Har Mar commenting on the greatest make-out records of all time, songwriting camp, and crafting a song for Britney Spears that never quite made it to her studio.

I remember the last time I saw Har Mar at the Triple Rock.  I brought my brother with, and he was terrified of the man in the tighty whites.  Sorry if anyone feels let’s down, but Har Mar keeps his clothes on in this one.

Links

Har Mar Superstar – Website / Myspace

posted February 17th, 2010 at 2:53 pm MN Rock, Video Har Mar Superstar

Word from the Northern Outpost crew is that they’re back on the content fast wagon again, and we couldn’t be more pleased.  Here’s the straight talk:

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone! We’re back! We’ve got a new video from a session we did with TARLTON, featuring their brand new song “Tapes”. Check it out! Keep checking back because we’ve got videos coming out almost every other week for a while now. Expect more from Tarlton, Self-Evident, Zoo Animal, Buildings and MORE!   – Northern Outpost

If Northern Outpost slipped past your eyes and ears in 2009, now is a good time to make some amends with your “think local” consciousness.  Get you over there and check out the back catalogue of videos from many of the brightest artists Minnesota has to offer.  Seriously sweet stuff!

Links

Tarlton – Myspace

posted February 16th, 2010 at 12:33 pm MN Rock, Video Tarlton

The parentheses reads “Homemade Video” on the Grain Belt Records Youtube page, but this video isn’t homemade in the same way as, say, a sheet of cookies is.  It’s a little rough around the edges just like a baby alligator, but the thing leaps out and takes a snap-at-yo’-ass  just the same.  A perfect black & white reeling!  Kudos to you – Howard and Laura.

Link

Red Pens – Website / Myspace

posted February 16th, 2010 at 9:17 am MN Rock, Video Red Pens

Yesterday Dan Wilson posted a Myspace bulletin wishing everyone a heartfelt Valentine’s Day, and as a special treat,  he embedded a video of a love song he recorded over this long cold winter named “Everything Green.”  True form, I say!  I remember a conversation I had with Slim Dunlap many years back where he told me the reason we have so many great artists and so much great music in Minnesota is largely due to the winter.  Indeed, Dan Wilson, what else are we to do when snowed in for so long?  Write songs, and, uh, blog?

Links

Dan Wilson – Website / Myspace

posted February 15th, 2010 at 11:26 am MN Rock, Video Dan Wilson

Something about Caroline Smith music in the dead of winter is really good.  Happy February everyone.

Links

Caroline Smith – Myspace

posted February 1st, 2010 at 10:11 pm MN Rock, Video Caroline Smith

We were just recently just turned on to MPLS.TV, and when we landed there, what did we find?  Lo and behold, most excellently arranged footage of Best New Band Night at First Avenue nightclub from a couple weeks back.  In the video you’ll find some live concert footage and  interviews with the artists and event organizers.  The City Pages‘ Andrea Swensson acts as your guide to the action, with a short usurpation by No Bird Sing’s Eric Blair.

Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure the microphone hand-off between Andrea and Eric was amicable.

posted January 29th, 2010 at 10:37 am MN Rock, Video New Band Night

The Plastic Constellations did an in-studio performance at 89.3 The Current earlier this month, and unless you were one of the 1,377 people who hit youtube to watch it, you probably haven’t seen it yet.  It’s worth watching, enjoy!

Links

The Plastic Constellations – Myspace

posted January 28th, 2010 at 11:58 am MN Rock, Video The Plastic Constellations