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Local Current Vol. 2

Posted at 8:00 PM on January 15, 2012 by The Current

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Purchase | Information | Tracklist

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Information

2011 was an incredible year for Minnesota music. Polica rose to sudden national prominence while Howler blew up in the U.K., and Doomtree trounced the Twin Cities with a blistering run of sold-out shows that spanned an entire week at First Avenue. But the action happening in the Twin Cities goes far beyond those marquee names, and at times the output of new music coming out of Minnesota was so fast and so fierce it was all we could do to keep up. As more bands like Night Moves continue to get signed by prominent labels and the spotlight on the local scene grows brighter, it's a good time to take a step back and revisit the great strides we made as a community this year. Which is where Local Current Vol. 2 comes in: it's a document of the most memorable songs to come out of our great state in 2011, all of which were recorded exclusively for The Current in the studios of Minnesota Public Radio. For those looking to delve deeper into the art being created in our own backyards, consider this your crash course.

— Andrea Swensson

Local Current Vol. 2 will be available at The Current's 7th Birthday Party on January 27 and 28, online at Pretty Good Goods, and at The Electric Fetus starting January 31.


Tracklist
Polica

1. "Wandering Star"


With a debut album recorded alongside Jim Eno of Spoon under their belts (and not even officially released yet), Polica just keeps on gaining popularity. The blogosphere is awash in Polica praise and many in particular took note of the session they did with us here at The Current, a gorgeous recording showcasing some of the first live performances of tracks that had been circulating on the web months prior.




Halloween, Alaska

2. "Empire Waist"


At this point, Halloween, Alaska may be one of the best known bands in Minnesota based purely on its members’ current and previous projects: Love-Cars, Happy Apple, 12 Rods, The Bad Plus… the list goes on. It’s always a treat when the guys can get back together again in a studio, especially considering it had been two years since their critically lauded Champagne Downtown.



Howler

3. "I Told You Once"


One of the notable break-out bands of the year, Howler is also a really young band – most members aren’t even legal yet. But that youthfulness is what’s most appealing about the unhinged punk rock of Howler and attracted indie powerhouse Rough Trade to release their debut album. You can also tell the band is versatile; their sound is much different than Total Babe who lead singer Jordan Gatesmith played with previously.



MPR Photo / Nate Ryan

The Cloak Ox

4. "Wax Museum"


Voted number 1 in this year’s Picked to Click Poll by CityPages, The Cloak Ox has only released one EP. However, the surge in recognition is probably due to who makes up the band. With Andrew Broder, Martin Dosh, Jeremy Ylvisaker, and Mark Erickson together in one room, the music that results is bound to be the best in experimental rock.



MPR Photo / Nate Ryan

Doomtree

5. "Little Mercy"


We probably don’t need to say anything else about why Doomtree is prolific. As a collective, they have redefined hip-hop in the Midwest and managed to gain a sizable national audience. Even more impressive is the clout each member’s solo projects hold. With releases from Dessa, Sims, Lazerbeak, Cecil Otter, P.O.S., Mike Mictlan, and Paper Tiger all in the past few years, there was no way Minnesotans would forget the existence of Doomtree.



MPR Photo / Nate Ryan

Brute Heart

6. "Blindfolded"


A veteran of the local music scene, there really is no other band in the Twin Cities that sounds like Brute Heart. Viola, bass, drums, and syncopated vocals among the three members – the arrangements are so layered that it’s no surprise that it took two years to perfect their second album Lonely Hunter.



Video still by Dan Huiting

Night Moves

7. "Horses"


Another surprise with local music came just a few weeks ago when Night Moves announced they were signing with Domino Records, the home of Arctic Monkeys and Animal Collective. Without a doubt one of the most significant local signings in recent memory, Night Moves joins Austin-native John Maus (who sits on Domino’s imprint label Ribbon Music) as the second band to join the Brooklyn-based roster in a year.



Dead Man Winter

8. "Nicotine"


Dead Man Winter may share a few members of Trampled By Turtles but there is one main difference: where Trampled specializes in out-of-control bluegrass and folk, Dead Man Winter takes a darker approach, making suitable music for a winter night, slowing things down with lush, complex, and almost atmospheric melodies, all aided by the voice of Dave Simonett.



Photo by Donna Simpson

Haley Bonar

9. "Raggedy Man"


A one-time resident of Portland and Duluth, Haley Bonar has migrated back to Minnesota for the recording of her newest album Golder. Featuring a backing band who have played with the likes of Andrew Brid, Rogue Valley, Happy Apple, and Mason Jennings, Bonar continually proves her talents, especially with a post-punk side project called Gramma’s Boyfriend.



Photo by Louisa Podlich

Brian Just Band

10. "Electric"


A favorite of The Local Show this past year, the Brian Just Band infiltrated our airwaves with their special blend of 60s folk rock. They’re not newbies though – as a solo artist, Brian Just has been making music since 2005. Then he enlisted the help of five others with multi-instrumental talents to hone the creative process for their 2011 debut If You Like To Be Alone Or If You Need To Be With Someone.



Mystery Palace

11. "Fever"


In a state known for its folk, rock, and hip-hop, it’s difficult for straight-up pop music to come to the center of attention. But time and again Ryan Olcott of Mystery Palace has succeeded in turning heads. Creating blippy anthems often the result of his own technological innovations, we thought it was necessary to include a band on this compilation who is doing something very different.



Photo by Mike Lewis

Pink Mink

12. "End of the World Delight"


A band that came out of nowhere, prominently fronted by Arzu Gokcen of Selby Tigers and Christy Hunt of Ouija Radio, Pink Mink quickly won best new artist in the 2010 CityPages Picked to Click Poll. The release of their debut record this year took the Cities by storm, even playing a record release show on a boat going down the Mississippi. It’s fun, unadulterated rock ‘n roll.



MPR Photo / Nate Ryan

The 4onthefloor

13. "Lionhearted"


These guys played more shows in 2011 than probably any other local band. With a goal of involvement in every major festival in Minnesota last year, we’re pretty sure they either got close or totally succeeded in that endeavor. Along the way, thousands of fans have been gained and that support got them to number 21 in our Top 89 Albums of 2011 poll.



MPR Photo / Nate Ryan

Peter Wolf Crier

14. "Krishnamurti"


We’ve talked a lot about break-out artists from Minnesota and Peter Wolf Crier were the ones that kicked off the trend just two years ago. Their first record Inter-Be gradually gained momentum through word of mouth over months. Then one day we learned that Indiana-based Jagjaguwar Records had taken them onto the roster, joining the likes of Dinosaur Jr., Bon Iver, and GAYNGS.



MPR Photo / Nate Ryan


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