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Posted at 2:38 PM on February 26, 2011 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

Doomtree member Sims takes on the comfortably liberal

Amidst unrest in the MidEast and the MidWest, we still managed to do our bit to cover the rich cultural scene. Hip hop gets its share with both a feature on Sims and a full hour on Midmorning. And be sure to check out the sweet one-minute historical riff Classical host Bill Morelock did on "the very model of a modern major general."

Enjoy!

Rapper deconstructs critique song and finds himself
Minneapolis rapper Sims has a reputation for being the most overtly-political emcee in the hip hop crew, "Doomtree," and a track on his newly-released CD titled Bad Time Zoo takes aim at "progressive" public radio listeners.

Revisiting Huck Finn
Could Mark Twain ever have predicted that words he used more than 120 years ago would create such a fire storm in 2011? Midmorning profiles educators with different approaches to teaching the classic.

Nightinghales perform in The Current studio
Purposefully misspelled Minneapolis band the Nightinghales draw heavily from American-inspired, British blues bands like the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, and the also alternatively-spelled Byrds.

Wild Nothing performs live in The Current studio
Wild Nothing is the band from Virginia-born Jack Tatum. Produced entirely in his bedroom, Tatum started with the music before writing lyrics to his Smiths-inspired shoe-gaze songs. While on tour, Tatum brings a long band members to recreate the sounds live.

The Short Version: The Very Model of the Very Model
Not even the most ingenious imaginations operate in a vacuum. They're in the world, and their achievements often hang on how well they transform the fodder of history, gossip, or the headlines. William Gilbert, for instance (of Gilbert & Sullivan fame), found inspiration for one of his most memorable characters in reports of a busy and blustery soldier serving the Empire.

New Classical Tracks: Into the Limelight
As a composer, Frenchman Gabriel Pierne was overshadowed by some brilliant contemporaries, such as Ravel and Poulenc. A new disc of his works reveals music rich in charm and orchestral color.

Anthology of rap and hip-hop
Over the past 30 years rap and hip-hop have emerged as a powerful and influential cultural force. Midmorning examines the power and the poetry of rap music, from the "old school" to the present day.

The Cube Critics take on the Oscars
Stephanie Curtis, The Movie Maven and Arts reporter Euan Kerr sit across the cube at Minnesota Public Radio News, where they have a rapid, running dialogue about movies. For some strange reason, those golden, perfectly postured male statuettes are today's topic on Cube Critics.

Music with Minnesotans
Minnesota Historical Society Director Michael Fox shares some of his favorites

Alexi Murdoch performs live in The Current studio
Born in London, growing up in Greece and moving to Scotland at the age of 10 then going to college at Duke University, it wasn't until singer-songwritier Alexi Murdoch moved to L.A. that his career took off when KCRW host Nic Harcourt began playing his music.

The Dinner Party Download featuring Carrie Brownstein
This week on the Dinner Party Download, why we prefer our french fries served with a side of beach, moose murderers, and Sleater Kinney co-founder Carrie Brownstein.