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Hockey
Hockey performs in The Current studio
With many of their songs about "trying to make it" in the music business, Hockey are slowly going to run out of material to write about. Often compared to The Strokes and LCD Soundsystem, the Portland, Oregon new wave pop band have making new fans since they began in 2007.
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Free 'NPR Music At SXSW' Sampler
Download a free 11-song sampler of the artists featured by NPR Music and public radio stations at this March's South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas.
Download Now
Tune in at 8 p.m. on Thursday as Mark Wheat counts down your Top 20. Pick your top five tracks for next week's chart show, and enter for your chance to win tickets to Temper Trap on March 23rd at the Varsity Theater.
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Previous Top 20
CD of the Week
Musicheads
March 9
The Musicheads are back! Bill DeVille welcomes Davids Campbell (host of The Local Show) and Safar (the station's Assistant Music Director) to the show. Up for discussion is the long-promised American VI by America's icon of song, the late Mr. Johnny Cash, plus new releases from the young Brits Malachai and New Zealanders the Ruby Suns.
The cast also asks the question: What is something (musically speaking) that you are really excited about?
The Current at SXSW
Next week join the Current as we're sending Jill Riley, Jim McGuinn, and Lindsay Kimball to Austin, Texas for SXSW. We'll bring back the sights and sounds from the world's biggest annual music gathering – with 4 days of non-stop gigging from over 1,500 bands, SXSW is a sonic smorgasboard of new and exciting bands, gathered under the Texas sun. Watch this space as we'll be giving check-ins on Thursday and Friday (9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 5 p.m.), blog posts, Twitter, and photos.
Read moreIn-studio performances
Free Energy
Free Energy performs in The Current Studios
Free Energy is a Philadelphia-based band, but one with roots in the Minneapolis music scene. A couple of the guys in the band, Scott Wells and Paul Sprangers, were both members of now-defunct local faves Hockey Night.
Citizen Cope
Five albums into his stunning solo career, Brooklyn-based acoustic artist Clarence Greenwood, known to the public as Citizen Cope, has once again charmed the independent music world with his newest release, "The Rainwater LP."
Wild Beasts
One of the most explosive forces in the indie rock community in the last few years, Wild Beasts have inspired everything from critical praise to interpretive dance troupe covers. The UK four-piece mix shoegaze traditions with glammy theatrics to tell their stories.
Laura Veirs
Laura Veirs released her self-titled, self-released debut in 1999 and in January 2010, she released her latest project, "July Flame" on her Raven Marching band label.
Alec Ounsworth
Alec Ounsworth is best known for his work with the band, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. To date, the band has released two self-distributed, full-length studio albums: "Clap Your Hands Say Yeah" and "Some Loud Thunder", as well as the internet-only live album release of "Live at Lollapalooza 2007: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah".
Phantogram
Joshua Carter and Sarah Barthel of Phantogram have known each other since junior high school but didn't become a band until 2007. After the duo honed their unique sound--slow-burning indie rock decorated with heavy, eerie electronics--they quickly earned the attention of independent labels.
On Now
Listen to the Stream
Radio Heartland
The Current Music Blog
Look Mom, I'm on MPR News!With the SXSW music conference fast approaching, I was asked to be a guest on Kerri Miller's show on MPR News this morning. Even having been on the air thousands of times in my life, for some reason I felt...
Friday Coffee Break: Definitive Versions
Today In Music History: God Bless You Please
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Cause and Effect
Exclusively on The Current
Prince's representative called to offer The Current a new and exclusive song and to give it its world debut. The song's is called "Cause and Effect" and you can hear it now!
Listen Now!Tell us what you think
Video
Bon Iver's debut release "For Emma, Forever Ago," a nine-song album, came together at a remote cabin in the woods of Northwestern Wisconsin. All of his personal troubles,including heartache, longing, love, loss, and guilt was purged into the form of song.
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The Chart Show
Host Mark Wheat counts down the Top 20 selected by you!
Broadcast: 8 p.m. Thursdays -
9:30 Coffee Break
Hosts Steve Seel and Jill Riley create your morning musical break.
Broadcast: 9:30 a.m. weekdays -
My Three Songs
Listen at noon every weekday for a new three-song set from a different listener.
Broadcast: Noon weekdays -
Radio Free Current
Each Saturday night, we're letting you take over The Current.
Broadcast: 7 - 11 p.m. Saturday -
Minnewiki
The Minnesota Music Encyclopedia -
Minnesota Music on Gather.com
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Listen on your iPhone
Listen to The Current on your iPhone and iPod Touch.
Video from the Local Show
Check out the video archive from our Local Show sessions! Each week we'll highlight a track from that week's in-studio guests.The Local Show videos
THE CURRENT PRESENTS
Back in the fall we had this idea: We believe that everyone has in them at least one great idea for a radio show - something they are passionate about - something that hasn't been done, and something that would be interesting to do. The ideas might be a one-offs or ongoing programs, but what if we had a place on the schedule where we could push ourselves to create and air new shows? As an idea lab, as a way to extend what we do at the Current, and just because it'd be fun and 'cause we can. 9 p.m. on Sunday nights.Coming up:
3/14 - Under The Covers - Barb Abney
3/21 - SXSW Recap
3/28 - Under The Influence - Bill DeVille
4/04 - New Hotness - David Safar
(Listen to previous episodes)
The Current presents
| 03/12 | Women with Vision International Film Festival |
| 03/24 | Tegan & Sara |
| 03/26 | Dan and Matt Wilson |
| 04/03 | Har Mar Superstar |
| 04/26 | Jakob Dylan & his band Three Legs |
Gather Groups
Minnesota Music on Gather.com
Minnesota's music scene has occasionally popped up on the national radar, but regardless of national attention it's a vibrant artistic community. Discuss the venues, shows, record stores, labels, or anything else pertaining to Minnesota music.
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