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Jeremy Messersmith
Minneapolis singer-songwriter Jeremy Messersmith claims to be a hermit. Indeed, he's probably not exaggerating; although he moved to Minnesota in 1999, he only made it to the 7th Street Entry for the first time in 2007. (01/04/2007)

Randy Weeks
Randy Weeks' name isn't right at the tip of your tongue when you think of hit songwriters, but after Lucinda Williams recorded his song, "Can't Let Go" on her record, "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road", people began to take notice. (12/29/2006)

Alice Peacock
Growing up without a TV isn't all bad, according to Alice Peacock. Now living in Chicago, Alice hails from White Bear Lake, dontcha know. And she's quick to revert back to a heavy Minnesota accent on cue. (12/27/2006)

Peter Ostroushko
Mandolin and fiddle virtuoso Peter Ostroushko appears to be one of the most relaxed people on the planet. His thoughtful pauses are long enough to allow you to go for coffee and get back before he begins his answer. And that would be OK with him. (12/19/2006)

Ol' Yeller
Ol' Yeller plays the kind of music that sounds right at home in the dark confines of the 7th Street Entry or playing from a jukebox in Mattson's native Iron Range in northern Minnesota. (12/09/2006)

Snowden
To be sure, there's a serious streak to the band Snowden, but there's much more to this Atlanta based four-piece band. (12/08/2006)

The Dears
It's hard to stay grounded when you've been called " ... the Best New Band in the World," but this tight-knit group has remained true to their original blend of orchestral arrangements, narratives, and pop. (12/08/2006)

¡Forward, Russia!
An English indie band from Leeds, formed in the Spring of 2004. The band was particularly well known for its decision to only name tracks with numbers, in the order that they were written. (12/08/2006)

Free Range Pickin'
Free Range Pickin' has been quite busy this past year, although not necessarily together as a bluegrass band. They've been able to get together the last three years for a special holiday show at Minneapolis' Cedar Cultural Center. (12/07/2006)

Vietnam
The band Vietnam is the bad boys from Brooklyn, N.Y., who play the kind of rock suggested by the unholy ternary of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. They play melodramatic, blues-like glam rock with oddly enunciated vocals and mellow guitar strums. (12/05/2006)

The Roches
Maggie, Terre and Suzzy Roche started singing Christmas carols in New Jersey when they were young and have since recorded 15 albums as trios, duos and singles. They're back together as a trio for their latest tour passing through Minnesota and have a new record coming out in March 2007. They stopped by The Morning Show studios to chat and play some new songs and old favorites. (12/01/2006)

Nick Urata and Tom Hagerman of DeVotchka
Nick Urata and Tom Hagerman of DeVotchka stopped by Gluek's to talk with Mary Lucia before their performance at First Avenue. (11/30/2006)

My Brightest Diamond
My Brightest Diamond is Shara Worden, granddaughter of an Epiphone-playing traveling evangelist, fathered by a National Accordion Champion, and mothered by a church organist. Spanish tango, Sunday-morning gospel, classical and jazz were the accompaniment to her home life. (11/30/2006)

Dr. Dog
Dr. Dog has been creating music in various incarnations in their hometown of Philadelphia for nearly six years now. (11/29/2006)

Doomtree
Doomtree is a record label. Doomtree is a rap crew. Doomtree is a family. Over the past five years, Doomtree has become one of the most highly regarded hip-hop collectives in the Midwest, thanks to their innovative recordings, explosive live shows, and tireless work ethic. (11/28/2006)

Sonya Kitchell
Sonya Kitchell's rare gift may result from some fortuitous conspiracy of genetics and environment, or it may be the manifestation of something more mystical -- but there's certainly no denying her exceptional talent. Kitchell is an eloquent songwriter, dazzling singer and old soul who just happens to be 17 years of age. (11/29/2006)

Bon Savants
The Bon Savants' first album, "Post-Rock Defends the Nation," is a revelation. But for the Savants, who have long enjoyed a reputation as one of the smartest bands in Boston - frontman Thom Moran is a rocket scientist at MIT - an intelligent, cohesive album isn't enough. There is the small matter of actually selling "Post-Rock." (11/22/2006)

Brazilian Girls
First off, no one in the band is Brazilian. Secondly, there's only one girl, lead singer Sabina Sciubba. (11/27/2006)

Guy Davis
Blues musician, writer, actor and director are words that describe Guy Davis. Storyteller is another one. (11/20/2006)

Tahiti 80
English is the official language of rock and roll, at least according to Tahiti 80 lead singer Xavier Boyer. He says the French quartet decided to sing all of their songs in English because it felt more authentic. (11/16/2006)

The Honeydogs are back making sweet sounds
Adam Levy is known for writing music with a social conscience. He talks with Kerri Miller about how his experiences as a social worker have informed his songwriting, and later in the day he talked with the Current's Steve Seel about the Honeydogs' new CD "Amygdala." (11/15/2006)

The Bird and the Bee
Inara George (Bird) and Greg Kurstin (Bee) do just fine without each other. He's a well-respected and in-demand producer and keyboardist and she's got a solid solo career going. They formed The Bird and the Bee to collaborate on jazzy electropop. (11/14/2006)

Leo Kottke
Still spending 80% of his days on the road, life hasn't slowed down for Leo Kottke. His late collaborations with bassist Mike Gordon have helped with record sales and he says the two are talking about a possible third release soon. (11/14/2006)

Jamie Lidell
It's a rare transition from human beatbox to soulful R&B artist, but Jamie Lidell did just that while keeping the best of both. (11/11/2006)

Hot Chip
The voices of Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard are a study in contrast. While Taylor offers dreamy, falsettos while Goddard offers a tone that sounds a bit more world-weary and at times almost gruff in comparison. (11/11/2006)

John Gorka
It's been 18 years since John Gorka released his first recording. He's just released his first new record in three years on Red House Records, "Writing in the Margins" with some songs about love and war and hope for the future. (11/10/2006)

IV Thieves
It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to get your start in the music business. Sometimes, all it takes is someone sending your tape without your permission to the right people. (11/09/2006)

Larry Long
Larry Long is a troubadour from Minnesota. He's been writing and singing for well over three decades in the style of Woody Guthrie and uses his music for community service and education. (11/09/2006)

Justin Roth
Justin Roth has a problem. A good problem, though. He's a Minnesota boy, has a few records out and plays a LOT. But most of his gigs are on the road: in the Northeast, West, Mountains and not much in his hometown. (11/08/2006)

David Stoddard
Being compared to Randy Newman isn't a bad thing for most musicians, and Dave Stoddard loves it. He's a songwriter from originally from Wisconsin, but makes his home in Fergus Falls these days. (11/06/2006)

Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars
Even though the members of R.A.S. travelled many of the same professional circles in their native Sierra Leone, it wasn't until they were all living at the Kalia Refugee Camp in Guinea that the roots of this band took shape. (11/05/2006)

Frank Black
He's now spent more time as solo artist Frank Black than he ever did as Pixies front man Black Francis. His solo work, however, has never gotten the same attention. While he hopes his newest album Fast Man Raider Man will change that, he's just happy making music. (11/03/2006)

The Heartless Bastards
The Heartless Bastards are a power trio whose members have taken a no-frills approach to life and music. (11/02/2006)

Now It's Overhead
Now It's Overhead mixes moody pop influences such as the Cure and Depeche Mode and the layered textures of bands like Spiritualized and My Bloody Valentine into lovelorn indie rock. (11/01/2006)

Citizen Cope
Citizen Cope is both a person (Clarence Greenwood) and a band. Born in Memphis, Greenwood is obviously the leader of the group, as he plays the keyboard, guitar, sings, and acts as a DJ, songwriter, and producer. (11/01/2006)

Black Angels
Formed in Austin Texas in May 2004, The Black Angels definitely have a love of all things 60s: From the trippy, Doors-like psychedelia right down to the strikingly cool, retro-style artwork. (10/28/2006)

Claudia Schmidt
Singer-songwriter Claudia Schmidt has almost run the whole musical gamut: from folk to poetry to blues to swing and now, Jazz. (10/25/2006)

Michael Franti
The former member of Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy is known for being politically active. Spearhead's latest album was inspired by a trip Franti took to Iraq so that he could see firsthand what toll the Iraqi War was taking on the people there. (10/25/2006)

The Hold Steady
The Hold Steady's last release, Separation Sunday, was a concept album. Singer Craig Finn's inspiration for their new critically acclaimed album Boys and Girls in America was a line from Kerouac's On the Road: "boys and girls in America have such a sad time together." (10/24/2006)

Dosh
Minneapolis multi-instrumentalist Martin Dosh is taking some time for himself. He's an in-demand musician most notably as a member of Andrew Bird's band and Fog. (10/19/2006)

One Self
One Self is one of many projects for DJ Vadim, Yarah Bravo, and BluRum 13. Although 1/3 of the group is American, they've had some problems getting their work released here. DJ Vadim says that is just the nature of the business. (10/18/2006)

matt pond PA
Matt Pond is a man. matt pond PA is a band. The band always includes singer Matt Pond, but the rest of the roster changes frequently. (10/16/2006)

Secret Machines
Secret Machines sound like prog rock to a lot of people. However, they refer to their sound as "space rock." (10/12/2006)

Kaki King
Kaki King's is known for her amazing work on the acoustic guitar, her newest album is a bit of departure from her previous work. (10/11/2006)

Bettie Serveert
Bettie Serveert have never toured to Africa, Australia, and or South America but they estimate they've been to the Twin Cities nine times. (10/10/2006)

TV on the Radio
The core of Brooklyn-based TV on the Radio are Tunde Adebimpe and David Andrew Sitek. Their music can sound like a film score, improved electronica, or as accessible as any band out there. (10/08/2006)

Grizzly Bear
What started out as a Edward Droste's post-relationship home-recording session has turned into the multi-instrumental band Grizzly Bear. They like to approach all of the songs as stories, from prologue to completion. (10/08/2006)

Yo La Tengo is not afraid of you
Yo La Tengo have been performing for over twenty years. While they haven't achieved the popular acclaim of their contemporaries The Flaming Lips, they get a lot of credit for outlasting pretty much everyone else. (10/07/2006)

Joseph Arthur
Joseph Arthur usually goes it alone. On stage, he used to perform looping to fill out his sound onstage; you could think of him as more of a one-man band than a solo singer-songwriter. But this tour, he's changed everything. (10/06/2006)

Ben Kweller
Ben Kweller is an old hat when it comes to performing and hard work. He started out in his early teens with the band Radish, and while his first group had some minor successes, he has found much greater recognition for his solo work. (10/06/2006)

Takka Takka
Takka Takka doesn't have a major label record deal. They aren't even on an indie label. The Brooklyn quartet are distributing their low-fi, indie-rock themselves and hope that word-of-mouth will bring them an audience. (10/05/2006)

Mew
Indie-rock band Mew has paid their dues to become one of the more successful "surreal" bands from Denmark. They've gone from sleeping in bunk beds in London to save money to winning "Album of the Year" and "Band of the Year" and the 2003 Danish Music Critics Award Show. (10/05/2006)

Rocky Votolato
Seattle-based singer/songwriter Rocky Votolato used to play in a punk band, but you'd never guess it from his spare, folky solo style. (10/01/2006)

Nous Non Plus
The band Nous Non Plus comes from New York, but you wouldn't know it once they step into their French alter-egos. Don't be too fooled though, there's one genuine Francophone in the bunch. (10/01/2006)

Pigeon John
Pigeon John (John Dust) got his start in the L.A. hip-hop scene by performing at open stage nights at the Good Life Cafe. (09/29/2006)

Yonder Mountain String Band
The Yonder Mountain String Band is a jam band which follows the bluegrass revolution of old-time instrumentation performing new and non-traditional songs. (09/29/2006)

Amy Millan
Amy Millan is best known for her breathy singing with the pop groups Broken Social Scene and Stars. Despite that indie-rock reputation, Millan thinks of herself as a country music girl at heart. (09/29/2006)

Calexico
When a new Calexico record comes out, you never know quite how it will sound. They've been influenced by jazz, folk, fado, French chanson and good old-fashioned rock n' roll. (09/28/2006)

Pete Morton
Pete Morton's background is in rock-and-roll, but he's a busker now: a singer-songwriter from England, living and writing songs on the road. His latest record is "Flying an Unknown Flag." (09/28/2006)

Hem
Mark Wheat thinks there needs ot be a new category to sum up the sound of the band Hem: prog folk. The Brooklyn-based group is sometimes a quartet and sometimes grows into a small orchestra. (09/27/2006)

Eric Bibb
What Eric Bibb refers to his music as "Upside down blues." Blues that don't talk about life's problems as much as they do life's joys. (09/27/2006)

Hangar 18
Hangar 18 is a rap group consisting of Alaska, Windnbreez and paWL who rose from the underground rap world in New York City. They unleashed their unique style of Hip Hop with the release of "The Multi Platinum Debut Album" in 2004 on Definitive Jux Records (09/27/2006)

Asobi Seksu
Asobi Seksu could possibly come across like the most recent Japanese pop/indie import to hit the states, but this quartet hails from Brooklyn, NY and proves those rumors wrong with atmospheric reverb and effects that closely resembles NY guitar noise ensembles like Sonic Youth and Yo La Tengo. (09/24/2006)

Jon Vezner, Celeste Krenz, and Lindsay Mac record for North House Folk School
For the past five years, Nashville songwriter Jon Vezner has gathered some other musician friends together to perform a concert to help raise funds for the North House Folk School. (09/26/2006)

Tobias Froberg - In studio
There's a strong affection for folk music in Scandinavia these days. New folkies Ane Brun, Nicolai Dunger, and Jose Gonzalez have been out on tour around the U.S. this year. Now add Tobias Froberg to the list of singer-songwriters from northern Europe. (09/25/2006)

Lynn Miles
Canadian singer Lynn Miles writes many of her songs in her car while on tour. She stopped in the Morning Show studio and chatted with Dale and Jim Ed about songwriting, driving, and the big country north of us. (09/22/2006)

Geoff Muldaur
Richard Thompson once said of Geoff Muldaur, "There are only three white blues singers - Geoff Muldaur is at least two of them." (09/21/2006)

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yelsin
Hands down the best band name of the past five years: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin. It's even better than I've Loved You but I've Chosen Darkness. (09/18/2006)

Birdmonster
Hailing from San Francisco and embracing a D.I.Y. ethos for their music and touring, Birdmonster is currently bringing their brand of punk-with-banjos music on tour to support their first full-length "No Midnight." (09/18/2006)

Cibelle
Cibelle makes use of a variety of elements to create unique, imaginative and enchanting pieces of music. Including; acoustic instrumentation, electronic processing, noise guitars, children's toys, and pure melodies carried by her unmistakable moving voice. (09/14/2006)

Eliza Gilkyson
Eliza Gilkyson is no stranger to the music world. She grew up in a musical family and made music her passion. Her father is songwriter Terry Gilkyson and her son Cisco Ryder is playing percussion on stage with her now. (09/13/2006)

Richard Buckner
With the release of his new eighth CD "Meadow," Richard Buckner has once again delivered an incredible performance fueled with swirling melodies and strong rhythms. (09/13/2006)

The 88
The 88 are not just great at writing and performing great, old-fashioned pop songs. They're also really nice guys. (09/12/2006)

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Each member of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band could tell you how Hurricane Katrina has affected their lives, but as a group they continue to tour and share the musical traditions and culture of New Orleans. (09/10/2006)

Zero 7
What started out as a limited run EP from a couple tea-boys-turned-engineers-turned-songwriters has become one of the most well-respected all-star collaborations in the electronica scene. (09/08/2006)

Sakher Hattar and Crossing Borders
Jordanian oud virtuoso Sakher Hattar is one of the most significant Arab musicians of his generation. He teaches Arab classical and folk music at the Jordan National Music Conservatory. (09/07/2006)

Connie Evingson and the Hot Club of Sweden
Twin Cities vocalist Connie Evingson already had a "hot club" jazz record out so she was ready to move on to her next project. But then she met the Hot Club of Sweden on a winter trip to Stockholm. The result is a new CD, "Stockholm Sweetnin'", that was released this summer in Minnesota. (09/07/2006)

M. Ward
M. Ward doesn't like to discuss the meanings of the songs he writes; he prefers the songs to speak for themselves. Luckily, the Portland-based singer's songs have a lot to say about subjects from love to the state of America. (09/05/2006)

Jurassic 5
Anyone who knows anything about "Old School Hip Hop" has probably compared Jurassic 5 to the Cold Crush Brothers, The Crash Crew, or the Furious Five. Don't be confused, as J5 has their own signature style that is like nothing else on the Hip Hop scene today. (09/04/2006)

Cafe Accordion Orchestra
The Cafe Accordion Orchestra's new CD "Cinema", is a tribute to film music ranging from slap-accompaniment to love ballads. (09/05/2006)


Haley Bonar - Live at the Minnesota State Fair
Haley Bonar's beautiful melancholy tunes seem to be written by someone older than a woman in her early twenties. But that could be because Bonar has a lot of experience; she was playing gigs in bars well before she could legally drink in them. (09/01/2006)

Cracker
Cracker may be considered a somewhat traditional rock band, yet singer/guitarist David Lowery's roots were anything but traditional since he's fronted the '80s outfit Camper Van Beethoven. (08/31/2006)

The [Gosh Darn] Doo Wop Band
Remember Bowser and Sha-Na-Na? Well, there's a Twin Cities group that thinks it is high time for another revival. The [Gosh Darn] Doo Wop Band features three female singers who sing about heartbroken girls and the bad boys they love. (08/30/2006)

Mark Mallman - live at the Minnesota State Fair
With a scheduled release date of August 28 for his new CD, Between The Devil And Middle C, Mark Mallman stopped by The Current's broadcast stage at the Minnesota State Fair (in the pouring rain) to perform three new songs from his new CD. (08/25/2006)

Amos Lee
Former schoolteacher Amos Lee takes inspiration from some of the greats of soul, such as Stevie Wonder and Bill Withers, and folk legends like John Prine and Dave Van Ronk. (08/26/2006)

Ghostland Observatory
Thomas Turner and Aaron Behrens are the duo that makes up Ghostland Observatory. With their blend of electronics, drums, guitar and vocals, they have emerged with a sound that is the culmination of past influence and present inspiration. (08/19/2006)

Bonnie "Prince" Billy
Will Oldham - aka Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - doesn't like sleeping with doors closed, and he doesn't like being too far from the ocean. (08/12/2006)

Silversun Pickups
Named after an L.A. liquor store that they've lived above for years, the band played a stripped-down, acoustic version of several songs from their debut full-length album "Carnavas." (08/12/2006)

Greg Laswell
Greg Laswell is a singer/songwriter from San Diego who is not afraid to tap into some very personal and dark parts of his life for musical inspiration. In the case of his latest album "Through Toledo," it was his recent divorce that provided the material. (08/07/2006)

Butch Thompson
Ask Butch Thompson a question about jazz piano and you're likely to get more than an answer. Be prepared for the complete history of your question, who influenced who, the nicknames of the players involved and he'll even play you an example of that kind of jazz. (08/03/2006)

Husky Rescue
Can you be a one-man band with a girl lead singer? Supposedly, Husky Rescue is a one-man band comprised of Marko Nyberg. However, it took 20 or so musician friends to record the group's first album, "Country Falls." (08/02/2006)

Smoosh
You'd think that touring would be difficult if you were too young to drive, but the band Smoosh has played with the Eels, Death Cab for Cutie, and Pearl Jam. (07/31/2006)

Jolie Holland
Spring is usually associated with new life and rebirth, but on her new CD, Jolie Holland looks at spring from a different point of view. (07/31/2006)

The Futureheads
Don't be fooled by the catchy pop sounds of the Futureheads - they take their music-making process very seriously. (07/29/2006)

Los Amigos Invisibles
David Byrne of the Talking Heads discovered the infectious Latin dance beats of Los Amigos Invisibles after the band had moved from its native Venezuela to New York City. (07/28/2006)

Pete Hofmann - live at Gluek's
Pete Hofmann spends his days teaching music to children, inventing objects that would make his life easier and coming up with new ideas for reality shows. Despite those talents and interests, we invited him to our live Gluek's broadcast for something else: his singing and songwriting. (07/28/2006)

The Get Up Johns
The Get Up Johns are a Twin Cities duo that loves old time country gospel and folk and remind many of the Louvin Brothers, perhaps the most well-known of the "brother groups." (07/28/2006)

Tapes 'N Tapes
To say that the Minneapolis band Tapes 'N Tapes is on the verge of something big is an understatement. (07/21/2006)

Related stories
Tapes 'n Tapes: Bound for the stratosphere via the blogosphere?

Buzzcocks
Formed in 1975, the Buzzcocks were one of the most influential bands to emerge in the world of punk rock. Along side other musical icons such as Joy Division and the Stone Roses, the Buzzcocks helped establish Manchester as one of the biggest punk rock cities in England. (07/18/2006)

Alexi Murdoch
Traditionally musicians go to L.A. to be discovered. Scottish singer-songwriter Alexi Murdoch didn't discover his own music talent until he was all ready there. (07/15/2006)

The Rakes
The Rakes don't allow themselves to be influence by a single genre, but rather by all of them. To paraphrase the band: If they like it, they'll incorporate it. (07/11/2006)

Sam Shaber
Sam Shaber's latest album is a live recording done at a club in Chicago. The record is called "In My Bones" and it consists of songs requested by fans in advance. (07/06/2006)

World Party
World Party fell apart after leader Karl Wallinger was struck down by an aneurysm that left him unable to speak. After several years of rehabilitation, Wallinger put the group back together, and re-mastered and packaged "Dumbing Up" on his own label. World Party stopped by The Current to perform and chat with Brandt Williams. (07/10/2006)

The Alarmists
The Alarmists just released their debut CD, "A Detail of Soldiers" on their new independent label, Instrument Control Records. They stopped by The Current to chat with Mary Lucia. (07/10/2006)

Bruce Cockburn
For nearly 40 years now, Bruce Cockburn has been writing songs, recording and touring all over the world. He has released his 29th album "Life Short Call Now" on Rounder Records. (07/06/2006)

Duplomacy
When a band goes from one-man to all hands, you have to hope that the spirit of the music will remain the same. (07/06/2006)

Rock Kills Kid
Los Angeles-based alt rock group Rock Kills Kid released a well-received EP in 2001 and then disappeared. Lead singer and songwriter Jeff Tucker tucked himself away in a studio for a few years, wrote over a hundred songs and emerged to record the group's first album, "Are You Nervous?" (07/06/2006)