Minnesota Rocks

That's why we created Local Current -- a Minnesota music hub. There's a 24/7 stream of all Minnesota music on the web and HD Radio (89.3 HD2 in the Twin Cities)... and now a new blog with a full-time writer covering the local music scene.

Enjoy listening to — and reading about — your favorite Minnesota artists, from emerging bands to the local legends who inspired them.

For more information on HD radio and how to access MPR's HD radio services, check out our HD Radio page.

Local Current Blog

Blog homepage

Featured Performances

Each weekday at 6 p.m. we feature a performance from a local artist recorded in our studios.

• Wednesday 2/22: Fire In The Northern Firs

  Fire In The Northern Firs grabs members from Goodday, Montag, First Communion Afterparty, and Sun in the Satellite, combining the distinct sounds of each of the three acts into a distinct shoegaze experiment. They've been around for a little while but have consistently been overshadowed by their various side projects. Now the band is in full force, releasing the gorgeous and increasingly buzzed about Field Guide EP.

  Upcoming Features

  • Thursday 2/23: Atmosphere
  • Friday 2/24: Melismatics

Local Current

Local Current Vol. 2 is an album we produced highlighting some of the best performances featured on The Local Show. It will be available at The Current's 7th Birthday Party January 27 and 28, online, and at the Electric Fetus, and features some of our favorite tracks from artists like Polica, Howler, Doomtree, Pink Mink, and Night Moves. Stay tuned for more information.

The Local Show

with Dave Campbell

Join The Current's David Campbell as he explores the Twin Cities local music scene, both past and present.

• Complete Local Show Archive

Local in-studio Library

• Atmosphere performs live in The Current studio
  Local hip-hop bon vivant, Slug, has become a regular visitor to The Current studios. On his most recent trip he's joined by the rest of the band to discuss their music videos, letting go of some artistic control and building a musical community in Minnesota.February 21, 2012
• Now, Now performs in The Current studio
  Now, Now's new name is the result of a band who wanted to push themselves in a different direction, specifically after a self-imposed hiatus and the addition of Jess Abbott a few years back. It wasn't just the traditional duo of Cacie Dalager and Bradley Hale that people had come to know anymore, and there was a feeling of general exhaustion in the mix that needed to be remedied. So while the release of their debut "Cars" in 2007 was widely accepted in the region as a mature and emotive record, and one that would set the band's career in motion, they disappeared in many respects in order to flesh out some ideas that would make up their 2nd album.February 19, 2012
• Zoo Animal performs in The Current studio
  Holly Newsom describes Zoo Animal's new "Departure EP" as more observational than philosophical, and it's easy to discern how different the band is today compared to a year ago, fully cognizant of major changes which have altered the act's path. The title of the EP is blunt upon deeper inspection: Zoo Animal has dealt with the departure of two members, the addition of two rotating casts of local musicians, and a further departure in sound that Newsom has taken her songs which now find themselves steeped in beautiful minimalism.February 12, 2012
• Vicious Vicious performs in The Current studio
  Vicious Vicious features the talent of three local music mainstays: Erik Appelwick, Martin Dosh, and James Buckley. When not playing in a multitude of other projects, they reunite to record material, and the past few years have seen them hard at work at their latest self-titled effort. Releasing a self-titled album well into a band's career usually indicates a sort of reinvention of sound, and Vicious Vicious has certainly illustrated how flexible their creative direction can be.February 5, 2012
• The Pines perform in The Current studio
  It has been a few years since we last heard from local band The Pines, presumably because they were working hard on their newest release "Dark So Gold" and sharing the stage with master Minnesota songwriter Mason Jennings during his recent tour. In that time, The Pines has expanded sonically to unleash their most powerful, raw, and stirring compilation of songs, combining influences inspired by natural Midwest roots and time spent in Arizona to create a worthy of waiting accomplishment.January 29, 2012

• Local In-Studio Library

Minnesota Record Stores

A huge part of what makes the local scene so cohesive around the state is the great record stores. We're trying to map out independent and local record stores. Here's a short list of stores around the state.

About Local Current

Local music is important to The Current. Local Current is a music stream dedicated entirely to local music available 24 hours a day via our webstream or HD Radio. It highlights the incredible music made in and around our region and features a mix of the legendary artists that helped put Minnesota on the musical map, as well as up-and-coming artists that are furthering our state's reputation as a hot bed of talent.

Send your music for Local Current play consideration

(no e-mails, please):

Local Current c/o David Safar
Minnesota Public Radio
480 Cedar St.
St. Paul, MN 55101

The Local Current music stream is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.