Idigaragua relaunch and the new Massgraves!

One weekend left, boys and girls, to check out the fabulous Fort Wilson Riot composed Idigaragua. Idigaragua may be hard to pronounce, but it sure is fun to watch. The music is catchy and you'll find yourself humming once you've left the theater. Plus, there's pirates! Zombies! ...and journalists (oooo! scary)!

Idigaragua is complemented this time around by Lamb Lays with Lion's new show, Massgraves. Massgraves covers the Egyptian book of the dead, home mortgages, Nosferatu and the end of the world as we know it. Through it all is wonderful music by local band Kill the Vultures. Although a more heady play than the aforementioned Idigaragua, Massgraves is worth the extra $5 to check out.

Each show runs about an hour with a nice break in-between to grab a beer, a coffee, or some food at the wonderful Bedlam Theatre.

For more information on the shows, please check out the Bedlam's website.

Download mp3s by Fort Wilson Riot:
The Birds Turn Violent
An Imagined Civil State
What Was the Part I Played?

Yay! Score one for Minneapolis Music!

From City Pages:

City Pages hires Andrea Myers as Music Editor
Filed under: City Pages

City Pages is proud to announce that it has hired Andrea Myers as music editor.

A veteran beat reporter who has covered the local music scene for years, Myers has been published everywhere from the (now-defunct) Pulse to Howwastheshow.com, and of course, in City Pages. She is perhaps best known as one of the founders of Reveille, an online music magazine.

Myers got her start at a relatively young age when she was taken under the wing of Jim Walsh, a former City Pages columnist and the author of All Over But the Shouting, an oral history of the Replacements.

"I've always admired Jim's writing, and have been reading his articles since I was in high school," Myers says. "He has been kind enough to mentor me through some of the most challenging parts of my writing career and I owe a lot of my success to his influence and support."

Reveille fans need not worry: the site will continue under the direction of Myers' co-founders. As for her plans for the City Pages music section, Myers promises stepped up coverage of local bands, shows, and music news.

"Now's the time for City Pages to reclaim the spotlight for local music coverage," Myers says. "I am excited to provide a passionate voice for the paper and give readers a chance to learn about the great music being made in our backyards."

You can also expect to see frequent blog posts providing updates between print editions. Myers says she usually goes to at least four shows a week and enjoys providing reviews within hours of leaving the concert.

"I can't wait to start my new position at City Pages," Myers says. "I think this will be a great opportunity to show my love of the local scene and use the resources at the paper to further investigate and report on local music trends."

City Pages is proud to welcome Myers aboard.

Electronics Recycling for FREE! April 11/12

Get on it people! You know you have old TVs, computers, tape recorders, VCRs and video game systems that don't work.

From the Star Tribune:

An ambitious electronics recycling drive is scheduled for two days this month in the Twin Cities, with dropoff sites that should be very familiar to Minnesotans.

At no charge, people can bring their unwanted electronics to the following locations on April 11 and 12 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.:

• Canterbury Park, 1100 Canterbury Rd. S., Shakopee

• State Fairgrounds, 1265 N. Snelling Av., Falcon Heights

• National Sports Center, 1700 105th Av. NE., Blaine

• Grace Church, 9301 Eden Prairie Rd., Eden Prairie

• Ecolab Schuman campus (April 12 only) Eagan Building F, 655 Lone Oak Dr., Eagan

To find out about other recycling electronics opportunties in your community, see www.startribune.com/a3663.

Record Store Day is April 19!

What is this "Record Store Day?" you might ask yourself. Well, it's a celebration of all the independent record stores that we have relied on to give us new music, a hang out, a place we fit in, a room to sift through quantities of vinyl until my fingers are sore from flipping through the racks.

For us Minneapolitans, we get to celebrate this high holiest of holy days with The Electric Fetus! Their schedule hasn't come out yet as far as their in-stores for that day, but I'm assured it's going to be one hell of a ride. Support local music! Support your local independent record store!

I promise to give you an update when I hear exactly who's playing and what the events for the day are. To wet your palate, here are a few famous music folks talking about record stores:

Nick Hornby (Author, High Fidelity, Slam)

"Yes, yes, I know. It's easier to download music, and probably cheaper. But what's playing on your favorite download store when you walk into it?

Nothing, that's what. Who are you going to meet in there? Nobody. Where are the notice boards offering flatshares and vacant slots in bands destined for superstardom? Who's going to tell you to stop listening to that and start listening to this? Go ahead and save yourself a couple of quid. The saving will cost you a career, a set of cool friends, musical taste and, eventually, your soul. Record stores can't save your life. But they can give you a better one."

Cameron Crowe

"The record store. Where true fandom begins. It's the soul of discovery, and the place where you can always return for that mighty buzz. The posters. The imports. The magazines. The discerning clerks, paid in vinyl, professors of the groove. Long live that first step inside, when the music envelopes you and you can't help it. You walk up to the counter and ask the question that begins the journey -- "what is that you're playing?" Long live the record store, and the guys and girls who turn the key, and unlock those dreams, every day."

Peter Gabriel

"I was introduced to lots of great music through my local record store. It was a place where people knew music and they knew me, and could make great suggestions and discoveries. Whether it is in the physical world or on-line, the value of a great and knowledgeable record store has not gone away"

Regina Spektor

“I just really love anything that’s not faceless and where people know each other and work together to build, like, a community. People that work there know their stuff; they’re not coming in today to sell music and tomorrow to sell TVs and the next day to sell whatever. Somebody can come in and say, “I want somebody who plays piano music” or something, and somebody will actually tell them to listen to my record and they’ll play it in the store for them and they’ll talk about it. You can connect in some way with somebody who’s doing something that they love. And that it’s important to have something that is being done just out of true love for new music that is being welcomed into the world. People should go to their indie record store and find out what is happening.”

Links:

Official Record Store Day site
The Electric Fetus site

SXSW 2008

So it's actually the last day of SXSW, and it may seem like I've been ignoring my blog, but in actuality I've just been busy blogging for my other website HowWasTheShow.com. It's been crazy here in Austin. I have only slight feeling left in my feet and my brain works about 1/3 of the time. However, I've gotten to see some great shows and I'm really enjoying myself. The 85 degree weather doesn't hurt either.

Please check out my audio (!) and text blogs (and photos...) HERE and HERE

Here's a few select photos from SXSW 2008:

OMGWHITERABBITS!!!



Basia Bulat



Tapes 'N Tapes




DeVotchKa



R.E.M.



Spinto Band




I believe this one explains itself

...and something for the non-applicants

So I've been busy the past few months while I've been ignoring my blog. Shot Bon Iver at the Turf for Pitchfork, Dean & Britta for Spin.com and of course numerous shows for HowWasTheShow.com and ReveilleMag.com. Basically, I've been a bit swamped.

However, the great month of March again rears its musical beast of a head, blessing me with access to the SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas, and a ridiculous St. Patrick's Day show from Gaelic Storm at the Guthrie. What to do!?

Well, I'll give you a few things to listen to, that's what!

Download mp3s:
Hang Them All - Tapes 'N Tapes
The Mountain Goats in Minneapolis from 6/6/03 - at the Triple Rock!

Yeah so most of you have that stuff, right?

Well here's something new for you:



The band is The Dodos and I've really been enjoying their music the past couple days. The band consists of two San Fran boys who play finely tuned folk-pop. It's a great pick me up when I've had a long day and want to relax, but remain upbeat. They're playing a few shows at SXSW as well, so I can't wait to check them out live.

Download mp3s:
Dodos songs from Daytrotter.com
Dodos on NPR Music's Second Stage

Dodos Official Website

Freakin' FINALLY

Yup. I'm back from my way too long hiatus. Ok. So, of course, my first post has to do with self-promotion... well, and YOUR promotion!



Attention bands and performers of all types! The Stone Arch Festival of the Arts is now taking applications for their outdoor festival on June 14 and 15, 2008. This year there will be five performance stages showcasing local and regional acts. Last year's bands included Romantica, The Alarmists, Jeremy Messersmith, The Mood Swings, and Martin Devaney. We're looking for 35 - 45 bands to play over these two days. The festival runs from 10am - 6pm, so there's still plenty of time for you to play a gig that night. Over 100,000 people attended last year's festival so it's a good way to get your name out there!

Applications are due March 15, 2008. Contact me at: stonearchperformance[at]gmail[dot]com

Yup. Go to www.stonearchfestival.com and click on the "performers" tab for an app. Dooooo it!!