Music Posts

Sadkin – “Saints of Catalina”

Apr 12, 2024 No Comments

The new video for Sadkin‘s “Saints of Catalina” is a collaborative endeavor helmed by Henriette Blade, who conscripted a group of Duluth artists from a myriad of arts disciplines — actors, visual artists, ballet dancers and, of course, members of the band.

With this small legion of creators she directed, edited and produced a concept video loosely based on the classic dance performance and film Ballet of the Red Shoes, swathing it loosely to the song’s lyrics, which deal with unseen consciousness, the human experience and a struggling social morality all-but begging for a guiding light.


Music, Videos ,

Alan Sparhawk announces solo album in New Yorker article

Apr 11, 2024 No Comments

The New Yorker published an article today on Duluth musician Alan Sparhawk, chronicling his career in the seminal indie-rock band Low and concluding with news about his latest recordings. “The fruits of this work will be released this fall under his own name, as a record called White Roses, My God,” reads the article’s final sentence.


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Emerging Artist Showcase: Nolen Sellwood

Apr 09, 2024 No Comments

The Current’s Emerging Artists Showcase at the Duluth Masonic Temple in January brought together musicians from communities across the region to showcase and develop the next generation of songwriters and performers.

On the bill was folk musician Nolen Sellwood, a student at the University of Minnesota Duluth. His full performance is in the embedded video above.


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Nolen Sellwood – “Lavender”

Apr 02, 2024 No Comments

Nolen Sellwood‘s 2024 NPR Tiny Desk Contest submission is a video for the song “Lavender,” a track from his upcoming album Cadence to the Flame, scheduled for release June 7. The video was shot by Tanner Miller.


Music, Videos

The Slice: KEBS Records

Mar 29, 2024 No Comments

Tim “Edwards” Verthein and his daughter Stacia Rom operate what is believed to be the smallest record store in the world. KEBS Radio and Records is located at 311 Second St. in Bovey, about 80 miles northwest of Duluth. It opened in 2017.

In its series The Slice, PBS North presents short “slices of life” that capture the events and experiences that bring people together and speak to what it means to live up north.


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Indecent Proposal – “Behind Her Eyes”

Mar 25, 2024 No Comments

The music video for Duluth band Indecent Proposal‘s romantic tragedy “Behind Her Eyes” was shot in the historic auditorium at Denfeld High School. It was released in November and has since amassed more then 195,000 views.

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Live from Studio A: Charlie Parr

Mar 22, 2024 No Comments

Charlie Parr‘s 18th album, Little Sun, is out today on the Smithsonian Folkways record label. The Minnesota native and longtime Duluthian stopped into Studio A at WDSE FM 103.3 “The North” on Feb. 28 to talk with Katelyn Brinza about the new record and play a few songs.

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Alan Sparhawk Live at Le Guess Who?

Mar 20, 2024 No Comments

Alan Sparhawk, backed by a trio of fellow Duluthians, played six European Union shows in November 2023. The first was at Jacobikerk, a Protestant church in Utrecht, Netherlands, as part of the Le Guess Who? music festival. The embedded video above is from that performance.

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Music, Videos

Nolen Sellwood’s imaginative songs have arrived in Duluth

Mar 19, 2024 No Comments
Nolen Selwood

Nolen Sellwood brings his creative spark to the Northland.

Nolen Sellwood hit the music scene in January as part of a live event produced by Minnesota Public Radio’s “The Current.” His performance delivered a fresh, new sound to the Duluth audience.

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Music

Big Into – “The Jupiter Song”

Mar 18, 2024 No Comments

Take a tour through the solar system with Iron Range natives Curtis Kraft Mattson and Jozef Conaway. Their nerd-rock band Big Into is releasing a music video every month for each new track off their upcoming EP. “The Jupiter Song” is the fifth video in the series.

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JamesG – “Be Nice”

Mar 08, 2024 No Comments

The latest track from former Duluth hip-hop artist JamesG asks the lyrical question, “Why can’t you be nice?”

I can only assume your mean streak matches the one up in your undies.
Probably live in the past like Al Bundy.
Poking around, tryna start shit cause you think it’s funny.
Crossing lines without remorse, Pam Beesly at the Dundies.


Music

Austin Castle and the Northern Pines – “Saratoga”

Feb 26, 2024 No Comments

Austin Castle and the Northern Pines perform “Saratoga” in this video shot at Castle Danger Brewery in Two Harbors. The footage was recorded by Jose Leon of KTWH Two Harbors Community Radio and edited by Castle.

Austin Castle and the Northern Pines have a string of sporadic Saturday gigs at Castle Danger beginning March 30. Castle also performs monthly “Sunday Strumday” shows with bassist Ashe Burton at the Cedar Lounge; the next one is March 17.


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Big Into – “Expected Daemons (Bail Out!)”

Feb 22, 2024 No Comments

Big Into is releasing a music video every month for each new track off the band’s upcoming EP. “Expected Daemons (Bail Out!)” is the fourth video in the series.

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MPR Archive: Crew Jones in 2004

Feb 17, 2024 No Comments

As Duluth mourns the loss of Ben Larson, aka Burly Burlesque of the bands Crew Jones and Southwire, we point to a nearly 20-year-old Minnesota Public Radio piece that introduced listeners to the hot new “north woods rap” group. The segment was produced by Chris Julin and features Chris Godsey interviewing Crew Jones.


History, Music, R.I.P.

R.I.P. Burly Burlesque

Feb 17, 2024 2 Comments

Rest in peace Burly Burlesque, aka Ben Larson, one of Duluth’s best vocalists, lyricists and performers. According to the comments on the Facebook post which broke the news, he died in his sleep. He was newly a father, and a Go Fund Me has been set up to help support his family during this terrible time.

Burly and I weren’t friends but there was a time when we were friendly and familiar in the arts and music scene. I remember seeing him perform for the first time circa 2003. He comprised one-third of the band Crew Jones, and when they hopped up on stage at Pizza Lucé I was like, “Who are these weirdos?” But then they showed me and everybody. Their album Who’s Beach dropped around then; everyone I know from those days speaks of it in reverent tones as a work of genius. A firehose of creativity, the band (Burly, Ray the Wolf, and Mic Trout) all brought their A-game. Their live performances did no less. The album became a must-have and their shows were a must-see. No one could believe these white dudes rapping about life in northern Minnesota could be so legit but there you have it. Like all of the band’s lyrics, Burly’s writing was something great; he was also a master freestyler with an outsized stage presence.

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