Music
Trampled by Turtles – “At Your Window”
Trampled by Turtles is celebrating 20 years as a band. In this new video the group performs “At Your Window,” a song from the 2004 album Songs from a Ghost Town. The video was directed and edited by Charlie Berg. (more…)
Steve Solkela’s “Overpopulated” One-man Band – “She Broke My Heart in Three Places”
The latest video from Steve Solkela is a one-man performance of a song originally released by the Hoosier Hot Shots. The song was written in 1944 by Al Hoffman, Jerry Livingston and Milton Drake.
Reco Daquon featuring Tren10 – “Wanna Ball”
Twin Ports hip-hop artist Reco Daquon released this music video last summer, shot in West Duluth on the basketball court at Memorial Park and Laura MacArthur Elementary School. The video was shot by Montclair Media.
Reco Daquon performs at Sir Benedict’s Tavern on the Lake on May 5 as part of the Homegrown Music Festival.
Damien – “Damien”
Duluth band Damien has released its debut music video. And it’s all for you.
Superior Siren – “Love Poem”
Laura Sellner of Superior Siren directs this new music video, produced by Illy Killy with cinematography by Chris Linder. The video was shot in Duluth at the Oliver G. Traphagen House and Jade Fountain Cocktail Lounge.
The song “Love Poem” is from the 2021 solo EP Kill Your Darlings.
Video Archive: Charlie Parr and Haley in 2002
By the power of grainy 20-year-old VHS, embedded above are performances by Charlie Parr and Haley from the short-lived WDSE-TV program Coffee House. The premiere episode featured three songs by each artist and aired March 12, 2003; the segment here contains just one each, and is from a sampler of the show that aired a week earlier. The footage was shot in 2002.
Gaelynn Lea’s video from Microsoft’s 2023 Ability Summit
Duluth’s Gaelynn Lea provided the opening keynote yesterday to Microsoft’s 2023 Ability Summit. Her video included a performance of the song “Watch the World Unfold.”
Al Church – “Into the Willows”
Duluth native Al Church has a new album, Party Sounds (From Another Room), due out March 18. The record is about post-pandemic socializing. “Into the Willows” is the first single.
The band features Mike Gunvalson on drums, Ryan “The Ripper” Rupprecht on keys, Izzy Cruz on vocals and percussion, Pete “The Boy” Lavoie on sax, and Evan Foxphace on bass.
R.I.P. Dave Hill
Legendary sound designer Dave Hill passed away recently. Driving by his humble-looking shop/studio in the East End of Superior, few would guess that an electronics genius was in there designing high-end audio equipment and selling it to the stars. More at fohonline.com.
JamesG – “Clingy”
Former Duluthian James Geisler, aka hip-hop artist JamesG, breaks out the plastic wrap and heads to the beach in his new music video.
Duluth Central High School 1975 Concert LP with Clark Terry
I picked up a box of LPs at a local estate sale a couple years ago. I was just going through them more closely and thought I would share this one. It’s a concert recording of the Central High School Jazz Ensemble with jazz great Clark Terry, recorded at Central High Auditorium on March 13, 1975. (more…)
The Slamming Doors – “Goddamn Duluth”
Last April the Current released the eighth edition of its Sounds Like Home virtual festival series, which featured artists from greater Minnesota. Duluth band the Slamming Doors performed a Duluth Song during its set, embedded above.
Torment – “Swallow Your Teeth” (Live at Pizza Lucé)
Duluth band Torment performed a sold out show at Pizza Lucé with By the Thousands and three other acts on Saturday. Above, the band plays the title track from its recently released album Swallow Your Teeth.
The Repairmen – “Duluth Song”
Duluth-based folk rockers the Repairmen released their contribution to ever-growing collection of “Duluth Songs” in 2019 on the album Garage.
Lovehouse – “She’s Gonna Catch You”
Duluth band Lovehouse released the EP Shades of Red last summer, along with this video for the song “She’s Gonna Catch You.”
Shippee – “World Today”
The fourth video release from Blake Shippee’s new solo album, It All Started from a Whisper, was produced by Laura Jean.
Steve Solkela – “Up on da Range”
Steve Solkela keeps the hits coming. Here’s a prime cut from his recent album release Sauna Knight, available on Spotify, Apple Music, etc. (more…)
Big Sky Woody – “#51” and “#53”
Free on Bandcamp.
Low fights for rights to master recordings
I’m surprised I didn’t know about this yet, but the Star Trib just posted a story about the difficulties Low and other mostly indie bands are having with re-releasing and/or getting the rights back for their older recordings. What a goofy system to deal with art! Art belongs to the artist(s)!
America’s Forests in Minnesota / Chuck Leavell in Duluth
Famed musician Chuck Leavell visited Duluth on March 29 to record a performance of the Bob Dylan song “Like a Rolling Stone” with the Duluth band Big Wave Dave and the Ripples at Sacred Heart Music Center. The collaboration was for the closing segment of the 10th episode of the television series America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell. Embedded above is the full episode, which recently aired on select PBS stations, but not in Duluth. Another video, isolating just the music performance, is embedded below. (more…)
Brief History of a Star – Intro
Music by Duluth’s Cory Coffman with visuals by Alyssa Johnson of Blind Spot Creatives.
2022: The Year in Duluth Gig Posters
The age-old technique of using images to promote music is as popular as ever. More and more of the artworks, however, exist solely as compressed digital images for use on the internet rather than taking up space in the physical world as actual “posters” taped to restroom walls and thumbtacked to bulletin boards. Either way, they’re all JPEGs on Perfect Duluth Day. (more…)
Five Duluth music acts to seek out on New Year’s Eve
Music fans react to a performance by New Salty Dog at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center in May during the Homegrown Music Festival. (Photo by Paul Lundgren)
Somehow, 2023 is just a few short days away. What better way to bid farewell to auld lang syne and ring in the new year than with some local music? Whether the goal is to turn in early or dance all night, the Duluth music scene has an array of options. Presented here are just a handful. (more…)
PDD Quiz: Holiday Tunes
Whip up a Tom & Jerry, spin a festive record, and settle in for this week’s quiz about local(ish) holiday tunes!
The final PDD quiz of the year will look back at headlines from 2022; it will be published on Dec. 25. Submit question suggestions to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by Dec. 21. (more…)