Music

Emily Haavik – “New Beginning Girl”

emily-haavik-2016-photo-by-brandon-wagnerDuluth native Emily Haavik returns home from the Twin Cities next weekend to release her debut album You Were the City. The CD release party is Dec. 11 at Beaner’s Central.

The album was recorded last winter by Jason Wussow in the basement recording studio at Beaner’s. According to Haavik, the song “New Beginning Girl” is the “catchy” one.

The Little Black Books – “Barstool Christmas”

Directed by Kirk Kjenaas.

Low – “Some Hearts (at Christmas Time)”

Duluth band Low released a new Christmas song today. The band is touring the United Kingdom during the first half of December.

To friends who have moved away and friends who have passed on this year. To one and all, especially those who are alone, we wish you a Merry Christmas and new hope for the new year. May we all find ways to lift each other. — With love, Mimi, Alan and Steve

The digital single is available from Sub Pop Records.

Dead Man Winter – “Destroyer”

Trampled by Turtles frontman Dave Simonett will release a new album with his side project, Dead Man Winter, on Jan. 27. The album is titled Furnace and the first single, “Destroyer,” is embedded above.

“Destroyer is about … well … destroying,” Simonett told American Songwriter magazine. “I wrote it while confronting the feeling that every time I get some stability in my life, career, relationship, artistic, my tendency is to fully tear it apart. I should really stop doing that. Sometimes it honestly feels like I’m allergic to happiness. Or maybe chaos is where I am ultimately most comfortable. Though, to be honest, I’d hesitate to ever call myself comfortable. Life’s a funny little devil, ain’t it?”

Dead Man Winter will perform in Duluth on Feb. 18 at Pizza Lucé.

Video: Low Remixing Shakespeare

This collaborative performance and art installation at Karpeles Manuscript Museum took place Oct. 22. Performing the music in this clip is Low; the projections are the work of media artist Joellyn Rock. The event was held to mark the arrival of Shakespeare’s First Folio at UMD’s Tweed Museum. The video is by Blue Boat Films.

Ian Alexy – “Misfits in Love”

A song from Ian Alexy‘s new album Deserters, scheduled for release Dec. 16.

Listen: Gaelynn Lea’s album Deepest Darkness, Brightest Dawn

Classically trained violinist and songwriter Gaelynn Lea‘s holiday album Deepest Darkness, Brightest Dawn will be released Friday, Nov. 11, and she performs Saturday at Beaner’s Central with the Brothers Burn Mountain. Click above to hear the full album. (more…)

Experienced piano teacher bouncing with new ideas looking for students

the whole pianoI’m a piano teacher with more than 20 years experience teaching students of all ages and all abilities on the hunt for students! I spent last year getting an MA in Community Music in Ireland, and while that was happening I lost a lot of students (which makes me sad).

That MA is changing so much about the way that I approach my teaching and music making, I decided that I might as well present myself to the world as a brand new teacher, and to do that, I made a brand new website: emilymoepianostudio.com. (more…)

Celtic Thunder on the St. Louis River

celtic-thunderThe Irish singing group Celtic Thunder was in Duluth on Sept. 27 for a performance at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center‘s Symphony Hall. While in town, members of the ensemble spent a little time on the St. Louis River with help from Swiftwaters Adventures, which offers guided rafting and kayaking trips.

Rich Mattson and the Northstars – “Trip to a Flame”

richmattsonandthenorthst3Video by Reggie Pype from the Northstars new album, Starmaps.

Video Archive: Ted Nugent 1991 Backstage Interview in Duluth

damnyankeesPrior to the Feb. 27, 1991, Damn Yankees concert at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center Arena, KBJR-TV had a quick chat with Ted Nugent, Jack Blades and Tommy Shaw. In the clip, the “Motor City Madman” discusses his band’s mission to boost the morale of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia.

GinStrings from Minneapolis at the Gunflint Tavern

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5JFVaNMHls

These guys killed it last night at Gunflint Tavern in Grand Marais. 10.14.16 – Check these guys out the next time you have a chance. #minnesotaproud

(more…)

Matt Ray launches Kickstarter campaign

matt-ray-liveMatt Ray has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the release of his upcoming album, Minnesota Moon, produced by Ian Alexy of Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank and recorded/engineered by Ryan Young of Trampled by Turtles.

Haley Bonar Tiny Desk Concert

haley-bonar-2016Former Duluthian Haley Bonar is MPR’s featured Tiny Desk Concert performer today. She sings three new songs — “Hometown,” “Jealous Girls” and “Called You Queen” — from her album Impossible Dream.

Charlie Parr – “I Ain’t Dead Yet” (live on KUMD)

charlie-parr-and-reubenCharlie Parr performing in KUMD’s Studio A on Sept. 20.

Jeff Morris – “The BPMs”

the-bpmsSteppenwolf meets Spinal Tap in this video for the greatest song since “Fighting for Duluth.”

According to bpmmc.com, the Minnesota Chapter of B.P.M. formed in the early 1960s and presently has chapters in Duluth, the Iron Range, St. Cloud, Anoka and New Prague. Although, as noted at the end of the video, this song does not “reflect any of the sentiments, attitudes or views of any of the members of the BPMs.”

Rural Recording Studio Suggestions?

Tweet from @ZOLAJESUS looking for rural studio

Musical artist Zola Jesus made this request on Twitter today. Any suggestions? Tweet back to @ZOLAJESUS.

I replied with Sacred Heart but there must be more.

The Little Black Books – “Buffalo Pit”

mark-lindquist-2016Former Duluthian Mark Lindquist has been busy in his basement in Baxter. A five-track EP by his one-man band the Little Black Books titled The Don’ts has been showing up in the mailboxes of some of Lindquist’s Duluth friends. It bears the famous Shaky Ray Records label, founded in 1995 on Duluth’s East Hillside. “Buffalo Pit” is the second track on the new EP.

Gremmels!

todd-gremmels-and-friends

Rachael Kilgour – “Rabbit in the Road”

Rachael Kilgour 2015Rachael Kilgour performed in KUMD’s Studio A this week in support of her upcoming album, Rabbit in the Road and her Sept. 11 performance at Sacred Heart music Center.

Charlie Parr – “Moonshiner”

Charlie Parr on a blue chairAn intimate performance by Duluth’s Charlie Parr for the Blue Chair Chronicles.

R.I.P. Monty

Monty Lee Wilkes

Monty Lee Wilkes

We mourn the passing of Monty Lee Wilkes, local boy who made good.

Jeremy Schwarze – “Duluth”

A new music video … clearly shot many months ago … that … just speaks for itself. Directed by Brad Lester.

Three of Kip’s Dumps

Above is Kip Praslowicz‘s latest memory-card dump video, a retrospective of his life in Duluth (largely spent at local music clubs) during the wet hot summer — July 1 to Aug. 9.

Kip’s dumps have been happening more frequently than we can keep up with at PDD. Below are his two previous dumps, spanning June 3 to July 1 and March 16 to June 3 (minus the Homegrown Music Festival, which was on a separate memory card. (more…)

Reflectivore – “7 77/March”

vimeo.com

ReflectivoreDirector/DP: Kjell Kvanbeck
Written by: Allen Cragin, Ryan Rusch and Kjell Kvanbeck

“7 77/March” is the second collaboration between Reflectivore and True Norse Films. The first, “Red Looking Glass,” was released in December.