Music
The Current to launch broadcast relay station in Duluth
Minnesota Public Radio announced in a news release today that Duluthians will soon be able to hear its album-oriented alternative music station, the Current, on 90.9 FM. A mix tape of music by artists from northern Minnesota began airing on the station today. At 9:09 a.m. on Feb. 1 the switch will flip to the Current’s live broadcast from the Twin Cities.
The low-power station will broadcast at about 99 watts, with an expected coverage area spanning from Hermantown to Superior. MPR purchased the 90.9 FM spot on the dial in 2015 from Family Stations, a national Christian network, which had aired programming as W215CG.
(more…)PDD Video Lab: Sea Smoke on Lake Superior
Video shot by Levi Drevlow on a -18 degree day. Choose an audio soundtrack below and enjoy. From indoors.
Rick McLean – “St. James”
New video from Duluth’s Rick McLean for a song from his recent EP Coupla Focal. Directed and edited by McLean, with camera help from Ian Vincent and Jacob Swanson.
Kilgour wins NewSong Contest at Lincoln Center
Duluth’s Rachael Kilgour was named the grand prize winner of the 2015 NewSong Contest during a music showcase and competition held Jan. 7 at Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium in New York City. She will receive a performance slot at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival’s ASCAP Music Café in Park City, Utah, later this month; an opportunity to perform at Lincoln Center later this year; and a recording session at Echo Mountain Recording Studios in Asheville, NC, produced by Gar Ragland, NewSong Music’s executive director, for an album to be released under the NewSong Recordings label.
Kilgour also was the winner of the 2015 LEAF Newsong Contest in North Carolina and a finalist in last year’s Telluride Troubadour Competition. Noted singer-songwriter Catie Curtis is producing Kilgour’s crowd-funded album, which is set for release later this year.
Dizzo stepping down; Homegrown looking for new director
After the 2016 Homegrown Music Festival, Walt Dizzo will be retiring from the executive director role. The board of directors is looking for someone to take over!
If you think you might fit the bill, check out the description and application. Deadline is Feb. 15.
Video Archive: Megadeth in the DECC Auditorium, June 21, 1998
This post originally contained an hour and a half of grainy video of Megadeth in Duluth, shot by Ronaldo Rodrigues Paravani. At some point the video was removed from YouTube.
Perfect Album of 2015: Low’s Ones and Sixes
The latest evidence of the ubiquity of Alan Sparhawk: Not only did his band Low gain the most votes in PDD’s poll to determine the best local album of 2015 for its release Ones and Sixes, Sparhawk also produced the Social Disaster album Dark Side of the Roller Rink, which finished a close second in the voting.
But that’s kind of what we expect from the icon of Duluth’s music scene.
For Low’s 11th studio album — its fourth on the Seattle-based Sub Pop Records label — the band teamed with producer BJ Burton and recorded at April Base Studios in Eau Claire. As usual, Sparhawk handles the guitar work and shares vocals with his wife, drummer Mimi Parker. It’s their third album with bassist Steve Garrington.
Ones and Sixes is perhaps the band’s most spiritual-sounding music yet, though not in a denominational sort of way. The songs are filled with soul and strain. Like every Low album, critics have labeled it a departure, while at the same time noting it’s unmistakably Low. Perhaps therein lies the soul and strain. When music critics have a tough time putting a finger on it, it’s usually a great thing that’s happening in the headphones. (more…)
Jerry Vandiver – “In Grand Marais”
Nashville recording artist Jerry Vandiver has a special affinity with Grand Marais, which he expressed in this love song from his 2014 album Every Scratch Tells a Story. The recently released video features images by Grand Marais photographer Paul Sundberg.
Reflectivore – “Red Looking Glass”
Washburn-based band Reflectivore released a self-titled album this week. The video for “Red Looking Glass” was directed by Kjell Kvanbeck.
2015: The Year in Duluth Gig Posters
Here it is, PDD’s annual gallery of gig posters. It’s not comprehensive, just a smattering of promo images that grabbed attention in 2015. (more…)
Video Archive: Christopher Halverson and Frank Nichols
Christopher Halverson performs “Rockcreek/Grantsville” at R.T. Quinlan’s Saloon during an open mic on Sept. 16, 1995. The video closes with a clip of Frank Nichols blowing his jaw blues harp.
Noon – “Duluth”
Noon, a band from Munich, Germany, has a song called “Duluth.” Anyone who can translate the lyrics from Italian to English or explain the existence or meaning of this song in any way is encouraged to do so in the comments to this post.
Poll: Best Album of 2015
There were a lot of potential nominees, so we used a runoff ballot. The options with the fewest votes slowly dropped out of the poll as the days went by, until it got down to the final four.
[poll id=”82″]
This poll is now closed. The results were:
Low’s Ones and Sixes – 34 percent
The Social Disaster’s Dark Side of the Roller Rink – 31 percent
Charlie Parr’s Stumpjumper – 19 percent
Mary Bue’s Holy Bones – 16 percent
Actual Wolf – “Christmas in Chisholm”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0cUIuMNJhI
Does anyone have a copy of Grassfire’s 45 from 1970?
We’re looking for the only album from Duluth-area band Grassfire from the late 1960s/early ’70s. It has the tracks “Smell of Incense” and “Aunt Morley’s Wheatcakes” and is from the label Steamboat. The only info on the internet is on the Opulent Conceptions website.
We’re trying to get it as a gift for one of the band members so any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
The Boomchucks – “It’s Good to be a Rolling Stone”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2j7HCufuTc
New music video from Duluth band the Boomchucks. The ‘Chucks play the free party in the DECC’s Palucci Hall tonight at 9 p.m., after the big mayoral farewell concert.
The Current: Duluth’s musical all-stars to play Don Ness goodbye concert
PDD Videolab: 8mm Dance Party
A box of 8mm home movies discovered at a Piedmont Heights estate sale provides the content for this video mash-up. (more…)
Mary Bue – “Veal”
This weekend, Mary Bue held a premiere party for her latest video, “Veal” from her album, Holy Bones. Video by Jon Hain.
Video Archive: Jim Wilferling – “Don’t Let it Bring You Down”
Jim Wilferling covers Neil Young’s “Don’t Let it Bring You Down” during open mic night at R.T. Quinlan’s Saloon on Sept. 16, 1995.
Low on World Cafe
NPR’s World Cafe has been doing a “Sense of Place Minneapolis” series. Duluth band Low was featured yesterday, Dec. 10.
Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank – “Over And Back Again”
Video edited by Ian Alexy from footage shot by Dusty “Rhodes” Keliin, Truvio Del Sol and Ian Alexy.
Jaw Knee Vee – “Holiday Romp!”
One-man trash-blues explosion Jaw Knee Vee blasts out this year’s holiday greeting from PDD. Check out more of his lo-fi hijinks at the Jaw Knee Vee Facebook page and Bandcamp page.
A big thank you to the Homegrown Music Festival for sponsoring this video. Music fans hark this: The Homegrown Winter Fiasco will be staged at three West Duluth venues on Jan. 22. Musicians hark this: Homegrown band registration begins Christmas Day and ends Jan. 31.
Also, thanks to real estate developer Aaron Schweiger for letting us into the former Morgan Park School auditorium to shoot this special performance before a capacity crowd.
For more festive PDD video wholesomeness, check out the PDD Holiday Video Showcase.
The Lowertown Line: Cloud Cult
Twin Cities Public Television’s live-performance music show, The Lowertown Line, features Cloud Cult performing on the Minneapolis Convention Center Plaza for the opening of the 2015 Northern Spark art festival. The band’s new album, The Seeker, is scheduled for a Feb. 12 release.