Music
Duluth Band Profile: Wino, WI
Wino, WI drives hard rock back into Duluth. Greg Conley and Scott Millis explain how the band started as a reaction to folk. Click on the image above to hear the interview.
Homegrown Documentary
I’m working on a Homegrown Music Festival documentary I started a few years back. I’m looking at getting some additional footage this year, including live performances and interviews. Anyone interested in being interviewed should let me know. Also does anyone have any pics from previous Homegrowns that I could use for this? Peace and happy Homegrown! Contact me at dandresser @ hotmail.com or Dan Dresser on Facebook.
Duluth Band Profile: Hanna Cesario
Hanna Cesario uses the ukulele to play jazz standards. In this clip she plays a live version of “Heavenly,” a track from her forthcoming album. Click on the image above to hear the interview.
Homegrown Rawk and/or Roll: Eric Swanson’s Mix
Available now for free download on Bandcamp, 106 megabytes of rawk and/or roll selected by Duluth soundman extraordinaire Eric Swanson, brought to you by the Homegrown Music Festival. (more…)
Duluth Band Profile: Duck Duck Punch
Duck Duck Punch uses infectious synthpop on its debut album Human Chemistry. Member Bryan Rudell opens up about the band’s forthcoming EP Take it Like a Man. Click on the image above to hear the interview.
Bliss – “The Most Important Things in Life are Invisible”
Video by Duluth rapper Bliss for a song from his new album, The Most Important Things in Life are Invisible, which will be released May 17.
Homegrown flashback through one lens
Photographer Rich Narum strung together all of his 2013 Homegrown Music Festival photos — the good, the bad and the out of focus — for this silent video. Running time is well over an hour, so grab a beverage.
Duluth Band Profile: The Formal Age
The Formal Ages adds surf riffs with synth keyboards to deliver its forthcoming album, 1923-2319. Jake Jonker talks about story behind the band. Click on the image above to hear the interview.
Duluth Band Profile: Timmy Jacks Off
Harrison Crane uses the pseudonym Timmy Jacks Off to release noise rock. In this interview, he elaborates about his process of stream-of-consciousness songwriting. Crane is currently releasing music freely to the public through Bandcamp. Click on the image above to hear the interview.
Portage – Columns
The band Portage was formed in Duluth, but is now located in Minneapolis. Band member Trent Waterman shot and directed this video. Portage plays at Amazing Grace Bakery & Cafe on May 2 during the Homegrown Music Festival.
When the Dames opened for Melvins
On March 19 and 20, 2004, a little Duluth band called the Dames opened for Melvins at Grumpy’s Bar & Grill in Coon Rapids. Unlike a lot of old, abandoned blogs, Tony Bennett’s Journal is still parked on the web with the story of his brush with the influential punk metal band.
They’re my heroes, you know. They’re my band. Just like there are tons of rockers out there with old Metallica or Kiss or Led Zeppelin fixations (me included), the Melvins are up there just like that. They’re an obsession for me. So it’s a little weird suddenly standing there with all three of them, shaking hands and having Buzz say “Yeah, I remember you guys from last year; you were good.” And then following that up with “Did you cut your hair?”
Yes, king Buzzo asked me about my hair. Does it get weirder than that for a Melvins nut from Duluth? I don’t know.
Homegrown 2014 schedule released
The schedule for the 2014 Homegrown Music Festival, April 27 to May 4, is now available on the Homegrown website. PDD’s Homegrown Chick App also has the schedule formatted for easy viewing on smartphones. There are 200 acts in this year’s festival. Plot your future bar hopping, and rest up for now.
Duluth Band Profile: Red Mountain
Red Mountain surrounds listeners with an eclectic blend of sounds and rhythms. In this interview, band members talk about how the song “Chad” began as a friend’s dream. Red Mountain is working on a follow up to its debut album Scowl Lightly. Click on the image above to listen.
Duluth Band Profile: Ryan Van Slooten
Ryan Van Slooten mixes the undertones of rock with the subtle touches of heartland music. In this interview he opens up about how the song “Crazy Earth” connects him to his fans. He is currently writing the follow up to his album Victory March. Click on the image above to listen.
Homegrown 2014 T-Shirts
Pre-sale T-shirts for the 2014 Homegrown Music Festival are now available. Artwork is by the wonderful Heidi Blunt. Be aware: unless you are a volunteer for the festival, this is the only way you can get a shirt this year. Pre-sale closes at the end of March.
Dad’s Acid – “Red Surf”
This music video from Duluth band Dad’s Acid kicks a reasonable amount of ass. The footage is from the film They Call Her One Eye.
Video Archive: Mötley Crüe at the DECC in 1998
This post originally featured nearly an hour’s worth of amateur video from Nov. 25, 1998, when Mötley Crüe played the DECC Auditorium on its Greatest Hits Tour. Unfortunately, the video has been removed from YouTube.
Local metal band Nobody opened the concert. It was the Crüe’s third performance in Duluth — the band played a sold-out Duluth Arena show in 1985, before the DECC was the DECC, and returned in 1990 to play for over 8,000. By 1998, things were on the downswing for the band. Tommy Lee had been out of jail for two months when this show came to town. His sex tape with Pamela Anderson hit the Internet about a year earlier.
Duluth Band Profile: Troy Rogers
Troy Rogers ventures into the future with music-playing robots. In this interview, he talks about the current state of musical robotics and his work with Expressive Machines. He is currently building his musical robotics workshop. Click on the image above to listen.
Actual Wolf – “You Can’t Leave” and “Honey Honey” (Live at First Avenue)
Duluth band Actual Wolf performs “You Can’t Leave” and “Honey Honey” at First Avenue in Minneapolis as part of the Current’s ninth birthday celebration.
Duluth Band Profile: The Social Disaster
The Social Disaster takes the chaos of noise and mixes it with the vocal flavor of jazz. In this interview, the band opens up about how a collaborative songwriting process produced the song “Foolproof.” The Social Disaster is currently recording its debut EP. Click on the image above to listen.
Seeking: Homegrown 2013 Photos
It’s that time of year again. If you have Homegrown 2013 photos you’d like to have considered for inclusion in this year’s Homegrown Field Guide, send me an email: adam [at] transistormag [dot] com.
Thank you, fans!
Duluth Band Profile: Sarah Krueger
Sarah Krueger mixes the vocal power of soul with the earnest songwriting of folk. In this interview she opens up about how her song “Ships and Trees” connects listeners to themes of loss and abandonment. She is currently recording the follow up to her 2011 album Dancing with Phantoms. Click on the image above to listen.
Mary Bue in a Nashville recording studio contest
Hello Duluth! Mary Bue here. I’m a local-loving singer-songwriter who got her start in this sweet old city that we choose to live. I’ve taken these songs around the country but keep coming back … and now, I’m asking for your votes!
I’ve submitted to a contest at a recording studio in Nashville called Welcome to 1979. The contest is called “Live to Lathe” — essentially five bands will have the opportunity to record a live album straight to vinyl. Welcome to 1979 Studio will print 500 copies for us to do with what we will — capturing a 26-to-32-minute moment in time. No edits, no auto-tune, if you fuck up it’s on the record. So, super daunting and super exciting!
If you are on Facebook, please vote for me! You can vote every single day and I will sing like a bird with gratitude! Of course, vote for whomever you want, but either way, it’s a super cool contest and you’ll learn about some sweet bands from around the country. Thank you for your time!
Duluth Band Profile: Lion or Gazelle
Duluth’s Lion or Gazelle redefines itself with its newest material. Songs like “Gloria” and “The Harder it Rains” add a lyrical tension to otherwise cheerful pop melodies. The three-piece is made up of Matt Mobley, Sophie Turk and Brian Ring. The band released the EP There’s Blood in Fire in 2013 and is finishing its latest full-lengthen record.
Click the image above to hear an exclusive interview with Lion or Gazelle’s Sophie Turk and Brian Ring as they describe their music’s content.
Duluth Band Profile: Vivielle
Duluth’s Vivielle blends two-part vocal harmony with the lo-fi approach of Sebadoh. The four-piece is made up of brothers Lino and Joe Rauzi, Rosalie Uggla and primary songwriter Nat Harvie. The band just released the single “Time Falls Apart.”
Click the image above to hear an exclusive interview with Vivielle’s Nate Harvie as he describes performing in Duluth.