Tag: Minneapolis MN

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: she’s green Returns with Slow-Burning and Delicate “paper thin”

Minneapolis-based outfit she’s green — Zofia Smith (vocals), Liam Armstrong (guitar), Raimes Lucas (guitar), Teddy Nordvold (guitar) and Kevin Seeback (drums) — specialize in crafting dreamy soundscapes that transport the listener to scenes of soft summer rain and fields of swaying wheat, infused with raw emotional intensity. 

With their earliest singles “river” and “smile again,” the Minneapolis-based quintet quickly became a staple within the Midwestern alternative scene, while earning praise from Complex, Star Tribune and The Current. Their debut EP, 2023’s Wisteria saw the band establishing an honest and exploratory songwriting process, as well as reputation for being a force in the world of sonic surrealism. They supported their material with tours across the Midwest and East Coast with Hotline TNT, Friko, JOVM mainstays Glixen and a list of others. 

Last year, the Minneapolis-based quartet signed to New York-based Photo Finish Records, who released their Henry Stoehr-produced sophomore EP Chrysalis. The EP included  the Souvlaki-era Slowdive-like “Graze,” and the Sundays-meets-A Storm In Heaven-like “Willow.” 

Building upon a growing national profile, the Minneapolis-based outfit will be releasing their newest effort, swallowtail EP on July 10, 2026 through Photo Finish Records. The EP will feature the previously released “mettle,” a decidedly  120 Minutes-era MTV-like bit of shoegaze and dream pop and the EP’s latest single “paper thin.”

the slow-burning “paper thin” features swirling, gauzy shoegazer guitar textures that seem to be so fragile that they’re breaking apart as soon as they’re played, paired with Smith’s achingly melancholy vocal. The song captures the feeling of love slipping away right before your eyes — and the realization that there’s nothing you can do to stop it. At the core of the song is a bitter heartache, rooted in the familiar “what if’s” and “what would have beens” of every relationship.

The painterly shot, subtly surrealist video for “paper thin” that follows a night out that spirals out of control with a couple on the verge of a breakup, emphasizes the heartache at the core of the song.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Minneapolis’ Solid Gold Shares Shimmering, Politically Charged “Government Grade”

Minneapolis-based electro rock trio Solid Gold — Zachary Coulter, Adam Hurlbut and Matthew Locher — have released two critically applauded albums to date, 2008’s Ryan Olcott-produced Bodies of Water and 2012’s BJ Burton-produced Eat Your Young, as well as a handful of singles. The trio have supported all of their recorded output with a busy international touring schedule.

The trio are currently working on their long-awaited third album. Recorded at Cannon Falls, MN-based Pachyderm Studios, their new album reportedly showcases a dramatic shift in sound and approach: According to the band, the new songs are “maximalist psychedelic dreamscapes filled with shimmering synthesizers and pop vocal hooks.” They add that the album’s “sound is a reflection of the modern world, beautiful, but with an underlying essence of tragedy.”

Solid Gold’s latest single “Government Grade” is a a remarkably crafted and meditative song anchored around a shimmering psych pop arrangement, some incredibly catchy, well-placed hooks and a gorgeous melody. The song as the band explains is a direct response to the ongoing, violent occupation of Minnesota by ICE. And as a result, the song is a forcefully urgent documentation of our moment — one of many, of course — that also feels timeless and absolutely fucking necessary.

The band will be donating all proceeds from the sale of the song on Bandcamp to Minnesota Mutual Aid groups to support the good, resilient. diverse and deeply proud folks of the Twin Cities.

The Bandcamp link to purchase is here: https://solidgold.bandcamp.com/track/government-grade

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: she’s green Shares Stormy and Anthemic “mettle”

Minneapolis-based outfit she’s green — Zofia Smith (vocals), Liam Armstrong (guitar), Raimes Lucas (guitar), Teddy Nordvold (guitar) and Kevin Seeback (drums) — specialize in crafting dreamy soundscapes that transport the listener to scenes of soft summer rain and fields of swaying wheat, infused with raw emotional intensity. 

With their earliest singles “river” and “smile again,” the Minneapolis-based quintet quickly became a staple within the Midwestern alternative scene, while earning praise from Complex, Star Tribune and The Current. Their debut EP, 2023’s Wisteria saw the band establishing an honest and exploratory songwriting process and a reputation for being a force in the world of sonic surrealism. Adding to a growing profile, the rising Minnesotans have supported their material with tours throughout the Midwest and East Coast with the likes of Hotline TNT, Friko, JOVM mainstays Glixen and a list of others. 

Last year, the Minneapolis-based quartet signed to New York-based Photo Finish Records, who released their Henry Stoehr-produced sophomore EP Chrysalis. The EP included  the Souvlaki-era Slowdive-like “Graze,” and the Sundays-meets-A Storm In Heaven-like “Willow.”

Building upon a growing national profile, the band shares their latest single “mettle.” Continuing a remarkable run of 120 Minutes-era MTV-like shoegaze and dream pop, “mettle” features Zofia Smith’s powerhouse yet tender vocal ethereally floating over a stormy soundscape of hazy reverb-drenched guitars, sculpted and abrasive riffs and thunderous, driving drums. The song manages to be simultaneously oceanic yet intimate, rooted in personal experiences that are all too familiar and universal.

“‘mettle’ channels the frustration and discomfort that stem from what often feels like constant bad news, while also being an anthem of resilience and the courage to take action and bring about positive change,” the band’s Zofia Smith explains.

Directed by Jaxon Whittington, the accompanying 120 Minutes-era MTV-like video begins with the band’s Smith walking through an eerie forest scene similar to horror movies and is split between horror movie-like vibes and the band playing in the same forest.

The band will have a very busy 2026: Earlier this month, they announced that they’d be opening for Chapterhouse on select dates on that band’s first North American tour in 16 years. During the spring they’ll also open for Bad Suns and Slow Crush with some headlining sets and appearances at Nothing.’s touring Slide Away Festival. The festival will have a stop at the Brooklyn Paramount.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: she’s green Shares Shimmering and Bittersweet “Willow”

Minneapolis-based outfit she’s green — Zofia Smith (vocals), Liam Armstrong (guitar), Raimes Lucas (guitar), Teddy Nordvold (guitar) and Kevin Seeback (drums) — specialize in crafting dreamy soundscapes that transport the listener to scenes of soft summer rain and fields of swaying wheat, infused with raw emotional intensity. 

With the release of their earliest singles “river” and “smile again,” the Minneapolis-based quintet quickly became a staple within the Midwestern alternative scene, while earning praise from Complex, Star Tribune and The Current. Their debut EP, 2023’s Wisteria saw the band establishing an honest and exploratory songwriting process and a reputation for being a force in the world of sonic surrealism. Adding to a growing profile, the rising Minnesotans have supported their material with tours throughout the Midwest and East Coast with the likes of Hotline TNT, Glixen, Friko and others. 

Earlier this year, she’s green recently signed to New York-based Photo Finish Records, who will be releasing the band’s highly-anticipated Henry Stoehr-sophomore EP Chrysalis on August 15, 2025. The EP will feature the previously released  Souvlaki-era Slowdive-like “Graze,” which I wrote about earlier this year.

The EP’s third and latest single “Willow” is a shimmering, rousing The Sundays-meets-A Storm in Heaven-like showcasing the band’s penchant for rousingly anthemic hooks and choruses paired with Zofia Smith’s dreamy and ethereal delivery floating over thunderous drumming and swirling and hazy, shoegazer guitar textures. While arguably being one of the more energetic songs on the new EP, “Willow” is underpinned by a bittersweet and uneasy longing over something that you’re slowly losing — and that you can’t possibly stop.

“‘Willow’ reflects on our dying relationship with the natural world—a relationship that’s not always loving, but formative nonetheless,” the band explains. “It’s an energetic song that we love playing live.”

The accompanying video features the band’s frontperson Zofia Smith wandering through a forest, looking towards the dappled light shining through the tree canopy. While there’s longing and sadness in there voice, the light on her face also suggest that there’s hope just on the other side. But as the video ends, the viewer’s viewpoint becomes increasingly blurry as she sings about uncertainty and melancholy.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: she’s green Shares “120 Minutes” MTV-like “Graze”

With the release of their earliest singles “river” and “smile again,” the Minneapolis-based quintet quickly became a staple within the Midwestern alternative scene, while earning praise from Complex, Star Tribune and The Current. Their debut EP, 2023’s Wisteria saw the band establishing an honest and exploratory songwriting process and a reputation for being a force in the world of sonic surrealism. Adding to a growing profile, the rising Minnesotans have supported their material with tours throughout the Midwest and East Coast with the likes of Hotline TNT, Glixen, Friko and others.

she’s green recently signed to New York-based Photo Finish Records, who released the Henry Stoehr-produced “Graze,” the first bit of new material since Wisteria EP. Featuring glistening and swirling, reverb-soaked guitar textures, Smith’s dreamily ethereal vocal, strummed acoustic guitar for the song’s first half, an explosive feedback and fuzzy power-chord driven middle section and a placid, almost folksy strummed acoustic guitar coda, “Graze” recalls Souvlaki-era Slowdive while evoking an aching longing.

“This song is about feeling trapped in a distant memory and longing to find a way out,” she’s green says about “Graze.” “The only way to escape seems to be facing it head-on and finally getting the release you need.”

The accompanying video for “Graze,” features the band’s Zofia Smith serenely swirling around a summery verdant forest, near one of their home state’s many lakes, with the sun dappling off the rippling water. As the song swells with intensity, the visuals become trippier and more frenzied, urgent and mind-bending. As a child of the 80s and 90s, this one brought back fond memories of 120 Minutes-era MTV.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Minneapolis’ The Rope Shares Anthemic “Nightbird”

Minneapolis-based outfit The Rope — Jesse Hagon (vocals), Mike Browning (guitar), Sam Richardson (bass) and Ben Rickel (drums) — formed back in 2009. Since their formation, the Minneapolis-based quartet have established a uniquely dark and […]

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Los Angeles’ King Pari Shares Slinky and Funky “Better The Devil”

Rising Los Angeles-based funk duo King Pari can trace its origins back to a happy accident: Joe Paris Christensen and Cameron Kinghorn had been playing the same Minneapolis area scenes for years, but when Christensen sent Kinghorn a new tune he had created on a tape machine, something clicked. “This sounds how my brain feels,” Kinghorn said. That session became the first King Pari song.

The duo’s Minneapolis funk pedigree anchors their work: Both Christensen and Kinghorn played alongside some of Prince‘s closest associates — and Christensen’s previous band was among the last that Prince personally invited to play at Paisley Park. Additionally, they’ve also been tapped into the national funk and jazz scenes from the beginning: Their first gig together was opening for Kamasi Washington, before they landed on a name.

Having relocated to Los Angeles and signing with Stones Throw, the duo is starting a new chapter. Their latest single “Better The Devil” is the second single from their highly anticipated full-length debut. Anchored around an 80s synth funk-like production and arrangement featuring skittering, gated reverb soaked boom bap, tape saturated synths and squiggling funk guitar serving as a lush and silky bed for achingly tender falsetto vocals and a scorching guitar solo. While sonically nodding at The Whispers, The Gap Band and 80s Chaka Khan, the song reveals an outfit that can effortlessly craft a catchy hook.

Directed and edited by Zach Sulak, the accompanying video for “Better the Devil” featuring the Los Angeles-based duo running late for an audition with — well, the devil. Hell could use some funky tunes, huh?

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Minneapolis’ Lumari Shares Soaring “In Waves”

Emerging Minneapolis-based dream pop/shoegaze outfit Lumari — twin brothers Dave West (drums) and Dan West (guitar/bass), Margo Pearson (vocals, keys) and Robert Caple (guitar, bass) — can loosely trace their origins back some time ago: The West Brothers have performed together internationally for several decades in a number of different projects.

They had the serendipitous — and rare — fortune of finding Pearson and Caple, who helped complete their latest band’s lineup. And along with acclaimed, award-winning producer/engineer Eric Olsen, the quartet have developed a sound that pairs shimmering guitar textures with expressive and soaring vocals while blurring the lines between genres and styles.

Last year saw the release of the Minneapolis-based outfit’s full-length debut En Phases. The album’s latest single “In Waves” is a gorgeous, hook-driven bit of shoegaze that subtly nods at Laurel Canyon-era rock in a way that reminds me a bit of FRANKIIE‘s gorgeous Between Dreams and Wax Idols: Shimmering and swirling guitar textures, glistening synths and driving rhythms are paired with Pearson’s expressive and yearning delivery.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Minneapolis’ Wild Lyre Shares Anthemic “Shelter”

Minneapolis-based indie outfit Wild Lyre — Keith Wyman (vocals, guitar), Art Oxborough (lead guitar), Mike Vasich (keys), Dave Dorman (bass) and Dan Cordell (drums) — released their debut single “Shelter,” along with two other songs earlier this year.

“Shelter” is a deceptively anachronistic jam that sound as though it could have been released in 1967, 1973, 1977, 2017 or — well, earlier this year. Built around some remarkably catchy hooks, “Shelter” displays the band’s ability to pair attention to craft with earnest, lived-in lyricism and performances.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Minneapolis’ speakeazie Shares Lush and Swooning “Love Me Wild, Love Me Crazy”

This weekend has been an extremely busy but very fun one:

  • Friday night, I caught French 79 and JOVM mainstay Brothertiger at Racket NYC.

  • Last night, I was at GlobalFest at Lincoln Center. I specifically wanted to see JOVM mainstay Juana Molina. But was thrilled to see a collection of great artists playing music from all over the place, including Native American rapper Supaman, Congolese outfit Jupiter & Okwess and Haitian rockers Ram. It was a full day and my feet and knees are paying for it.

  • Today, I’m hoping to catch Xylouris White at Union Pool‘s Summer Thunder. Much like yesterday it’s looks to be a glorious day to see live music and to drink a few beers.

But in the meantime, there’s still work to do, right? So let’s get to it.

Emerging Minneapolis-based electro pop artist speakeazie with an obsession for noir aesthetics from the 1920s. Sonically, she pairs effortlessly soulful vocals with a dreamy synth pop-driven sound.

Although the project started back in 2021, she released her full-length debut Prohibition Hippie last year. The album featured “Disintegrate,” which amassed over 70,000 streams in its first five months. Building upon a growing profile with the dream pop and synth pop scenes, the Minneapolis closed out the year with the Bootlegger’s Blood EP.

The rising Minneapolis-based artist’s latest single “Love Me Wild, Love Me Crazy” is a swooning track built around a relentless motorik pulse, strummed reverb-soaked guitar and skittering beats serving as a lush bed for speakeazie’s effortlessly soulful and yearning delivery. It’s the perfect song for dancing by yourself in your room — or for an intense makeout session.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Minneapolis’ Spit Takes Share a Mosh Pit Friendly Ripper

Minneapolis-based punk outfit Spit Takes — Vanessa McKinney (vocals), Monet Wong (guitar), Angie Lynch (bass) and Charles Gehr (drums) — formed last year. Influenced by Amyl and the Sniffers, X-Ray Spex, Bikini Kill, and The Slits among a list of other acts, the Minneapolis-based punks pair crunchy guitar riffs with raw, unapologetic lyrics.

Spit Takes’ second single, the breakneck ripper “God Bless (Holy Tits!)” is a decided pub rock-take on punk rock, reminiscent of Amyl and the Sniffers. Of course, there are big riffs and thunderous drumming paired with mosh pit friendly hooks and choruses. But at its core, it’s a hilarious and defiantly crude, feminist anthem delivered with a zero fucks given aplomb.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Minneapolis’ FUTURE BABEL Shares Trippy, Genre-Defying “Not Exactly”

FUTURE BABEL is Minneapolis-based outfit that describes their sound as “a towering collage — a hodgepodge of driving beats, spacey guitars and a stark vocal delivery of philosophical soap-boxing that blurs the line between alternative hip-hop and spoken word.”

“Not Exactly,” off FUTURE BABEL’s debut EP The Future’s Just A Head is a weird yet accessible bop centered around off-kilter, skittering beats, twinkling keys, wavy bursts of guitars and a driving groove paired with emcees spitting philosophy-inspired bars and a lysergic-feeling bridge with screeching guitars and industrial clang and clatter.

This track caught my attention because it explodes with a brash and defiant originality.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Minneapolis’ LUMARI Shares Swirling Shoegaze Anthem “Neon Mirror”

Minneapolis-based dream pop/shoegaze outfit Lumari — twin siblings Dave West (drums) and Dan West (guitar, bass), Margo Pearson (vocals, keys) and Robert Caple (guitar, bass) — can trace their origins back to the relationship between the West Brothers: Dave West and Dan West have played together in a number of different national and internationally touring projects over the course of several decades.

As the story goes, the West Brothers had the fortune of finding Pearson and Caple, who gamely completed Lumari’s lineup. Along with award-winning producer/engineer Eric Olsen, the Minneapolis-based sheogazers wrote and recorded an album’s worth of material that sets the groundwork for the band’s sound and approach.

The quartet’s debut single, and presumably, their album’s first single, “Neon Mirror” is centered around reverb-drenched, swirling guitar textures, thunderous and propulsive drumming, a supple bass line and enormous choruses paired with Pearson’s ethereal vocals. Sonically. the song strikes me a slick synthesis of Meat is Murder-era The Smiths, Cocteau Twins, Slowdive and RIDE — with a modern production sheen.

Co-directed by Sara Fox and the members of Lumari, the accompanying video was shot in the Catskills and follows Leslie Cuyjet wandering through the hilly forests, when she discovers an ornate, old fashioned mirror in the moss. We see the woman twirling through the forest pathways with her mirror before shifting to an ornate house. In one way, the video can be red as a modern day extrapolation of the old Greek myth of Narcissus — but while going through a lysergic and nightmarish funhouse mirror.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Carrellee Shares Dark and Sultry “Morning Sun”

Sarah Pray is Madison, WI-based singer/songwriter and musician, who can trace much of the origins of her music career to growing up in a musical household: Pray’s father taught her piano and by the time she turned five, she was learning jazz chords and music theory.

As a teenager, Pray interned at recording studios in Madison and Minneapolis — and then she started writing her own original music. Pray started her career as as solo artist, releasing her first few releases under her name. She then made a name for herself as one-half of folk duo Kivi & Pray with her ex-husband Thomas Kivi, an act that toured across much of Europe and the States.

During both the pandemic and divorce, Pray wanted to experiment — and return to her roots. “I am a big fan of female artists like Bjork, Angel Olsen, Fiona Apple, and PJ Harvey, who constantly evolve. I feel more in touch with myself more than ever since the divorce.” Pray’s latest project Carrellee sees the Wisconsin-born singer/songwriter and musician working with Brett Bullion to fine tune her songs, giving them a sleek, modern air.

Pray’s Carrellee debut, Scale of Dreams is slated for a November 18, 2022 release through Negative Gain Productions. Thematically, the album is heavily informed by Pray’s divorce with the album evoking the heartache, longing, frustration, regret and bitterness of a major relationship’s end. Sonically, the material draws from Cocteau Twins, Kate Bush and a wide variety of Italo disco and synthwave with each instrument being processed through crumped and fried analog tape.

Scale of Dreams‘ first single “Morning Sun” is a dark and seductive synthesis of Giorgio Moroder-like Italo disco, industrial electronic and pop featuring thumping and skittering beats, glistening synth arpeggios paired with razor sharp hooks and Pray’s sultry delivery expressing aching longing — and the song’s narrator’s realization that their relationship has irrevocably changed.

“Morning Sun” came to Pray during a dream she had as she was getting divorced. The next morning, she quickly transcribed it from her home studio, and shared the demo video on Facebook, where it has amassed over 370,000 views.

The accompanying video features Pray wearing different wigs in superimposed or directly in neon light and explosive bursts of light in a variety of sexually-charged scenarios.