Welcome to The Scouting Report, a monthly list of 10 Minnesota artists with exciting new projects, as curated by our local music team. If you like these picks, check out The Local Show on Sundays from 6 to 8 p.m., hosted by Diane. For more music discovery from The Current, watch for Jeffrey Bissoy's The Come-Up, highlighting new local hip-hop and more. Also, each Thursday, The Current's music director Jade picks great new tracks from around the world.

Justin Courtney Pierre

Fans of Motion City Soundtrack won’t find Justin Courtney Pierre straying too far on his latest solo EP, Permanent Midnight. The album finds life in the tales a man tells his daughter about a young boy who falls in love with a woman and takes an aging potion to grow older quickly to be with said woman. But the boy grows old too fast and misses out on many important things. It parallels to Pierre’s life watching his daughter grow up. The first single, “House of Strangers,” gives promise for another well-crafted cluster of pop/rock songs that conjure the feeling of experimentation, and “Oh, why not?” The five-song Permanent Midnight drops December 9. -Youa Vang

Emma Jeanne

Indie rock artist Emma Jeanne edged out roughly 80 other Duluth/Superior-based musicians to win the Palomino Grant this Summer. The new award was created by Minnesota bluegrass/folk band Trampled by Turtles as a way of giving back to the scene responsible for their own stardom. According to TBT’s lead Dave Simonett, Jeanne stood out for her smart and poignant songwriting. Her music, while still in its DIY punk rock phases, is comparable to the likes of Alvvays, Jenny Lewis, and Soccer Mommy. The $5,000 monetary boost may likely kickstart Jeanne’s professional career. She released the It Feels Like I’ve Been Here Before EP in October after a series of promising singles, like “Mattress on the Floor.” -Diane 

AfroGeode

Based in Duluth, AfroGeode fuses trap and soul on “Just Be” featuring vocalist/violinist Ren Cooper. “Just Be” is a perfect mix of lusty smooth vibes and strong boundaries. “Come correct or don’t come at all” is the phrase that comes to mind, especially when it comes to expression and identity. No comments or gestures are necessary. “Just Be” is both a statement and a warning, to let people be free and just be who they are. Check out her latest album, Unprotected Woman, and see AfroGeode & the Gemstones perform at the Hook & Ladder in Minneapolis on Nov. 11. -Natalia Toledo

Luke LeBlanc

Luke Leblanc’s fourth full-length album, Fugue State, builds upon the promise he showed at age 13 when he won a Bob Dylan-themed national singer-songwriter competition in Hibbing, Minn. The album creates a new world of human emotion that centers around socially conscious stories. The Americana-folk single “Come Clean” is so delicate, understated, and careful in its construction that you forget it’s taking apart how to live in such an unstable world while giving solace and a place for rest. LeBlanc will support his new album, which was produced by Erik Koskinen, with a show at the 318 Cafe in Excelsior on December 1 and in the new year at Palmer’s Bar on January 14. -YV

Collapsing Stars

NPR music critic Stephen Thompson says Collapsing Stars’ lovely new music will “lower your blood pressure.” In the last five years, the Twin Cities guitar-cello songwriter duo’s beautiful yet forlorn sound has caught the attention of SXSW, Dan Wilson of Semisonic, Rhymesayers Entertainment, and more. Fans of Gregory Alan Isakov and early Iron & Wine may especially enjoy Collapsing Stars, who recently sold out the Minneapolis venue Icehouse. See them perform January 13, 2023, at First Avenue & 7th Street Entry, promoting their latest 11-song LP, Chapter. -Diane

Mati

Minneapolis-based artist Mati returns with new single “Pressure.” Accompanied by stunning visuals directed by Matthew Hove, the song highlights the everyday pressures of a young person living in a hard world. Combining singing and rapping effortlessly, Mati cultivates a mellow vibe. I had the pleasure of seeing Mati perform at the Minnesota State Fair and witnessed his talent, vulnerability, and huge outpour of support. Mati’s career is promising, and I am looking forward to seeing where his artistry takes him. Learn more about his work in The Current’s 2021 profile. -NT

Unknown Prophets

Exactly 11 years after Unknown Prophets last released an album, the Twin Cities hip-hop group share their new album, Evolve, on the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Accompanied by a video showcasing familiar spots around northeast Minneapolis, “Say Goodbye” talks about struggles with mental health, losing people, and gaining insight on how to grab the present to make the most of what you still have. Mike “MaD SoN” Madison says there was so much time between albums because there were struggles in their friendship. During that period, Jesse ”Big Jess” Semanko got sober and made amends with Madison and Willy Lose — leading to getting the creative energy flowing again, but in a more-positive manner. An album release show is in the works. -YV

Freaque

Minneapolis songwriter Gabriel Rodreick, known as Freaque, centers his art on poetry and minimalistic instrumentation. As a person with limited mobility due to a spinal cord injury, Rodreick has found a way to creatively play piano — by tying a pencil to his hand and plucking notes through a wave of his fist. Freaque’s contemplative music embraces vulnerability with its weary, bare-boned sound. In his two new EPs, Victims of a Rose and Fury, inspired by individualistic artists such as Tom Waits, he sings about themes such as self-acceptance, body dysmorphia, and romance. Learn more about Rodreick in his recent interview with MPR’s Cathy Wurzer. -Diane

Monique Smaz

Country singer Monique Smaz has been hustling in the underground scene, performing consistently at the Minneapolis bar Northeast Palace. While this artist is still bubbling under the surface, her bright and catchy new heartbreak single “Let Me In” proves she belongs on bigger stages. With the help of esteemed local producer Jason Peterson DeLaire (Prince, Michael Bolton) and a killer backing band, she’s developed a sound and voice that mirrors country megastars like Lady A and Miranda Lambert. -Diane

Samuel Wilbur

Prolific Minneapolis-based Samuel Wilbur is a high school educator by day, and singer/songwriter by night. His latest album, Tone Deaf, follows his annual tradition of putting out a record on his birthday. The pop-rock single “Found a Friend,” featuring Katie Parks on lead vocals, reflects on feeling isolated and away from your home, and the joy of finding new friends who can create a new feeling of home. Sonically, the song has a tender, childlike aspect, and it reminds me that no matter what age, finding genuine connections is important. Wilbur also fronts the indie rock band Pelicant. -NT