Back in 2013 my former colleague, David Campbell, wrote a retrospective of the progressive, cult-beloved, and chaotic Minneapolis band, 12 Rods. While waxing poetic he said, they were simply not made to last. 

And that statement stood until 2023 when, after a 21 year hiatus, 12 Rods decided to release new music. If We Stayed Alive, is a tighter, melodic nostalgia album from the band that scored a perfect 10 in Pitchfork’s early days.

Sometimes things fall apart and the center can’t hold, but sometimes it comes back together as a new beautiful mess. Take a listen to If We Stayed Alive from 12 Rods, your Album of the Week on The Current.