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 7 p.m. to midnight, hosted by Diane, or check out our Spotify playlist, updated every week. In April 2024, The Current compiled the first Minnesota Music Month Scouting Report with votes from the local music industry.

L.A. Buckner & BiG HoMie

L.A. Buckner & BiG HoMie’s new record Norfside is an exploratory playground of high-speed musical motifs, and technical, syncopated grooves. The big, bold sonic aesthetics are undoubtedly led by drummer Buckner — one who commands their instrument — in lockstep with other musical wizards zipping, swooping, and soaring together with each note. This is L.A. Buckner’s follow-up release to his iTunes jazz chart-topper Big Homie. Catch the drummer and his crew live at Dakota on Friday, Nov. 22. -Diane

Turn Turn Turn

Americana band Turn Turn Turn are inspired by country-folk sounds of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Adam Levy (guitar, vocals), Savannah Smith (guitar, vocals) and Barb Brynstad (bass, vocals) have each had significant involvement and impact in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and beyond. “Magnolia Tree” is a beautiful new tune with a wonderfully familiar folk sound. In a 2023 interview with The Current, Brynstad said, “We try to nod to the past while making something that resonates with the present." And their artist bio sums it up perfectly: “Imagine if Emmylou Harris recruited The Kinks to form her house band with the Mamas & the Papas on backing vocals, and they asked Sly Stone to sit in for a song or two.” -AD

Charlie.Murphy

Charlie.Murphy is a project featuring Charlie Bruber and Murphy Janssen. Both artists spent time recording and touring in various bands, such as Black Market Brass and Tabah. During a late-night session inspired by the vintage synthesizer EMS Polysynthi, they decided to team up to build community around this sound. Their lush new release, “Vacation,” features vocals from Minnesota-bred indie-folk artist runo plum (a past Scouting Report pick), and they plan to invite many artists to continue the ongoing collaboration. The track invites us to be present in the moment and keep dreaming. -NT

Nunnabove

Nunnabove are undoubtedly a product of the Minneapolis sound — an outstanding example of the extraordinary influence of Prince, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Sounds of Blackness, and other R&B, soul, funk, and jazz artists alike. Since 2016, the sibling band’s talent has already led them to the most prestigious rooms in Minnesota, including Paisley Park, Xcel Energy Center, Minnesota State Fair Grandstand, Target Field, U.S. Bank Stadium, and more. Nunnabove’s latest single “Tiny Bookshelf” is a touching song about letting out your emotions, even when it feels uncomfortable or vulnerable. -Diane

Dua Saleh

Los Angeles-based Dua Saleh has deep roots in the Twin Cities, and still works with Minnesota-based collaborators. Their long-awaited debut album, I SHOULD CALL THEM, is described as “a collection of R&B-infused electronic indie-pop songs, portraying the spiritual power, resilience and joy of love.” The opening track “chi girl” is a fun song about a crush from Chicago. Dua Saleh continues to explore unique perspectives and is not afraid to be authentically themself. They will be perform at Fine Line on Sunday, Feb. 16. -NT

Emmy Woods & the Red Pine Ramblers

In her Americana-flavored music, Emmy Woods dives into deeply personal experiences and distills them into evocative and resonant melodies. Woods and her band are back with a new EP, Volume 1, featuring the clever single “rodeo clown.” She has shared stages with local singer-songwriters like Sarah Morris and Melissa Carper, and draws inspiration from artists such as Billie Holiday, Gillian Welch, and Patty Griffin. Woods opens for Cameron Whitcomb at the Turf Club on Wednesday, Nov. 20. -YV

Symbioscia

Symbioscia is an experimental project created by Rhianna Hajduch that spans mediums of sound, visual design, and immersive experiences. Hajduch is inspired by ecology and each person’s interconnectedness on Earth. Musically, Symbioscia meshes ambient/electronic/pop sounds, brought to life by musical collaborators XINA and Bassma Nada. The sonic contents of “DYHM” are inspired by listening to the sounds of the natural world, and they include poetry written by Hajduch, as well as field recordings she has collected since 2017. Hajduch coined the term Symbioscia by stitching together fragments of words — sym=together; bio=life; sci=to know; ia=a state of being — to describe a feeling of collective knowledge and experience that transcends language. -AD

Nina Luna

Born in New England, Nina Luna has lived many lives before making a home for herself in Minneapolis. Luna’s upbeat alt-pop single, “Lines,” embraces darkness and light. It’s a reminder of not having to live up to others’ standards. “I wrote it about today’s beauty standards,” she says on Instagram, “for women especially, as a response to constantly being overwhelmed with messaging telling us we need to look different from the way we naturally look and that we need to spend our money on products that will make us ‘more attractive.’” Her music echoes the honest ethos of artists like Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson. Expect more shows, both solo and with her band, in 2025. -YV

Ozone Creations

Ozone Creations is a Twin Cities artistic collective with a mission to amplify the rich tapestry of Afrocentric music. Ozone Creations is comprised of Obi Original, Sumer, Ch!nwe, Bakarii, Mack OC, and Breezy2Fresh. Their recent performance at Dakota was engaging and fun, and each talented artist was able to showcase their individual music. Their most recent collaboration — a follow-up to their 2021 album, Coup D’etat — is called “Ease Your Mind.” It’s a silky-smooth R&B track with a ‘90s vibe. -NT

Emily Rhea

Emily Rhea is a Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter whose music is grounded in memories, observing the present moment while simultaneously reflecting on the “what-ifs” in life. Her latest single, “palo santo,” sounds like a summer night, and reverberates with familiar warmth much welcomed as Minnesota temperatures start to drop. Rhea lists Joni Mitchell and Imogen Heap as some of her influences, as she combines sincere lyrics with electronic production and rich layered harmonies. Her debut EP is slated to be released in February 2025. In the meantime, you can catch her performing live, including her show supporting porch light, a fellow local act at 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis on Saturday, Nov. 23. -AD