“I’m not exactly — none of us are exactly — born for the stage,” producer Jamie xx told The Seattle Times in 2010. He wasn’t wrong; neither he, bassist/vocalist Oliver Sim, nor guitarist/vocalist Romy Madley Croft employ amazing looks or pop-star charisma. Yet as the xx, they’ve played to crowds nearly 100,000 strong. Friday night…

I kept waiting for the tears to fall. Which is typical for a wake, I suppose, even one that’s being held a year after someone has passed away. There is a tendency to steel yourself until just the right moment, to try to hold it together in the face of unpredictable emotional ebbs and flows,…

The first unreleased track from the upcoming deluxe reissue of Purple Rain has been made available for streaming. Though Prince sometimes played “Electric Intercourse” live, the studio version — featuring Prince’s falsetto over piano — was tucked away in Prince’s vault until Warner Bros. and NPG Records made the track available this week for streaming. “Electric Intercourse”…

Pye Luis & Devata Daun, “Weakening” The Pytch Records family comes together on Pye Luis and Devata Daun‘s new single, “Weakening,” off their forthcoming EP Plastik Boxes. Ryan Olcott (a.k.a. c.Kostra) mixed and mastered the project; Garrison Grouse and Pye Luis (a.k.a. Efren Maldonado) produced it. Adam Dunn directed the video with VFX by Evil Ice Cream…

The first anniversary of Prince’s untimely death may have passed, but the celebration of his life is not ending any time soon. Members of the New Power Generation (NPG), who worked with Prince from 1990-2013, have announced that they have plans to revisit Prince’s music in a celebration called “This Thing Called Life: The Prince…

“I hope it’s awesome,” said Winona guitar-slinger Mike Munson in between songs during his set on the third floor of a dimly-lit ballroom. Moments prior, a man and woman wearing matching Turf Club sweatshirts informed Munson of their engagement earlier on in the day. “I’ve had a great time being married. It’s probably one of…

Some people had no idea who Dwynell Roland was when they bought tickets for Rock the Garden 2017. Some people may have heard his name in passing. But those who follow local hip-hop would’ve inched their cursor that much closer to the “Buy Tickets” button, and with good reason; Roland’s shows are pure energy. Born…

“The last time I was in this building was 1984.” Owen Husney is standing in the doorway of 430 Oak Grove, a high-end apartment complex on the south edge of Loring Park in Minneapolis. As soon as the doors swing open and he steps into the marble atrium, you can see the memories pulling him…

Acclaimed filmmaker Jonathan Demme has died at age 73. The director’s family confirmed the death, due to esophageal cancer and heart disease, to Indiewire. Among Demme’s many achievements is the 1984 movie that’s been called the greatest concert film ever made: Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense. Demme, who won an Oscar for directing The Silence of the…

A Toronto house owned by Prince from 2001 to 2006 is reportedly up for sale, at an asking price of $13,186,500. “This sensational bungalow offers a dramatic floor plan and a majestic ambience for entertaining on a global level,” gushes a real estate listing. Though the listing specifies only an “acclaimed international music celebrity” as a…