Each week on the Local Show, we’ll meet a new person from the Minnesota music community who has some fresh discoveries to share in a feature called “Ask a Cool Person.” These people will come from all corners of the scene, including record store clerks, recording studio engineers and producers, artists, writers, bookers, photographers, and…

All week, I’ve been excited for today, and not just because it’s Friday. A few extra-special videos have made their way onto this week’s round-up — including a Fury Things premiere, a Fort Wilson Riot premiere, and a Ness Nite gem — and I can’t wait for the world to see them. Fury Things, “Bahia”…

A jury has decided that Led Zeppelin did not crib their iconic “Stairway to Heaven” from Spirit. The band say they are “grateful” that the court confirmed “what we have known for 45 years,” that the song is in fact an original composition by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. Both Page and Plant testified at the trial, which resulted from a…

There is something especially intense and nerve-racking about sitting down to do an interview for the O.K. Show — a podcast where I have very consciously made an effort to dig deeper and discuss matters that affect the heart, soul, and general well-being of the musicians I’m speaking with — and realizing that I’ve literally…

Two months and a day after Prince passed away, friends, family, and fans came together to commemorate the music icon’s life once again last night at the unveiling of a mural in honor of the performer in his hometown of Chanhassen. The evening seemed more of a celebration of Prince’s life rather than a night dedicated to mourning.…

HBO has gone back on its plans to renew Vinyl for a second season. Though the series — a fictional story set in the New York music industry circa the 1970s, produced by Mick Jagger and Martin Scorsese — was highly anticipated (and won fans including The Current’s Mary Lucia), it proved to be a ratings disappointment. (Pitchfork) Remembering…

In an interview with the New York Times, singer-songwriter Judith Hill has opened up about her “very intense” relationship with Prince. Among the subjects Hill discussed is the fact that she was with Prince, the week before his death, on the flight that made an emergency stop in Illinois after Prince became unresponsive. It’s the…

On July 4, the fireworks over downtown Minneapolis will be choreographed to a mix of Prince music provided by The Current. Starting at 10:00 p.m. on July 4, you can tune in to The Current on air (89.3 FM in the Twin Cities) or via our website or the MPR Radio app for the perfect…

“I’m kind of soft-spoken,” Katana Da Don told me as I flipped on a tape recorder in a Northeast Minneapolis restaurant. In terms of volume, she was right — silverware and nearby chatter sometimes overwhelmed her voice. But in terms of power, the descriptor is totally wrong. Katana Da Don is a local rapper, and…

Believe it or not, there’s never actually been an official soundtrack release for the 1986 John Hughes classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Now, to celebrate the film’s 30th anniversary, an official soundtrack will finally be released later this year (specific date TBA). The surprising reason there never was a soundtrack release: Hughes didn’t think anybody would want…