The first time I saw Purple Rain, I was sitting in a café booth in South Minneapolis this year, facing a snowy residential street. I’d recently visited Paisley Park for the first time, and hearing fans marvel at film memorabilia there had gotten me curious; I had to see the movie. Sitting in my tiny…

In 1984, the song “Purple Rain” hit number two on Billboard’s Hot 100, and “When Doves Cry” ruled the chart at number one for five weeks. In the wake of Prince’s death, both songs have returned to the top ten: on this week’s chart, “Purple Rain” hits number four and “When Doves Cry” is number eight.…

Like everyone else, I was completely devastated when I heard the news. Even though I had heard about the emergency plane landing a week earlier, it was still a complete shock. He still looked so young and healthy that I assumed we had a lot of time left with him. I knew right away I…

This weekend, The Current went to Winona — and Winona did not disappoint. The river city was rocking with the annual Mid West Music Fest, with musicians from near and far playing at bars, in coffee shops, and under the big tent. Despite an unseasonal chill in the air and the persistent threat of rain,…

Over the years when people have asked me one of the predictable musichead questions — “Beatles or the Stones?” — I have quickly replied “the Who.” Of course I acknowledge the first two bands as major groundbreakers and I like a ton of their tunes, but it was the Who that connected me with a part of myself…

On Saturday, President Barack Obama invited a host of music luminaries to the White House to celebrate International Jazz Day. Among the performers — along with the likes of Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Sting — was Aretha Franklin, who paid tribute to Prince by singing a portion of “Purple Rain.” Watch the performance here. (Rolling Stone) At Jazz Fest in…

You may not be able to see ghosts, but you can hear one in the new trailer for this year’s Captain Fantastic. Jeremy Messersmith’s “Ghost,” from his album Heart Murmurs, shows up about a minute and a half into the preview. Directed by Matt Ross (who acted in American Psycho and The Aviator), Captain Fantastic stars Viggo…

Something surprising I learned as the Local Current DJ in Residence: being a radio host is exhausting. Programming six hours of music can be draining when you’re as indecisive as me, biting your nails over which Lizzo or Hollow Boys song to play next, and then you spend a good chunk of time talking to…

Fraea, “Criminal” Pop duo Fraea released a music video for “Criminal” this week, interpreting their lead single with inky swirls, smothering white leather costuming, and desaturated shots of home life. Director Maria Juranic also worked on Doomtree’s “Final Boss” video, and while “Criminal” shares the former’s careful attention to light and dark, it’s a hazier, more wistful slice of Juranic’s…

In terms of tone, Sing Street falls somewhere between The Commitments and High School Musical. Set in a gritty Dublin neighborhood in 1985, the film tells the story of a band of boys who form a band in the New Romantic tradition — the glammed-out post-punk pop moment that gave us Duran Duran, Culture Club, and Spandau Ballet. It…