With legendary bandleader Peter Nelson — who some call a local “godfather of calypso” — Shangoya gave the Twin Cities countless nights of dancing and paved the way for many Minnesota calypso and reggae bands. “There were no calypso bands in Iowa, none in South Dakota, maybe a couple in Wisconsin. But to have steel…

Claire de Lune has experienced a considerable amount of heartbreak over the past year. Rather than floundering unproductively in her sorrow, the lead singer of tiny deaths instead turned that anguish into an inspired, emotional new EP, Night Flowers. De Lune has once again partnered with producer and electronic maestro Grant Cutler for a deeply…

Apollonia, who was recruited to star in Purple Rain after Vanity parted ways with Prince, says that Vanity was “a pioneer, a strong woman, she was a diva, the princess of funk.” Apollonia tells the Associated Press that Vanity, who died Monday at age 57, was “an inspiration to me, just like she was to all the ladies…

Har Mar Superstar has announced a new album. Best Summer Ever will be produced by Julian Casablancas of the Strokes, to be released on April 8. A first single — “Youth Without Love” — was written by Casablancas and is now streaming on Pitchfork. The album will also feature an appearance by Karen O (Yeah Yeah…

There’s a new frontier in audiophile vinyl: six classic albums have been remastered at London’s legendary Abbey Road Studios using a new “half-speed” process. That doesn’t mean you’ll need to play the records at 16 2/3 RPM — but that’s the speed they’ll be recorded at. The process “brings a clear, crisp sound with much better…

Here’s Prince’s new passport photo. That is all. To stay on top of all the latest Prince news, sign up for our Purple Alert e-mails. PRINCE ROGERS NELSON::PASSPORT PICTURE 2/11/16 pic.twitter.com/lgdLCXQ9y2 — Prince3EG (@Prince3EG) February 11, 2016

I remember the first time I heard Stevie Wonder’s “Sir Duke.” I was in a third-grade music class; our teacher wanted to illustrate the difference between unison melody and harmony. She pressed play, and I came online. I have no real memories before that moment, and what a memory! The sound of eight musicians playing…

As part of Jimmy Kimmel‘s ongoing Mashup Mondays series, Maple Grove superstar Sisqo joined forces with Panic! at the Disco to perform “The Thong Song” as — what else? — Panic! at the Sisqo. (Rolling Stone) Drama! at the Grammys Kimmel also rounded up a star-studded group of music stars — including Lionel Richie, James Taylor, Meghan Trainor, and Mumford and Sons — to…

“Let ‘Em Say,” the 2014 joint single by Lizzo and Caroline Smith, is featured in the opening scene of the forthcoming third season of Comedy Central’s wildly popular show Broad City. In a clip shared via Entertainment Weekly, the show’s heroines Abbi and Ilana enjoy a wide range of activities (some NSFW, albeit pixelated) in their…

Vanity, the singer who led the Prince-formed group Vanity 6, has died of kidney failure at age 57. Active from 1981 to 1983, Vanity 6 were best-known for their Prince-penned 1982 hit “Nasty Girl.” Born Denise Matthews, the future star grew up in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Rechristened Vanity, she recorded one album with Vanity 6…