As the music industry moves even further into the streaming era, the Recording Industry Association of America has announced that plays on streaming services — like Spotify and Apple Music — will now count towards album sales certifications like Gold, Platinum, and Diamond. The rule change immediately moves 17 albums into Gold and Platinum status…

The Associated Press reports that in his will, David Bowie requested that his remains be cremated and his ashes scattered in Bali. Bowie left the majority of his estate to his widow Iman and his two children. With Bowie’s music proving wildly popular in the wake of the icon’s death, Bowie has tied a record set by Elvis…

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…

In the true spirit of punk rock and girl power, Jill Krimmel taught herself guitar and founded Minneapolis pop-punkers The Wahinis after being told by a former boyfriend and bandmate that her days as a musician were over. “When we broke up, he said to me, ‘You’ll never be in another band because I wrote…

Friday night’s show at Paisley Park felt like a family reunion — even if the family’s most famous member, and the host of the gathering, kept himself discreetly tucked out of sight. (Some concertgoers did spot Prince, though I didn’t.) “We go too far back with Prince,” mused Morris Day from onstage. “Too many memories.” Thanking his host, he…

Happy Friday! Deep in January weather, we know it can be hard to fantasize about warmer weather and more exciting times — but don’t worry, we got you. Check out these five new music videos and you’re sure to be transported somewhere else. Poliça This new music video by Poliça might be reminiscent of an eerie episode of Sesame Street, but…

On Wednesday, Reina del Cid released her new video for “Death Cap,” a song featured on her 2015 album The Cooling. The video was shot in Iceland — with del Cid following in the footsteps of Björk, Bon Iver, Sigur Rós, and most recently Justin Bieber. As breathtaking as Iceland appears in the video, del Cid says it’s even more beautiful in person. “We originally…

What a cool month January has been! When I was a student at Macalester, I worked for the radio station and had a radio show every semester I was there. I loved the process of putting together my playlists and felt at ease telling jokes and talking during vocal breaks — so being able to…

With the big Babes in Toyland show coming up on Saturday — which marks their first gig at First Avenue since 2001 — we asked the members of the righteous and Babes-inspired punk trio Bruise Violet to interview one of their musical heroes, Lori Barbero. What transpired was over an hour of hollering, shrieking, giggling,…

Paul Kantner, a co-founder of pioneering psychedelic group Jefferson Airplane who continued as a core member of successor group Jefferson Starship, has died at age 74. The cause of his death, the San Francisco Chronicle reports, was multiple organ failure and septic shock. Kantner started Jefferson Airplane in the mid-1960s with Marty Balin and other musicians including…