Amber “ACE” Cleveland never planned to start her own hip-hop festival, until one day inspiration struck her while walking around St. Paul’s Lowertown neighborhood with hip-hop/spoken word artist Desdamona. “It’d be so cool to see a show down here,” Desdamona remarked, and Cleveland ran with the idea. “My brain turned that into: I should throw…

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July and one time Eric Malmberg threw fireworks in his cousin's waders. So for today's 9:30 Coffee Break, what songs or bands do you want to hear that feature bright lights, big explosions, fire, sparkles, etc?

Whether or not it's actually 'definitive,' Chris Salewicz's new biography of Led Zeppelin's musical mastermind is readable and informative...and, appropriately, heavy.

Vince Clarke was born, Jim Morrison and Brian Jones were both found dead, Brian Wilson joined the Beach Boys on stage for the first time in years, and The Newport Jazz Festival tried rock artists on for size, Today in Music History.

Missy Elliott celebrated her birthday this Monday by going back to the top of our chart with Lizzo, who was over in the UK for Glastonbury last weekend. BET celebrated Missy by dissecting her biggest hits.

Mary Lucia sits down with colleague Bill DeVille to compare notes on the Martin Scorsese film, 'Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story,' sorting out the factual details of the film from some of the more playful ones.

Tina Schlieske is a true Minnesota music icon. She led Tina and the B-Side Movement, one of the busiest and biggest bands to come out of the Twin Cities in the '80s and '90s. In the 21st century her adventures have included solo albums, a stint with the late Stevie Ray Vaughan's band Double Trouble, and a new band called Genital Panic.

Henry Cluney, founding member of the seminal Belfast punk-rock band Stiff Little Fingers, has lived in Rochester, Minn., since 1997, but continues to tour the world as a solo performer and as a member of his new band, XSLF. Cluney visited The Current studio to talk to Mark Wheat about his music career and about how he came to live in Rochester.

For writer David Perry, sharing and engaging in music and movement has helped drive language, expression and connections with his son Nico, who is autistic and has Down syndrome.

This weekend, Bill DeVille played "Boys In The Better Land" by Fontaine D.C., and listener Rob wrote in suggesting a theme based on songs that talk. So for today's 9:30 Coffee Break, what songs do you want to hear that feature talking, rather than singing, at some point?