Twin Cities Music
I have returned to the Minnesota music scene after five years away. It almost seems I was never gone.
The Bert Records people are still my favorites. Gee as In Jesus played an icy night at the Triple Rock to close 2005, and gave a great performance, to an enthusiastic crowd. I’m told that a Midnight Evils/ Gee As In Jesus show, last Fall, set the Entry record for beer sales. Bill Patten still plays Dustys alternate Saturdays and, except for the token Neil Diamond parody, is exceedingly tasteful. Autobody Experience has a new recording, “Forgotten Lots”, and gave an excellent CD release show at the History center. Scott Yoho is the nicest person you will ever meet. I caught traditionalist accordionists Dan Newton at Lee’s Liquor and Urban Hillbilly Quartet at the Turf Club. My friends in the pop band, Chinch Bugs have also put on some entertaining shows.
Other bands from five years ago are still around, and still worth seeing. Keyboardist Mark Mallman is manic as ever. Rockers Mighty Mofos still have more energy than anyone but Mallman. Art rockers Rank Strangers stand up nicely. Faux Jean still sends me e-mails and still hits the high register. They played a not so great show at the Varsity and a good show at the Hexagon. Hip hoppers, Atmosphere, seem to still be a big thing, though I haven’t caught them. Beatifics are still playing pop, with Chris Dorn now booking the Hexagon. I haven’t caught my favorite old folkers, Koerner and Glover, but that will soon be corrected.
Melodious Owl is hyped by old scenesters as the top new local band. Their New Year’s Eve all ages Entry show was well attended and the kids like them. Their haircuts would play well in Japan. Think New Wave, circa 1980. The Gleam, the top new band of 2005 per one of the weeklies, is also fine and much like Violent Femmes.
The best local band, not around five years ago, is The Deaths. They play original music in a hodgepodge of styles from country rock to psychodelia, all of which would fit into a 1967 time machine. The Deaths covered Spinal Tap; not one song, but the whole “This is Spinal Tap” LP. The bass player, who dressed as a passable Derek Smalls, told me that they practiced four times-- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday-- for their Friday performance. I’ve seen lots of covers, but never seen a band dress up for Halloween to cover an entire album. We saw The Deaths again and heard no Spinal Tap, so don’t think of them as a cover band. From what I can tell, they are the best new Twin Cities band of the last five years.
The Bert Records people are still my favorites. Gee as In Jesus played an icy night at the Triple Rock to close 2005, and gave a great performance, to an enthusiastic crowd. I’m told that a Midnight Evils/ Gee As In Jesus show, last Fall, set the Entry record for beer sales. Bill Patten still plays Dustys alternate Saturdays and, except for the token Neil Diamond parody, is exceedingly tasteful. Autobody Experience has a new recording, “Forgotten Lots”, and gave an excellent CD release show at the History center. Scott Yoho is the nicest person you will ever meet. I caught traditionalist accordionists Dan Newton at Lee’s Liquor and Urban Hillbilly Quartet at the Turf Club. My friends in the pop band, Chinch Bugs have also put on some entertaining shows.
Other bands from five years ago are still around, and still worth seeing. Keyboardist Mark Mallman is manic as ever. Rockers Mighty Mofos still have more energy than anyone but Mallman. Art rockers Rank Strangers stand up nicely. Faux Jean still sends me e-mails and still hits the high register. They played a not so great show at the Varsity and a good show at the Hexagon. Hip hoppers, Atmosphere, seem to still be a big thing, though I haven’t caught them. Beatifics are still playing pop, with Chris Dorn now booking the Hexagon. I haven’t caught my favorite old folkers, Koerner and Glover, but that will soon be corrected.
Melodious Owl is hyped by old scenesters as the top new local band. Their New Year’s Eve all ages Entry show was well attended and the kids like them. Their haircuts would play well in Japan. Think New Wave, circa 1980. The Gleam, the top new band of 2005 per one of the weeklies, is also fine and much like Violent Femmes.
The best local band, not around five years ago, is The Deaths. They play original music in a hodgepodge of styles from country rock to psychodelia, all of which would fit into a 1967 time machine. The Deaths covered Spinal Tap; not one song, but the whole “This is Spinal Tap” LP. The bass player, who dressed as a passable Derek Smalls, told me that they practiced four times-- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday-- for their Friday performance. I’ve seen lots of covers, but never seen a band dress up for Halloween to cover an entire album. We saw The Deaths again and heard no Spinal Tap, so don’t think of them as a cover band. From what I can tell, they are the best new Twin Cities band of the last five years.
posted by David Rasmussen at 10:08 AM
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