So the Portuguese have this saying: saudade, a single word that summarizes an entire state of being, a lingering sense of longing for lost love and sepia-toned snapshots of yesterday. The way Solid Gold sees it, saudade might as well be the subtitle of their second album: Eat Your Young, a slow-burning set of skittish synths, glassy beats, ripple effect riffs, and melancholic melodies that leave you wondering what left a trail of scar tissue deep within the group’s core trio (frontman Zack Coulter and multi-instrumentalists Matthew Locher and Adam Hurlburt).

To call Jeremy Messersmith a musician is half-truth: He’s also a storyteller, who has carefully crafted a trilogy of songs that narrate life. His first full-length release The Alcatraz Kid is a moving collection of acoustic-driven lullabies with titles like “Novocain” and “Beautiful Children” that innocently question the purpose of things to come. The integrity of these delicate songs immediately struck a cord with critics and fans alike, and captured the attention of Semisonic’s Dan Wilson, who offered to produce Messersmith’s follow-up album, The Silver City.

First Communion Afterparty's music belongs to a distinct family: psychedelic rock. It's true: there is no other honest way to describe it. The point is they belong. Their sound is built on psychedelic bands you've heard and some you haven't. There is nothing unfamiliar but there's a fresh personality behind it. With seven band members it would be easy to get tangled up in too many limbs, but that never happens. Each song is an artful balance of dual guitars, bass, keyboard, tambourines, drums, floor tom and vocals from all over.

Hailing from the Midwest by way of Ireland, brothers Ciaran and Criostoir came to Minneapolis, a city they describe as "Dr. Zhivago with bands," to make glam/Brit-pop-influenced indie rock that takes a tongue-in-cheek look at Williamsburg hipster excess and the melancholy of the brokenhearted. With influences like Pulp and the Dandy Warhols, the Idle Hands have a sound that combines the stylish weariness of Brit-pop with the yearning of Midwestern heartland rock.

Having proven himself a force with which to be reckoned, the co-creator of Dre Day, Triple Double, and Bomp! knows how to deliver some over-the-top party experiences.

MIKE 2600 is a 16-year veteran DJ, having rocked parties from San Francisco to St. Paul, from Oregon to Osaka. After moving to Minneapolis from St. Louis in 2003, Mike immediately began throwing the "Let's Get Electric" party in First Avenue's V.I.P. room, a monthly excursion into Miami Bass, Southern Bounce, 1980s pop classics, disco, and post-punk.