Monday: Jeff Rosenstock
It is said that Jeff Rosenstock’s music is catchier than any other music, music you can scream along to in a joyous frenzy. But simultaneously, if you really listen to the lyrics you’re shouting, they can speak to a loneliness and desperation so profound it’s soul crushing. Jeff’s punk rock music is for people who really and truly feel like they could change the world, if only they could muster up the strength to leave the fucking house.
Sounds like: PUP, Shinobu, Good Luck
Tuesday: mc chris
mc chris is rapper from the Libertyville, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. He was one of the first rappers to focus solely on nerd life, rapping about Star Wars, Harry Potter, ninjas and unrequited love, instead of the usual hip hop fare. mc got his start as an animator on many of the shows you see on Adult Swim. mc has since crossed America countless times touring as a headlining act, as well as opening for bands like Pinback and Reggie and the Full Effect.
Sounds like: Jesse Dangerously, Optimus Rhyme, Wordburglar
Wednesday: Dingus
We’re a punk band from North Dakota living in Minneapolis, and we’ve been playing in this same goddamn band for most of our lives. Playing since puberty, we began once our voices started cracking, and they’ve been cracking ever since. We no longer believe “success” means making tons of money. Rather, we now hold the notion that success means: not making money. Thus, we’re successful as fuck. Rock.
Thursday: Manitoba X Minnesota Music Exchange
Performances by Zuluzuluu, Lanikai, Sleeping Jesus, and Micah Erenberg.
Minneapolis has a long history of distinctive R&B styles and flavors. ZULUZULUU arrived in 2014 and began to expand on that with an eye on the future but with respect to the past. Lanikai, like the Hawaiian beach they get their name from, mix the serene and the stormy, pulling together lush, sparkling alt-pop vibes and swaggering ‘60s soul groove to create a timeless, distinctive sound. Sleeping Jesus, the soft-spoken hopeless romantic, was caught flatfooted by unlikely love, uncertainty of what a summer in New York may bring, and the reality of a fleeting youth. New York falls through the cracks; he spends the mid west summer recording and writing what would soon become Perennial, his debut EP release. Micah Erenberg is a diversely talented multi-instrumentalist, singer songwriter and front man extraordinaire from Winnipeg, MB.
Friday: Mr Little Jeans
Mr Little Jeans is one woman — Monica Birkenes — and it’s her dreamy electronic production that has appeared in everything from network TV (Transparent, Grey’s Anatomy) to indie and mainstream cinema (50/50, Iron Man III). Her lush compositions make her music unnervingly original — after all, this is what drew millions to her first hit in 2011, a signature take on Arcade Fire’s “The Suburbs.” Birkenes and long-time collaborator Tim Anderson have now come back together for her second release — the F E V E R S EP.
Sounds like: MNDR, St. Lucia, Purity Ring
Saturday: Royal Canoe
Almost three years have passed since the release of Royal Canoe’s sophomore album Today We Are Believers (2013). Those years were full. The band played 200 shows, which included tours with the likes of Alt J and Bombay Bicycle Club, and stops at major festivals like Bonaroo, Iceland Airwaves, and Osheaga. The hard work paid off: Today We Are Believers received critical acclaim, was nominated for Alternative Album of the Year at the Junos, and won Best Independent Album at Western Canadian Music Awards. After two years of writing and recording between tours, Something Got Lost Between Here and the Orbit surfaced with a unique and intensified voice.
Sounds like: Absofacto, The Darcys, Rich Aucoin
Sunday: Jonathan Tyler
Jonathan Tyler did the rock star thing. He played Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, Hangout Fest and the Voodoo Experience. His 2010 LP Pardon Me for Atlantic Records reached No. 8 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart. It was everything he thought he’d wanted. But it wasn’t really him. Holy Smokes, his newest LP, finds Tyler shed of major-label constraints, bearing his soul as songwriter who’s seen the top of the mountain and now seeks a different kind of climb.
Sounds like: The Stone Foxes, The Band of Heathens, The Sheepdogs
Blog by Ellie Moonen
