Joe Rainey, Niineta
On his debut album, a collaboration with avant-garde electronic producer Andrew Broder, the Ojibwe artist Joe Rainey took pow wow music to new heights, showing how his people’s ceremonial tradition can be reinterpreted in a modern context. The result is haunting and spectral—or ancestral, with its myriad voices recorded from the past on tape joining with the present. It is the birth of something completely different that is exciting to witness.
Trampled by Turtles, Alpenglow
For Trampled by Turtles’s 10th album, the folksy bluegrassers had to leave Minnesota behind—if only for a little while. Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, who produced the album, invited Dave Simonett and the whole ensemble to Wilco’s Chicago studio for a marathon writing and recording session that, eventually, turned into Alpenglow. The album is, largely, about the passage of time (even the name comes from the name for that pinkish light on the mountains during sunrise and sunset)—and how love, loss, nostalgia, and meandering travel play into it all.
Lizzo, Special
In case nobody told you today, Lizzo is special—and yes, still an honorary Minnesotan, thanks to her Twin Cities career kickstart. Her latest album, which dropped in July 2022, is all at once introspective, vulnerable, and a heck of a party, complete with love letters to your best friends, yourself, and, sure, maybe the love of your life.
Ehn Jey, Needs & Non-Negotiables
Nobody can throw a show in town that turns into a dance party quite like Ehn Jey can. With his crew’s considered choreography, he can get the most timid of Minnesotans on the dancefloor. The artist formerly known as Nick Jordan reinvented himself on his latest album, Needs & Non-Negotiables, with its 8 all-killer, no-filler dance-pop songs for the next gen, pulling inspiration from ‘90s house (“Lock & Key”), Neptunes-esque production (“Hurt Myself”) or early-’00s, Ashanti-style R&B (“Bag”). A producer, singer-songwriter, dancer—like the latter song suggests, Ehn Jey is in his bag, and is primed for an inevitable takeover.
Ondara, Spanish Villager N:3
There’s something special about Twin Cities-based folk master, Ondara. Whether it’s his international musical touch or the unmistakable accent that shines through every song, Ondara’s sound creates a personal, childhood storytelling feel in his new album, Spanish Villager N:3. The album is told from the point-of-view of a newspaper-suit wearing unnamed character, someone that Ondara explained to us is able to separate his anxieties from his musical triumphs and personal life. That’s his Spanish Villager.
Miloe, Gaps EP
Miloe’s third EP, Gaps, marked a big shift in his musicality. Bridging his Congolese roots with Minneapolis funk-rock, there’s a groove and texture that threads through all six tracks. His boppiest, funkiest, feel-good EP remains skillfully DIY emulating marimba sounds with his guitar or experimenting with different sounds that lead him from the Twin Cities basement show circuit to performing at Afropunk, the MLS All Star concert, and playing with major bands like COIN and The 1975.
Cloud Cult, Metamorphosis
Cloud Cult, the group that started way back in 1995 with front man Craig Minowa, came out with their first album since 2016. Metamorphosis is their 11th album, and it explores something new. Off the heels of the worst of the pandemic, it’s a philosophical discussion on life, sadness, and love. It lies on the folksy, experimental side of indie rock, and it’s more acoustic than any of their previous work. Overall, it’s a sweet listen.
Chastity Brown, Sing To The Walls
Calling Minneapolis home in 2020 was tough. As a Black, queer, musician, Chastity Brown surprised herself with how her album came out. Sing To The Walls became a love letter about hope, connection and choosing joy—even in the thick of a pandemic, and even in a city that experienced so much pain. Turning away from sorrow and anger, Chastity Brown channels Black American musical art forms, mining from Americana, blues, folk and soul that’s sure to give us all hope for what’s to come.
Bathtub Cig, Night Blindness
Bathtub Cig, the indie-pop group came out with their third album Night Blindness in 2022. The group is led by Hilary James, who started the project in her bedroom in 2017. Night Blindness is a Gen Z ode to challenges of being a 20 something, and puts some of our hardest thoughts into music. It’s a big step forward in the band’s nascent career and invites listeners to join them on their journey to inevitable success. For fans of Florist and Frankie Cosmos, Bathtub Cig is for you.
Early Eyes, Look Alive!
What’s been one of our favorite ways to look alive over the past year, you ask? Dancing around our apartments to Early Eye’s newest album, obviously. The Twin Cities-based indie groovers took a production-forward twist to their 11-track dance party that was released in February 2022. Compared to their past instrumental-focused releases, Decorating and All Shades of Teal, the new album plays with experimentation and veers into a very dance-worthy electronic-funk playground. Very jammy, plenty of grooves, and lots of fun.
Hippo Campus, LP3
Anyone from St. Paul has a special place in their heart for Hippo Campus, the indie-rock band that came out of the St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Arts. With their latest 2022 album LP3, they have only further solidified themselves as a household name. LP3 explores coming of age and nostalgia, with a distinct energy that calls to Grouplove and Coin, it’s a very Bildungsroman moment. Their LP3 tour begins on March 2nd, but unfortunately misses their home state.