Music
Duluth Band Profile: Ryan Van Slooten
Ryan Van Slooten mixes the undertones of rock with the subtle touches of heartland music. In this interview he opens up about how the song “Crazy Earth” connects him to his fans. He is currently writing the follow up to his album Victory March. Click on the image above to listen.
Homegrown 2014 T-Shirts
Pre-sale T-shirts for the 2014 Homegrown Music Festival are now available. Artwork is by the wonderful Heidi Blunt. Be aware: unless you are a volunteer for the festival, this is the only way you can get a shirt this year. Pre-sale closes at the end of March.
Dad’s Acid – “Red Surf”
This music video from Duluth band Dad’s Acid kicks a reasonable amount of ass. The footage is from the film They Call Her One Eye.
Video Archive: Mötley Crüe at the DECC in 1998
This post originally featured nearly an hour’s worth of amateur video from Nov. 25, 1998, when Mötley Crüe played the DECC Auditorium on its Greatest Hits Tour. Unfortunately, the video has been removed from YouTube.
Local metal band Nobody opened the concert. It was the Crüe’s third performance in Duluth — the band played a sold-out Duluth Arena show in 1985, before the DECC was the DECC, and returned in 1990 to play for over 8,000. By 1998, things were on the downswing for the band. Tommy Lee had been out of jail for two months when this show came to town. His sex tape with Pamela Anderson hit the Internet about a year earlier.
Duluth Band Profile: Troy Rogers
Troy Rogers ventures into the future with music-playing robots. In this interview, he talks about the current state of musical robotics and his work with Expressive Machines. He is currently building his musical robotics workshop. Click on the image above to listen.
Actual Wolf – “You Can’t Leave” and “Honey Honey” (Live at First Avenue)
Duluth band Actual Wolf performs “You Can’t Leave” and “Honey Honey” at First Avenue in Minneapolis as part of the Current’s ninth birthday celebration.
Duluth Band Profile: The Social Disaster
The Social Disaster takes the chaos of noise and mixes it with the vocal flavor of jazz. In this interview, the band opens up about how a collaborative songwriting process produced the song “Foolproof.” The Social Disaster is currently recording its debut EP. Click on the image above to listen.
Seeking: Homegrown 2013 Photos
It’s that time of year again. If you have Homegrown 2013 photos you’d like to have considered for inclusion in this year’s Homegrown Field Guide, send me an email: adam [at] transistormag [dot] com.
Thank you, fans!
Duluth Band Profile: Sarah Krueger
Sarah Krueger mixes the vocal power of soul with the earnest songwriting of folk. In this interview she opens up about how her song “Ships and Trees” connects listeners to themes of loss and abandonment. She is currently recording the follow up to her 2011 album Dancing with Phantoms. Click on the image above to listen.
Mary Bue in a Nashville recording studio contest
Hello Duluth! Mary Bue here. I’m a local-loving singer-songwriter who got her start in this sweet old city that we choose to live. I’ve taken these songs around the country but keep coming back … and now, I’m asking for your votes!
I’ve submitted to a contest at a recording studio in Nashville called Welcome to 1979. The contest is called “Live to Lathe” — essentially five bands will have the opportunity to record a live album straight to vinyl. Welcome to 1979 Studio will print 500 copies for us to do with what we will — capturing a 26-to-32-minute moment in time. No edits, no auto-tune, if you fuck up it’s on the record. So, super daunting and super exciting!
If you are on Facebook, please vote for me! You can vote every single day and I will sing like a bird with gratitude! Of course, vote for whomever you want, but either way, it’s a super cool contest and you’ll learn about some sweet bands from around the country. Thank you for your time!
Duluth Band Profile: Lion or Gazelle
Duluth’s Lion or Gazelle redefines itself with its newest material. Songs like “Gloria” and “The Harder it Rains” add a lyrical tension to otherwise cheerful pop melodies. The three-piece is made up of Matt Mobley, Sophie Turk and Brian Ring. The band released the EP There’s Blood in Fire in 2013 and is finishing its latest full-lengthen record.
Click the image above to hear an exclusive interview with Lion or Gazelle’s Sophie Turk and Brian Ring as they describe their music’s content.
Duluth Band Profile: Vivielle
Duluth’s Vivielle blends two-part vocal harmony with the lo-fi approach of Sebadoh. The four-piece is made up of brothers Lino and Joe Rauzi, Rosalie Uggla and primary songwriter Nat Harvie. The band just released the single “Time Falls Apart.”
Click the image above to hear an exclusive interview with Vivielle’s Nate Harvie as he describes performing in Duluth.
New Seed Math album “Four Three Five”
Attenzione!
Ten years back, I put out four albums of electronic-type stuff as “Seed Math,” and, today, I’m releasing the fifth album by that project. It’s available as a pay-what-you-want deal over at Bandcamp. Click the link to acquire!
Duluth Band Profile: Wolf Blood
Duluth’s Wolf Blood combines heavy riffs with thrashy doom. Consisting of bassist Brian Wells, guitarists Mike Messina and Mindy Johnson, and drummer Jake Paulsrud, the band has just released a 7-track cassette. With songs ranging from “Witch” to “Dancing on Your Grave,” listeners should be prepared for a wall of sound.
Click the image above to hear an exclusive interview with Wolf Blood members as they describe the band’s sound.
Toby Thomas Churchill’s second solo album trapped in future
Duluth’s Toby Thomas Churchill plans to record his next album with Ben Durrant at Crazy Beast studio in Minneapolis. You can help fund it by contributing to the Kickstarter campaign. His first solo album, Death, came out in 2011. (more…)
Homegrown 300
Thank you to all of the performers who registered for the 2014 Homegrown Music Festival. Even with the earlier registration window, it was a banner year, reaching 317 total submissions. Band selection starts this weekend, and scheduling begins next week (and will take 20+ versions and the entire month of February). Hold tight. More details when we have ’em. Happy Homegrown!
Duluth Album Releases in 2014
Charlie Parr
Hollandale
Chaperone Records (Jan. 25)
Dave Simonett
Razor Pony
(Jan. 29)
Available on Bandcamp
Dirty Knobs
I Want to Live Inside the Sun
Xero Music (Jan. 29)
Available on Bandcamp
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Dylan Super Bowl Commercial
I was probably one of the few who enjoyed seeing Dylan in the Super Bowl commercial last weekend. That being said, I was a little confused about the song choice, “Things Have Changed.” For an advertisement that was supposed to spark renewed faith in the American auto industry, Chrysler picked a song that is clearly about not giving a sh*t anymore. Also, last night the Northland’s NewsCenter mis-reported that this commercial was set to “I Want You,” which was actually featured in a yogurt commercial in 1996, not the Super Bowl commercial.
DSSO’s Bright Approach: First Minnesota orchestra to use interest-based bargaining process
As a kid, I took it for granted that my tiny hometown high school had an orchestra program and lots of community support. So it is not hard to agree with Duluth Mayor Don Ness when he says that “the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra continues to brighten the arts landscape of the Twin Ports.” A healthy community orchestra is a great thing!
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NorShor: Duluth’s big bet on Old Downtown
“Ghosts and spirits make the place. So when you sit down and play a place like the NorShor, not only do you have a group of people sitting around you, but you have another community of history sitting around you, too.” — Charlie Parr
Minneapolis Star Tribune: “Stage set for restoration of NorShor Theatre in Duluth“
Wicked Divas
So I walked, as apparently hundreds do, across the skywalk over I35 from Downtown Duluth to see the DSSO tonight. The “Wicked Divas” program featured Julie Reiber and Laura Woyasz, two vocalists who have performed in “Wicked” on Broadway, along with selections from Carmen and from Gloria Estefan, for example, by the Orchestra sans vocalists.
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Video Archive: Christopher Halverson – “Brave Captain”
“Brave Captain” is an old Firehose song.
The Halverson version was recorded by UWS Studio II at R.T. Quinlan’s Saloon on Sept. 16, 1995. Produced by Brandon Leno. Edited by Brandon Leno and Margo Abramson. Audio engineering by Eric Swanson. Production assistance by Renee Hudacek, Melissa Long, Paul Lundgren, Dinelli Seneviratne and Nathan Steigman.
Set lists for Low @ Brewhouse
While I’d be very happy to get to the Brewhouse every Thursday for Low’s play-it-all sessions, I just can’t do it … but it would be great to know what they played so far. Any fans out there who happened to record the set list from 1.16.14? If you’d care to share it (maybe even each week?), I’d guess that there is more than one fan in PDD-Land who would appreciate your effort. Thanks!
Duluth Spotify
I made a Spotify list with Duluth bands. Check it out if you want and let me know of any bands that I may have missed. Hope you enjoy!
Perfect Album of 2013: Ryan Van Slooten’s Victory March
With at least 50 albums released by Duluth-area musicians in 2013 — including Low, Retribution Gospel Choir, Trampled by Turtles and Charlie Parr — Ryan Van Slooten’s third solo work had to be considered a long shot in a poll to choose the best local album of the year.
Well, Van Slooten can begin his Victory March; the upset is complete.
