Minnesota has claim to a wealth of creativity; music is no exception. Almost every genre can be heard within our state’s borders. The results range from a simple act of joy, to an influence that reverberates far beyond (the “Minneapolis Sound” is a prime example). The collection below is an introduction to the diverse and talented artists who have called Minnesota home, and the art they share with all of us.
August 22, 2007 - MPR’s Euan Kerr interviews Twin/Tone Records co-founder Paul Stark about film made by label of Minneapolis bands playing at 7th St. Entry during the 1980’s rock scene.
October 10, 2007 - Minneapolis native Chuck Love shares his thoughts about being a house DJ and his album “Bring Enough to Spill Some." What sets Love apart from most other house DJ's is that he considers himself first and foremost a musician, and he plays several instruments during his live shows.
November 28, 2007 - Misfits. Rebels. Anti-rock stars. Those are just some of the descriptions of one of Minnesota's most notorious and influential rock bands, The Replacements. The group became synonymous with the Twin Cities' music heyday of the 1980s. Now, more than 15-years after its break-up, the band has achieved near myth status among many fans and critics. Writer Jim Walsh has assembled an oral history entitled "The Replacements: All Over but the Shouting."
December 14, 2007 - In a crowd, it's easy to overlook Mayda. But on stage, it is hard not to notice her. MPR’s Chris Roberts profiles the Korean songwriter and musician from St. Paul.
January 30, 2008 - Members of St. Paul’s House of Mercy Band think there's nothing hypocritical about parking on a bar stool on a Saturday night and then sliding into a church pew the following Sunday morning. MPR’s Chris Roberts talks with founder C.P. Larson, who says they're comfortable in both worlds.
February 25, 2008 - MPR’s Karl Gehrke talks with Minnesota jazz vocalist Connie Evingson about her CD of songs by Dave Frishberg, an American jazz pianist, vocalist, composer, and lyricist born in St. Paul. Gehrke interviews both artists and others about the music compositions.
February 28, 2008 - MPR’s Karl Gehrke meets with American composer Dominick Argento at his Minneapolis home to discuss his work “Evensong: Of Love and Angels," commissioned by Washington Cathedral Choral Society. Argento wrote the piece for his deceased wife, Carolyn, and considers it his most meaningful work.
March 7, 2008 - MPR’s Steven John talks with Twin Cities guitarist Billy McLaughlin in the studio. They discuss McLaughlin’s adjustment in playing as he battles a neurological disorder called focal dystonia. McLaughlin performs examples on what he does different as a musician since his diagnosis.
March 13, 2008 - MPR’s Tom Crann talks with guitarist Brian Miller, who is reviving some songs that were nearly lost to history. They're the melodies and lyrics of Minnesota's Irish lumberjacks, who logged the boreal forests in the two decades around the turn of the last century.
April 3, 2008 - MPR’s Karl Gehrke profiles classical clarinetist Bruce Cho, who plays the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with the Minnesota Orchestra as part of the Young People's Concerts. Gehrke interviews Cho, his music teacher, and a music colleague.