Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*
Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol
Already have an account?
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?

Music

Born in war, the Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars play music for peace

Born in war, the Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars play music for peace

Members of Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars met in a camp after fleeing the brutal war in their homeland. Now the band is taking a message of peace around the United States including the Minnesota State Fair.
by Roseanne Pereira

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Whither the record album?

Whither the record album?

In the last 25 years, the compact disc has shaped the way music is made and presented to audiences. But will the Internet and iTunes make the CD and the album obsolete?
by Mark Wheat

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

What makes Al weird?

What makes Al weird?

"Weird Al" Yankovic's career has outlasted the careers of many the artists he has been parodying since the early '80s. He even had a top 10 single last year with "White and Nerdy."
by Mary Lucia

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Talib Kweli live at the Minnesota State Fair

Talib Kweli live at the Minnesota State Fair

Brooklyn-born Talib Kweli first got attention as part of Black Star, which he formed with his high-school buddy Mos Def. He's now known for crossing over to work with and sample pop artists such as Justin Timberlake and Ben Kweller.
by Mary Lucia

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Chris Osgood at the Minnesota State Fair

Chris Osgood at the Minnesota State Fair

Chris Osgood's legendary local punk group The Suicide Commandos plays the Minnesota State Fair Grand Stand this weekend. In 1974, when Osgood formed the band with Dave Ahl and Steve Almaas, who would have thought that they would ever play that most mainstream of Minnesota events, the State Fair?
by Mary Lucia

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Film opens a window on Minneapolis rock history

Twenty years ago Twin/Tone Records, a label credited with launching a host of Minneapolis bands, videotaped a weeks worth of concerts at the Seventh Street Entry at the First Avenue night club. Now the tapes have resurfaced and are providing a unique opportunity to experience some Minnesota rock history.
by Euan Kerr

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

First Avenue's right-hand man

First Avenue's right-hand man

Conrad Sverkerson, stage manager and long-standing icon of the First Avenue nightclub, received a Sound Unseen Festival Artist of Distinction at 2007's multimedia event.
by Mary Lucia

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Celtic tigers triumph in Beethoven

Celtic tigers triumph in Beethoven

Pianist Barry Douglas formed Camerata Ireland to celebrate the often overlooked talent of his native country. The latest CD in a series of the Beethoven piano concertos by Douglas and his chamber ensemble is another step forward in putting Ireland on the classical music map.
by Julie Amacher

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

The bands record their Afternoon Songs

The bands record their Afternoon Songs

The Appalachian folk group The Roe Family Singers, indie darlings The Owls and singer/songwriter Matt Wilson were given two weeks to come up with a tune using the same set of lyrics. We hear how the ideas and melodies they've come up are transformed into full-fledged songs.
by Chris Roberts, Sanden Totten and Larissa Anderson

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.