Cary Brothers
Who You Are
Label: bluhammock / Procrastination Music
Release Date: May 29, 2007
If you know anything about Cary Brothers, odds are it’s from “Blue Eyes” on the Garden State soundtrack. And if you fall into that category, you may even have assumed the track was written by two brothers by the last name of Cary.
It’s time […]

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The Trimmed Hedges
The Seas Elected
Label: The Missing Stamp Collective
Release Date: May 29, 2007
Minneapolis experimental-rock quartet The Trimmed Hedges released their debut full length LP this week, The Seas Elected.
Diverse, strange, magical and masterful, The Seas Elected is a chaotic genre-mashup surprise. It’s music for hot-boxing, immature 2 a.m. weeknight parties, and serious strolls around the […]

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The Smarts
A Tribute To
Label: Self-released
It ain’t easy being smart. Just ask Blaine, MN-based The Smarts, who have battled tides of Midwestern naiveté to bring their unique brand of modern, jazzy pop.
We sat down with the group to chat about the band, the new album, designer error and a laundry list of people smarter than […]

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For his debut solo album under the name All Smiles, Jim Fairchild builds on his experience playing with Earlimart, Great Northern and the solo-career launcher, Grandaddy, and brought in a butt-load of guest drummers: Janet Weiss (Sleater Kinney, Quasi), Joe Plummer (Modest Mouse, Black Heart Procession), Danny Seim (Menomena) and Solon Bixler (Great Northern).
Atmospheric acoustic […]

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The White Stripes - “Icky Thump” at Spinner and at YouTube.

This is the official video, although YouTube has some fun user-generated ones.

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Black Rebel Motorcyle Club (BRMC)
The Cobbs
Eastern Conference Champions
First Avenue, May 22, 2007
Minneapolis, MN
Think of a setlist like a mixtape. Positioning and song choice will make or break a live show similiarly to how a mixtape featuring EXACTLY the right songs in EXACTLY the right order will make that 8th grade teenage girl instantly “get” […]

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Astrid Swan
Poverina
Label: Minty Fresh
Release Date: May 22, 2007
Finnish singer/songwriter Astrid Swan has a new album out this week, Poverina. We’ve told you before, we don’t have any business reviewing female singer/songwriter stuff.
If you like Aimee Mann, Tori Amos, Kate Bush, feel free to listen and let us know your thoughts in the comments. Until then, […]

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Steven Mark
Racing Grey
Label: Basset Records
Release Date: May 22, 2007
We weren’t familiar with Steven Mark’s two previous albums (Aloneaphobe and Distraction), so this was a fresh listen.
Racing Grey, the New Yorker’s new disc out next week, is highly-produced, melodic, Lennon-ny pop. And although Mark tries his hand at social commentary (”Paris Hilton Generation” and “God on […]

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Great Northern’s debut LP, Trading Twilight for Daylight, drops tomorrow on Eenie Meenie Records. We LOVE the album and count the band’s show at SXSW as one of our favorites.
Great Northern : “The Middle” (mp3)
Perfect Porridge had the opportunity to interview vocalist/guitarist Solon Bixler about the new album, new songs and discover musicians really do […]

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Mastodon
Against Me!
Cursive
May 11, 2007
Myth Nightclub, Maplewood, MN
Music started at 5:30 — on a Friday. And considering Cursive headlined a First Avenue show not even a year ago, Against Me! has a top MTV video and Mastodon is the next wave in grunge metal, it was definitely a strange evening for a daylight rock show.
Cursive was […]

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