Michelle Lynn stopped by the 95.7 The Rock studios in downtown La Crosse on Thursday March 11 to chat about, and play a few songs from, her new album Pre-Echoes for the Post Modern. You can listen to the entire interview portion of the broadcast below via THIS link. Be sure to catch Michelle live in La Crosse on March 20th at the Root Note!

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It looks like a new non profit music festival is hitting Winona, MN this summer. Sponsored by the Americorps and various grants, it will take place over two days on July 30-31 and feature over 120 bands at various venues around Winona.

Organizers are billing the festival as an opportunity to bring together the music community while also attracting more diverse music to Winona. They are currently taking submissions via the web-form HERE or by contacting Jenna Cameron at booking@midwestmusicfest.org

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Vocalist, uke-player, and tap dancer Bethany DeLine has assembled a backing band for her upcoming performance at the Driftless Music Showcase at Acadia Cafe on Friday, March 19th. It will be very interesting to hear her minimalist, dance-inducing anti-folk in full band form. Her warm, slightly talkative, Kimya Dawson-style vocals define her delightful sound, while highlighting clever, fun-loving lyrics, as well as instrumentation that often includes the clap of tap shoes in the percussion section.

Bethany's earnest, yet tongue-in-cheek approach is supplemented by a clear knack for design and art direction. Check out some of her artwork (including the self-portrait to the right) HERE. View all of her very artful music videos HERE. Download her recent EP, the Garden Level Sessions, for free HERE. Stream the EP and watch the video for I'd Rather Be Famous on Your Fridge below.

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Akai was kind enough to give me a copy of their debut album, The Coldest Hour, after their performance at the Driftless Music Showcase on February 19th. The eight-piece ensemble immediately commanded the room's attention with an intense set of sweeping alt-pop. (Scroll down for a video I shot of their performance). Thankfully the nuance and warm energy of their live show is well represented in this recording.

The album's opening tracks smoothly introduce the band's key strengths: male-female dual vocals, expansive textures, and incredibly diverse instrumentation. Gradually building a thick wall of sound, the lush vocal harmonies and layered lead lines in When the Sun Goes Down showcase songwriters Hiromi and Robbie Matsumoto's keen ability for arrangement. On the other hand, the epic gang vocals at the end of Breath evoke the best of the Arcade Fire, harnessing the spontaneous while also tastefully celebrating the unnecessary.

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After taking a week off, here is episode 9 of the Driftless Music Podcast where Michelle and I talk about how the lyrics in her song Feedback describe her journey to Austin, TX and back. We also discuss her mindset as she prepares to "get back on that ride" by performing live again and collaborating with other musicians.

The next episode will feature the song Hijacked Light.

You can see Michelle perform March 13 at the Acoustic Cafe in Winona, MN and March 20 at the Root Note in La Crosse, WI.

Listen to episode 9 HERE

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I had a great time opening up for Hyphon, Witness, and Def Mek at the Eagles Club on Friday. I was able to perform some solo material as my alter-ego Marv Wilt with friends and fellow Brilliant Beast bandmates Eric Whalen (drums) and Jordan Porter (bass on two songs). Below is a video of Mr. Whalen and I covering the song Expletive Deleted from madcap Rochester, MN songwriter Eric VanKirk's album Acousticalia. Click HERE to hear Eric's original version of the song. Click HERE to hear some of the original material I've recorded at Brahman Shaman's Ghost in My House Studio.

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Big thanks to Akai, Talking Tree, Kasey McKee, Brahman Shaman, the Brilliant Beast, and everyone who came out to the Acadia Cafe on Friday for the first Driftless Music Showcase. I was particularly pleased by the warm ambiance and strong turn out. Akai managed to fit all 8 of its members on stage and proceeded to win over the room very handily. I happened to video tape a song and they were kind enough to offer me a copy of their new album The Coldest Hour. So look for an album review & performance video post in the near future.

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Congrats to Nick Shattuck, whose debut album will be released next week.  He is also on the cover of today's issue of Second Supper. His album, Chorus and Verse, was engineered and produced by Driftless Music's own Brahman Shaman at his Ghost in My House Studio. Nick had many good words to say about working with him:

• When asked to describe Olson’s producing style, Shattuck praises both the helmsman’s forthrightness and restraint. “I would recommend anyone to go to his studio. Matt’s got great equipment, but more importantly he has a lot of experience. He knew that it was my first album and pretty much my first experience in a studio environment. He knew how to play to that and when to be demanding. At the same time, he realized that this is my project and that I have the ultimate say.”

I had the pleasure of booking Nick for one wild night at the Hei 'n Low Tap in Winona a few years ago and can say with certainty that he is one of the more passionate and determined musicians playing in the Driftless Region these days.  I wish him nothing but the best with the new album and beyond.
 
Read the entire Second Supper article HERE
Check out Chorus and Verse HERE

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I've been following the stories of two vacant Saint Paul theatres for a while now and they both seem to be catching my attention more and more lately...

One is the Victoria Theatre located at 825 University Ave, between Victoria and Avon, in Frogtown. As THIS article in the Star Tribune explains, it used to hopping place back in during the prohibition era and an amateur historian recently discovered that one of the 84 songs from the 1952 "Anthology of American Folk Music"--a collection cited as a major influence of the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, the Byrds, and the whole folk music revival of the late 50's and early 60's-- was recorded there. The song is actually called "Moonshiner's Dance" and was recorded by the house band as an"audio flier" . Needless to say this caught the attention of the feds and the speakeasy was eventually raided.

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