Free Energy named "band to watch" by SPIN

​First things first: Have you guys been reading this new LOL/OMG blog? As you can probably guess by the name, it's a fairly lighthearted approach to local gossip, and it's run by a few of my favorite Twitter users and bloggers. While it may not seem that the Twin Cities has a dire need for a gossip blog, these ladies do a nice job of keeping things fun (read: not bitchy) and pointing out some local tidbits that they've discovered via their various social media sites. It's worth adding to the blog roll -- after all, you might end up in their Weekend Twitterings roundup just by tweeting something harmless like how you accidentally cut your finger on a toilet seat.

Last night, LOL/OMG pointed us to the fact that former Hockey Night bandmates-turned-DFA signees Free Energy have been receiving some positive press lately, including being named a "band to watch" in 2010 by SPIN. In their roundup of 10 Artists to Watch in 2010, SPIN writes that Free Energy are "as replete with cowbells, Thin Lizzy riffs, and soaring choruses as it is devoid of ironic winks."
All of which begs a question. Do we consider Free Energy to be semi-local, or at least of local interest? They are based in Philadelphia now, but two of the members, Paul Spranger and Scott Wells, are former Twin Cities residents who played in a band that was quite prominent here (City Pages even named Hockey Night the "Best Band to Break Up" in 2007). We tend to have a way of claiming our own around here, even when they have moved on to greener pastures. Do you still feel connected to Free Energy, or have they become just another touring indie rock band?