​And here I was just thinking earlier today that it's weird that there haven't been any super crazy SXSW rumors yet. Well, thanks to this very suggestive video that was sent to @SXSWpartylist, we have our first tidbit of Kanye speculation for the 2011 season.

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​How appropriate: The Monkees will be appearing at the Zoo this summer. And no, we're not talking the woolly kind. The made-for-TV '60s pop group will be performing in the Minnesota Zoo's Weesner Amphitheater on Friday, July 1 and Saturday, July 2, as part of the Music in the Zoo series that already includes Florence & the Machine (coming June 17).

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​If you've walked the aisles of a TJ Maxx (or any department store) in the past decade or so, you've heard it. Even if many may not recognize his name at first, you're sure to have heard the mainstream, feel-good, chase-after-your-dreams hit song, "Babylon."

The year 1998 and every year before that was what David Gray will now know as the simplest times of his career. Originating in England as an underground folk singer-songwriter; David Gray didn't receive much praise from his earlier efforts. Then, with the success of White Ladder and the aforementioned "Babylon," a transformation occurred.

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Photos by Nick Wosika

​Tapes 'n Tapes
February 25, 2011
First Avenue, Minneapolis

The noise at First Avenue on Friday night was ramped up to surprising levels, and by the time hometown favorites Tapes 'n Tapes took the stage at 11:20 p.m., the crowd was more than ready.

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Photo by Tony Nelson

Wu-Tang Clan at Epic this past January

​Our sister paper, the Village Voice, typically hosts a free day party during SXSW, and the lineups have been pretty fantastic -- last year brought together the xx, Superchunk, Surfer Blood, and more. But this year, they are cranking up the cool factor by moving the showcase into the evening and decking out the bill with some straight-up legendary acts.

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Photos by Nikki Miller

​Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson
February 27, 2011
Mystic Lake Casino

What can I say. This was really, really cool.

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Photos by Kathy Easthagen

​Akron/Family
February 25, 2011
Cedar Cultural Center

The psych-folk trio Akron/Family sure has a devoted (some would say cult-like) following. That was made completely apparent during their uneven hour-and-forty-five minute set at the Cedar on Friday night, as the die-hards patiently waited out a prolonged sound issue that considerably delayed the start of the set and also dutifully stuck around as the night grew late, even while the rest of the crowd thinned out. And the band rewarded those who stayed by getting more boldly experimental with their sound and more intensely personal with their song choices.

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​For this week's City of Music shoot, the crew at MPLS.TV rounded up a couple dozen avid Pink Mink fans at Honey in Northeast Minneapolis and decked them out in Scott Seekins regalia as the band played their ode, "Seekin' Scott Seekins." And naturally, Seekins himself showed up to coolly sip wine in the crowd and nod along to the song.

Check it out here:

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​Minneapolis has no shortage of venues. However, the city also has no shortage of quality bands in search of a stage either. Popular downtown restaurant Hell's Kitchen recently threw their hat into the venue ring, seeking to better utilize their stage and sound system. The restaurant prides itself on their local focus, and pulling in the Twin Cities music community is a fitting addition. They brought in Mike Siddall, a former Amphetamine Reptile employee and owner of doubleplusgood records to book shows under the name HK Underground: Late-Nite shows at Hell's Kitchen. Already, Siddall has brought in a variety of acts, from Charlie Parr to Unknown Prophets, all while keeping costs at just $5 per show.

Gimme Noise talked with Siddall and general manager Tony Perella about the process of adding amplified music to an already established restaurant.

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​The basement of Psychic School is, at least for the time being, off limits.

After an unusually rowdy weeknight concert for the Teenage Moods, the house's lower level is a mess. There are holes punched in the ceiling; a bass amp leans sadly on only three wheels; and even the Christmas lights don't work, leaving the room in darkness and virtually impassable.

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