​There's something to be said for a scene that is as easily identifiable as it is unified. Over the past seven years the self-described Twin Cities electropunk scene has done an impeccable job of branding itself to outsiders via a series of free compilations.More >>

Photo by Dan Corrigan

​​Following last Friday's tribute to the Replacements at First Ave--this year's headline featured a star-studded performance of the Replacements' debut album, Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash--we thought it would be interesting to dig through the City Pages archives and look at some of the Replacements coverage during their early years.

They're arguably the most legendary boozers-and-users the Twin Cities music scene has ever managed to give birth to; and if you believe contemporary folklore, they were four drunken Jesuses who saved rock 'n' roll and singlehandedly created alternative music. Their booze-drenched, who-gives-a-shit debut is now a seminal artifact in the evolution of alternative rock; but what were we really saying about the Replacements, back when it was all happening?

Basically we loved them.

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​Following last Friday's yearly tribute to the Replacements at First Ave--this year's headline featured a star-studded performance of the Replacements' debut album, Sorry Ma, I Forgot To Take Out The Trash--we thought it would be interesting to dig through the CityPages archives and look at some of the historical Replacements coverage during their early years.

The following article originally appeared in the September 9, 1981 issue of City Pages.

The Replacements - Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash
By Jimi Nervous

They don't give a wee particle of fecal matter. They dismiss people and situations with profound concepts like "fuck," "goddam" and "shut up." And just for the hell of it, they "hate music" because "it's got too many notes."

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​Following last Friday's yearly tribute to the Replacements at First Ave--this year's headline featured a star-studded performance of the Replacements' debut album, Sorry Ma, I Forgot To Take Out The Trash--we thought it would be interesting to dig through the CityPages archives and look at some of the historical Replacements coverage during their early years.

The following article originally appeared in the September, 1981 issue of The Twin Cities Reader

By D.L. Mabery

Like cinnamon on tapioca, independent record labels (from Bomp to Ze) have always played a vital part in the history of rock 'n' roll. Both Elvises, for example, started recording their music for independents (Presley on Sun, Costello on Stiff) before being snatched up by the mega-labels. Serving an audience the Warner Brothers and Columbia's choose to ignore, the independent labels market bands that have developed a strong local following--popular bands which don't seem to ahve whatever pizzaz it takes to woo the major labels' interest. By being gutsy enough to record seminal bands like the Velvet Underground, the indies generally strike upon the talent while it is fresh, innovative and, most importantly, hard working. Some independents have the distribution muscle of major labels (IRS has A&M's support; Planet records has Elektra; Takoma has Chrysalis). Yet, the bottom line in the philosophy of the small companies is music for the enjoyment of it. And to hell with profit.


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​Following last Friday's yearly tribute to the Replacements at First Ave--this year's headline featured a star-studded performance of the Replacements' debut album, Sorry Ma, I Forgot To Take Out The Trash--we thought it would be interesting to dig through the CityPages archives and look at some of the historical Replacements coverage during their early years.

The following article originally appeared in the February 18, 1981 issue of City Pages (then called Sweet Potato).

By P.D. Larson

Boy, are we lucky to live in this deep-freeze of a state! We've got a thriving arts and music scene, a relatively high st andard of living, clean air, the North Stars.

When analyzing Minneapolis' bustling local music scene, two characteristics are quickly evident: size and diversity. There are literally dozens of bands of all shapes, sizes, and musical inclinations--from the Teenage Boat People to Safety Last to Willie and the Bees, and all areas in between; there really is something for everyone.

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Photos by Erik Hess

​Hank Williams III
November 29, 2011
First Avenue, Minneapolis

It's not every Tuesday night you get to see three (or four, or five) genres of music performed in one place, particularly genres with names like "cowpunk" and "hellbilly." If you were at First Avenue last night you were in luck - a fine purveyor of the long-form rock show was in town, ready to give you nearly four solid hours of country, rockabilly, doom metal, thrash metal, and at least a half-dozen fractured representations thereof.

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​"It's alright," Jeff Tweedy sings on "I Might," the boisterous lead single from Wilco's latest record, The Whole Love. "I've done a lot of crawling around outside, and I heard it's alright." More >>

​The process for the annual TC Hip Hop Awards has always seemed a little mysterious, and this year's poll is no exception -- with little warning or ceremony, the awards show's hosts have published a comprehensive list of 2011 nominees to their sparse website and opened up the poll to the public for voting.More >>

​It's hard to believe it was already 10 years ago that George Harrison lost his battle with cancer. Most people remember where they were when they learned that Kurt Cobain committed suicide or the Challenger space shuttle fell out of the sky; for whatever reason, I remember the exact moment that I heard about George's death. He had always been my favorite Beatle, so much so that I celebrated his birthday (February 25) every year as a teen, and as soon as I heard the news coming over the car radio I couldn't help but break down and cry.More >>

​Prince to George Lopez, April 2011: "My problem is when the industry covers the music," he said. "There's this thing called compulsory licensing law that allows artists through the record companies to take your music at will without your permission."More >>