Flyer By Benjamin Nylen

Saturday is the end of New Labor. While their farewell show marks a bittersweet moment for the band, who formed in 2008 and have self-released two 7" records. The DIY band not only did their own records, but booked their own shows and designed and printed posters, t-shirts, and artwork all with a notable style befitting of their music: a touch of sci-fi, some proletarian designs, and just enough absurdity to skew the tone beyond genre and expectation.

As the spastic punk band preps for their Hell's Kitchen sunset, Gimme Noise reached out to frontman Andy Bauer to inquire about their breakup, their future plans, and what Minneapolitans should be saying as New Labor exits the stage.


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​O'Gara's Bar and Grill opened its doors at Selby and Snelling Avenues in March of 1941. A lot has changed in that time, but the pub remains family-owned in its original building. In the 1980s the bar expanded into hosting live music, with the Skunks taking stage at the Garage in 1988.

Recently, the pub re-modeled the Garage and given it a new moniker, the Shanty. The 600-capacity room still holds the same stage and soundboard, but the room has been made-over for a warmer, more comfortable experience: one that includes more TVs and gaming options. Gimme Noise got hold of co-owners Kris and Dan O'Gara to talk about the remodeling and what role live music will play at the new Shanty.

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Photo by BFresh Photography

​We have been blessed with one of the most diverse and successful independent hip-hop scenes in the country, but it didn't happen overnight. Most of the pillars of our scene have been recognized one way of another over the years for their work in building this community, but one pillar keeps getting skipped over. Go figure -- it's a female. Pretty common in the male-driven sport we call hip-hop. But she isn't about the recognition or the status, she just wants to help others and rock a stage. More »

​I remember first seeing Franz Diego on a Fifth Element stage, back in the days when the store was cut in half and a huge graffiti mural rained down on visitors heads. It was the popular Open Mic night, this sole night is one of the reasons the scene started to harness a flame to what our thriving scene is today. He was still in high school and his group at the time, Illuminous 3, just finished rocking their freestyle. They had endless energy, but one member in particular stood out. That was Franz Diego. As they came off the stage, other local rappers with dreams of building a record label rushed towards them like wannabe Jimmy Iovine clones with insty print business cards in their hands, flocking to the group. You could tell they seemed shocked by the attention. The other rappers and producers showered them with praise and promises. But Franz wasn't buying it. Years later and Franz still isn't' buying it. He's creating it.
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​If you have been to any kind of Hip-Hop event over the last ten years, pretty great odds you have seen Kevin Beacham.

Easily recognizable with his long dreads flirting over his shoulders he could be the Scott Seekins of the hip-hop community with his appearance. He usually rocks a comic book t-shirt (of which he owns around 100) overlapped by a simple hoodie, and must have a Quincy Jones or Smokey Robinson gene in him somewhere, as he also does not look his age. The man is a mister everything.
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Photo by Nick Patton

​The Twin Cities electronic music scene is having a bit of an age crisis, and Minneapolis' own dubstep boy-wonder Vaski is right smack in the middle of it. A bassy lo-end sound made up of skittery, planetary beats, dubstep has produced an entire second generation (or third, depending on your perspective) of dance fans who go out to hear this kind of music over all other genres. They don't care to join the old-school ravers at techno gigs or the college kids at Too Much Love. They come to the Skyway Theatre on Hennepin in droves for shows by local promoters TC Dubstep, and they're very young.

Vaski, who headlined and nearly sold out the theater on Thanksgiving Eve, is himself only 21 years old. Off the steam of his first hit "Get Down," he traveled the country's club circuit before could even legally enter the venues.

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​@quaticSon of San Bernadino, CA and LeMons of Indianapolis, IN combine forces to form the hip-hop supergroup Midwest Konnect.  Fresh off their performance at this year's Soundset Festival, Midwest Konnect have released their limited edition CD, The Trailer (5/31/2011), exclusively at Fifth Element.
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​Nick Haas and his band-mates have taken  jazz and put a modern spin on the old standards.  The trio is gearing up for their CD release at Minneapolis's quirky and delicious Hell's Kitchen.  Share in the musical experience this Friday, May 21st.

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​Taking their names from Harrison Ford characters, Farewell Continental is set to release their debut album, ¡Hey, Hey Pioneers! (Paper + Plastick Records) today. ¡Hey, Hey Pioneers! will be available digitally and on 12" vinyl in varying colors, which are hand silk-screened, as well as on CD.

Gimme Noise caught up with Dr. Richard Kimble (Justin Pierre) for 5 Questions, sharing that, "I can guarantee that it will be the only tour of the year, and for this record."

Don't miss it.

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​Recovering from their gear being stolen just two weeks before they were set to go on tour in March, Hyland releases their new album, Weights & Measures, with two shows at Living Word Christian Center this weekend.

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