Photo by Stacy Schwartz

​Today marks my last day at the helm of this blog, and the end of a journey that I began with City Pages nearly four years ago. Naturally, I have quite a few thoughts about closing this chapter, and you can read all about the history of Gimme Noise and my thoughts on the past four years in this farewell column, which is also running in print today.More >>

Photo by Ian Witlen

Incoming City Pages music editor Reed Fischer

​As we near the end of 2011, big changes are in the air for Gimme Noise and the City Pages music section. After holding down the position of music editor for almost four years, I've decided to pursue an opportunity outside the company and will wrap up my stint here on Wednesday, January 4.

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Photo by Emily Utne

Pearl Studio owners Zach and Noah Hollander

​With the year-end review season in full swing, this week marks the publication of our annual Artists of the Year issue, which pays tribute to 15 local and national artists whose voices rose above the din in 2011. More >>

​At last weekend's Doomtree Blowout, we gave fans the chance to score an extra prize and profess their love for the group by participating in a back-to-the-schoolyard-style coloring contest. Yes, a coloring contest -- as in one using crayons, markers, and even some lipstick, with a design centered around the crew's longstanding logo of a set of wings and teeth.More >>

​Pick up a copy of this year's Winter Guide issue of City Pages and you'll notice that Doomtree is not only featured on the cover and in an interview about their new album, No Kings, but that they've invaded our entire damn publication. More >>

Ho ho ho, Merry No Kingsmas! More >>

​The latest edition of De Capo's annual Best Music Writing anthology just dropped, and in addition to the 32 essays published in this year's book they have published an extensive list of honorable mentions. One of those mentions, in particular, caught our attention: the essay "Dessa Reflects on Her Artistic Journey" by Dessa Darling, which was published as a City Pages cover story on August 18, 2010. The piece was simply titled "Dessa on Dessa" in print.More >>

​Black Friday. Potentially the single most terrifying phrase in the English language, those two little words are a retailer's curse and a shopper's pipe dream come true. This year, if you somehow missed pitching your tent in the Best Buy parking lot in preparation for the sales, not to worry--there is an alternative, and a better one. You can take full advantage of some of the best deals in town at record stores on Friday, and plenty stores are also featuring live performances by local bands. We've conveniently compiled a list of highlights at your favorite local shops, just so you don't have to be in the dark come November 25.

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​The Twin Cities is a great place for music. Twin Citizens know that well enough--we are home, after all, to a host of influential music venues, and our beloved indie radio station 89.3 the Current. You'd be hard-pressed to find a night when there wasn't something great happening, either within the infamous walls of First Avenue or in the dingy corner of some dive bar with a step-up stage; we wouldn't have it any other way. But for all that, there's always more happening; this fiercely creative town continually sprouts up new ideas and projects, some which fly far under the radar of their potential audience.

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Photo by Emily Utne

​One of the largest releases in the Twin Cities this week is the newest effort by bossa nova-inspired quintet Buffalo Moon, Selva Surreal, which City Pages writer Jeff Gage says "sounds like the work of a band that's figured out its true identity." Jeff also interviewed the band for this week's paper to get their take on the new record; read his piece here and check out an accompanying slideshow of sunny, psychedelic portraits of the band by Emily Utne.More >>