"The one and only Prince described it well with Purple Rain/ Where Bob Dylan spent his days before he caught the New York Train."

If you haven't gotten your band written about in the Twin Cities, one semi-surefire approach is to pen a fawning song about us. (And then have your publicist send out emails emblazoned "KODALINE WRITES A SONG ABOUT MINNEAPOLIS!! THE BAND CHALLENGED THEMSELVES TO WRITE A SONG FOR EVERY CITY THEY PLAY IN!") That was the approach that Irish band Kodaline decided to take, anyhow. The band is out on the road with the Airborne Toxic Event, and they're taking a page out of mid-aughts Sufjan Stevens' playbook and writing a whole bunch of songs about cities. The inspiration? Their tour routing.

So, here's the first one, the seemingly earnest "A Song for Minneapolis," as filmed in a truck stop selling body-slimming cream. Unfortunately, Kodaline was here on Tuesday, so there's no hope of going out to see them play this locally for a while. Knowing the Twin Cities' proclivity for local pride that occasionally borders on navel-gaze, this Mumfy-esque and acoustic approach could help this band gain some traction here eventually.

See Also:
Top 20 best Minnesota songs: The complete list

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What a difference a year makes when it comes to Lollapalooza, Chicago's destination music festival in Grant Park every summer. The first details of the lineup have emerged, and compared to the rockist-leaning 2012 bill it's looking very much like anything that can loosely fit within the antiquated "indie" idea will get prime placement at the 2013 running on August 2-4.

Leading the way is Mumford & Sons, the Grammy-winning Brit strummers who sold a ton of copies of Babel last year. Add to that Phoenix and Vampire Weekend, both who will drop hotly anticipated albums this year. Also, there's the Killers, who definitely want to get some more miles out of 2012's Battle Born. Though the full lineup is still forthcoming, a few other likely acts were published in a Chicago Tribune report.

See Also:
Black Sabbath at Lollapalooza, 8/3/12
25 gorgeous GIFs from Lollapalooza 2012
City Pages Lollapalooza archives
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Inside Llewyn Davis stars Oscar Isaac in the titular role of a folk musician with a cat

Locally bred Oscar-winning auteurs Joel and Ethan Coen have never shied away from drawing inspiration from their Minnesota upbringing to use in their films. Both Fargo and A Serious Man candidly reflect all-too-familiar aspects of life around these parts as well as lasting impressions that the creative filmmakers gleaned from their childhood spent in St. Louis Park.

The duo have also used music to great effect in their films, with the success of O Brother, Where Art Thou? spawning a resurgence of interest in classic American folk music, as well as a blockbuster soundtrack that resulted in a live concert and corresponding DVD that perhaps outshines the lasting impact of the film itself.

Now the Coens are back with a new forthcoming film, Inside Llewyn Davis, that blends their love of music with the legendary folk scene of Greenwich Village in the '60s that helped spawn and nurture the early career of one of Minnesota's favorite sons, Bob Dylan.

See Also:
Bob Dylan's most memorable Minnesota performances (1998-2008)
Mumford and Sons on Austin City Limits, a play-by-play of sorts

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Photo by Scarlet Page

Ever since the Lumineers' hit song "Ho Hey" started showing up on airwaves in late December 2011, it's like you can't go anywhere without hearing it being blasted from somebody's headphones or store speakers. Locally, you can hear this juggernaut song on the Current, Cities 97, and KDWB, and probably more. But hey (ho), that's what happens when it's The Greatest Song Anyone Could Possibly Write This Millenium.

The nation is abuzz this week with the news that Mumford and Sons the Lumineers will be taking the spotlight as the musical guests on Saturday Night Live on January 19. We're sure they're going to talk about their Grammy noms and what it feels like to have their first musical offering as a group go up against the more established likes of the Avett Brothers and Mumfy themselves for Best Americana Album and Frank Ocean for Best New Artist. Whatever, Lumineers all the way!

See Also:
The Lumineers on Craigslist, Denver, and Basilica Block Party
Review: Basilica Block Party Day 2, 7/7/12

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