The Darkness' Justin Hawkins.

​In the summer of 2003, the Darkness' eventual quadruple-platinum seller Permission to Land had just been released. Before anyone knew quite what to think about it, they believed in a thing encompassing skintight spandex jumpsuits, Ziggy Stardust, and Freddie Mercury -- or just love. Although Justin Hawkins' high-pitched falsetto throughout "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" seemed to be something we could hold onto forever, 2005's One Way Ticket to Hell... And Back proved prophetic for the band's mid-aughts destruction.  

This past Super Bowl Sunday, however, the Darkness returned via a Samsung tablet commercial, and "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" is back! Their name hasn't been forgotten, and neither have the lyrics to that damned song. They've embarked on a U.S. tour, and Gimme Noise spoke with Hawkins prior to their show at First Avenue on Sunday. More >>

With hip-hop hitting a dull period, experimentation is full speed ahead. Many rappers, DJs and producers are testing new sounds and styles to push through the boredom of rapping a few lines and singing an R&B hook. Kristine Flaherty or K. Flay is at the head of the pack.
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​Heartless Bastards are gearing up for the release of their fourth album, Arrow on February 14. It just so happens that Arrow is the band's strongest record to date. It features a more versatile mix of psych, glam, classic rock, porch blues, R&B, funk and spaghetti-western. Singer/guitarist/songwriter, Erika Wennerstrom's incredible, deep vocals -- at times plaintive, at others poignant -- sound more confident than ever before.

Now based in Austin, Texas, the band has toured extensively, at one point nearly nonstop for two years. Performing live so much has honed their tight sound and intensely dynamic live shows. Gimme Noise spoke with Erika Wennerstrom on the first day of their tour in Little Rock, Arkansas.
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​Twin Cities native producer Jimmy Jam took to the airwaves yesterday to discuss the legacy of the late Soul Train founder Don Cornelius. Speaking to KCRW's Steve Chiotakis in Los Angeles, Jam noted that he'd just attended an event with Berry Gordy and Quincy Jones, and noted that Cornelius belongs among them in terms of his "stature and accomplishments in life." "It's an incredible journey that he had," Jam says. "Basically when you figure out how to do something that no one else is doing, you have a great shot at success." The conversation was steeped in thoughts of childhood for the R&B legend, who performed with the Original 7ven (formerly the Time) on the 2011 Soul Train Awards.
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​Yes, Craig Finn week has arrived in the Twin Cities. In celebration of the release of his new solo album, Clear Heart Full Eyes, the Hold Steady's good-timing frontman is in town this weekend. He's got gigs at the Triple Rock, Treehouse, and the Current's UBS Forum to put an enormous, declaratory mark on the days ahead.

City Pages spoke to Finn recently, and a portion of the conversation appears in this week's print edition. One exchange that didn't make it in was regarding book/movie/TV series Friday Night Lights, which proved inspiring in this album's creation. Read Finn's insights below.
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"I can't hear you -- literally."

​A hilarious exchange between two Minneapolis favorites unfolds in a new "interview" of sorts between Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn and Hüsker Dü/Sugar kingpin Bob Mould. This chat comes along with the promotional push for Finn's first solo record, Clear Heart Full Eyes -- an album Pitchfork gave the backhanded compliment "just good enough to keep us listening."

Anyhow, much of this conversation centers around how the 40-year-old Finn and the 51-year-old Mould are not so much into the decibel-heavy squall of their youth anymore. It's not quite nursing home theatre, but close.
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​Over the course of his 2010 fall European tour, Brother Ali experienced the passing of his father, and then just a few days later, Michael "Eyedea" Larsen died. "That was a real tragedy, man," Ali tells RubyHornet in an outtake from a video interview conducted last February the night of a performance with Rhymefest at Reggie's in Chicago. This clip is part of a "Best Shit You Never Saw" series that the site has launched to explore some segments that didn't make the final cut of their original published interview.
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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. More >>

​​Audio Perm is ostensibly a three-person rap producer crew, but as tomorrow's Audio Perm Showcase will prove, the movement is much larger than that. The night will feature the beatmakers providing the backbone to a number of the younger hip-hop generation's notable figures, including Chantz Erolin, Fresh Squeeze, Mundo Libre, Bobby Raps, 80H20, Persona Non Grata, and Manny Phesto, all of whom work closely with Audio Perm and have become associated acts. Gimme Noise caught up with Taylor Madrigal, Julian Fairbanks and Cory Grindberg, as well as MCs Bobby Raps and Big Dylan, for an interview about tomorrow's Permed Out Showcase.

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​In a league of gentleman all his own, Chris Bathgate stands as a one man band (sort of).
Ann Arbor hasn't been very submissive when it comes to matters of releasing its wonderful musical prowess to the rest of the world. Maybe that's why Bathgate has long since been one of Michigan's best kept secrets.

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