Swensson Launches Local Current

Andrea Swensson made the headlines two weeks ago when she announced she was leaving City Pages to join the Current. Yes, we were all bummed that we won't get to read her musings in CP each week, but even more excited that Andrea was going to work on a brand new blog focused on great local music. The wait is over, Local Current is here:

Enter the Local Current Blog: Your new must-read Minnesota music resource. Here, you’ll find a mix of in-depth features, concert reviews, and interviews with local artists, news pieces and essays about our community, and all the latest videos and tracks from emerging acts. It’s not just an extension of the existing services offered by the Current, it’s an entirely new venture -- and I’m excited to see where we can go when we marry the powerful resources of the station with my own passion for boots-on-the-ground coverage of the scene.

Congrats Andrea and keep up the good work!

Follow Local Current on Facebook and Twitter.

Submitted by @marrina.

Cee-Lo dropped from Rihanna tour

Whoa, you guys. Live Nation has just announced that singer Cee-Lo Green, who recently had a Twitter run-in with local City Pages/Gimme Noise music editor Andrea Swensson, has been dropped from the remainder of Rihanna's tour.


Via Gimme Noise sister blog Rocks Off, according to a brief press release, the singer is no longer with the tour due to "unforseen scheduling conflicts." But it seems too much of a coincidence, happening so quickly after his Twitter beef with Swensson, in which he called her "gay" and said she must be "threatened by my masculinity." In a followup tweet, he said that instead of calling Swensson "gay," he would have hit on her if he knew she was a girl.


Green has since apologized, deleted the tweet and several others pertaining to the review and his comment, and vowed he was quitting Twitter.

But we think @danhuiting puts it best:


Earlier: Cee Lo Green Attacks Local Writer on Twitter
Local writer's feud with Cee-Lo lands on Oh No They Didn't!

Submitted by @jahnapeloquin

Local writer's fued with Cee-Lo lands on Oh No They Didn't! & Kare 11

As we reported last week, City Pages music editor Andrea Swensson's review of the Rihanna and Cee-Lo Green show at the Target Center caught they attention of Cee-Lo himself, resulting in a mean-spirited Twitter rant in which he called Andrea "gay" and said she was "offended" by his "masculinity." Now national gossip blog Oh No They Didn't! picked up on the news, adding that:


"Cee Lo quickly deleted the Tweets after being slammed for his homophobic remarks and offered the requisite apology,

'Apologies gay community! What was homophobic about that? I said I was guessing he [was] gay which is fine but its nice to [know] what u think of me.'"

Not much of an apology, is it?

Via Steven Yasgar

Also, Andrea was on Kare11 this morning talking about the incident!



Submitted by @jahnapeloquin

Cee Lo Green Attacks Local Writer on Twitter

Cee Lo Green does not take criticism well, as witnessed by a tweet he sent today to City Pages/ Gimme Noise writer Andrea Swensson. Green, who opened for Rihanna last night at Target Center, did not think Swensson's review of his performance was honest and he told her to.. well, see for yourself:

So much for respecting criticism.

Yes, we are baffled too. This, though, made us laugh.


Oh the irony: he can't spell the name of his own song.

UPDATE: Swensson responds!

UPDATE: Cee Lo deleted all his tweets from yesterday, and signed off with a tweet that seemed to insinuate he was quitting Twitter.

Other fun links:

The Tangential tells us other things Cee Lo deems gay

Cee Lo defends himself via US Weekly

TC Daily Planet does a tweet roundup on the sitch

The Hollywood Reporter chimes in


Via @gimme_noise and @CeeLoGreen.

Submitted by @marrina.

The Jayhawks family tree

Our pal Andrea Swensson over at City Pages' Gimme Noise put together this ingenious family tree-style chart of local alt-country legends The Jayhawks - connecting them to everything from Soul Asylum to Prince to the Jonas Brothers. This girl's knowledge of local music - not to mention her handy chart-making skills - totally blows us away!

(Click to enlarge)

Via Andrea Swensson on Facebook

Submitted by @jahnapeloquin

Gimme Noise posts their "Top Ten Local Music Nerds to Follow on Twitter"

This is a great and well thought out list! We sort of expected to see the usual suspects, but (well-documented music nerd and Gimme Noise editor) Andrea Swensson had pulled out some real gems! Check out their Top Ten Local Music Nerds to Follow on Twitter.

Our favorite? The @TheRoyWilkins response to tweeps calling it "The worst venue ever." Hilarious!


Submitted by @letoilemagazine