City of Music Goes National

11/11/11 turned out to be lucky day for our friends over at MPLS.TV. Check this out:

Today, Pitchfork.tv launches a new program, "City of Music" which highlights private studio performances in unique locations throughout our website's birthplace, Minneapolis.

"City of Music" is produced by MPLS.TV, an independent network of videographers, writers, designers, and artists in Minneapolis, and director Dan Huiting, also based in Minneapolis."

The first segment features Toro y Moi and you can watch it here. Congrats, MPLS.TV!

Via @pitchforkmedia

Submitted by @marrina

City of Music heads to Pitchfork

Local director Dan Huiting just announced some big news via Facebook today. City of Music - MPLS.TV's ongoing live music video series - will now have a national series on Pitchfork. He also reported that they're currently shooting the first episode shooting earlier today with Toro Y Moi, which was in town last night for a show at Triple Rock Social Club. We say it's well deserved. Congrats, guys!


Via Dan Huiting on Facebook
Submitted by @jahnapeloquin

MPLS.TV goes to Pitchfork (Video)

MPLS.TV's Chris Cloud, Hannah Silk Champagne and Ryan Warner go to Pitchfork, and live to tell us about it. In the video just released today, they chat with Kurt Vile, ask Twin Shadow how to get laid at Pitchfork, and talk about what the most popular drugs of choice were at the fest.

MPLS.TV at Pitchfork Music Festival 2011 from MPLS.TV on Vimeo.

Via @MPLSTV
Submitted by @jahnapeloquin

Moon Glyph's Pitchfork sampler now a free download

When local experimental music label Moon Glyph (home to the likes of Claps, Food Pyramid, Buffalo Moon and Magic Castles) went to Pitchfork Festival, they brought with them a free sampler that earned them a writeup in Pitchfork-affiliated, psychedelic-underground blog Altered Zones. Now you can download the sampler for free by clicking this handy link.


Tracklisting:

1. Buffalo Moon - "Black Magic"
2. Velvet Davenport - "Weather"
3. Dead Luke - "If You Love Me"
4. Magic Castles - "Roger Beguine"
5. Forma - "FORMA 145A"
6. Food Pyramid - "ATM"
7. Xander Harris - "Redemption In Blood"
8. Claps - "Glory, Glory"
9. Larry Wish & His Guys - "On One Condition"
10. Camden - "New Valley of Death"
11. Lee Noble - "Tattooed Eyes in Jail" (KXLU) (excerpt)
12. Dylan Ettinger - "ACC_01"
13. Ghostband - "Melusine"
14. Tender Meat - "Brenda's Closet"

Via Chris Riemenschneider on Facebook
Submitted by @jahnapeloquin

Bon Iver nabs a 9.5 rating from Pitchfork, performing on Colbert tonight

In case you haven't already heard, Pitchfork Media just gave Bon Iver's new album Bon Iver, Bon Iver (officially dropping tomorrow) a rare 9.5 rating. That's the best of the year - so far. The Twitter reaction:


Meanwhile, Rolling Stone is streaming the album free all day.

Tonight, our own Electric Fetus hosts an album listening party, selling the new album a day early along with a limited number of posters given away with purchase as well as a bonus, 3-track CD single featuring "Wisconsin," "Come Talk To Me," and the Bonnie Raitt cover medley "I Can't Make You Love Me / Nick of Time." The bonus CD will be raffled off during the listening party (no purchase necessary, must be present to win). They will also have the group's new "Calgary" 12" single (also featuring the Bonnie Raitt medley) available for purchase two weeks before its official release on July 5th.

You can catch Bon Iver performing on The Colbert Report tonight and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Tuesday night; our embedded reporter @thebitchelor promises some behind-the-scenes updates.



Submitted by @jahnapeloquin

GAYNGS' Ryan Olson + Justin Vernon share year-end lists with Pitchfork

Justin Vernon (Bon Iver, GAYNGS) and Ryan Olson (GAYNGS and Marijuana Deathsquads) were included in Pitchfork's massive year-end Guest List. Olson name drops some locals: Nick and Eddie Wednesday nights (where Marijuana Deathsquads had a regular residency for a good part of the year) and Albert Elmore, a local IDM artist/noise experimentalist, while Vernon lists GAYNGS cohorts and Eau Claire band Megafaun.

Photo: Ryan Olson by Graham Tolbert

Here's a link to an mp3 of Elmore's track "Lannistumaton," which Olson calls his pick for Song of the Year.

Submitted by @jahnapeloquin

GAYNGS track named one of Pitchfork's top songs of the year

On the heels of recent year-end nods toward a handful local acts comes the news that a GAYNGS was included on Pitchfork's Top 100 Songs of the Year list, as selected by the Pitchfork staff.


GAYNGS landed at #99 with "Gaudy Side of Town" from the 2010 release Relayted. They say:

"Gayngs already do a song called "The Last Prom on Earth", so the gaudiness here probably refers to something other than salmon tuxes and pink corsages. This is after-prom music, anyway, with Gayngs frontman Ryan Olson mixing ambrosial crooning and tony sax to create a palpable Barry White vibe, with just a hint of danger. Bon Iver's Justin Vernon stamps his approval by offering some surprisingly sultry backing vocals. And what should be a sleazy key party blossoms into something slinky and breathlessly affectionate."

Via GAYNGS on Facebook

Submitted by @jahnapeloquin

And in other Gayngs-related news...

In case there are still those who believe a Prince impostor was at the Gayngs concert a few months ago, here's the proof the Purple One was indeed there. Pitchfork just posted a Gayngs concert video with this description:

"Recorded at a prom themed Minneapolis release party in May, this performance clip for slow jam mavens Gayngs' "The Last Prom on Earth" is highlighted by a special appearance from none other than Prince himself. While the clip captures the Purple One nodding his bowler cap in the wings with a guitar slung around his shoulder (pictured above), he doesn't actually come up to play with the band. Which is a shame, because this song is ripe for a "Purple Rain"-style solo."

Here's the video:


Via Pitchfork.

BONUS: Be sure to check out deets on the Gayngs/Har Mar Superstar cover of George Michael's "One More Try" that we posted about last night.

Submitted by @marrina

Elite Gymnastics get the Pitchfork treatment

Nifty! Minneapolis' own electro-popsters Elite Gymnastics has made it into Pitchfork's good graces. Moon Goons DJ - and EG member - Josh Clancy tipped us off to Pitchfork's favorable review of the a track from the duo's new EP, Is This On Me? via facebook.


Though reviewer Larry Fitzmaurice claims to be surprised to hear something so fresh coming out of the Twin Cities (um, GAYNGS anyone?), he touts the duo's "sunshine samples and high-pitched chimes that twinkle like an ice castle bathed in soft light," and adds, "As the summer months heat up, 'Is This on Me?' somehow manages to feel like a blast of cool air while keeping things appropriately warm."

Submitted by @jahnapeloquin.

Gayngs get Pitchforked

Local supergroup, Gayngs, has gotten a big nod from music giant Pitchfork! Penned by ex-City Pages scribe, Nate Patrin, the full review of Gayngs' debut album garnered a 6.5 rating.

Click HERE to read the review.

Gayngs plays the First Ave mainroom this Friday and it's bound to be awesome, so we suggest getting your tix now!

Thanks to @winnerbowzer for the tip!

submitted by @letoilemagazine

The Red Pens get written up on Pitchfork!

Local music blogger/producer/promoter Jon Jon Scott aka Sound Verite re-tweeted an interesting tidbit this morning! Hot on the heels of local group, Solid Gold, getting their just dues on pitchfork.com last week, another of the Twin Cities hottest acts is getting the same treatment!

The Red Pens make the grade on the famed music site, where the reviewer gives props to the track "Weekdays" stating,"Bennett's Hubley-esque backing beat is slack but never flaccid, and Hamilton's grainy recording is purposely no-frills but definitely not amateur. Most surprising though is the fully amplified guitar, the wall-rattling feedback providing a much-needed antidote for Hamilton's housebound malaise. If the neighbors weren't deaf to begin with, they certainly are now."

Congrats you guys!!! Well deserved.

Read the whole review HERE.

Submitted by @letoilemagazine