When most people think about art and fashion, New York City comes to mind. An art gallery or top-notch art school sits on nearly every corner, and lauded designer names litter the streets. The Big Apple is also the place where many aspiring artists go to make it big. But Minneapolis’ art scene is well poised to take its own bite out of the apple — especially when it comes to graphic design.

Want proof? Look no further than Density Studios’ second annual exhibit, Art of Design: The Future. The Northeast Minneapolis gallery is showcasing work from 13 up-and-coming Twin Cities graphic designers. And thanks to gallery director Kate Iverson, many of the artists will be framing and selling their work for the first time.

“A lot of graphic designers aren’t used to the art scene,” Iverson says. “They aren’t typical artists, like painters.” So, Iverson had to do a little hunting to find some of the creative talent in the show.

She stumbled upon graphic design artist Josh Clancy through www.computerlove.com, a site where an international roster of designers can post their goods. “Clancy’s graphic design work is pretty amazing,” Iverson says. “And he’s very young.”

Nineteen, to be exact — and Clancy’s work has already been featured in the cutting-edge publications Beautiful/Decay and Alternative Press magazine He has crafted graphics for various websites, band T-shirts and album covers.

“I’ve always been into anything visually compelling,” says Clancy. “I love things that look interesting and love making things my own.”

Just two weeks ago, he helped launch a graphic design group, called Wish Well, with design freelancers Collin Strandberg and Travis Stearns. The trio’s collaboration has already resulted in new work for Density’s show.

Their first submission, “Natural Sound for Natural People,” is a three-piece set of 24-by-36 inch prints inspired by music. “The first panel is blank,” Clancy says. “The second panel has some typography cut from actual records that spells the phrase ‘let’s regress,’ and the third panel is our perception of the free forms that music creates when it is listened to.”

Their second piece, “Crisp and Carefree,” is an exploration of technique, composition and color. “We just started playing around with a picture that we scanned in from an old book,” Clancy says. “And from there, we let it grow.” The picture, of a woman’s body, is in the center of the print, and doused in drops of blue and pink. Iverson describes it as “design overlaying photography.”

It is nothing more than an experiment,” Clancy says. “Kind of like art for arts sake.”

With plenty of creativity and hard work, Wish Well hopes to make a lasting impression on gallery-goers.

“The showcase is the perfect chance for ‘Wish Well’ to get exposed to the art scene,” Clancy says. “There are so many talented graphic designers in the Twin Cities; we are just excited to have people appreciate our artwork.”

Posters aren’t the only form graphic design work will take in Art of Design. “The artwork ranges from product packaging to album covers for bands,” Iverson says. “We also have some artists who specialize in T-shirt and poster design.”

To help the show’s participants gain the widest exposure on the Minneapolis graphics scene, Density Studios invited nearly 100 design and advertising firms to the showcase. And Iverson put together an experienced panel of judges to critique each piece.

“We will be looking for good graphic skills, interesting concepts and the types of graphic implementation used,” says Izaak B, a judge and senior designer for L’etoile magazine, a local fashion rag. “Overall, we are looking for what looks good and what doesn’t.”

The winner of the showcase will receive a large spread in L’etoile, and second- and third-place finishers will also be featured. But “Art of Design” isn’t solely about winning or loosing — Iverson says it’s also about helping everyday people appreciate graphic design as an art form.

“Graphic design is a type of art that is not very well-known,” Iverson says. And since the show will be open to the public, she hopes to inspire and surprise viewers who may think dubiously on the field as a legitimate art outlet. “Overall, we just hope that some people who never looked at design as an art form will leave the show with a new appreciation for it.”

Art of Design: The Future, will be on display at Density Studios through Sept. 16.

www.densitystudios.com
www.toothjuice.net

As summer was winding down, The Tyde released their beach pop album, Three’s Co., on August 29. Though we can’t all appreciate the upbeat, summery sound of the CD while it’s still in season, the group fits nicely into its Los Angeles setting, where the Atlantic allows an escape all year round.

Three’s Co. is The Tyde’s third release, following, fittingly, albums titled Once and Twice. In light of the simple progression of the discs’ names, the band’s tinny, simplistic sound features appropriately minimalist melodies that mirror their laidback surfer lifestyle.

Don’t confuse their simple style with amateurism. In the early ‘90s, The Tyde’s members, brothers Darren and Brent Rademaker, started indie rock outfit Further, which was more closely related to ‘90s bands like Nirvana and Sonic Youth than the brothers’ future projects.

For The Tyde, Darren is joined by keyboardist and wife Ann Do, while Brent is the bassist and backs Darren with vocal harmonies reminiscent of the Beach Boys. Ben Knight plays the clean guitar melodies and Ric Menck, (also of Velvet Crush), teases out easy drum beats.

As early as the first song, the band reveals its blaringly minimalist style, as Darren repeats the line: “Jealousy will get you nowhere,” incessantly—probably for a monotonous effect, but it gets to be too much too quick.

The rest of the album delivers more variety but sustains the simple, repetitive rhythms with a style comparable to contemporary bands like The Strokes and earlier indie-pop legends Felt and Galaxie 500.

Also of note: the CD includes tracks with additional artists, from Conor Deasy (The Thrills) to Mickey Madden (Maroon 5).

Once upon a time, two Ians had a dream, the sort encouraged by years of various musical involvements and a loyalty to the scenes that nurtured them. Apparently the hearty hospitality of Minnesota extends beyond the exchange of hot meals and into a tight-knit music community, one that Ian Anderson and Ian Tsan, of Afternoon Records and Grape Juice Records respectfully, want to give a little something back to.

“Everyone really cares about each other here, which makes it a great environment for musicians to grow together,” Anderson says of his desire to return the favor.

Anderson and Tsan approached each other with similar plans that, though seemingly far-fetched, were driven by ambition and a sense of gratitude. They wanted to curate a music festival that would not only showcase a variety of regional bands, but serve as something authentically Midwestern, a shining example of the strong musical kinship both were so taken with.

With that, the idea for the 45 Degrees North Music Festival was born.

“It’s Minneapolis’ turn,” Tsan says. “The goal we have for this festival is to show off how eclectic this city is — it’s not indie rock, it’s not hip-hop, it’s not punk. It’s all of the above.”

Anderson agrees wholeheartedly, hoping the festival will open the ears and eyes of audiences. “We want to rope those who may have heard of one particular band playing but not the other, or the people who don’t know as much about Minneapolis music.”

“Plus,” he adds, “it will create awareness that this city is cooler than most would expect!”

No stranger to the ways of the music industry, Anderson started Afternoon Records midway through his senior year of high school because he felt the sounds he and his friends were making needed to be heard.

Tsan did the same. Though he has been a musician nearly all his life, he had always toyed with the idea of production and, with a few extra sets of hands shaped Grape Juice into a label he deems an ongoing learning experience. “I still take things one day at a time,” he says.

45 Degrees North is undoubtedly the biggest gig of their careers thus far, but both seem well-suited to the task and hope their own loyalty to the music community will be conveyed in the festival.

“Minneapolis is filled with such encouraging, warm people,” Anderson says. “There are so many ridiculously good bands with so much spirit, it’s unbelievable. A place like New York is a different story. They have a local scene, but hardly any local bands. Interpol will never play Brooklyn shows. But look at Craig Finn (of Minneapolis legends Lifter Puller and the Hold Steady). He doesn’t even live here anymore, but can’t get enough of this place, and still plays shows here all the time.”

No, the Hold Steady will not be making an appearance. Nor Atmosphere. Nor a few other anticipated, but largely unrealistic, acts. “A million bands could have played,” says Anderson. “It would have been awesome if we could have gotten [them], but you have to start somewhere.”

And 45 Degrees North does, with Minneapolis favorites the Plastic Constellations and Doomtree filling some of several excellent headlining slots.

“We didn’t have quite enough exposure to do actual band submissions,” explains Tsan. “Above all things, we just looked for bands that we could feasibly get to play our festival, but still wanted them to be bands that we liked.”

Their tirelessly positive attitudes have helped Anderson and Tsan through a few bumps in the road. 45 Degrees North arrives after a summer packed full of music festivals, multiple scheduling conflicts and bouts of band miscommunication, which have resulted in an ultimately shorter festival that still needs a few adjustments before opening night.

Still, it’s no problem. “I’d just like to do well this year so we can come back again next year,” Anderson says.

What about that other local legend of a festival right around the corner?

“Hey, I arrange my life around the State Fair!” he adds with a laugh. “But maybe we’ll just have to start selling cheese curds to compete.”

The Wake’s Guide to the 45 Degrees North Music Festival
The festival began September 5th, and here is the remainder of the lineup:

Night 2: September 7th First Avenue
The second evening belongs to the first ladies of West Coast dance rock: Kill Rock Stars sirens Erase Errata, Mika Miko and The Gossip. All possess that unstoppable, frantic sound that packs a hefty punch of attitude, and The Gossip’s Beth Ditto rightfully seizes the headlining slot with her sneering, soulful howl alone.

Night 3: September 8th, The Triple Rock Social Club
Leading the evening with his gorgeous piano-and-string arrangements, composer West Thordson’s lush, melancholic project Whisper In The Noise has never made feeling empty sound so damn pretty. Opening band Passions sashay to their own beat of sexy pop-punk, while It From Bit wraps Jeff Buckley-like vocals, dreamy pop guitars, and plunking keyboard riffs into a perfect little indie rock package.

Night 4: September 9th, The Triple Rock Social Club
The Draft opens for Chicago-based punk band The Lawrence Arms at this evening’s all-ages show. Belles Of Skin City start the 21-plus antics later on with a percussive, cocksure strut, accented by jagged guitars and arresting vocals. The charming female harmonies of the God Damn Doo Wop band are in perfect key with their brand of good- old-fashioned rock. Headliners the Plastic Constellations will likely shine the brightest with their sprawling, infectious sound, the shining example of a band that may be nationally acclaimed for now, but hometown favorites for good.

Our quest began bright and early on a Sunday in May. The goal: find a perfect hang out spot to drink high quality, made-on-the-spot microbrew. Our team consisted of three; Rob Fisk, co-founder and charter member of the University of Minnesota Homebrewing Club, chef Leair Caudle of Kincaid’s restaurant in St. Paul (as well as an Oktoberfest veteran) and myself. After many hours, countless empty glasses, and one middle-aged male admirer, we’re prepared to declare our choice for local favorites.

We started at Great Waters Brewing Company in downtown St. Paul. The bartender knew nothing about beer—he even claimed that we probably knew more about the drinks they served than he did (and he was right). Despite being repeatedly told to “wait ‘til Brewmaster Bob gets here, he’ll talk your ear off,” an hour of drinking passed with no sign of the resident expert.

The beer itself wasn’t bad though. The Blackwatch Oat Stout received the highest oat stout score of the afternoon, thanks to its perfect cascading appearance and enigmatic flavors (was that chocolate?). But the smoothness of the beer was overshadowed by the bitterness of the bill. Although we requested to split the pints for the sake of sampling, we were still charged the full price for each partial glass, making this a bank-breaking visit. Later that afternoon, in discussions of Great Waters, the term “elitist,” as well as several choice expletives, came up repeatedly.

Our next stop, Rock Bottom Brewery in downtown Minneapolis’ LaSalle Plaza, was a pleasant contrast. This upscale chain contained both high quality beer and knowledgeable bartenders, making it the perfect place to take your beer connoisseur parents on their next visit. An ample assortment of standard, seasonal and cask beers provide a respectable variety to satiate every preference, and the friendly staff are more than willing to provide samples to help you settle on just one (or two or three).

Rob and I enjoyed the Intoxicator Dopplebock, while Leair’s favorite was the El Jefe Weizen, which we were told is only the first of brewmaster Bryon Tonnis’ “Wheat” series. The overwhelming characteristic of the Weizen was the distinct taste of banana and clove, but—to our surprise—was served sans lemon wedge. The Dopple had impressive depth, and the cask selections we tried had just the right amount of natural carbonation. There wasn’t a single beer we tried that we didn’t enjoy, and their pool tables are also pretty nice.

The third stop on our trek was Herkimer’s, the only micropub in Uptown with a shuffleboard league. I came here expecting it to be bad, wanting it to be bad, and anticipating writing a terrible review. Luckily for them we were hungry, and the food was good.

Our pseudo-vegetarian friend had an impressive looking fish sandwich, while the rest of us split an order of sweet potato fries, a happy hour bargain. We sampled a Tooler’s Weiss—which turned out to be the best we tasted all day (despite brewmaster Dave Harman’s excuses about the difficulties of using first generation hops). The lager left quite a bit to be desired, disappointing our German panelist, but the Alt Bier easily made up for it. With great service, decent food, and a free jukebox (with an admirable selection of Soul Coughing tunes), Herkimer’s is a great place to lift a pint after an eventful evening on Minneapolis’ south side.

The last stop on our bar hop was the Town Hall Brewery, a beer lover’s oasis conveniently located near campus on Washington Ave S. This is the kind of place you go if you want to meet friends after a long week of studying, or if you just want to toss one back on a particularly tough weeknight. The beer is great, the atmosphere is unobtrusive, and you can sit on big plush couches and watch large television sets while enjoying your beverage.

The Hope and King Scotch Ale (a Great American Beer Festival medalist), and the India Brown Ale had unique flavors: obvious risks were taken with both blends, scoring brewer Mike Hoops some serious brownie points. The India Pale Ale’s (IPAs) here were some of the better ones sampled, with both the Masala Mama and the Cask scoring very well. Overall, this establishment’s average ratings were the highest of the day, making it a must visit for all, plus a prime candidate for my new favorite bar.

With so many microbreweries around town, there’s no excuse for drinking bad beer. If you decide to venture outside of the Twin Cities, Granite City (with locations in Maple Grove, Eagan, and St. Cloud), has a decent IPA and serves beefed-up pints (20 ounces compared to 16) for only two bucks after 10 o’clock. Barley John’s in New Brighton has a respectable following, as does Fitgers in Duluth. Gaining popularity is Green Mill’s microbrewery on Grand, and for a really fun afternoon take a trip to Vine Park Brewery, where for a reasonable cost, they’ll help you brew your own. If you try all the places mentioned above and still can’t find something good, join the Campus Homebrew club—they’re always accepting new members and are happy to mentor young beer enthusiasts. Of course, should you find (or brew) something particularly good, send a case our way—we’d be happy to evaluate it for you. Cheers!

Ol’ Dirty Bastard blasted through the speakers as I walked into MC Frontalot’s 21-plus show on May 28. To my left, a stuffed dear head occupied the center of a small stage, while around me was a sea of guys in ponytails and glasses, who seemed less concerned with looking tough than making sure the Galaga arcade machine stayed occupied. This was not a typical hip-hop crowd, but it gave a look into the scene that Nerdcore is beginning to create.

A man in his 20s who occupies himself with “Dungeons and Dragons” rarely conjures up thoughts of a hip-hop emcee. But MC Frontalot, a self-proclaimed nerd from San Francisco, is turning the bad-boy-dominated genre on its head. Instead of bling and brand names, Frontalot dons freshly pressed ties, thick glasses, and a headlamp to rap about the internet and video games—not money and hos.

True to tech-geek form, Frontalot (a.k.a. Damien Hess), got his start posting MP3s online before releasing a full-length album last year. The disc, Nerdcore Rising, takes a humorous, tongue-in-cheek approach to topics from the war on terror to a crime spree of jaywalking and ripping tags from mattresses.

Since his CD release, Frontalot, along with keyboardist GMinor7, drummer The Sturgenius, and bassist Blak Lotus, has attracted nerds and non-nerds alike, playing small shows in California and the Penny Arcade gaming convention—which makes perfect sense after hearing the disc’s Nintendo-esque tracks, composed by Badd Spellah.

Opening act St. Pauli Grla seemed to confuse the group of onlookers more than anything. Taking the stage in a filthy rabbit suit, Grla rambled over beats emitting from an iPod as if he had hit the bar before the show.

Between the incoherent yelling and moaning, on songs with titles like, “Snakes on a Plane” and, “Hippo Rodeo,” Grla provided little more than a few cheap laughs before finally bowing out, cradling the stuffed deer head to his body.

Twenty minutes later, The Sturgenius walked onstage to launch the main act, with G-Minor7 and Blak Lotus soon joining him in a jam session that concluded with MC Frontalot appearing in his trademark attire. As the rapper’s headlamp shone into the crowd, Frontalot’s robot-like movements were the perfect accompaniment to his frantic vocals, which often switched speeds but always remained on track.

Meanwhile, Lotus plucked away at his bass, the head of which resembled a five-inch floppy disk. It was G-Minor7, however, who stole the show with his innovative keyboard riffs and high-pitched croon, when not energetically dancing into the sparse crowd.

The two also contributed to the melodic hooks scattered throughout most tracks, creating three-part vocal harmonies with Frontalot. The lyrics were humorous and light-hearted, aside from the politically charged “Special Delivery,” an attack on Bush’s war laced with his samples of his numerous war-time speeches, which drew the largest crowd response of the night.

When not singing or showing off their disco dance moves, the crew kept the mild-mannered audience amused by rolling a novelty 20-sided dice, rattling off bad jokes (What did the zero say to the eight? Nice belt.), and even busting out Magic cards, which drew heavy applause from their fans. For their finale, the group also orchestrated a sing-along to their album’s single, “Nerdcore Rising.”

Despite his growing success, Frontalot calls himself the “579th greatest rapper in the world” on his website, which just goes to show that the king of the nerds still has a long way to go before “nerdcore,” his self-designed sub-genre of funky hip hop, becomes an MTV staple. With a national tour underway, his fan base is only likely to grow as he spreads his frenzied stylings from Spartanburg to Kalamazoo.

As I drove into North Minneapolis I saw four people standing on each corner of the ramps to Highway 52, holding signs on a 100-degree afternoon that read, “Homeless. Please help.” Four blocks down is the intersection of Emerson Avenue and West Broadway, a throughway where cars sit impatiently at lights and pedestrians walk by broken-down buildings. The intersection hinges three Minneapolis neighborhoods: Jordan, Hawthorne and Near-North. The vast majority of their population is minorities, with somewhere between 30 and 40 percent of families that fall below the poverty line—a rate more than double Minneapolis’ average.

Amid the decay and desolation stands Juxtaposition Arts. The 11-year-old nonprofit group moved into the neighborhood two years ago, and now makes it part of their mission to allow the people who live and walk along West Broadway to express themselves through public art. “It reflects the people that live here,” says DeAnna Cummings, Juxtaposition’s executive director. The kid-created, intergalactic “Got Milk” mural on the Kemps building has become an integral part of the neighborhood.

An ongoing project, Remix, began three years ago after receiving funding for a research assistant from the University of Minnesota. Satoko Muratake, a graduate student of landscape architecture, pushed Juxtaposition’s staff into thinking of new ways to invest in the urban and natural environment around them. Since then, the U has lent credibility and resources to the program: students study concept design and research neighborhood history and precedents passed in cities around the country. Now, two classes of 20 students in the U’s Design Institute devote an entire semester to planning achievable projects for North Minneapolis.

Children in K-12th grade partnered with James Garrett of Form Plus Urban Land Acquisition (4RM+ULA) and Ryan Rademacher of the Walsh Bishop design firm to create a visually appealing entrance to West Broadway. The plan—to create a life-sized chessboard, mosaic, and flora—will be completed this August. Juxtaposition also plans to release a documentary film titled Speak Your Mind, featuring interviews with people waiting for the bus along the street. By asking people to describe what they want to see in their community, citizens are receiving a rare chance to participate in civic engagement.

Youth that grow up learning about art and the neighborhood from Juxtaposition have a chance to teach their peers as they age. “We don’t just teach kids how to make art, but we also teach them how to make a living making art,” Cummings says. For example, Juxtaposition makes it a point to hire former students to wield their creative skills on artwork the organization is commissioned to produce.

Today, bright banners of kids’ artwork adorn lampposts between Dupont and Freemont Avenues. The broken down buildings in the neighborhood now have colorful pieces of public art. Other spaces, which were once empty shells, begin to fill with nonprofit organizations like The Cookie Cart: Cookies for a Cause. Instead of city planners drawing grand plans to re-develop North Minneapolis through investment in big-box business, Juxtaposition wants the community to express themselves through art and make it a place worth living. “It’s the inside-out approach,” Cummings says.

For more information about Juxtaposition Arts, visit or call (612) 588-1148.

There are a lot of questions and distractions when two lovers star in a movie together. Interest in the actual plot is often discarded, replaced instead by an insatiable curiosity over whether the leads can communicate their private chemistry to public audiences, and whether these tensions will float the ship—or sink it.

Matthew Barney, the writer and director of Drawing Restraint 9, probably meant to inspire deeper interpretations amongst his audience than just a display of romance with his longtime off-screen partner Björk. The man responsible for the sprawling, nightmarishly surreal Cremaster Cycle film series never did have a flair for Hollywood frivolity.

Still, the pair’s attraction is obvious, giving viewers the feeling they’ve stumbled upon a broadcasted courting ritual. The film itself is exactly how you would picture copulation between Barney and Björk to be—totally bizarre, mildly terrifying, admittedly erotic and narrated by the construction and collapse of a large-scale sculpture of petroleum jelly.

Barney became fascinated with the aforementioned tower of lubricant while devising the script. The figure’s process of molding, solidifying and eventually drifting apart in glacial fashion serves as one of the film’s primary metaphors for the changes we experience as our lives entangle with others. Unfortunately, divulging the second metaphor would ruin the paralyzing awe of Drawing Restraint 9’s conclusion, so I’ll digress.

The story (yes, there is one…sort of) takes place upon the Nisshin Maru, a Japanese whaling vessel. Playing the film’s Occidental Guests, Barney and Björk board separately and are taken to their respective chambers to be elaborately groomed. He gets his Brawny Man beard shaved (and later loses most of his hair and both eyebrows to a drunk crewmember, in a welcome moment of hilarity), while she gets naked in a bathtub filled with oranges.

Both are then outfitted in massive fur kimonos and bizarre headdresses, and brought to a tiny tea room for a Shinto-like marriage ceremony conducted by an elder Japanese man. The process takes about two hours, and the only snippet of dialogue is the ceremony leader’s explanation of the ship’s history.

Once the ritual concludes, a vicious storm rocks the Nisshin Maru and the Guests are left alone in the flooding tea room to succumb to their sexual desires, which, among other things, involves cutting away at each other’s limbs. Yes, it’s gratuitous—but the act is also necessary to represent the duo’s animalistic progression.

Overall, Barney’s film is as gently meticulous as his union with Björk: attempting to stress both the perfection and frustration in their delicacy. By contrasting the order and obedience of marriage with the forbidden pleasures of sex, he also proves that once the safety of our structures are removed, the unpredictability of emotions will always hold sway.

Take that, Brangelina.

The bands that have emerged from Montreal obscurity in the past few years have damn near created their own genre. The Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade, Belle Orchestre, The Lovely Feathers— and they all to possess a sound that is consistently big and always building.. Though somewhat thieved from the Byrnes and Bowies before them, the sound is still undeniably epic in that chase – after – your – estranged – lover – in – an – airport – before – they – board – a – plane sort of way.

Sunset Rubdown (arguably the frontrunner for best band name), is just one in the kaleidoscope of projects helmed by Spencer Krug. Providing vocals and instrumentation for aforementioned indie darlings Wolf Parade, the darker, more frantic Frog Eyes, Krug is the unlikely pioneer of this musical coup.

Shut Up I Am Dreaming, Sunset Rubdown’s second full-length album from Absolutely Kosher Records, sounds just as gigantic as its predecessors. But what sets it apart are the tinges of vulnerability beneath an overwhelmingly powerful sound, like an unabashed admittance of fear before a big leap.

Krug’s smoldering howl fit only for numbing, full-bodied lyrics, like “I am a creature/and I am survivin’/and I want to be alone/but I want your body/Oh baby, mother me before you eat me”. When they’re sandwiched between his band’s plunking cabaret piano, haunted house guitars and earthshaking drum beats, hearts will sink.

“Stadiums and Shrines II” and “Shut Up I Am Dreaming Of A Place Where Lovers Have Wings,” are the disc’s arresting bookends, and also its best tracks. “There’s a kid in there, and he’s big, and dumb, and he’s kinda scared,” Krug cries, reminding us that the oh-god-they’re-about-to-get-married-to-the-wrong-person-I-have-to-stop-the-wedding kind of love will always be terrifying, and, much like “Shut Up I Am Dreaming”, will always make our palms sweat and pulses pound.

After months spent hibernating inside, isn’t it time to get out? Summertime in
Minneapolis brings with it innumerable events and activities—truly, something
for everyone, if only you know where to look. Luckily for you, we’ve done the
work, so get the lowdown with our calendar.

Thu, June 8
Boy Least Likely To w/ Bicycles @ Varsity Theater

Sat, June 10
Brother and Sister scavenger hunt show

Thu, June 15
Dykes Do Drag @ Bryant-Lake Bowl

Sat, June 17-18
Stone Arch Festival of the Arts @ Stone Arch Bridge

Sun, June 18
Battle of the Underage Underground @ First Avenue

Thu, June 22
Enemy Entropist @ The Dinkytowner

Fri, June 23
Fiery Furnaces w/ We Are Scientists @ First Avenue

Sun, June 25
Lake Street Music Fest

Thu, June 29-July 2
Women in Hip Hop Summit @ Intermedia Arts

Tue, July 4
10 Second Film Festival @ The Soap Factory

Fri, July 7
Four McKnight Artists Exhibition @ Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Sun, July 9
Panic! at the Disco w/ Dresden Dolls @ Myth Nightclub

Wed, July 12
Ramsey County Fair in Maplewood

Announcement
The Solstice Film Festival will begin June 21st and continue through June
25th in Downtown St Paul. Over 50 films from around the world will be
screened. Check out for full details. For
information on how to win tickets, please contact

By now you’ve probably heard the name, now it’s time to face the music. Only a completely nonsensical moniker like Gnarls Barkley could be responsible for the scatterbrained perfection that is St. Elsewhere (Downtown/Atlantic). Is it hip-hop? Gospel? Funk? Doesn’t matter—classify it simply as your next party record.

Gnarls Barkley is the pet project of the oft muumuu-clad, Goodie Mob crooner Cee-Lo Green, and wunderkind DJ Danger Mouse. The unlikely duo make music like a manic preacher praising heaven’s bad-ass beats. Nearly three years in the making, St. Elsewhere is a well-tuned catastrophe, sprinkled with schizophrenic confections that tackle feng shui, necrophilia and the Violent Femmes.

The disc’s opener, “Go-Go Gadget Gospel,” leaps from the speakers like a church ballad on speed, swelling, swirling and threatening to tear down the roof and incur God’s wrath. Cee-Lo’s over-the-top lyrics such as, “Shapeless, formless, heart is enormous/I’m free, look at me/freedom in hi-fidelity!” only add to the massive sound’s weight.

Then it stops, suddenly, as most of St. Elsewhere’s songs do, and slides into “Crazy,” an infectious old-school-meets-new-school smash hit. “You think you’re in control?/I think you’re crazy/Does that make me crazy?/Probably,” Cee-Lo howls indecisively, as Burton reinforces the theme of glamorous insanity with his wildly unpredictable tempos and textures.

Balancing guilty pop perfection with surprisingly smart song construction, the album clocks in and out just long enough to both get the party started and keep it going without overstaying its welcome. When Cee-Lo demands “Come rock with me baby/dance with me darlin’/step with me sweetheart/the world is watching,” you’ll gladly obey.