After making a meaningful appearance at the Current's fifth anniversary party last month at First Avenue, Prince is giving the Twin Cities public radio station (89.3 FM) first crack at a new song called "Cause and Effect." The track -- described as "a rocker filled with virtuosic guitar work, explosive drum breaks, a poppy chorus, trademark shrieks and whoops" -- will debut Friday at the very un-Princely time of 7 a.m. and continue airing throughout the day.

It's one of a batch of new tracks the singer has been recording at his Paisley Park Studio in Chanhassen and will issue via his $77 annual subscription service at www.LotusFlow3r.com. The last time Prince gave a radio station an exclusive premiere, it was to prominent Los Angeles station Indie 103.1.

"After several years of living in L.A., it seems clear that Prince wants us to know that he's back" in Minnesota, said the Current's program director Jim McGuinn.

We at least know the singer was not in Dublin on Tuesday, where he was expected to appear in court as a defendant in a $2.5 million lawsuit over his cancellation of a 2008 concert. Lawyers for the co-defendant William Morris Agency gave no explanation of Prince's absence, but they denied wrongdoing and said the singer would provide a written statement, the Irish Times reported.

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER