Local Music: 12 things to look forward to in 2012

Thanks a lot, Live Nation. You too, First Avenue.

The world's largest concert promotions company spoiled my year-out North Shore camping reservations with its announcement of a two-day festival June 23-24 on Harriet Island. Then the world's favorite Minneapolis rock club put the kibosh on my birthday-weekend plans by selecting July 20-21 for its inaugural outdoor festival. Clearly, they should have consulted me.

More clearly, it's going to be a busy year for Twin Cities music lovers. You really have to plan ahead and pay attention to be a music fan in this music-centric town nowadays.

1. Valentine's love at First Ave (Feb. 14-19). It should be quite the gush fest that week starting with the Poliça release party on Valentine's Day, same day the album is out. Roma di Luna singer Channy Leaneagh's new band already sold the club out, the first time a local band has done so with its first record's release party (not counting Poliça producer Ryan Olson's Gayngs shows). Then comes a first-ever local reunion by the biggest band to ever come out First Ave, Prince's Revolution, a Feb. 19 fundraiser for heart organizations following drummer Bobby Z's rebound from a heart attack last year.

2. Welcome to Minnesota Tour, Year 2 (Feb. 20-26). Atmosphere's first trek around the state last winter was groundbreaking, or at least ceiling-breaking (I personally saw light fixtures fall to the floor at the Mankato date, felled by the bass). This year's six-city run -- starting Feb. 20 in Mankato -- is an even greater showcase of up-and-coming Twin Cities hip-hop stars, with Kill the Vultures, Big Quarters and MaLLy filling the role that helped Prof break out last year.

3. South by Southwest du Nord (March). It seemed like half the Twin Cities music scene was in Austin, Texas, last year for the SXSW Music Conference, which returns March 14-17 and includes at least three brand spanking new Minnesota bands with ample hype behind them: Howler (signed to Rough Trade), Night Moves (signed to Domino) and Poliça. Those who can't afford the inflated hotel prices and/or sleep on the 4onthefloor's school bus in Austin can enjoy the pre- SXSW hoopla with the Are You Local? sendoff, returning March 2 to First Ave.

4. Trampled by Turtles album release (April 10). After selling more than 50,000 copies of their last disc and rising to the festival circuit last year, the acoustic quintet was as close as a mandolin string to signing a major-label deal. The guys ultimately opted to stay indie in 2012, but still have big plans for the album they recorded last fall at a cabin in northern Minnesota.

5. Record Store Day (April 21). The national music-geek shop-athon has really caught on locally, and I'm already hearing buzz about this year's. Hymie's plans to put on another street fair that day with two stages and 10 bands. Rhymesayers and Fifth Element are promising some limited-edition releases. And you can bet on many other in-store appearances at the other mainstay shops.

6. Soundset turns 5 (May 27). Word is there might be a surprise or two for the fifth anniversary of Rhymesayers' locally bred, nationally buzzed-about indie-rap fest, happening again outside Canterbury Park in Shakopee. It could be an especially strong year for the usual suspects, though, with Brother Ali and P.O.S. expected to drop albums toward midyear (see below), not to mention all the younger local hip-hop stars nipping at their sneaker heels.

7. P.O.S., Brother Ali, Motion City Soundtrack and Night Moves album releases (all tentatively late spring or summer). P.O.S.'s fourth disc was produced by his old Hopkins High pal Andrew Dawson, a Berklee-trained pianist who engineered Kanye West's last few albums. Ali primarily worked with turntablist Jake One on his fourth full-length, promising a change-up from his usual Ant productions. The Motion City crew is moving off Columbia Records and starting its own label to issue record No. 5, produced by local pal Ed Ackerson. And the young psychedelic groovers of Night Moves will finally see their "Colored Emotions" album get a proper release via buzz-maker U.K. label Domino.

8. Rock the Garden (June 16). Is this the year the Current and Walker finally book a hip-hop act for their outdoor bash? Is this the year the hipster-dressed crowd finally realizes rain gear is not uncool? Or the question fans really want answered: If this isn't the place Bon Iver is playing in town this year, then where?

9. Live Nation starts a festival (June 23-24). It's still unclear who or even what the concert mega-corporation has in mind for its first in a five-year commitment to produce a still-unnamed weekend bash on St. Paul's Harriet Island. Considering that Live Nation's other fests include Sasquatch and Reading, though, we can certainly get our hopes up. Another promising facet: St. Paul city staff said they stipulated a strong local flavor at the event.

10. First Ave starts a festival (July 20-21). Reportedly inspired by Chicago's Pitchfork Music Fest, the club will test its good name a half-mile away from home at the Parade Athletic Fields, a concert site in the '70s and '80s near the Sculpture Garden with a city skyline backdrop. No performers have been named yet, but you can truly say the writing is on the wall for what kind of lineup to expect.

11. Somerset resumes a festival (July 26-28). Despite meager attendance the first year, the reborn Somerset Amphitheater is promising more big names and even adding a third day to its second annual indie-rocky campout fest, SoundTown. That probably means even more local bands will be crossing the St. Croix River for something other than a Sunday beer run this year.

12. L.A. Nik opens his own venue (sometime in 2012). Minneapolis' answer to Paris Hilton, but with more brains and mascara, the gadfly nightlife ringleader and self-described "professional entertainment personality" has formed an LLC and is quite seriously seeking investors and locations. His manager (yep, he has one), Sam Koza, described it as "a multilateral venue that will serve various genres and arts at various hours of the day and night" in downtown Minneapolis.

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