Gaynging up Take a weird mashup of local musicians, give them 10cc's 1975 ethereal-schmaltz hit "I'm Not in Love" as a reference point, and what do you get? We'll find out in May, when the all-star project Gayngs debuts with an album on Jagjaguwar Records and two prom-themed parties May 14 at First Avenue. The record is the brainchild of Digitata/Mel Gibson & the Pants sonic maestro Ryan Olson, who started working on it with Solid Gold's Zach Coulter and Adam Hurlburt. "It was the kind of thing where Zach, Adam and I finished the first song, and I said, 'We gotta get [Happy Apple's] Mike Lewis on this,' and then, 'We gotta get the Megafaun guys to do that,' and on and on," Olson recounted. Others recruits include old Eau Claire bud Justin Vernon (aka Bon Iver), rappers P.O.S. and Dessa, Digitata bandmate Maggie Morrison, her Lookbook partner Grant Cutler and Channy Moon- Casselle of Roma di Luna. As for the 10cc reference, Olson said it's sincere, and there's even a broader '70s cheese-plate influence on the record: "There were about six months where every morning I was waking up to [Twin Cities romance station] Love 105 FM, and I think that deeply seeped into my brain as I fell back to sleep." This thing gets more intriguing by the minute.

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

Via Duluth "We're from here now. We've got the documentation to prove it." Jeff Tweedy wasn't kidding when he made that declaration six songs into another ridiculously fun Duluth concert by his band Wilco last weekend. Before the 2¼-hour DECC show, the city's young mayor, Don Ness (who's 36 but looks 19), gave the Chicago kingpins a proclamation backstage declaring them Duluth citizens. "This teenager came up to us and said he was mayor," Tweedy told the audience, holding up a pleather-bound document. "We think it's legit." He proceeded to hold up the fancy proclamation about 50 times during the show whenever he wanted cheap applause. It worked every time.

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

'60 Minutes' man I.W. admits to being starstruck during a chance encounter with über journo Steve Kroft on Monday night at Manny's Steakhouse in Minneapolis. The globetrotting "60 Minutes" correspondent was in town on a whirlwind reporting trip. Kroft, who graciously greeted fans while dining in the clubby bar, was so erudite and charming that an hour passed by like a minute.

MARCI SCHMITT

Direct from Rock Island It's a good week for fans of Jeremy Messersmith. Along with playing Friday's Electric Fetus tornado benefit, Messersmith has released tracks recorded by the folks at Daytrotter.com in Rock Island, Ill. Sean Moeller, a writer for the music site, noted that Messersmith and his wife, Vanessa, appeared very much in love as he laid down intimate versions of several tracks, including "Franklin Avenue." In his "Almost Twitter Length Novel" about the session, Messersmith reflected, "The thought labeled 'redo' popped up, but I put it aside and embraced the cold coming through my fingers." Visitors to the site can download the tracks for free.

REBECCA LANG

Off and on Onstage, Rickie Lee Jones operates without a net. At the Fitzgerald Monday, she figured fans were wondering why she came back so soon after playing here in May. "'Cause I'm broke," she said without irony. Musically, she struggled all night. "I'm off tonight," she admitted a few songs in. "So we're going to explore the off-ness of Rickie." For 115 minutes she did, playing a trio gig almost as if it were a rehearsal. Then, on an unplanned encore demanded by fans after the house lights had gone on, Jones finally seemed on, with a solo, acoustic-guitar rendition of "Danny's All-Star Joint."

JON BREAM

Talent to burn If you smell smoke while watching Sunday's episode of ABC's "Brothers & Sisters," don't be alarmed. It's only because the script was written in front of a fireplace in a Prior Lake log cabin. Burnsville native Marc Halsey, a graduate of the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA program, penned the episode, "Leap of Faith," during a two-week vacation back in the Twin Cities. Halsey has been a writers' assistant for the show since April 2008 and finally got a chance to get his own work on the air. "They felt like it was time," he said. Halsey had hoped to write using a new-fangled invention called electricity, but his father had recently installed thermal heating -- and that led to the power being out for much of his trip. "I'd write 10 pages, then put a log on the fire," Halsey said.

NEAL JUSTIN