Our new monthly playlist can be streamed via Spotify, or we also posted the tunes individually below.
‘Big Boobs,’ Gully Boys featuring Zora
One of the Twin Cities’ best rock bands of the day put out one of the best albums of the year (self-titled). Amid all its melodic thrashers, this quirky and fun rap-rock nugget stands out thanks to Zora’s gender-flipping verses and a heavy beat funky enough to have spawned its own synched-up dance routine online.
‘County Line,’ Chrissie Hynde and Alan Sparhawk
The Pretenders’ frontwoman repeatedly professed her love for Low, so it’s no surprise to have the influential Duluth indie-rock trio’s surviving co-leader singing on her new duets album (“Duets Special”). What is surprising is how dark, smoky and haunting their take is on this Cass McCombs tune, like it’s a Nick Cave-penned epic country ballad.
‘Lemon Garland,’ Runo Plum
A budding Minneapolis singer/songwriter who took to home-recording in her mid-teens during the pandemic, she takes on a gorgeously swirling, sun-dazed sound on this ode to summery sweetness, like Phoebe Bridgers channeling Mazzy Star. It’s from her debut album, “Patching,” due Nov. 14 via the Los Angeles label Winspear.
‘Dreams Go,’ Poliça
The title track, final track and best track on what’s rumored to be the Minneapolis throb-rock band’s last album soars like a grand-finale triumphal march, with singer Channy Leaneagh sounding Rihanna-like strutting her way around a hand-waving groove.
‘Bucket List,’ Atlantis Quartet
A sly little guitar lick from guitarist Zacc Harris jump-starts the rhythm section of Chris Bates and Pete Hennig into a nervously energetic groove, greenlighting saxophonist Brandon Wozniak to go wild alongside Harris on this highlight from the stalwart jazz group’s new “Live at Berlin” album for Shifting Paradigm Records.
‘Hey There’s My Girl,’ Your Smith
If you know the story about the artist doubly known as Caroline Smith returning home to Minnesota from Los Angeles and settling into main-street life in Stillwater, you’ll know exactly who she’s saying hello to in this feel-good single from her comeback album “The Rub,” which she’s touting with a release party Dec. 11 at First Avenue.
‘Divide and Conquer,’ Hüsker Dü
Captured nine months before the song was released on record, this paranoid rager from the “Flip Your Wig” album highlights the manic, almost brutal live energy the legendary punk trio brought to First Ave in January 1985, a live recording that makes up half of the new box set, “The Miracle Year,” out next week.
