Photo by Adam Hansen

13 Songs by Local Artists to Pay Attention to

By Diane Miller
Music Editor

1. Inside Out Strings - Hard to be Around
Inside Out Strings takes acoustic instruments and beats them up in song. Here is Nate Pitcher at his very best, as he allows himself to shout into a microphone on an upbeat, pleasing melody that you can bang your head to.

2. Shane Maland and Little Winter – Number 19
The combination of Shane Maland and Little Winter goes together like bread and butter. Their music is incredibly refreshing to the scene – they don’t rely on loud, fast paced tunes to carry their audience. Instead they are hailed for their slow developing, fabulously crafted works of songwriting art that are oh so gorgeous and singable.

3. Dark Dark Dark – Celebrate
This Minneapolis band holds my favorite song on the list. Starting off with a girl on her accordion playing in ¾ time, “Celebrate” captures French/Italian sounding music with a hip lead singer whose voice can drop your jaw.

4. 4onthefloor – Bricklayer
“Bricklayer” is about as bold as a song can sound. Think of a movie scene with an actor in the front of the screen about to raise hell…here is an ideal song for the situation. Gabe Douglas is a bad*ss.

5.O’fosho – Floatta Funk
Floatta Funk is both fun and funky at the same time. Filled with sweet guitar and bass lines, the climax of the song is when Matt Johnson scats along with the main guitar line on “da da doo doo bah do doo doo doo doo.”

6. Dead Man Winter – Golden
Master songwriter Dave Simonett carries his skills over to a new dimension that is not too far from his staple. “Golden” is a concrete alternative country song with twang, fiddle playing, Merle Haggard sounding guitar solos and all.

7. Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps – Tying My Shoes
Word is Miss Caroline Smith is the hipster queen of Minneapolis. With her lovely Joanna Newsom inspired voice, “Tying My Shoes” offers a progressive melody that is both emotional and playful.

8. Johnson Family Band – Love and Gravy
This minor tune is major hit. Electrifying and in your face, “Love and Gravy’s”’s fast paced instrumentation and gritty singing in the style of traditional, old time music will make you want to stomp your feet and dance all night long.

9. Amanda Standalone and the Pastry Shop Girls – Millions of Blackbirds
Multi-talented folk artist – aka Amanda Standalone – creates a mystifying and beautiful opening track to her LP “Millions of Blackbirds.” Amanda and her Pastry Shop Girls sing chilling harmonies on a slow moving folk tune.

10. Pert’ Near Sandstone – Paradise Hop
Kevin Kneibel is easily my favorite bluegrass vocalist in the Midwest. His voice is strong and has loads of character that is super fitting to old timey music. This track has got Kneibal hollering out his lungs on an unforgettable melody.

11. The Fillers – Chugga
You can’t make a local music list without including the Fillers. The Fillers are about as inviting as band as you could possibly get; it is no wonder they are so popular in this town. “Chugga” is the happiest song on the planet with its catchy, upbeat, soulful sound. Oh, and Joey Kuntz is a monster of a singer.

12. Brother Ali - Truth Is
You know those people who use the phrase “I’m too white?” Well for a dude who is pure albino, Brother Ali sure is good at challenging that argument. B. Ali is like wild animal with his lyrical flow; you can’t contain his phenomenal talent for spitting rhymes on a phat beat!

13. Tiny Moving Parts – For the Sake of Brevity
Yelling and screaming in a fit of anger is much healthier through music, especially with a loyal crowd of followers sharing your passion with you. Contrary to heavy metal bands that yell and scream to sound scary and intimidating, Dylan Mattheisen of Tiny Moving parts is just a young, wholesome looking boy who is screaming for emotional reasons. He’s really good at it, too.

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