Music

​Finger pickin’ good

May 2nd, 2018

John Andrus BAND President

When musician and Bluegrass Association of North Dakota (BAND) President John Andrus checks out live music in the local bars throughout the state he’s happy to see that the spirit of bluegrass music lives on through multiple generations. 

“I’m amazed how many of the people there are musicians checking stuff out," Andrus said. "Young people wanting to check out the music or something like it. It’s not necessarily straight bluegrass, but some of them have music of their own but…

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​New Brandi Carlile album forgives and you won’t forget

April 25th, 2018

Brandi Carlile - photograph by Cindy NicholsBy Cindy Nichols
cindy.nichols@ndsu.edu

I find myself almost weepy with appreciation, these days, for any small reprieve I can find from chronic sickness-at-heart; any small mercy that either helps me to forget about 45 for an hour, or actually wakes me up again to how many amazingly good people live in this country. Seattle-area vocalist Brandi Carlile is one of those kindnesses, a kind of tonic for the times, along with her sixth and newest album, By the Way, I Forgive You.

I was able…

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​Viva la vinyl!

April 18th, 2018

Record Store Day is all about music artists and fans celebrating “the culture of the independently owned record store.” A variety of unique and special releases are pressed for Record Store Day and those are only distributed to participating stores. At this moment, Fargo-Moorhead record shops couldn’t be more excited for this event. Vinyl Giant, Orange Records, Mother’s and Phat Kat Antiques & Vintage Vinyl are participating in Record Store Day and stock up all the special lists…

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​This is what happens when you find a “Stranger in the Alps”

April 18th, 2018

Phoebe Bridgers - photograph by FrankOckenfelsPhoebe Bridgers is a force. Her debut album “Stranger in the Alps” is soft, but mighty, it’s honest and it’s personal, her voice haunting, and lyrically her liner notes read like a journal. She provides insight to her fears, often alluding to drowning which she cites as her biggest fear. She sings about relationships and addresses her own depression and describes experiences that are all too relatable. Her sound is Elliott Smith meets Saint Vincent, collaborator, friend and…

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​A very grand finale for the 2017-2018 season

April 11th, 2018

This uncharacteristically cold and snowy April signals the close of another exciting season of the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra’s Sanford “Masterworks” series with “A Very Grand Finale." This concert promises to be a romantic and bombastic farewell to the orchestra’s audience for the season.

First of all, the evening will begin with the live world premiere of a piece commissioned by the FM Symphony Orchestra for Dr. Dan Breedon, the professor of composition at Concordia…

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​Go big or go home: Margo Price

April 11th, 2018

Margo Price - photograph by Sabrina HornungIt would be fair to say that Margo Price is an all-American girl. She’s a mother, a midwest farmer’s daughter, and a self-made musician who has built her musical career from the ground up. In fact she and her husband pawned their car and her wedding ring in order to record her 2016 debut “Midwest Farmer’s Daughter,” which was also the first country album to be released by Third Man Records.

In fact it’s the very stuff that good country songs are made of.

“It was my…

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​“It’s cold but things grow”: Boreal Gardens

April 4th, 2018

Art by Richard LoewenWhen asked how they would describe their sound the Bismarck-based seven-piece Americana band, Boreal Gardens, replied, “We have many different influences, but we can try to describe our sound as Elvis Costello meets the Rolling Stones.” Add a horn section and some airy yet soulful vocals and you’ll have the diverse sound that reflects the band’s folk, rock and soul influences.

HPR had the opportunity to correspond with Boreal Gardens collectively via email.

High Plains Reader: …

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​Pulling the emotion out

March 28th, 2018

Lord BuffaloBy Octavio Gomez and Sabrina Hornung
octavio@hpr1.com, sabrina@hpr1.com

There’s a certain level of intensity, maybe even urgency, behind the sound of the Austin-based mud folk band Lord Buffalo. Their atmospheric sound paints sonic soundscapes as stark as the desert landscapes they’re inspired by. It only makes sense that they would catch the ear of Austin filmmaker Keith Maitland and that their work would be featured on the soundtrack for his film “Tower.”

“Tower” made it’s…

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​MSUM sure plays a mean pinball

March 28th, 2018

It’s probably safe to say that most people have heard of The Who, one of those bands that, like The Beatles or The Rolling Stones, have left an indelible mark on musical and cultural history. With a career spanning over five decades, their music has found its way into television, film, and stage. And of course, if we’re talking about the stage, we can’t neglect to mention their concept album “Tommy.”

Since “Tommy” was unleashed on the world in 1968, the album has seen a lot…

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​“Sometimes nostalgic, sometimes sad, sometimes happy and excited about the future.”

March 28th, 2018

Moody River - photograph by Haney's PhotographyI was a bit taken back by drummer Corey Krueger’s heartfelt and honest response when I asked him how he feels when he listens to Big Bad World, the latest release from The Moody River Band which has been over six years in the making. Then again, perhaps I shouldn’t have been because even the press release for the show makes mention of exactly why this album has been not only emotionally trying for the band to release, but also why it has been hidden away from the public for so…

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