(Cover art by Sim Morales ) GET TUFF is ending this hell year on a high note. After releasing one of 2020's best EPs with their band The Weak Days , RB Roe has released a fourth and final single in advance of their debut record. "over it" adds another dimension to GET TUFF, prepping everyone for the head-spin that their full-length is going to be. In a word, "over it" is hypnotizing. Roe builds the entire song on a cyclical synth melody; it spirals infinitely, beckoning you with its siren call. It perfectly soundtracks the experience of watching your ceiling fan spin over and over at 3 am, unable to fall into sleep's embrace. Roe plays with time in a way that matches the repetitive heartbreak they're singing about. GET TUFF's songs operate within the extremely loose concept of "bedroom pop," but "over it" leans into it wholeheartedly. This time, the drama is internal. The dusky vibe is established even before sleepyhead shows u...

As you will soon realize, none of the bands written about here are from Minnesota. As we've grown more connected to the nationwide network of bands that Twitter refers to as "DIY," we've found a lot of music that we love. It sucked that we couldn't cover it (as per our own self-imposed limitations). So we decided to change it. This weekly column, the National Anthem, will be one of the primary places we explore releases from all-across the United States (and sometimes even Canada). Don't fret, our hearts (metaphorically and literally) are still in the Twin Cities. We hope that you can find a new band that you love from this. Interlay - "Spine" (self-released)   Our first venture into the great unknown outside of Minnesota doesn't take us very far. Interlay is a Madison, WI quartet making gothic shoegaze that feels as wide as the night sky. "Spine" is our first taste from a forthcoming EP, a follow-up to 2018's all-too-brief Ritual ...