(Photo by Lisa Persson ) It hasn't been too long since we've heard from Lucid VanGuard , the project of Minneapolis' Karl Remus. Last fall, he put out Golden Eye Empyrean , an EP of sepia-drenched pop songs; on new single "Snow White," melancholy rules over every note. While Lucid VanGuard has primarily been a solo project, "Snow White" hones in on sparse sounds and loneliness. Acoustic plucks and windswept lap steel welcome you into the song's world. Overwhelming emptiness draws new focus to Remus' pleading vocals, augmented only by harmonies from Bailey Cogan of 26 BATS! There is inescapable beauty in the somberness. "Snow White" ebbs and flows with Remus' instrumentation, never overwhelming the simple sentiments at its core. Listen to and/or buy "Snow White" below. Snow White by Lucid VanGuard

Cover art by Noah Lawrence-Holder It's been a minute since we've heard from Smellkin Ernesto . The songwriter last released music back in early 2019 with his EP, Cambios . The release featured lyrics in both English and Spanish, which were blended together as Ernesto reckoned with his identity as a Colombian adoptee in Minnesota. Earlier this month, he released "Solo Dimelo" and followed it up with a new track "How Much Longer," released on March 15.  In a forthcoming interview on the Ear Coffee Podcast, Ernesto said that the single was written in response to the events of the last year. "How Much Longer" is a sobering track to listen through - he smoothly delivers line after line detailing the frustration and resentment built up by generations of oppression. The message is underscored by his blend of lofi soft rock and soul to create an eerie dichotomy between rage and exasperation.  Without sounding too cliché, Smellkin Ernesto is an artist that ...

Long-running Twin Cities pop punk band the 99ers has nothing to prove at this point. They've existed in some capacity for over 10 years. Yet they've consistently released new music (an album if not at least a single every few years) throughout that entire period. They're continuing on strong with latest single "Kissing Johnny Ramone." Upon first listen, I was overwhelmed by how well the quartet captures the snot-nosed 70s sound embodied by the titular Ramone. There aren't any frills, but that's because "Kissing Johnny Ramone" doesn't need any. It's satisfying to hear something so straightforward and sweet every once and a while. The mix sounds like it was ripped directly from the soundboard in some dinky dive bar; the lived-in buzz adds a gritty layer of authenticity. Bands like the 99ers prove something in their constancy: the most important reason to play music is because you love doing it. There is joy to be found in making music in a...

  (Cover art by Noah Topliff) It's been about a year since we've heard from Dad Bod in a full-band capacity. The waning days of winter 2020 saw the release of "Spirits," the band's second single, and the final shows any of us would play or attend for the foreseeable future. Fortunately, the band managed to have a productive summer — July saw the release of Precursor , a stripped-back EP of songs reconstructed by Callie Marino and Wilson Zellar. The EP combined songs familiar from Dad Bod's live set and newer material. One of those new songs was opener "4/9." Eight months later, we're finally hearing that song in its new, fleshed-out form. Dad Bod is leaning wholeheartedly into their holy melancholy on "4/9." The sonic differences are what will likely first catch your ear, but the similarities are where the band shines. Rather than be completely reinvented, the spectral beauty of the original is filtered through a prism; it is transform...

Late last year, Minneapolis songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Eve Speers released their debut EP as EVV , Homebody . At a brisk nine minutes in length, it left listeners wanting more while still providing three great songs. Today, we're premiering the video for lead single and standout track "Dead to Me." One of the most immediately striking things about the video is the colorful, hazing lighting. Speers said, "My inspiration was to incorporate this idea of anger and sadness that we feel within our relationships, typically romantic ones. I wanted to mix the colors, showing the phases we can experience. The video was shot by Emily Schoonover, and Speers edited and put it together. Watch the "Dead to Me" video below. Listen to Homebody here .