Miloe already came out with the song of the summer  — maybe it's time for the song of the winter? Not quite. The band's new single, "Everything (That Should Go)," is as melancholic as they've ever gotten, but it almost might be the most purely beautiful. It's also fitting that Bob Kabeya's face is so prominently on the cover. The line between Miloe as a whole and just Bob is blurry, nearly indistinguishable, a photograph viewed through rain-drenched glasses. Kabeya lilts an effortless couple of self-aware verses before sweeping into his best chorus yet. A subdued drum beat, muted bass, and gorgeous piano are all the accompaniment needed. Kabeya's easy-going vocal melodies stick around well after the track has ended, like soon-to-be good friends. I can't confirm this, but some of the vocal samples in the back of mix sound very Normal Parents-ish (Miloe's been in the studio with Caleb, so just maybe?). The pristine production lends itself...

Hallucitania - Pre-School Post-Post-Its  (Underground Pine Studios) Hallucitania continue to make some of the strangest music in the Twin Cities. It's not quite folk (I mean, there is a violin), it's not quite punk. Even still, it doesn't toe the line quite perfectly enough to be neatly labeled as "folk-punk." Some songs on their new EP emphasize one side over the other but they never leave the other behind. The punk side comes off a little stronger.  Pre-School Post-Post-Its  is only one minute longer than 2018's EP  but has nearly double the tracks; only one song outlasts the three minute mark ("I'm Singing") and ironically it's the most aggressive. Griffin Thiel shreds his lungs with even more of the tongue-in-cheek lyrics one expects from Hallucitania before sinking into a violin outro. The mournful strings are an anchor, dragging the band to the bottom of the nearest of 11, 842 lakes. The other shorter songs alternate between guit...

Dom Winterbauer - Crash (self-released) Sometimes it feels like the Minneapolis scene consists of ten people playing in two dozen bands with different lineups. At least that's the feeling I get from Dom Winterbauer's second solo record. The Minneapolis polymath released two albums this year under their own name, in addition to playing bass in Miloe  and The Argument (who just released their own full-length). Both solo albums have stretched into Real Estate-esque dreaminess. Crash  condenses the Winterbauer's sonic styling into a more focused release (debut Blue Fish  was almost twice as long). Each moment luxuriates it its cloudy textures and looseness. Slowly is the fastest way to find direction. There's hardly any differentiation from song to song, creating a consistent river of wistful and hazy pop. With only a few exceptions, Winterbauer played every instrument, wrote every song, sings (almost) every vocal, and recorded/mastered the entire album.  Live ba...

In lieu of a traditional Local Music Round-Up, I'm going to focus on Miloe's latest single, "Space and Time." I loved the band's self-titled EP when I discovered it last August . I heard the track as a part of the Current's Single of the Day series and (since I suck) I am just now getting to writing about it. The song came out on September 21, 2018. At its core, "Space and Time" is an ode to staying grounded. Over lilting guitar chords, Bobby Kabeya sings of being overwhelmed by emotion. Each youthful sentiment has the ability to carry you away into a golden sea of memories. Even with the patient and endearing chorus of "I don't mind/No, I don't mind/Taking my time and waiting on you," Kabeya calls for openness. There is no natural sin to acknowledging feelings, but it's dangerous to sink in. The storm of teenage emotion has the power to become one's identity. If you spend too much time embedded within it, you will neve...

Back for week number two! Consistency is my only personal goal - so far, so good! Otherwise, here's another crop of awesome local musical from the last few months.  Miloe - Miloe  EP Miloe is the extremely chill indie pop project of Bob Kabeya, and this is his debut EP. Described as "sad boi music for all your events and occasions," it is a hypnotizing, translucent collection of tracks. Most of the songs are built on simple guitar and synth loops, but there is intense beauty in the minutiae. Kabeya's light tenor is like a sunshower on a summer day. I can't wait to hear more from Miloe in the future.  Scrunchies - Stunner Scrunchies is a supergroup, plain and simple. Featuring members of Kitten Forever, Double Grave, and Tony Peachka, the band is a self-contained wildfire of punk energy. Songs like "Stunner" and "Wichita" evoke the classic riot grrrl sound without falling into any tropes. Stunner  is music that dema...