da_craw

DUDE! There's some great stuff out there. If they were my wristbands, and I didn't have to get up early to go to work, here's who I'd try to see:

Twin Cities Favorites/Local Legends:

Definitely do your best to see:

Haley Bonar: Sweet-voiced singer-songwriter from St. Paul. You'll love her.

Likely to be crowded, but probably worth it:

Mark Olson/Gary Louris: The heart of The Jayhawks original lineup, reunited after something like ten years. Slightly dour (seriously. They don't write happy songs), but their voices are beautiful together.

If you're into that kind of thing:

Grant Hart: 1/3 of the fabbo Husker Du lineup. I can't say I'm familiar with his solo work, but he had the most awesome mustache back in the day.

Doomtree/Brother Ali: They're at the same venue, and separated by quite a few acts--both hip-hop/rap. Brother Ali is AMAZING. I've seen him do his thing live at KFAI--and he's albino to boot.

Dosh: Undefinable electronica.

Folks I'd be totally stoked to see:

Ida Maria: Making a splash in the UK with "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked". Straight forward pop rock, interesting voice.

The Decemberists: Best vocabulary of any indie rock band out there. Occasionally twee, slightly precious, but AWESOME plots to their songs.

Von Bondies: Straight-up alt rock. Do you watch Rescue Me? They do the theme-- "C'mon, C'mon". Which was also featured in the Burnout PS2 racing games, I think.

Ladyhawke: Electronic pop out of New Zealand. I want to hear more of her.

Other folks I'd see if I were going out anyway:

Camera Obscura: Twee Scottish pop a la Belle and Sebastian. I love their album "Underachievers Please Try Harder", and not just for the title.

Echo and the Bunnymen: I have a longstanding semi-crush on Ian McCulloch. Are any of the other Bunnymen even with the band any more?

Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs: Holly did some vocals on a White Stripes record, and I dug it.

M Ward: Best known for his "She and Him" collaboration with Zooey Deschanel--but they're playing the hell out of his new solo single up here, and it's good. Slightly bluesy, pretty rock-y.

I think you have to see Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, if only for the name.