Prince - New Song RNR Affair

If you have been paying attention, you may recall that we have been looking at Minneapolis area artists that have impacted Scruffy's musical world. You didn't think we'd skip Prince, did you?

Prince recently allowed us mortals to hear a fine new song, RNR Affair, which seems to hearken back to the pop sound of the 80's. Who knows if there's a new album coming soon or if it will even be commercially released. Prince has increasingly veered way from the mainstream, doing everything in his own idiosyncratic way. The guy has shut down his website, and he appears to sic lawyers and WebSheriff on Youtube or individuals who use his image or likeness or music in any way. In this age of pieces of us all drifting across the Interwebz, the man is trying to take them all back. Guess he won't be hooking up on FaceBook or Twitter soon.

His last album was given away with copies of newspapers in the UK and Europe. In 2010, Prince said told the Daily Mirror that the "Internet's completely over. I don't see why I should give my new music to iTunes or anyone else. They won't pay me an advance for it and then they get angry when they can't get it... Anyway, all these computers and digital gadgets are no good. They just fill your head with numbers and that can't be good for you." Listen quick, the songs below might not be available for long (if RNR Affair is not available below you can try here).





Does anyone out there not know that Prince is one of the best guitarists ever hatched? Listen and watch, he steps up at about 3:26 of this video and blows every other fish out of the water. He even makes his axe disappear at the end. A true magician with a six-string.



An interesting cover of Prince's Sign o the Times by Muse.



Photo at top of blog by Getty Images

Comments are welcome below.

The Jayhawks - A Quick Appreciation

A while back I started noting a few Minneapolis-area artists that have turned Scruffy's crank, and It's finally time to get back to it (the oft-valuable Fuel for Friends blog reminded me with an awesome Minneapolis Mixtape). So we come to The Jayhawks. Suffice it to say, these guys were probably my introduction to what soon became known as alt country. In fact, I'd say they also sparked a re-introduction to country period, as I had forgotten how great folks like Johnny Cash were. But more importantly, I'm not sure I would have been as open to the greatness of The Long Ryders, Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, Wilco, Steve Earle, Dwight Yoakam, or more traditional artists such as Allison Krauss, Marty Stuart or Patty Loveless.

My oldest son decries what he calls "Hipster Country", but I haven't even played him The Jayhawks yet. The thing is, there ain't too much hipster in this band, unless you think influences like the Byrds or Bob Dylan or Neil Young are hipster-oriented. Not that the 'Hawks really ape those artists, but there's nothing wrong with stellar harmonies, the right feel as opposed to auto-tuned fakery, an emphasis on well-wrought lyrics, finely crafted melodies, and some sweet guitar that might be reverb-drenched, could be honeyed acoustic, or possibly launch into wailing Neil Y teritory.

The band's been around so long now the members have splintered and come back together and they sound as good as ever. She Walks in So Many Ways comes from 2011's Mockingbird Time, the get-back-together record, and it's really grown on me.





The Jayhawks' website has a lot of tunes from over the years for you to stream if you want to hear more, and 2009's Music From the North Country is also a good introduction.










Clifton Bridge from The Jayhawks on Vimeo.


Comments welcome below.

Soul Asylum - Gravity and Delayed Reaction

After hitting The Mats and Bob Mould, I figured it was time to check in on another of Minneapolis's finest, Soul Asylum. Out of all the Minne greats, this band got me early. You know why? Because they played my town, even if they had to play in crappy little bars. They were always exciting live, and when screaming girls threatened to drown Dave Pirner out years later, I was at the back of the Playhouse with a big smile on my face. I still love Made to be Broken and Hang Time.

But hey, did you know the band's been around for more than 30 years now? Were you aware they have a new album called Delayed Reaction? I wasn't. Here's the first single, Gravity. Sounds like Soul Asylum to me, a hooky rocker by a band that thankfully hasn't succumbed to incorporating elements of electronica, overused auto-tune, or tried to sound anything like Maroon 5 or whoever the big "rock" sales kings are these days.






Here's a live version of a Suicide Commandos song, Attacking the Beat; there's a studio version that you can download by signing up for the band's mailing list. More mp3s are available from the Soul Asylum Audio page, use the Password "Twin Tone" (no quotes) - I know, you would have known the answer anyhow, right? There are outtakes from way back when, not all the links work, but try a few out.




A Soul Asylum cover for ya:


What Minnneapolis artist/band will I post about next?

Bob Mould - The Descent

Bob Mould has released The Descent from his upcoming album Silver age (out September 4 on Merge Records). You can buy The Descent here. It is without a doubt one of my favourite tunes he has put out in a long, long while. I do not know if playing all of those Sugar songs on tour has
brought him back to the straightforward hooky rock he excels at, but I will take it anyway it comes.

The Replacements - Pleased To Meet Me

Hoo boy. A while back (almost a month!) The Replacements' Pleased To Meet Me turned 25, and I meant to post about it, but Timothy Bracy And Elizabeth Bracy did such a good job of it here it seemed unnecessary. However, I wanted to post all of the songs without making you open new links, and I really wanted to do something because the album still seems to be in the shadow of Let it Be. I think this one is just as good or even the band's best, but maybe that's just because Let It Be is so revered it almost over-hyped for me. Is Let it Be so much better? No, it's possible people love the cover, the title, the fact it didn't come out on a major label, the time it came out, and so on. For me, Pleased to Meet Me is the bee's knees. Alex Chilton? Skyway? Can't Hardly Wait? Vslentine? I defy
anyone to proclaim any 'Mats album has 4 greater songs.





Note - the tune below is not the exact one on the album - I couldn't find it online for you, this is a
demo version, but it still shows how good the song is.





Wanna disagree with Scruffy?! Leave a darn comment!