Diverse radio for Minnesota’s communities
18 Unique Stations from Border to Border
18 Unique Stations from Border to Border
Heatbox is the alter ego of Aaron Heaton, a Minneapolis based vocal performer who mixes beatboxing and acapella with a number of looping effects to create rich and complex songs with a hip hop vibe. He talks to Will Moore about his process and lets his unique personality out.
Longtime Cook County musician Michael Monroe stops by the Scenic Route with host Will Moore. He talks about his ongoing Log Cabin Concert series, childhood memories inspiring songs about simple living, what he was up to in the Woodstock summer of 1969, and more.
Laura Sellner is a guitarist and songwriter, most notably performing as the lead singer for Duluth group Superior Siren. Her ghostly vocals complement the “siren song” feel to the songs she writes. She chats with Will Moore about the group’s recent accomplishments and exciting new things on the horizon.
John Adler takes the name SonofMel, and treks across the upper Midwest from his home of Hayward “Wayward” Wisconsin to the northern-most and southern-most parts of Minnesota, playing songs and sharing stories. He chats by phone with Will Moore about a song he wrote for a bike race (and gives a spoken word performance of it) and details about an upcoming record with Jordan “the Slideman” Grunow. And as always, he shares deep thoughts on the arts, flexing creative muscles, and the importance of eloquence in modern times
Father and son duo Andy and Alex Nelson of Savage, MN join Will Moore on the Scenic Route. Andy, a trumpeter, tells the story behind his album Meaning to Tell You, a jazz record that was released last year and was produced during his own serious battle with cancer. Alex meanwhile plays saxophone, and also is an electronic artist creating songs under the name Alex Mavi. Together they share in a heartfelt discussion about illness, creativity, and the power of playing music together as a family.
The Grand Marais Music Collaborative offers lessons to area youth with local musicians as instructors. In this piece, Will sits in on a lesson between woodwind instructor Erik Hahn and sixth-grader Rio Tersteeg, who’s found a fondness for the piccolo.
Splimit it a talented young trio from St. Paul who says they play “spicy rock” music, and their performance brings the heat. Inspired by groups like Primus, they’ve got a unique and playful songwriting style with plenty of high-octane power to back it up. They join Will Moore during a weekend of shows at the Gunflint Tavern in Grand Marais.
Splimit is:
Mitch Benson – bass/vocals
Mike Herold – guitar/vocals
Mike Kleis – drums
Courtney Yasmineh is a Chicago-born songwriter and author based in the Twin Cities who’s love for the Northwoods came a young age when she ran away to a family cabin to play guitar and immerse herself in the land of Bob Dylan. She speaks with Will Moore about her latest book A Girl Called Sidney, her upcoming album to be released in September, and life on the road ahead of a performance at the Wunderbar in Grand Marais.
Smokin’ Joe Scarpellino is a songwriter based in the Twin Cities, present throughout the Minneapolis jam band scene. He’s known for collaborating with a wide array of musicians and bringing them together for various music projects and being the man behind the Galactic Get-Down music festival in southern Minnesota. He also produces his own “Smokin’ Joe Show” regularly on Facebook live. He talks about all this and more along with some live original tunes featuring Space Monkey Mafia bassist Joe Barron live on WTIP.
The Grand Marais Music Collaborative is a non-profit organization that pairs local musicians with area youth for instrument lessons of all kinds. In this piece, we hear jazz musician Chris Gillis and ninth-grader Danny Berka decipher and learn to play an unusual and historied set of steel drums.
The Gentleman’s Anti-Temperance League are a gypsy jazz revival quintet from the Twin Cities. Amidst a rich and blistering live session of new music and selections from their latest album Roadmilk, they talk about science fiction stories, staying in haunted buildings, and getting abandoned at gas stations. Hear their full live session with host Will Moore below:
The Gentleman’s Anti-Temperance League are:
Kellie Reichert – vocals
Daniel Rosen – guitar
Alan Peterson – electric guitar
Jon Halquist – violin
Pete Whiteman – bass
