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It looked as if Hippo Campus would be heading into next month's South by Southwest Music Conference with ample record labels trying to woo them to their rosters. Instead, the young but clearly ready-for-prime-time Twin Cities rockers will be going into Austin's hype-building festival as the newest signing by Grand Jury, the burgeoning New York label that's also home to Chicago's breaking fuzz-rockers Twin Peaks as well as Elliott Moss and Avid Dancer.
Grand Jury will rerelease the quartet's Alan Sparhawk-produced EP, "Bashful Creatures," on May 5 (a new video for one of its six tracks, "Souls," debuted Tuesday). Another EP will soon follow, which the lads recorded last month under the same circumstances as the first, with Sparhawk at Pachyderm Studio in Cannon Falls, Minn. Before SXSW, they're playing what is no doubt a well-paying promotional gig for Lagunitas Brewery at Aria Event Center on March 12, with Delta Spirit headlining. The event is free, with tickets available via Eventbrite. …
The sixth annual contest to send a newbie act to SXSW, Vita.mn's Are You Local? will feature Americana rocker Sam Cassidy, electronic duo Moon & Pollution, mod rockers the Stress of Her Regard (ex-Idle Hands) and Red Lake Reservation rapper Baby Shel competing in the Entry on March 6 next to a main-room lineup that includes Brother Ali, the Blind Shake and Tiny Deaths. … Get Cryphy will mark its seventh anniversary March 14 at First Avenue. The four-DJ crew has lined up eccentric NYC rapper Le1f as one of the guests. …
An acoustic duo based out of Superior, Wis., Moors & McCumber found a producer for their new album who knows a thing or two about their brand of two-man, harmonious folk/country music: Gary Louris. The Jayhawks co-leader added a familiar, warm sheen to "Pandemonium," recorded at Flowers Studio and reminiscent of local faves Storyhill. James Moors and Kort McCumber take to Ginkgo Coffeehouse in St. Paul on Saturday to promote the disc (8 p.m., $12-$14) and will also hit Beaner's in Duluth on Sunday (7 p.m., $9). …
With fundraising efforts for its own music center still ongoing via Razoo.com/demomn, Steve McClellan's nonprofit DEMO is hosting a live benefit Saturday from 2-5 p.m. at Icehouse with newcomers Space Heater, Undlin & Wulf and Faith Boblett. … Paul Metsa recorded a special two-part episode of his "Wall of Power Radio Hour" on Minnesota-rooted New York Times columnist David Carr, the second installment of which airs Saturday at 6 p.m. on AM 950 (the first is archived at WallofPower Radio.com). It includes the debut of a song Metsa wrote for the recently deceased writer years ago during his successful fight to kick his addictions.
chrisr@startribune.com • 612-673-4658
