Pick Six is a half-dozen cool things in music, from two points of view.
Andrea Swensson of Minneapolis:
1 Cindy Lawson, "New Tricks." What a breath of fresh air to hear from this trailblazing Minneapolis rock artist (formerly frontwoman of the Clams and Whoops Kitty) again. She has been reunited with her guitar and pen and assembled a new band to help her record a charming EP filled with both wisdom and sass.
2 Vial, "Loudmouth." I can't get enough of this existential, barbed, sarcastic punk rock quartet. After the past year, don't we all need a good scream or two? They're opening for Gully Boys — who have a fantastic new single, "Russian Doll" — at the Fine Line on July 31.
3 The new-old Clown Lounge. Sidling up to the Turf Club's basement bar at its soft reopening last week felt so good that I felt like I was dreaming it. The St. Paul club, which was flooded during unrest last summer, has been renovated to look exactly as it did pre-COVID, right down to the Grandpa's basement wood paneling and creepy clown decor.
Jon Bream, Star Tribune critic:
1 Jason Isbell's opening acts at Ryman Auditorium. For his just-announced residency in October at Nashville's revered hall, the Americana star has chosen eight women as his opening acts — all women of color, save for his wife, Amanda Shires.
2 "Prince and the 'Parade' & 'Sign o' the Times' Studio Sessions 1985 and 1986" by Duane Tudahl. In his second tome exploring Prince's studio work, Tudahl takes a deep, deep dive, interviewing musicians and engineers who were there. In 700 pages (55 devoted to footnotes), he focuses on facts and stories, not scholarly interpretations of the songs. A quintessential Prince resource.
3 Cheap Trick, Lakefront Music Festival. In front of 18,000 people in a Prior Lake park, singer Robin Zander sounded ageless, guitarist Rick Nielsen brought the zaniness and their sons — Daxx Nielsen on drums and Robin-Sailor Zander on bass — kept things steady. Timeless rock 'n' roll fun.
