1. Roma di Luna – Casting the Bones

With their 3^rd release, husband and wife duo Alexei Casselle and Channy Moon Casselle complicated things. They added James Everest on bass, Michael Rossetto on Banjo (Spaghetti Western String Co.), Ben Durrant on Electric Guitar, and a slew of other local musicians on sax, trumpet and backing vocals. All the extra "noise" does not take away from Roma di Luna's well crafted neo-folk songs. Channy's haunting vocals are magnified with James's funky bass lines and Ben's electric guitar compliments Alexei's acoustic. Alexei's background in hip-hop is clear with songs about relevant social issues that tell a story and create a certain mood. Roma di Luna make folk records for the modern day listener with a deep appreciation for their predecessors, i.e. the Carter Family. For fans of the Anthology of American Folk Music.

2. Chris Koza – Dark, Delirious Morning

In 2005, after the release of his debut album, Exit Pesce, Rob van Alstyne of the Pulse reviewed Chris Koza as, "an under-the-radar-music-stunner-phenomenon." Shortly after, he won BEST NEW ARTIST (both by the jury and the critics' choice) from the Minnesota Music Awards committee. His follow-up album, Patterns, garnered even more press – including a nod in the Star Tribune, which compared the widespread appeal of his music to the widespread appeal of pornography. His latest, Dark, Delirious Morning, is a beautifully crafted logical next step for Koza, who creates worlds in his mind and paints vivid pictures with lyrics and melodies. His attention to detail is evident in the disc's refined sound. City Pages contributor Bob Longmore describes the album's appeal. "At the heart of each song is a simple melody, but like a latter-day Elliot Smith, Koza layers on instruments and sounds, creating mood and intensity." Longmore also comments on Koza's magnificent story telling. "Each story is filled with imagery so strong you can feel the accordion game tickets in your pocket or smell the bourbon and dirt at the track." Chris Koza's journey is one worth embarking on. Pick up Dark, Delirious Morning and groove towards a bright, lucid afternoon.

3. Doomtree – False Hopes

Doomtree is a sensational local hip-hop collective, oozing with talent and love. It's members share an unwavering penchant for teamwork, support, and artistic expression. Their latest, False Hopes, is not to be confused the respective False Hopes EP's from members Dessa and Cecil Otter. This False Hopes is a collaboration among all members, and contains the rarities and b-sides that didn't make the cut on their much anticipated upcoming album. From the group's website: "So, friend, consider this sack-full of songs not as a true album, but rather a collection of "specials" that didn't quite fit in with the family. They are all beautiful in their own right, but a few unfortunate idiosyncrasies […] have prevented them from meeting the Doomtree Family Gold Standard and making the proverbial A-team." Each member of Doomtree is multi-talented and brings something special to the table. They are: Cecil Otter (emcee/producer), Dessa (emcee/vocalist), Mike Mictlan (emcee), Sims (emcee), P.O.S. (emcee/producer), Paper Tiger (producer/DJ/graphic designer), Marshall Larada (producer/DJ/visual artist), Lazerbeak (producer/musician), Turbo Nemesis (DJ/Engineer), Emily Bloodmobile (producer), and Tom Servo (producer/DJ). Their combined force is undeniable. Pick up Doomtree's False Hopes and rejoice in love and hip-hop.

4. Romantica – America

Romantica is a local band whose genre is best described as Americana, although it encompasses a much broader range of pop, folk, alt.country, and R&B. Lyrically, they're in a poetic category all their own. From the band's website: "Romantica manage to deliver an understated heart-to-heart in an envelope of melodic charm and sarcastic wit: too smart to be sentimental, too sweet to be taken too seriously." Frontman Ben Kyle was born and raised in Belfast, Ireland – a biographical anecdote that holds weight in Romantica's lyrical themes and musical sounds. Kyle met bassist and "multi-instrumentalist" Luke Jacobs in college, and later added percussionist Mark Hedlund to form what Minneapolis music fans now know as Romantica. In 2004, they released their debut album, It's Your Weakness That I Want, an aptly titled array of instrumentally inventive love songs. 2007's America is the band's second studio endeavor, released on 2024 Records. City Pages' Sarah Askari delivers a succinct description of the new album, "America [is] an album of lush, richly orchestrated pop-folk made rural by twangy pedal steel and keening fiddle parts (courtesy of occasional Golden Smog collaborator Jessy Greene)." For fans of Sufjan Stevens, Johnny Cash, Wilco, and the Replacements.

5. Heroine Sheiks – Journey to the End of the Knife

Legendary noise rockers, the Heroine Sheiks, are back with their fourth studio album, Journey to the End of the Knife. Their name is a clever moniker that stems for the late-nineties supermodel phenomenon, Heroin Chic. The band began in 1999 and has had an impressive career that saw them headlining for such opening acts as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Fiery Furnaces, Interpol, and Gogol Bordello. After relocating back to Minneapolis from New York City and completely reworking the lineup, original member and proverbial tie-that-binds Shannon Selberg keeps the torch burning for fans of the Heroine Sheiks, as well as his previous band, the legendary Cows (R.I.P.). The new lineup includes a tour-de-force of Minneapolis musicians, including bassist Jesse Kwakenat of the STNNNG and Sarah Huska of Ouija Radio ..board.

6. Polara – Beekeeping

Quintessential local rockers, Polara, are back with their first full-length album in six years! Their fifth album to date, Beekeeping, is 11 tracks of jam-packed psychedelic rock. Released on Susstones Records, member Ed Ackerson's own label, the new disc has been hailed as some of Polara's best work. From the label's website: "Beekeeping is teeming with the trademark Polara sound – adventurous, exciting "pysch" excursions featuring always amazing instrumental and vocal contributions, all contained within a concise 3-4 minute pop song framework." In his own words, Ackerson describes the band's intention for the album. "We're still here, and we're still happy. That's the motivation, that's why we have to put these milestones out once in a while. It's like a postcard from our universe to the universe at large." With a notably more mature sound, while still maintaining the unhinged vibrancy of youth, Polara's Beekeeping belongs in your local music collection.

7. A Night in the Box – Write A Letter

Imagine yourself at a Southern Baptist church in 1940, except the choir is a group of white kids from Minneapolis who don't necessarily sing about Jesus. For some reason, you feel the need to jump up and flail about. Whether it's Jesus or the Devil that possesses you, who really cares? With unavoidably toe-tapping, hand-clapping, hook-laden bluegrass, A Night in the Box captivates both local rock fans and seasoned lovers of a down-home southern sound. Original members Travis Hetman, Alex Dalton, and Clayton Hagen were joined by violinist Kailyn Spencer to round out the quartet and their eclectic mix of instrumentation (including banjo, fiddle, guitar, and drums). Write A Letter, the band's sophomore full-length album, was recorded in three days and "[adds] a mixture of accessible pop hooks with their quintessential gritty sound," according to their label's (Afternoon Records) website. Pick it up and stomp your feet!

8. Café Accordion Orchestra – Germaine

This eclectic Minneapolis five-piece plays a unique blend of vintage Swing, Latin, American, and French café music. Their inspiration comes from the bands that played in Parisian Cafés and bistros in the first half of the 20^th century. Their repertoire includes swing, ballads, tangos, rumbas, and more. All five members are passionate, talented, and humorous; a combination that fans adore. Their latest, Germaine, further explores their range of musical talents.

9. Paper Tiger – False Hopes

In the surefire tradition of self-deprecating humor, sensational local rap collective, Doomtree, has taken to releasing debut EP's for all of its artists under the same title: False Hopes. Resident Doomtree DJ, Paper Tiger, is no different. A wizard of turntables, Paper Tiger creates a swelling, introspective mood with his version of False Hopes – a record that earned him comparisons to the likes of Rjd2 and DJ Shadow. The disc is wholly instrumental, with the exception of sparse guest vocals from fellow Doomtree member, Dessa, on the last track. Pick it up and watch the evolution of hip-hop history.

10. Sims – Lights Out Paris

Sims is yet another member of celebrated local hip-hop collective, Doomtree. One notable difference between him and his peers, however, is that Sims' debut album is a full-length, and not titled False Hopes. His album, Lights Out Paris, is a critically acclaimed peak into the psyche of Sims, the "dark, angry, angsty, neurotic" one of the group. He is joined by fellow Doomtree members Cecil Otter, Dessa, Mictlan, and P.O.S., as well as Crescent Moon of Kill the Vultures and Roma di Luna. City Pages' Peter S. Scholtes says, "Doomtree's Sims is the best evidence yet that talent nurtured at the bottom can surface with sudden force. His voice sounds like Q-Tip crossed with a Beastie Boy." Lights Out Paris is a must have for collectors of quality hip-hop!