Much like Prince, former Minnesotan Bob Mould is proving to be prolific in his 50s and has announced a March 25 release date for his latest solo album, “Patch the Sky.”
Mould, 55, published his must-read memoir, “See a Little Light: The Trail of Rage and Melody,” in 2011 and the experience clearly inspired him as he’s gone on to release the records “Silver Age” and “Beauty and Ruin.” He recorded both, and the new one, with bassist Jason Narducy and drummer Jon Wurster.
“Patch the Sky,” Mould told Stereogum, started out as an attempt to return to his fast and furious punk roots, but it morphed into something darker. As Mould said: “My soul is a bit heavier right now … so, I dug a little deeper and went with what I was really feeling.” Mould lost both of his parents in recent years and suggested to Stereogum he also ended a relationship, or two.
The other big news from the piece is that, yup, Husker Du is not getting back together again. Rumors started swirling last year when the band started a new website to sell merchandise, but Mould said it was simply about “reviving the logo and the brand” and that there may be some reissues from the band coming in the future. “You know, Grant and I have talked,” Mould said of a reunion. “We’re fine. Will we work together? No. I like to run my own ship and I think he likes to run his own ship, and that’s great …. I got my life over here, man. I never want to take advantage of the fact that I was in that band. Nor do I ever want to get in the way of its legacy. Nah, no reunion.”
Mould will return to the Twin Cities for a two-night stand at First Avenue on April 22 and 23. The $25 tickets go on sale at noon Friday through Etix.
IN THE CLUBS
Leigh Kamman spent more than six decades bringing jazz music to the radio, most notably on MPR’s “The Jazz Image,” which he hosted for 34 years. He died in 2014, at the age of 92, and now some of his fans have started the Leigh Kamman Legacy Project. The nonprofit’s mission is “to preserve and share the body of work” Kamman amassed over the years, starting with hundreds of hours of historic interviews with jazz musicians. The group is partnering with the upcoming 2016 Winter Jazz Festival, planned for Jan. 31 at the Saint Paul Hotel. They will have a table set up to answer questions and sign up donors. You can also check them out here.
First Avenue’s annual Best New Bands night takes place Friday and features seven fresh Twin Cities acts presented by DJs from The Current, Go 96.3 and Radio K. Teenage punk trio Bruise Violet has made the biggest waves of this year’s crop, thanks to their noisy and enthusiastic take on Babes In Toyland-style rock. (They took their name from a Babes song, naturally.) Also on the bill: Aero Flynn (aka longtime Justin Vernon pal Josh Scott), soul singer Eric Mayson, rappers Baby Shel and Lexii Alijai, retro alt-rockers Murder Shoes and atmospheric pop act Perfume Monster. Tickets are $10 at the door.
Legendary San Francisco turntable master DJ Qbert will headline St. Paul’s Amsterdam Bar and Hall on Saturday night with support from locals Andrew Broder and Dosh. He grew up during the golden age of the Bay Area DJ battle scene in the late ’80s and is longtime friends with another big name from the era, Mix Master Mike, who later worked with the Beastie Boys.
The Belfast Cowboys and Lamont Cranston will headline the 11th annual “Tribute to ‘The Last Waltz,’ ” celebrating The Band’s classic record, Friday and Saturday at the Cabooze. Also on the cover band front, the Zeppelin Experience plays the Fine Line on Friday and First Avenue houses the 9th annual “Happy Birthday Janis” tribute to Janis Joplin on Saturday.
St. Paul glam rock band Little Man scored one of the coolest opening gigs in a while. The group will take the Fitzgerald Theater stage Thursday before a screening of the classic film “This Is Spinal Tap.” It’s free, although fans should reserve a seat.
Pop music critic Ross Raihala can be reached at 651-228-5553. Follow him at Twitter.com/ RossRaihala.
