Here's this week's local music lowdown from Diane Miller
12 Rods performed an album release show for 'If We Stayed Alive' at First Avenue in Minneapolis on July 14.
Andy Witchger for MPR
You already know we love listening to new music here on Minnesota Now — especially local music! And who better to talk about Minnesota musicians than Diane Miller.
She joins us a few times a month to talk local music because she is host of a show called The Local Show on our sister station The Current.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
Audio transcript
12 RODS: (SINGING) The candlelight. Did some wrong but a lot of things right. This going to be my year. 'Cause with all my calculations everything looks so, so clear.
INTERVIEWER: You already know we love listening to new music here on Minnesota Now-- especially local music. And who better to talk about Minnesota musicians than Diane Miller? She joins us a few times a month to talk local music because she is host of a show called The Local Show on our sister station The Current. Hey, Diane. Welcome back to Minnesota Now.
DIANE MILLER: Hey. Thanks for having me.
INTERVIEWER: So that track we played at the start was called "My Year." It's by the band 12 Rods. Who are 12 Rods?
DIANE MILLER: Well, 12 Rods, in fact, started 30 years ago and were one of the first bands to ever receive a perfect score on Pitchfork, the renowned music blog for their 1996 record Gay. Now they're back at it and released a new record called If We Stay Alive. They recently headlined First Avenue's Mainroom on July 14, and they also have been featured as the Current's Album of the Week. They're an indie band with a cult following, you might say.
INTERVIEWER: Well, it's such a great way to start the show. I love the vibe. Let's listen to a track from Humbird. It's called, "Help Me Willie Nelson!"
HUMBIRD: (SINGING) Give the tension some slack. Up all night, blame it on the times, crying in the rain of truth and lies. Always on my, on my mind, strangers now on a midnight ride.
INTERVIEWER: Oh, I love her voice. Who is Humbird?
DIANE MILLER: Humbird is a locally based-- of course, everyone that we're playing today is locally based-- Americana alt country singer, folk singer, incredibly talented lyricist and vocalist and always has a really great band that backs her up. But this song in particular, of course, is called "Help Me Willie Nelson!" It's sung as a tribute from a perspective of a younger musician looking advice and instruction as they find their way. And who better to ask advice from than Willie Nelson, an American folk icon, who has obviously been touring around lately? He was Outlaw Country Music Festival headliner and is still rocking and rolling even into his late age. Yeah. And Humbird also performs around a lot throughout the United States and especially--
INTERVIEWER: In Minnesota. I catch her-- one of my favorites to watch live. She's so heartwarming and very Minnesotan in that way. Very Minnesotan.
DIANE MILLER: She's Minnesotan. You know the term "Minnesota Nice?" Yeah. There's a warmth from Humbird. Siri Undlin is her name, and she really is fabulous to listen to live and in recording.
INTERVIEWER: Yeah. Well, she's got a lot of warmth in her voice. So you sent us another track, and this one is all about social media culture, and it's funny. Let's take a listen.
HEATBOX: (SINGING) I don't like or subscribe. I don't really take the time to read. All I need is to have some peace of mind. Oh, I know I don't scroll.
INTERVIEWER: Tell us about this one.
DIANE MILLER: Well, he's talking about-- I don't like. I don't hit the like button. I don't subscribe. He just stares. You know those social media friends who don't click the likes? Because they're bad internet friends is what they are.
INTERVIEWER: They just lurk.
DIANE MILLER: They just lurk, and that's what Heatbox is labeling himself as. And of course, it's a comedy song, but Heatbox in particular is a one man band. If you ever caught him live, he uses a loop station, and he'll beatbox. He'll make weird noises, and it all comes out to be this glorious sound.
He's very talented at harmonies and making extraneous sounds and layering beatboxing and doing it all by himself. It's kind of incredible to watch him live, and he is going to be performing at the Minnesota State Fair. He's been doing this in the Minnesota music scene for so many years. He's so talented, and this was off of a new record he just released.
INTERVIEWER: Well, that sounds super fun. Let's listen to a brand new band. This is the group Oyster Boy? Am I saying that right?
DIANE MILLER: Oister Boy. Yeah.
INTERVIEWER: All right.
OISTER BOY: (SINGING) Tell me your favorite song by the lake on a late night. I knew you weren't the one. Hold me up in the basement. Wake up to morning light. Don't be late.
INTERVIEWER: Ooh, pop punk. Has Oister Boy played any shows yet?
DIANE MILLER: Yes. They, in fact, recently sold out 7th St Entry for their album release show. There's this thing I talk to amongst a lot of other musicians who've been around in the scene. It's this whole concept of, where did this group of musicians come from? Like, what?
This is, obviously, a younger band, and I just heard of them two weeks ago, I want to say. And then I played them on The Local Show, and I was like, wow. They're so talented. Our music scene is so rich and is filled with such talent that you're just always going to find new talent that is coming out of nowhere.
And Oister Boy-- I heard that song "By the Lake" and I was like, wow. What a great melody. They have kind of a pop punk-esque sound to them and also kind of grungy, but also very catchy and could totally hear that spinning on main rotation on The Current.
INTERVIEWER: Yeah. Sometimes when they say, "Wow, they've just sprung up out of nowhere," the band will go, "We've been gigging for 10 years. What are you talking about?" But this is not the case there.
DIANE MILLER: I think so. I mean, I could be wrong. This is the first I've heard of them, so we'll see.
INTERVIEWER: And we'll hear a lot more from them, too. So before we go, I want to hear about one more group from you. They're called Dad Bod?
DIANE MILLER: Yes, Dad Bod.
INTERVIEWER: I hear they have a new track. Tell me about it.
DIANE MILLER: This one's called "Milkdrinker." This is a song-- I talked about The Current and the Main Rotation. This is a song that has been getting a lot of airplay on The Current's Main Rotation, and I want to compare them similarly to one of the most popular bands in the world right now. It's Boygenius.
Dad Bod's sound is kind of similar and kind of has a melancholic singing-- very soft and gentle, very indie. They're an active band, and they're performing again at 7th St Entry on July 26. If you'd like to see them live, this is an up and coming band that's been really buzzed about and have a consistent presence on The Current's Chart Show, which you can vote for every week on The Current for your favorite songs to be on the chart.
INTERVIEWER: All right. Here is "Milkdrinker" from Dad Bod.
DAD BOD: (SINGING) Lick your lips until they're raw. Wash me down--
INTERVIEWER: And that's Diane Miller. Thank you, Diane.
DIANE MILLER: Such a pleasure. Thanks for having me. You can hear her every Sunday evening on our sister station The Current. She hosts The Local Show airing from 6 to 8 PM on Sunday. You can also find it online at thecurrent.org.
DAD BOD: (SINGING) You're clinging to my shirt like it's a part of me.
INTERVIEWER: You already know we love listening to new music here on Minnesota Now-- especially local music. And who better to talk about Minnesota musicians than Diane Miller? She joins us a few times a month to talk local music because she is host of a show called The Local Show on our sister station The Current. Hey, Diane. Welcome back to Minnesota Now.
DIANE MILLER: Hey. Thanks for having me.
INTERVIEWER: So that track we played at the start was called "My Year." It's by the band 12 Rods. Who are 12 Rods?
DIANE MILLER: Well, 12 Rods, in fact, started 30 years ago and were one of the first bands to ever receive a perfect score on Pitchfork, the renowned music blog for their 1996 record Gay. Now they're back at it and released a new record called If We Stay Alive. They recently headlined First Avenue's Mainroom on July 14, and they also have been featured as the Current's Album of the Week. They're an indie band with a cult following, you might say.
INTERVIEWER: Well, it's such a great way to start the show. I love the vibe. Let's listen to a track from Humbird. It's called, "Help Me Willie Nelson!"
HUMBIRD: (SINGING) Give the tension some slack. Up all night, blame it on the times, crying in the rain of truth and lies. Always on my, on my mind, strangers now on a midnight ride.
INTERVIEWER: Oh, I love her voice. Who is Humbird?
DIANE MILLER: Humbird is a locally based-- of course, everyone that we're playing today is locally based-- Americana alt country singer, folk singer, incredibly talented lyricist and vocalist and always has a really great band that backs her up. But this song in particular, of course, is called "Help Me Willie Nelson!" It's sung as a tribute from a perspective of a younger musician looking advice and instruction as they find their way. And who better to ask advice from than Willie Nelson, an American folk icon, who has obviously been touring around lately? He was Outlaw Country Music Festival headliner and is still rocking and rolling even into his late age. Yeah. And Humbird also performs around a lot throughout the United States and especially--
INTERVIEWER: In Minnesota. I catch her-- one of my favorites to watch live. She's so heartwarming and very Minnesotan in that way. Very Minnesotan.
DIANE MILLER: She's Minnesotan. You know the term "Minnesota Nice?" Yeah. There's a warmth from Humbird. Siri Undlin is her name, and she really is fabulous to listen to live and in recording.
INTERVIEWER: Yeah. Well, she's got a lot of warmth in her voice. So you sent us another track, and this one is all about social media culture, and it's funny. Let's take a listen.
HEATBOX: (SINGING) I don't like or subscribe. I don't really take the time to read. All I need is to have some peace of mind. Oh, I know I don't scroll.
INTERVIEWER: Tell us about this one.
DIANE MILLER: Well, he's talking about-- I don't like. I don't hit the like button. I don't subscribe. He just stares. You know those social media friends who don't click the likes? Because they're bad internet friends is what they are.
INTERVIEWER: They just lurk.
DIANE MILLER: They just lurk, and that's what Heatbox is labeling himself as. And of course, it's a comedy song, but Heatbox in particular is a one man band. If you ever caught him live, he uses a loop station, and he'll beatbox. He'll make weird noises, and it all comes out to be this glorious sound.
He's very talented at harmonies and making extraneous sounds and layering beatboxing and doing it all by himself. It's kind of incredible to watch him live, and he is going to be performing at the Minnesota State Fair. He's been doing this in the Minnesota music scene for so many years. He's so talented, and this was off of a new record he just released.
INTERVIEWER: Well, that sounds super fun. Let's listen to a brand new band. This is the group Oyster Boy? Am I saying that right?
DIANE MILLER: Oister Boy. Yeah.
INTERVIEWER: All right.
OISTER BOY: (SINGING) Tell me your favorite song by the lake on a late night. I knew you weren't the one. Hold me up in the basement. Wake up to morning light. Don't be late.
INTERVIEWER: Ooh, pop punk. Has Oister Boy played any shows yet?
DIANE MILLER: Yes. They, in fact, recently sold out 7th St Entry for their album release show. There's this thing I talk to amongst a lot of other musicians who've been around in the scene. It's this whole concept of, where did this group of musicians come from? Like, what?
This is, obviously, a younger band, and I just heard of them two weeks ago, I want to say. And then I played them on The Local Show, and I was like, wow. They're so talented. Our music scene is so rich and is filled with such talent that you're just always going to find new talent that is coming out of nowhere.
And Oister Boy-- I heard that song "By the Lake" and I was like, wow. What a great melody. They have kind of a pop punk-esque sound to them and also kind of grungy, but also very catchy and could totally hear that spinning on main rotation on The Current.
INTERVIEWER: Yeah. Sometimes when they say, "Wow, they've just sprung up out of nowhere," the band will go, "We've been gigging for 10 years. What are you talking about?" But this is not the case there.
DIANE MILLER: I think so. I mean, I could be wrong. This is the first I've heard of them, so we'll see.
INTERVIEWER: And we'll hear a lot more from them, too. So before we go, I want to hear about one more group from you. They're called Dad Bod?
DIANE MILLER: Yes, Dad Bod.
INTERVIEWER: I hear they have a new track. Tell me about it.
DIANE MILLER: This one's called "Milkdrinker." This is a song-- I talked about The Current and the Main Rotation. This is a song that has been getting a lot of airplay on The Current's Main Rotation, and I want to compare them similarly to one of the most popular bands in the world right now. It's Boygenius.
Dad Bod's sound is kind of similar and kind of has a melancholic singing-- very soft and gentle, very indie. They're an active band, and they're performing again at 7th St Entry on July 26. If you'd like to see them live, this is an up and coming band that's been really buzzed about and have a consistent presence on The Current's Chart Show, which you can vote for every week on The Current for your favorite songs to be on the chart.
INTERVIEWER: All right. Here is "Milkdrinker" from Dad Bod.
DAD BOD: (SINGING) Lick your lips until they're raw. Wash me down--
INTERVIEWER: And that's Diane Miller. Thank you, Diane.
DIANE MILLER: Such a pleasure. Thanks for having me. You can hear her every Sunday evening on our sister station The Current. She hosts The Local Show airing from 6 to 8 PM on Sunday. You can also find it online at thecurrent.org.
DAD BOD: (SINGING) You're clinging to my shirt like it's a part of me.
Download transcript (PDF)
Transcription services provided by 3Play Media.