Each month, we’re rounding up the latest local music that’s been on repeat. Follow our Spotify playlist to keep up with new music releases from Minnesota.
“A Beautiful Expanse” by Chris Koza
On “A Beautiful Expanse,” singer-songwriter Chris Koza captures a sense of wonder in the quiet moments between leaving and arriving. The song blends warm acoustic guitar with a weathered harmonica that drifts like early morning fog, grounding this country-leaning track in a journey of escape and healing. Koza does not force major breakthroughs here; he lets the open roads and wide skies guide his path forward. This grounded, restrained approach avoids cheap emotional tricks and gives the music room to breathe. “A Beautiful Expanse” shows that finding yourself isn’t about reaching a final destination, but rather piecing life back together with each unpredictable step.
A breath of fresh air that feels instantly familiar. The Minneapolis indie-rock band channels the raw energy of ’90s college radio, building a sonic escape route for anyone desperate to leave a small town behind. Driven by exceptionally bright, interlocking guitars, the track carries a kinetic momentum that mimics the feeling of hitting the gas on an open highway. It balances a nostalgic grunge-era grit with modern, sun-drenched jangle pop. Ultimately, “Dewey” acts as a triumphant anthem for moving forward, packing a powerful punch of escapism into a brilliantly melodic package.
Emily Bjorke’s “Little Time” tackles that fragile moment when you are torn between keeping quiet and finally speaking up. Built on simple indie-folk/pop tones, the song takes everyday details—like helicopters overhead, singing birds, and passing time—and turns them into heavy emotional backdrops. When she sings, “I think I wanna say it / But I don’t want to freak you out,” you hear someone stuck between wanting to open up and fearing the reaction. Yet, the repeated line, “You’ve been going through a lot right now,” keeps the track rooted in pure empathy. Bjorke does not force a dramatic climax. She lets the doubt sit there, showing that real closeness is less about an instant breakthrough and more about just showing up.
On their new single, “Coffee,” So What takes the familiar mess of relationship drama and turns it into something gritty, soulful, and completely real. Led by a raw blues guitar and an honest vocal delivery, the track views love not as an easy escape, but as a hard fight. The heavy guitar riffs mirror the exhaustion in the lyrics, capturing that exact moment you decide to push through the fatigue instead of walking away. The song avoids over-the-top theatrics. It relies on pure honesty, letting the emotion and the instruments carry the weight. The slow-burning track reminds us that real relationships take hard work and persistence, they aren’t flawless fairytales.
“White Boots” by Silver Summer
These white boots were made for walking, and they’re gonna walk all over you. Silver Summer’s “White Boots” carries the confident, high-energy swagger of a band that knows how to put on a great show. Driven by heavy guitar riffs and a glam-rock beat, the track sounds like a mix of Freddie Mercury’s theatrical stage presence and the massive, arena-style sound of The Killers. Rather than copying the past, the band turns these older influences into a fresh, catchy track packed with massive hooks. Every chorus feels huge and easily draws you in. This flashy and fun track proves that a little bit of stage presence can still make a rock song unforgettable.
“Don’t Give Up Yet” by Semisonic
The Dan Wilson-led band holds onto hope on their latest single, in the face of a tyrannical king and when truth is a lie. “Don’t fall for the fake, it’s time to fight back,” he sings.
One of the best new bands in Minneapolis is leveling up. The song is anything but chilly—filled with fiery passion and soaring vocals over power-pop guitars, this shredder keeps the listener on the edge of their seat and needing more, as its lyrics suggest.
“Stud Budz” by Komari Cloud feat. Gora
Off the album Courtney Williams, titled after the Minnesota Lynx guard and one-half of the beloved WNBA duo known as the Stud Budz, this banger is a cloud-rap ode to getting into mischief with your bestie. (Even if you end up on rivaling teams.)
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