rakemag It comes as no surprise that the Libertines’ instant cool factor had much to do with the fact that their debut album was produced by the Clash’s M.I.A. Mick Jones, granting them the ultimate punk-rock seal of approval. An appropriately snotty attitude with Kinks-like melodies made the first record, Up the Bracket, hugely lovable, and … Read more
The title of Waits’ new record seems to reference his favorite themes: lost love, lost lives, and a lost mind. Think of it as an elegant soundtrack by which to warm your hands over a trash-can fire. As with any new Waits recording, expect a loose mix of broken-down hipster calliope music, dark tales, and … Read more
We’re not sure where the line lies between traditional folk music and contemporary world music, but we know Rokia Traoré seems to work both sides of the equation beautifully. Whereas we’ve recently been obsessed with Nordic roots—particularly Swedish sirens paired with cold dirges of distortion and modern big beats—we also hanker for the more homespun … Read more
Eating lunch in your office cubicle is tantamount to committing a sin against food; everything will eventually taste beige. Maverick’s is here to save your soul, sister. While their décor isn’t much better than your cubicle, their offerings are pure inspiration when it comes to “better fast food.” Imagine slow-cooked roast beef piled high on … Read more
It used to be called the Mill City coffee shop and people in the know have, for years, stopped by to while away the hours on its peaceful and lovely patio. You wouldn’t think that it could improve, but it has. Dramatically. Now Mill City is the California Building Café, with extended hours, a full … Read more
Scotty could kick Dave’s ass. We got your ribfest right here, in Southwest Minneapolis. Scott Ja Mama’s is a screen-door two-seater joint that does a sweltering ribs business every week. It’s a call-ahead-and-order place, and we think the two seats are for the few who can’t escape the saucy aromas and make it to the … Read more
We’d wager there are a few families left who prefer slide shows or Super-8 screenings to home videos. But how many do you know who create art exhibitions celebrating their life together? Melba Price, Bruce Tapola, and their daughter Oakley did so in 1993 at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts; eleven years later, it’s time … Read more
If it makes us sound shallow, so be it: We love supporting the arts because we love parties. Is there a finer way to show your support than to enjoy cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and dancing with intriguing, passionate, and creative people (many of whom inevitably have amazing footwear)? And when you can buy art and … Read more
Only in the snotty West have we developed this idea of “outsider art” for crafts and art forms that are “vernacular.” Look to the East to find traditions that not only predate modernity, but keep right on ignoring it. Like Russian lacquer boxes. These incredibly detailed and lush paintings on boxes, plates, miniature caskets, and … Read more
Now in its ninth year, the Rain Taxi Review of Books remains a stalwart champion of “difficult” literature—stuff that challenges our assumptions about narrative, language, or even what makes a good story. It also celebrates the larger world of things bibliophilistic with the Twin Cities Book Festival, which it has sponsored since its inception in … Read more