The (Local) Fresh Five: JJ Sweetheart, Verdin Brothers, Draco Volans, Dial Tone, & Mary Bue

For the Fresh Five we pick out five great new(ish) jams that we’re currently obsessing over. All of these songs come from local (Minnesota) bands/artists.

JJ Sweetheart is the new solo project of Jay/James, formerly of local bands France Camp and Nice Purse. JJ recently released their solo EP, a tune off of which you can stream above. If you were a fan of Cindy Lee’s (excellent) record this year you should find a lot to like about the hazy, psychedelic vibe that Sweetheart is laying down. Sweetheart also finds a similar sweet spot between garage rock and that kind of vintage twanginess that’s hard to put your finger on. 

The Verdin Brothers have a sound that in my opinion fits the Fall season perfectly. To wit their most recent material is focused on the recent autumn equinox – that magical time when the dark begins its slow encroachment on the light. Equinox has a couple tunes – the titular first track being the more straightforward of the two, a finger-picked guitar raga accompanied by hammered dulcimer and upright bass. “Consider This” feels a bit more like the dark to “Equinox’s” light. It’s a spoken word excerpt from Moby Dick accompanied by a beguiling wash of instrumentation (including bass clarinet and bowed cymbal) and field recordings. Both are excellent. Find/purchase here. 

The Draco Volans are a rock band based in Duluth. They self-describe as what the Strokes would sound like “if they had a female lead singer.” I don’t necessarily agree wholeheartedly and not as a disservice to either band. To my ear The Draco Volans have a slower, moodier vibe – less rock licks trying to find an edge and more of a heartfelt indie vibe. You can check out/purchase their EP here.

Dial Tone are a pop/punk trio made up of three U of Minneapolis students. If their most recent recordings are your first introduction to the band you might find the “punk” part of that description a little confusing, but that’s just because their 2024 EP Time For A Living is mostly softer, stripped down versions of songs the band has released previously (you can find some of them on their self-titled debut from the previous year). The band’s influences are (especially 90’s) local alternative rock and that comes through both versions of the songs. Dial Tone will have a single release show at Icehouse on 11/15 in which they will unveil their latest material (tix/info). 

Longtime local singer/songwriter released her brand new single “Right Now” today and will follow up with the full length album The Wildness of Living & Dying in February of 2025. You can check out the rollicking country single (and accompanying video) above. In addition to Bue the song features Jeremy Ylvisaker, Richard Medek, Shannon Frid-Rubin, and Julia Floberg.