The Sound

Tonight on The Sound, we indulge in the world of memes translated into music by WSU professors Dr Davin Heckman and Dr Talon Memmott, or otherwise known as by their band name, Clickbait. Clickbait is a project that started off in roughly 2015 translating popular memes into something musically spectacular. Tonight, Dr Memmott joins me as we discuss the band's history as well as talk about their EP,...

Tonight on The Sound we bring you some Minnesota Rock from Minneapolis Band Valors with their latest album, Play of Fools, that was released June 14th 2024. Valors has had quite a few Incarnations, but Play of Fools will be the second album released by this garage punk band. Tonight we sit down with the founding member of the band, Ian Valor, and discuss the ins and outs of each songs and how the...

Tonight, on The Sound we bring you the newest upcoming album  Terrible Things by St Paul based band A Piano In Every Home.  Terrible Things is the bands third full length album and their fifth release this year. their usual indie folk styleis fully present in this latest release but the band took the opportunity to play around with other sounds using instruments such as the mandolin, dobro, and ev...

Tonight, on The Sound we bring you an exclusive look at the latest album by Molly Brandt, titled American Saga which comes out this Friday, Sept 27, 2024. Molly Brandt is a rising star in the Minneapolis country scene, but she pulls from a variety of genres on American Saga making it an eclectic mix that has a little something for everyone. American Saga includes everything from banjo’s and chimes...

Tonight, on The Sound we bring you the soulful sounds of the latest album from Winona’s own, Ghostland Radio. This self-titled album marks a new chapter for the Winona-based band, featuring some changes in their lineup. The band's sound has reached a whole new level with the addition of three new members, Sierra, Mariah and Jim rounding out the band’s sound with powerful female vocals and electrif...

Tonight, on The Sound we fly high as we bring you the newest album from Minneapolis based band Humbird. This album titled Right On is Humbird’s third full length album and features the band’s signature indie folk sound. The songs are captivating and full of intense imagery depicting everything from the deep cuts of heartbreak and white supremacy to the untamable beauty of nature.  Tonight, we sit...

Tonight, on The Sound we sit down with Dylan Mazurkiewicz the lead singer and guitarist of Garden Home to dig into their self-titled debut full length album. Garden Home, self-described as a post hardcore screamo rock band has grown quite a following in their native home of Milwaukee Wisconsin and this album is sure to sprout some more. Their debut album consists of 8 heart pounding, head banging,...

Tonight, on The Sound we bring you the latest “gem” from Cole Diamond titled, Trailer Park Troubadour. Cole Diamond is a Minneapolis treasure and his latest EP is a shining example of good writing, good taste, and down-home good vibes. The EP starts out with a cover of “Where Corn Don’t Grow,” originally done by Waylon Jennings and it only gets better from there. If you haven’t heard Cole Diamond...

Tonight, on The Sound we talk with Eleanor Sievers about her debut self-titled Ep. Though she might only be 16 years old Eleanor has no problem singing and playing her tunes on stages in and around her hometown of Rochester MN. her debut Ep originally released in November of 2023 features songs containing relatable themes of love and hope with great lyrical imagery and some killer guitar backing p...

Tonight, on The Sound we spin the latest album from Minneapolis country crooner, Jeffrey Robert Larson. The album, titled “Country & Western Songs For The Americas,” is chock full of classic country sounds and heartfelt stories. The kind of stories that make you yearn for lost love, drown your sorrows or just take a good hard look in the mirror. It’s the kind of album that sounds good whether...

Tonight, on The Sound we take a trip over the river and through the woods for an exclusive debut from Fox River Valley faves Redshift Headlights. “If You Are Around Still” is the latest release from Redshift Headlights and its official release date is this Friday, July 12th 2024. Tonight we bring you an exclusive sneak peak at the album. The album will be the fourth release for the Oshkosh WI base...

Tonight, on The Sound we speak with Jake Pavek and Travis Erickson from the Minneapolis based, band A Piano in Every Home on their new compilation album, North American Review. These guys are some serious songwriters and hearing them talk about their writing process is sure to fascinate and inspire you. Oddly enough, much of the album seems to lack the instrument the band was named after, but we w...

onight on The Sound, we're bringing a special treat to hype up the 15th year of Midwest Music Fest. To celebrate, we're joined in the studio by a handful of artists such as the Radium Girls, Charlie Boy, Chutes, Joe Westerlund as well as Nathan Graham as we get to know them before the weekend of the festival. I'm Dylan Alzate, and kick back and grab some snacks as we dive into a taste of Midwest M...

Tonight, on The Sound we have a Midwest Music Fest Preview show. We’re joined by Chris of Collections of Colonies of Bees, Sean form the Heiruspecs, Marcus of Waisted, and Mike of the Mike Munson Trio as these guys answer some hard-hitting questions leading up to the festival.   I’m Ryan Flanders, kick back and enjoy as we bring you a little taste of what is to come at Midwest Music Fest 2024 toni...

 Today on the sound we are joined by H3O Jazz Trio as they discuss their first album Tafel Jazz. The Winona based trio consisting of a father and his two sons started playing music together in 2011 when they were requested to play at a private pool party. The three musicians continued playing jazz ever since and have played with several other Jazz performers including John Paulson and John Seivers...

Tonight, on The Sound we bring you the self-titled debut from Scott Hefte and the Bury ‘Em Deep from Minneapolis. You’ve heard of country and western? Well, get ready for rock and western. That’s right, Mr. Hefte and the band seamlessly combine rock with a western feel and aesthetic, so in essence, they’ve dropped the roll and inserted western. Just to be clear here, they aren’t dropping and rolli...

Tonight, on The Sound we check out the self-titled debut album from Bird and Air all the way from Oshkosh, WI. Bird and Air is the solo project from Steve McCabe, the frontman for Redshift Headlights, a staple of the Fox Valley music scene. Bird and Air’s self-titled debut is a collection of nine tunes that range from deep heartfelt emotion to silly but always close to the artist’s heart. All nine...

Tonight, on The Sound we check out the latest from Minneapolis recording artist, Future Babel. Future Babel released their Monkey Man EP in October of 2023 and tonight we will check out all four tunes from the EP as well as some singles and covers that were also released throughout the fall of 2023. From Buddy Holly to Marty McFly to the Violent Femmes, tonight’s episode is all over the place, lik...

Tonight, on The Sound we check out the debut EP “1, 2, 3 ,4” by Waisted. These Winona based rockers know how to 1. Have a good time, 2. Rock out, 3. Count, and most importantly 4. Make some banger music. Marcus, Connor, and Amber from the band join us this week to chat about their love for making music and the beauties of the local music scene.   I’m Ryan Flanders, take a seat, get your counting f...

JuneThaKid: Just Get Home Safe  Original air date: 02/21/24.  The Sound is written and produced by KQAL 89.5FM on the campus of Winona State University.  The Sound is made possible by a grant from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Tonight, on the Sound we kick off this Valentines season with a bang... and no, I didn't bring chocolates, but instead I brought some local rock music featuring an exclusive debut of Our Chemistry is a Tightrope by none other than Porcupine... or is it our physics was a bungee cord by hedgehog?... or maybe... I don't know! Whether you typically prefer squirrels, meerkats, or prairie dogs, you're b...

Tonight, on The Sound we check out Luke Callen's upcoming album, Also Going Nowhere. Despite the name, this one is definitely going somewhere according to the likes of Charlie Parr and a Storied First Avenue Bartender. Luke joins us tonight to talk about songwriting, lyrics, and the everyday inspirations that helped create this latest album. I’m Ryan Flanders, kick back with your fishin‘ rod and e...

Amanda Grace: Give Me Away Original air date: 02/07/24.  The Sound is written and produced by KQAL 89.5FM on the campus of Winona State University.  The Sound is made possible by a grant from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Tonight, on The Sound we check out the latest album from Turbo Pastel, called well, Turbo Pastel, what else? As someone once said, it’s fast and it’s Easter colors! I don’t know who that person is or was, but I believe them. Tonight, the creative force behind Turbo Pastel, Ben Burwell becomes our tour guide as he pulls back the curtain to give us a glimpse into the creative process that went into...

Tonight, on The Sound we bring you a little gem with a great big sound called Big Blue EP, by The Mascot Theory. Hailing from Madison, WI, The Mascot Theory has been around for a while now but has recently put the pedal down to take their sound from acoustic to rock in 0 point…  seconds? Oh boy, math. Hmmm… anyway, you get the picture, these guys Rock! So let’s not waste time splitting hairs and c...