Anyone familiar with the cautionary “Seinfeld” tale of the New York Yankees’ jerseys knows the field environment is critical to the success of a baseball team. Frankly, the current Top 40 jams being pumped through the Target Field loudspeakers aren’t inspiring, motivating or local.

Whether it’s Surly, a Pearson’s Salted Nut Roll or the limestone used to build Target Field, amazing Minnesota-made elements are heavily represented at the stadium. Why leave out great Minnesota music?

During the inaugural season, the previous music director kicked off each Twins game with a song from a Minnesota band, complete with a nod on the big screen. But last year, everything changed and programming assistant Dan Edwards, from the former 96.3 FM, became the new Target Field music director. That was the day the music died. (And the day the “Cha-Cha Slide” became an omnipresent musical force at the stadium.)

I’m not complaining about the “walk-up music” players choose to hear as they begin an at-bat. Most of the Twins aren’t native Minnesotans, so I don’t expect them to request some deep track from a Hüsker Dü record. I’m talking about the song clips that get played during various lulls in the action.

In an effort to shed some light on the great local music that should be playing at Target Field, I compiled my Minnesota Twins playlist to get Twins fans, and maybe players, a little more motivated.

Minnesota Twins Home Game Playlist

Game time - Doomtree – “Bangarang” (“Gimme The Go” also would suffice.)
Down by five runs and raking the infield - Solid Gold – “Armoured Cars”
Willingham hits a grand slam - Motion City Soundtrack – “The Future Freaks Me Out”
Embarrassing couples everywhere with the kiss cam - The Honeydogs – “I Miss You”
Gardy storms the field - Atmosphere ft. Prof, Mr. Gene Poole & Felipe Cuauhtli – “Minnesota Nice” (A girl can dream, right)
Sing-a-long during the 7th inning stretch - Prince – “1999″ (could go with The Lemonheads – “Mrs. Robinson”)
Team regroup on the pitcher’s mound - Polica – “Dark Star”
Rick Anderson visits the pitcher’s mound - Peter Wolf Crier – “Hard As Nails”
Proposal on the Jumbotron - Bob Dylan – “Til I Fell In Love With You”
Rally at the bottom of the 9th - the 4onthefloor – “Lionhearted”
Game’s over, Twins win - Rogue Valley – “Onward and Over”

Inning breaks (in no particular order)

Howler – “Back of Your Neck”
Mark Mallman – “Minneapolis”
Tapes ‘N Tapes – “Freak Out”
Trampled By Turtles – “Victory”
I Self Divine – “Ice Cold”
Cloud Cult – “No One Said It Would Be Easy”
The Jayhawks – “Save It For A Rainy Day”
Lookbook – “True to Form”

If you’re on Spotify, you can listen and subscribe to my Minnesota Twins playlist here.

This comes on the heels of Livability.com naming Minneapolis as having the second best music scene in the U.S. (behind Athens, Ga., and excluding New York City, Los Angeles and Nashville).

Even with the recent controversy over local band Howler’s comments about how stifling the Cities’ music tastemakers can be, I think most can agree that Minneapolis does have a pretty great music scene. We must be doing something right. Even if we are skipped over by many large acts during their world tours. Thanks, Chicago…

I will admit that I’ve yet to actually go to a show at the Cedar. The closest I’ve come is eating some amazing food at the Wienery next door. In my time since being old enough to start going to shows, I believe I’ve been to just about every venue in town at least once; First Ave., 7th Street Entry, Fine Line, Orpheum, Target Center, Women’s Club of Minneapolis, etc. and over in St. Paul; Xcel, Ordway, Artist’s Quarter, etc..

This upcoming Saturday they have a sold out show for the Swedish duo First Aid Kit whose song Emmylou has been a guilty pleasure as of late. However, by the time I heard about the show it was sold out. I gather it’s about time to make checking out the Cedar a priority and I have my sights set on Amadou & Mariam in August.

Kudos to the Cedar Cultural Center, which I would like to note, is a non-profit organization. Accolades such as “Best World Music Venue” make it easy to take pride in a community where non-profits can sustain and give back to the community in so many facets such as Finnegans Community Fund and the Minnesota Children’s Museum over in St. Paul (where I also interned for a number or months).

I probably spend way too much time enjoying music — concerts, CDs, iTunes, Sirius, rock autobiographies, Palladia, VH1 Classic and feeble attempts to learn some new riffs on my Stratocaster. Even the occasional blog post, like this one.

From classic rock, hard rock and alt rock to heavy metal, glam metal and hair metal — if it includes three chords and a Marshall stack, you can count me in. I particularly love rock ‘n’ roll documentaries, and I’ve seen several good ones recently, so I thought I’d share some recommendations with our loyal Peepshow readers.

I’ll leave out some of the obvious classics like “Woodstock”, “Gimme Shelter,” “No Direction Home: Bob Dylan” and one of my personal favorites, “The Decline of Western Civilization Part 2: The Metal Years.”

So, here are five documentaries released in the last few years that you must see if you like rock music.

5) “It Might Get Loud” – The film showcases the history of the electric guitar through the eyes of Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White. It traces the musical careers of the three icons from the first time they picked up a guitar and culminates with a summit, where all three musicians gather to swap stories and share styles, influences and techniques. Of course, they jam as well. If you enjoy good guitar work, make the 90-minute investment and check it out.

4) “Foo Fighters: Back and Forth” — The Foo documentary came out recently as part of the massive marketing push around the band’s latest album. It’s very entertaining, featuring plenty of behind-the-scenes footage, and the story of the band is told from start to finish through sit down interviews with current and former band members. It starts with Dave Grohl’s Nirvana days and ends with the recording sessions for the new album, which were done in his garage. Good stuff and Grohl’s sense of humor is on display throughout.

3)  ”Lemmy: 49% Motherf**ker, 51% Son of a Bitch” — I don’t like Motorhead, but I really liked this documentary about the band’s legendary lead singer. And I think you’ll like it too. It is a very real look at Lemmy’s life, which consists of living in a junk-filled apartment off the Sunset Strip, sitting at the famous Rainbow bar playing the trivia machine, carousing in Los Angeles with some of his famous friends and relentlessly touring around the globe. This guy is one of a kind and the film crew followed him for three years, capturing the 65-year-old living the same lifestyle he did in 1968. Good material and plenty of appearances from some top rockers with Lemmy stories to share.

2) “Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage” — Great storytelling, well preserved old footage of the band growing up together in Canada, concert footage ranging from early days playing in gymnasiums to their arena tours. The movie brings to life the 40-year history of the world’s biggest cult band in a way that makes you appreciate their unorthodox approach – going against the grain of the music industry at nearly every turn and still churning out 24 gold records. The band members are really talented, really smart and this documentary is really well done. Trust me.

1) “Anvil: The Story of Anvil” — When I first started watching, I was convinced this was a Spinal Tap inspired mockumentary, but it’s not. Anvil is a real band. They have been together for more than 30 years and I don’t think any band has ever continued to persevere in the face of despair like Anvil has. The centerpiece of the movie is the band’s effort to record a new album and launch a European tour – which goes nightmarishly bad. They are literally playing to 3 guys in a dive bar one night, then fighting with each other and fighting club owners for payment the next. And their woefully underqualified promoter puts them in bad situations at every turn. It ranks high on the unintentional comedy scale, but it is also kind of inspiring. These guys just won’t let their dream die. And the best part is that the film put them back on the map. Since its debut, they have opened for AC/DC, played large-scale festivals and made their way back through Europe on tour – successfully this time.

I know there are so many great music documentaries out there. Tell me what you think of these selections if you’ve seen them and please pass along some recommendations for me to add to my viewing list.

Napster paved the way for the use of the Internet for music promotion and distribution. And while many say it started the downfall of quality music and the giant music labels, Napster also provided a new venue for unknown artists and indie bands to be heard. Through the peer-to-peer file sharing network thousands, if not millions, of people had free access to download music they might never have heard otherwise.

A couple great examples are Radiohead and Dispatch. Both bands were small and had limited promotional power, yet both experienced tremendous success. One could argue that the popularity of both bands can be attributed to Napster.

Not long after the demise of Napster, MySpace was launched. MySpace became the go-to site for anyone seeking information about a band, including tour dates, samples of their music and other bands or music labels with which they are affiliated. A free informational and promotional service for any musician was a brilliant concept, and they really put the cherry on the top when they began broadcasting live concerts.

MySpace’s social media nemesis, Facebook, is another fantastic tool for bands and could arguably be more valuable. By allowing bands to maintain an ongoing conversation with fans, alongside content that includes photo galleries, videos, tour dates and opportunities to listen to songs, Facebook helps musicians create a loyal fan base.

There are also other sites created specifically for bands or music lovers, like Reverb Nation and Our Stage. Reverb Nation provides the tools bands need to be successful, like links to management, labels and venues, and also gives fans an opportunity to browse a few hundred thousand bands. Our Stage is a site that is “dedicated to discovering the best new music.”

And of course I can’t forget about Twitter. Twitter goes far beyond an email list of fans. It allows bands to provide their fans, peers and influencers with updates on new information relevant to the band or the music industry.

Social media offers bands the chance to self-promote by engaging with fans, influencers, concert and club promoters, booking agents and even music labels. Most importantly, they give a band a voice before they sign with a label or even play a show. I remember when I would go to a show to see a headlining act, and become a fan of the opening act after hearing them for the first time. Now, I see who is opening and do reconnaissance by visiting a social media site or two, give the band a listen and get a feel for their style before seeing them. It is almost expected to know about all the bands you are going to see before you see them live.

The age of what is too-often referred to as Web 2.0 has taken a huge, much needed toll on the music industry. It has given us the opportunity to have new music at our fingertips, become friends with our favorite bands and stay on top of when they will be in our area, what they are doing and when the much anticipated next album will be out.

I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Peepshow readers: What do you think the Internet did to the music industry? Did it change how you listen? What would you like more of as a fan?

It is undeniable that Joe Mauer and Brother Ali are kings of the Twin Cities. Both have achieved superstar status in the last few years with their natural talents and abilities and have not forgotten their roots.

Brother Ali has become a household hip-hop name with sold-out worldwide tours; his most recent album reached No. 56 in the Billboard top 100 albums. Joe Mauer is not only talked about by every man, woman and child in Minneapolis, but also by most Americans as he is on his way to being the best catcher baseball has ever seen. In 5 seasons of professional baseball, Mauer has had three all star appearances, two Gold Gloves and three Silver Slugger awards, and he’s a three-time American League batting champion and 2009 Most Valuable Player.

Two superstars, plain and simple — what’s the big deal, right? Wrong. These two magnificent gents grew up the Twin Cities and continue to stay here though it is obvious they could move on to bigger things. While building their lives here, they have managed to avoid the flashy lifestyles many superstars choose to live. Brother Ali could easily sign with a major hip hop label and climb to the top of the charts with the help of distribution, promotion and major world tours, and Joe Mauer could accept a competing contract from another ball club for several million more than he may get here in Minnesota.

Is it worth it for more money and fame? I say no. Wearing the crowns in this city and making amounts of money no one can scowl at for such young men – plus being loved by your community – is more than anyone could ever hope for.

Joe and Ali, if you are reading, I can assure you we Minnesotans (yes, I consider myself a Minnesotan now that I have up-to-date plates and tags claiming 10,000 lakes) will stand behind you if you ever release a sub-par album, bat under .300, do a duet with Macy Gray or even sleep with a few waitresses. We will never boo you, badmouth you, stop buying your records or quit hoping our kids grow up to be as successful and talented as you. You will be loved forever in Minnesota – if you stay here.

Ninja, Yo-Landi and DJ Hi-Tek made all their music and music videos on their own with the help of some good friends. They have been bubbling under the media radar for a while, and it finally exploded on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook after the first week of February, when boing boing first blogged about them.

Die Antwoord claimed that they put a Puma logo on their website because Puma gives them free clothes and free shoes (Puma is not giving them money, way to go Puma!). Jagermeister also came across with some freebies — they are probably pouring shots in their mouths as we speak. But Die Antwoord is certainly putting these two well-known brands on the next level.

Die Antwoord began to get noticed after they launched their musik on wat ky kjy, the legendary Zef Afrikaans blog that became Die Antwoord’s home. Google helped, too. Their music videos are streamed by YouTube, and there’s a lot of discussion on Facebook and Twitter or bloggers and news websites.

Live Nation, the biggest events company in the world, wants to make a deal with them. There’s an international bidding war going on at the moment over who’s going to represent them. EMI Worldwide and Interscope Universal are bidding for their soul.

This is truly the music sensation of 2010 and I always love materials from the early stage of a musician’s career, when it’s fresh and it’s popping!

Check out one more video when they were jamming on the taxi:

Taxijam presents Die Antwoord from taxijam on Vimeo.

At the risk of offending, well, everyone, I’ve decided to cap off the great year known as 2009 with a recollection of the year’s best music. How is “best music” defined? It’s rather precise: “best” = “my favorite.”

Compiling a list like this is one of the hardest things in the world to do. If I’d have spent the energy and passion I put into this post instead on, say, ending steroid use in baseball, Craig Counsell would finally get his due. And I’m pretty sure I’ll want to leave comments arguing with myself, pointing out great music I forgot to include — starting about 10 minutes after I publish this.

One thing I was pretty strict about: 2009. If the music wasn’t released this year, it didn’t qualify. So as much as I’d love to tell you about the Kings of Leon’s newest album (which was released in 2008 but came to fame in 2009) or this awesome version of Tom Jones’ ”If He Should Ever Leave You” (though this version was recorded this year, the song was released earlier), I can’t.

Is this list foolishy and hopelessly biased and shortsighted? Hell ,yeah. But for every ounce of shortsightedness this list has, these songs have a full metric ton of awesomeness. Will I feel very differently about this list in a day, week, month or year? Absolutely, but we’ll all get over it.

I encourage you to share your own suggestions. We all love discovering new tunes.

Now behold, in no particular order, the raddest tunes of 2009.

Jimmy Fallon as Neil Young – “Fresh Prince Theme“
“In West Philadelphia, born and raised — on the playground is where I spent most of my days.” For people of a certain generation, reciting those lyrics is second nature. Jimmy Fallon, in a dead-on Neil Young impersonation, takes Will Smith’s hip-hop theme folk. And it’s oddly beautiful. Discovering this song made me giddy.

Camera Obscura – “French Navy”
Very nice lead vocal with a perfect chorus that just brings it on home.

Pearl Jam – “The Fixer“
For some stupid reason, the record label or someone connected with this awesome song doesn’t want me to show this awesome video — YouTube embedding has been disabled. Boo.

Kid Cudi – “Pursuit of Happiness”
It took me way too long to hear this song for the first time, but when I did, me likey. A great hook makes this song an instant hit. But I don’t condone driving drunk.

Vampire Weekend – “Horchata”
Catchy as hell. Very Paul Simon-esque, it’ll make you tap your toes and wonder what the hell horchata is.

Brother Ali – “Us”
Maybe Minneapolis isn’t known for its rap scene (sorry, Atmosphere), but Brother Ali is reason enough for the Twin Cities to stake its claim. (This video is for a different, slightly shorter version of the song, but it’s cool.)

The Dead Weather – “I Cut Like a Buffalo”
No, I cannot talk about the Dead Weather without talking about Jack White. Thanks for asking. That’d be like talking about Simon and Garfunkel without talking about Simon. In my book, the Dead Weather don’t keep up with White’s work in his previous side project, but “Buffalo” does indeed rock my socks.

Gossip – “Heavy Cross”
Beth Ditto will rock your face off with a powerful lead vocal in this infectious dance-rock number. Whenever I hear the first few bars of this song, the stereo gets turned up to 11.

Animal Collective – “My Girls”
I think this is the go-to song for people who want other people to think they’re hip. It just sounds like cool kids are supposed to like it.

Modest Mouse – “Satellite Skin“
One of my favorite bands keeps on keepin’ on. I love when great bands don’t fade.

The Decemberists – “The Rake’s Song”
Not afraid to write quirky songs that contain vocabulary most fans wouldn’t have previously heard — let alone understood — The Decemberists excel at simple folk tunes, funky dance numbers and stuff that borders on straight-up hard rock.

Bon Iver – “Blood Bank”
If this understated, slightly haunting song doesn’t qualify as gorgeous, I’m not sure what does.

Neko Case – “This Tornado Loves You“
Neko is a member of rock band The New Pornographers, and she’s Canadian. But I don’t hold that against her, mostly because she has a stunning voice.

Jay-Z and Alicia Keys – “Empire State of Mind“
In my book, Ms. Keys gets the credit for this song. Enough said.

Andrew Bird – “Oh No“
Jodi Petrich: Don’t listen to this song. Bird is a great songwriter, though he arguably leans a bit too much on his crutch of choice: whistling. Jodi hates whistling.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Zero”
Sure, the guitarist is great and the drummer really holds it down, but vocalist Karen O puts any Yeah Yeah Yeahs song over the top. “Zero” is no exception.

Rodrigo y Gabriela – “Buster Voodo”
Perhaps best known for their amazing nylon-string covers of classics like “Stairway to Heaven,” this Hendrix-y song from the new album 11:11 simply rocks.

Owl City – “Fireflies”
You’ve heard this kid’s story, right? If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Owl City seems to be flattering the hell out of Ben Gibbard. To good effect, I’d say.

Grizzly Bear – “Two Weeks”
Was this song overplayed during the past year? Yes. Is it still good? Yes.

Chairlift – “Bruises”
Bass-driven tune with a sweet melody. Your girlfriend will love it, and you won’t have to tell her you do, too.

Passion Pit – “Sleepyhead“
Go ahead. Listen to this song, and then try to tell me it’s not stuck in your head. And then I’ll call you a liar. Because at that point, you’ll be a liar.

Felt – “Protagonists“
It seems this is the Current’s most often played hip-hop song of late, and that’s a good thing.

Norah Jones – “Chasing Pirates“
Part of me hates myself for putting this song on this list, but the rest of me can’t help myself.

Weezer – “(If You Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To”
Remember when Weezer was awesome? Guess what: They still are.

Monsters of Folk – “Say Please”
Supergroup! My Morning Jacket + M Ward + Bright Eyes = MyMorningBrightWardEyeJacket. Just kidding. It actually equals great music.

Dinosaur Jr. – “I Want You to Know“
So what if J Mascis doesn’t exactly look like a rock star? He is a rock star — and has been for decades.

Jordan Knight and his "right stuff" visited St. Paul last week (Source: Facebook)

I firmly believe in preemptively outing myself. Thus when a friend offered me a ticket to the upcoming New Kids On The Block concert, I openly told my colleagues why I was leaving the daily grind a wee bit early.

They mocked. I shrugged. To me, a concert is about the entertainment factor, not about musical appreciation.

Judging the concert on this criteria, I’ve got to tell you: I’ve NEVER been as amused as during NKOTB.

To be honest, it had very little to do with the five 30somethings strutting to teeny-bopper songs. It had everything to do with the screaming, hysterical 30somethings who were cheering them on in their early ’90s attire (think torn capri tights, concert tees and mini denim skirts).

As I marveled at their enthusiasm – and, let’s be honest – as I joined in, I tried to pinpoint the attraction to an aging boy band.

My theory? Most girls have fairly dramatic tween years. In between the traumatic fashions, nagging parents and life changes, ages 11 to 13 are not filled with great memories.

However, this concert allowed each of us a chance to revisit a completely positive tween memory.

And revisit we did…

P.S. The post title? Donnie for President was a sign that an eager fan carried to the concert and later gave to Donnie Wahlberg to share onstage.

The Jayhawks were enormously talented, and unquestionably leaders in the emergence of the alt-country movement that spawned Wilco, Ryan Adams and so many others. I’d argue the Jayhawks’ 1989 classic “Blue Earth” is one of the best albums ever released by a Minnesota band, and follow-ups like “Hollywood Town Hall” (1992) and “Tomorrow the Green Grass” (1995) confirmed their brilliance. Saddled with record-company debt and label indifference, however, the Jayhawks broke up without reaching the national status they deserved. Would things have been different had the Jayhawks been able to get around the record labels and do what bands like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails have done to promote themselves online and sell directly to fans through digital downloads?  Perhaps so.   

They are not alone.  In honor of the Jayhawks’ resurfacing, I’ve compiled a list of the Five Best Twin Cities Bands That Could Have Been Saved by the Internet:

1. Trip Shakespeare  — Trip Shakespeare’s sound was unique, complex and exhilarating, and those lucky enough to catch their three-part harmonies live walked into the night convinced they had just discovered the Next Great Band.  They inspired huge word-of-mouth buzz, but their sound was not really radio friendly, leaving the fate of a couple stellar major-label releases to the mercy of inept record company marketers. The Wilson brothers, Matt and Dan, found success with other projects: Matt has had a fine solo career, highlighted by his stunning “Burnt White and Blue” album. Dan and bass player, John Munson, found national prominence with Semisonic, and Dan has even won a songwriting Grammy, teaming with the Dixie Chicks.  But in my opinion, Trip Shakespeare was their best work, and they were the ideal band to follow the online path to commercial success forged by such innovators as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead.

2. The Suburbs –   Do yourself a favor and download The Suburbs’ “Love is the Law.”  (Better yet, head over to your local, independant record store.) Go ahead. Then try telling me these guys didn’t, for a very brief period in the ’80s, have a place among the most exciting bands in America.

3. Run Westy Run — Before launching Iffy, the brothers Johnson fronted the less polished and more entertaining “Westies.”  They were raw, loud, brash and unpredictable. The Westies album “Green Cat Island” bears witness to the notion that musical talent is not necessarily prerequisite to musical genius.  I always thought they were the musical equivalent of a Jackson Pollack painting. Lead singer Kirk Johnson could barely carry a tune, and and they were not particularly accomplished musicians at that point.  But when you stepped back and considered the whole, you realized these guys had captured lightening in a bottle. Sadly, they never established themselves on the national radar.

4. Gear Daddies –  The ‘Dads songs captured small town life in a way that makes John Mellencamp look like a city slicker.  They had a huge and loyal regional following, and got a taste of national fame with an appearance on Letterman.  But they broke up not long thereafter.  Frontman Martin Zellar put out a few strong solo records, and the Gear Daddies occassionally regroup, but those flashes only reinforce what might have been.

5. The Widgets — I saw the Widgets dozens of times, drawn in by the band’s sense of humor and obvious love of playing music together.  Their set lists ranged from drunken covers of Neil Young’s “Down By The River” to quirky, often off-key originals with a slacker point-of-view.  Frontman Aaron Seymour’s between-song banter was funny and engaging. You never got the sense that these guys were in it for much more than some beer money and to meet girls. Their charisma and quirkiness would have translated beautifully to a MySpace page, and perhaps propelled them to bigger stages and a broader following. 

Your turn.  What’s the best local band you ever saw that could have been saved by the Internet?  Or, better, what are some examples of bands on today’s local scene that are going around the record labels to successfully build a national following via the Internet?

I listen to the same song over and over and over for hours on end until the song eventually blurs into a monotonous background drone. HHHHHHMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMM. It is not at all charming and I admit that listening to music in this tedious and unconventional fashion has devastating effects on personal relationships – hence my headphone neuroticism. I’m not always proud of this and I tend to guard my iTunes library in order to prevent people from seeing the ridiculously high play count of certain tracks. I can’t help it.

People listen to music differently. Some people make eclectic mixes, some listen by genre, some by musical attributes. Me, I exhaustively listen to a single track until I’ve acquired all of the musical nourishment I need. Then I will move on to a new song, like the Borg.

Don’t get me wrong; I don’t listen to all music this way. I love the radio and I love a good album that tells a story. However, listening to a song on repeat helps me concentrate – it’s like having a motivational soundtrack to whatever task I’m working on. And you know, if I hear a new song that I really like, I just can’t help but listen the shit out of it.