The Slants founding member Simon Young stands in front of some rad looking military vehicles on a NATO base in Kosovo, Republica Srpska, Bosnia And Herzegovina.

Portland, Ore. (Jan. 18, 2012) — Hardened rock-n-roll veterans The Slants took their electrifying stage show all the way to Eastern Europe for a holiday tour of multinational military bases.

The Portland, Oregon-based rock group entertained troops over the New Years holiday at Camp Butmir NATO base in Sarajevo, Bosnia, and then in Kosovo at Camp Bondsteel U.S. Army base and Film City NATO base in Pristina.

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AAP staff report

ST. PAUL (Dec. 16, 2011) — Venus On Fire, a Twin Cities rock band with two Hmong American founding members has released its second EP “My Furious Frenzy” this month — a follow-up to the 2009 EP “Clone Factory” that brought the band enough critical and popular attention to embark on a tour.

The band is fronted by lead vocalist and keyboardist Tory Envy. Leng Moua is the guitarist and inspiration behind the band, along with bassist Carl Smith.

Envy describes their new EP as more guitar-driven than the first release that had a heavy synthesizer sound. She said the vocals are more complex this time around with harmonies and overlaying.

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Los Angeles-based Cambodian American band Dengue Fever will be in Minneapolis to perform and promote their new album, Cannibal Courtship on Friday, June 3, 2011 at First Avenue’s 7th Street Entry, 701 1st Ave North, Minneapolis. (Photo by Lauren Dukoff, courtesy of Fantasy Records/Concord Music Group)

By Ammala Douangsavanh

Described as everything from Cambodian psychedelic surf rock to global pop fusion, Dengue Fever is the vanguard of a new breed of music that mixes genres and cultures to create a sound that is at once foreign, but familiar.

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Asobi Seksu vocalist and keyboardist Yuki Chikudate, will be in town to perform with the band including co-founding member James Hanna, guitar and vocals. They will be in town with their alternative band to perform at First Avenue’s 7th Street Entry on March 1. (Artist photo)

Asobi Seksu returns to First Avenue, Downtown Minneapolis Tuesday, March 1 to First Avenue’s 7th St. Entry Stage. The band will appear with fellow Brooklyn-based alternative rock band, Brahms, at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $10/$12 for the 18+ show.

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Japan’s legendary all-girl rock band, Shonen Knife, is returning to Minnesota in support of their upcoming full length CD, “Free Time”, set for release on August 31, 2010 from Good Charamel Records). The band makes rolls into Minnesota as part of its 2010 North American Tour on September 20, 2010, 8:00 p.m. to play The Cave on the campus of Carleton College in Northfield, before heading off on the remainder of its Midwest and Eastern U.S, and Canadian stops.

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Thao Nguyen, lead singer of Thao With The Get Down Stay Down. (Photos by Trang Do)

By TOM LAVENTURE

AAP staff writer

MINNEAPOLIS (July 1, 2010) – This wasn’t the first visit to the Twin Cities for Thao Nguyen, and her popularity filled the Cedar Cultural Center early this month for a performance that may mark a transition in her career.

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By TOM LAVENTURE

AAP staff writer

The Portland Oregon based band The Slants have released a second CD, “Pageantry”, which contains much of the bands original sound in a much tighter package with more solid guitar than the “Asian synth-pop” 2007 CD “Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts.”

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