Whether you see his stripped down live show or hear the dense, melodic orchestration on My Back Will Bend, you will find that Melom is a richly talented singer/songwriter who is a welcomed addition to the Minneapolis music scene.

For a cynic like myself whose first instinct is to cry bullshit when bands pull out their “heart on their sleeves” routine, it was a telling experience that enabled me to realize not only how connected people are with these bands, but also that this type of music is simply not for me.

Zombie Season are a Minneapolis-based lo-fi, post punk band that mix male and female vocals and have a flair for dramatics.

The best (and worst) of the month of September (including “Backspacer,” “Pussy,” Woods, Sufjan and Dizzee) as chosen by Culture Bully contributors.

xx is one of my favorite discoveries of the year and offers a rare occasion where a band comes out of the gate with a disc that is not only enjoyable, but doesn’t sound like a pastiche of other bands.

While I Fear You, My Darkness was a pretty straightforward shot at creating electronic pop songs with killer hooks, the band extends its sound on Wild at Heart.

Though it only has three tracks, the disc is long enough to establish Free Energy as a band (potentially) worthy of its hype, and short enough to make listeners want more.

Seeing new material is always a hit or miss situation, but the night’s new songs have been so long in the waiting and were such a dramatic departure that they had an especially exciting edge to them. For fans of Sufjan Stevens, this show was about as good as it gets.

In the end, despite my initial disappointment, Girls have created a really strong debut record that has many more positives than negatives. Being a pessimistic person, I allowed the not-so-great-moments to initially keep the focus of my attention, but in the end I came to realize how great a record this is.

It sounds like the scuzzy jams of Ty Segall written and performed by a bunch of kids who skipped their morning Adderal.

Photo and video coverage of the Idle Hands and Nightinghales at the Ritz Theater’s Musical Circus in Minneapolis.

Video coverage of BLK JKS at Minneapolis’ Cedar Cultural Center.