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Music

August picks: Shoegazers, '90s country, MN singles and enchanting vocals

A collage of seven album covers. From left to right in the top row: A blue-grey watercolor painting of mountains, a reddish orange painting of a woman lying next to a skull, a green apple with peel around it, a purple back of a guitar. From left to right in the bottom row: A woman in a white dress with shimmering water around her, a man in a leather jacket with a skyline behind him, a dimly lit man with a cowboy hat playing guitar.
Contributed
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Graphic by Malachy Koons
Artwork from the KAXE Music Team's favorite music of Aug. 2025

The KAXE Music Team wraps up their favorite music released in August on the "Monthly Music Recap," heard on "Headwaters," including The Spine Stealers and Young Dervish.

We brought in a ringer.

With Music Director Kari Hedlund busy planning Grand Rapids Riverfest, KAXE reporter and fellow music lover Megan Buffington stepped in like she's been talkin' tunes (and razzin' DJ Dang) her whole life.

Her favorites from the month of August included the '90s country of Zach Top, plus the enchanting voices of Seattle late bloomer Dean Johnson and Wisconsin folk duo The Spine Stealers.

The calendrically challenged DJ Dang chose Old Crow Medicine Show founding member Ketch Secor's solo debut and a pair of Minnesota singles from Duluth chanteuse Ingeborg von Agassiz and Minneapolis highlife singer Obi Original.

The Music Team's love for Minnesota music continued with Malachy Koons, who picked shoegazers she's green, guitar slayer and maker Young Dervish and Big Thief with Laraaji.

Listen to the full recap above.

What are you listening to? Join the music conversation! Text us at 218-326-1234 or send us an email.

Malachy joined Northern Community Radio in 2022, where he helps curate the sound of KAXE and gets to share his passion for local music as Producer of Minnesota Mixtape, an all Minnesota music show airing Fridays at 10 a.m. and Saturdays at 3 p.m. You can also find him hosting Headwaters every Tuesday and Wednesday at 9 a.m. and 10 p.m., and curating our weekly live music feature The Setlist.
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