Minnesota’s music lineage runs remarkably deep, and that enduring heritage becomes the centerpiece of a fresh digital collection from Sub Pop. The label refers to the project as a mixtape, calling Maximum MN, yet it evokes the same kind of timeless compilation that Sub Pop would have issued in earlier decades. This edition functions as a fundraiser for the International Institute Of Minnesota, an organization devoted to helping immigrants and refugees, set against the backdrop of ICE’s brutal raids across the state.
On Maximum MN, eight artists from Sub Pop’s roster pay tribute to eight tracks that originated in Minnesota. Consequently, listeners are treated to strong interpretations of beloved songs: Downtown Boys covering the Replacements’ “Can’t Hardly Wait,” Sweeping Promises reimagining Hüsker Dü’s “Something I Learned Today,” Shabazz Palaces reworking Prince’s “Pop Life,” and Jenn Wasner’s Flock Of Dimes taking on Low’s “Especially Me.”
The set also offers a few playful oddities. Sub Pop veterans Mudhoney tackle Halo Of Flies, the band they once shared a scene with in the underground of the 1980s. Weird Nightmare, Alex Edkins’ solo project from METZ, covers Paul Westerberg, who also ventured into solo material after leading The Replacements. (We all wear multiple personas, after all.) I never found myself drawn to Hippo Campus, but Yuno’s rendition of their track “The Way It Goes” lands well. And Pissed Jeans leans into the fun factor with a take on “Body Rules,” the 1984 single by Jesse “The Body” Ventura, then-Governor and pop-culture figure. Take a listen to the compilation below.
Maximum MN is out now via Sub Pop and is available on Bandcamp. It skips any Bob Dylan covers—perhaps that would feel a touch too cute.
