Erik Moe Art & Design

Minnesota Public Radio has announced that it is launching a music station for “listeners who have grown up in the digital generation. Whatever that means. From all appearances, this looks to be a Minnesota-flavored KEXP. The key staffers announced so far are Steve Nelson, who helped start Radio K, and Thorn, a DJ from the departed and much-loved Rev105. Yow.

“Once it debuts, the audience can expect to hear musical artists ranging from local favorites such as Mason Jennings, The Replacements, Olympic Hopefuls and The Jayhawks to modern icons such as The Postal Service, Lucinda Williams, Alejandro Escovedo, Joni Mitchell, U2 and the Arcade Fire. Artists such as Chet Baker, Johnny Cash and Ella Fitzgerald will creep in periodically.”

That language is almost exactly the way Rev105 used to be described (substituting The Jesus & Mary Chain, Morphine, Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Soul Coughing, and Soul Asylum, for the newer acts), which makes me optimistic that the station won’t be too folked out or new-agey the way some of the new music public radio stations lean.

Back in the day (the day being 1995 or so), there were adventurous commercial radio stations owned by smallish companies. In Minneapolis there was Rev105 (and KJ104 before it). These commercial stations were run by people who were deeply involved in the local music scene. Most notably, by Kevin Cole a former First Avenue DJ (Cole now is at Seattle’s KEXP). In high school and college I learned to love music throuh Kevin Cole and the other DJs on those stations. Here’s hoping the best for the new MPR service.

Related: What’s Up with 89.3