Welcome to The Scouting Report, a monthly list of 10 Minnesota artists with exciting new projects, as curated by our local music team. If you like these picks, check out The Local Show on Sundays from 7 p.m. to midnight, hosted by Diane. Also, each Thursday, The Current's music director Jade picks great new tracks from around the world.

Jaki Blue

Jaki Blue, born Jacqueline Cavins, is an artist from Minneapolis who has been perfecting her craft for the past few years. Her unique sound is marked by soulful raspy vocals reminiscent of the late Amy Winehouse. Blue was chosen by filmmaker Joseph Strickland and songwriter Cat Ellington to record four songs for the 2018 film Dual Mania. Her recent track “Things I Haven’t Told You” showcases her sultry vocals in a unique blend of R&B and pop. Jaki Blue will perform at Icehouse on Saturday, Sept. 9, for Juice Lord’s show “Juice Lord Unplugged” featuring Kaleem the Dream and Selah C. -NT

rosie

18-year-old Minneapolis-based songwriter rosie blends influences from pop, indie rock, and R&B. Her recent single “take the hint” builds beautifully, starting off simple with vocals and guitar then adding rich layers of production. rosie knew music was her calling after making her first song, “lilac season,” produced by a high school friend. She calls her released songs “test runs of different genres, feelings and production styles,” and is now feeling pulled in a specific direction. She notes Dominic Fike, Remi Wolf, and Dijon as her biggest influences. From her very first show in January to today, rosie has played 22 shows around the Twin Cities this year. Her next performance is Friday, Sept. 29, at the RÖK Music Lounge in St. Paul. -AD

Rupert Angeleyes

The mysterious and wonderful Rupert Angeleyes is back with a psychedelic new single, “Palm Springs.” The hazy track sinks into a soft, fun, and sensuous synth world. It’s shimmery, electro, unlikely, and alluring. The tune is a stream of releases that will culminate in a yet-unnamed album release later this year, as stated on their Instagram. -YV ​

Castle Theater

Castle Theater is the music of Minneapolis songwriter Tyler Tholl. Previously in the group Maple & Beech — which began as a solo synth-pop project and eventually grew into a seven-member ensemble — Castle Theater explores a more mellow, acoustic sound. The track “Easy Does It” from his EP Four Songs was released in August, and was inspired by plants around his family’s home. You can catch Castle Theater live on Wednesday, Sept. 27 at Green Minneapolis’ Outdoor Concert Series in Peavey Plaza. -NT

Lana Leone

Lana Leone is a dream pop/indie-rock project from Minneapolis. Initially started as the solo project of Alana Christen, Lana Leone has expanded into a live band. The track “70 Days” reflects coming-of-age themes that carry throughout the recent album Meadowlark. The track starts off softly with pedal steel giving off a hint of country, and gradually shifts to rock with harder guitar riffs. The song is meant to take you on an emotional journey and it does just that. -NT

Thank You, I’m Sorry

The prolific Colleen Dow releases music under their own name, and also as the singer/guitarist of the Minneapolis/Chicago/Seattle indie rock band Thank You, I’m Sorry. “This House” shares what it’s like to be anxiety-ridden and not wanting to leave your home. The song is from their forthcoming third album, Growing in Strange Places, due out Sept. 29. Their vulnerable lyrics are met with catchy pop-punk with lovely and dangerously hypnotic results. The four-piece band will be supporting their album with a run of Midwest shows. -YV

Lizea Harper

Over the past decade, Minneapolis artist Lizea Harper has evolved from hip-hop material to a slick pop/R&B sound. On the recent single “Gullible,” Harper weaves a story of love that turned toxic. Her voice powerfully carries the song’s message of broken promises and betrayal. Earlier this year, Harper took part in a tribute to rapper Mike Dreams. -YV

Pert Near Sandstone

Although they perform alongside Americana’s biggest acts at their annual Blue Ox Music Festival, Minneapolis-based acoustic band Pert Near Sandstone have never lost the ability to create intimate music. New track “All Waves Break” was engineered and mixed by Trampled by Turtles’ Ryan Young in Minneapolis. The hopeful look at life’s challenges sets us up for their album release Waiting Days on October 20. -YV

Ian George

Ian George gifts us this sweet tune to soak up that end-of-summer feeling as temperatures cool down. Born and raised “on some lake in the deciduous forests of Minnesota” and currently based in Oregon, Ian George makes gentle folk rock. Fans of Dr. Dog, Fleet Foxes, and Slaughter Beach, Dog may enjoy his music. His soothing vocals and bright guitar riffs shine alongside his lyrics, which embody and take inspiration from nature. Nature certainly is important to the artist — after being arrested for peaceful protests against deforestation, George moved to southern Oregon where he started an off-grid farm with fellow musicians, forming groups Patchy Sanders and Fellow Pynins. George is about to embark on a West Coast tour through September, and you can catch him on Thursday, Oct. 19, at Icehouse. -AD

We Are the Willows

“When My Light Goes Out” is a departure from the folksy Americana work that first came out of We Are the Willows, and it’s been a gradual shift over the last decade for bandleader Peter Miller. Drawing on his experiences of being a husband, father, and human, the song features Miller’s falsetto and throws in deep and dense layers of tracks. Supported by Travis Collins, Hilary James, Jeremiah Satterthwaite, and Josh McKay, these songs are precise wafers of dreamy rock. “When My Light Goes Out” is culled from the EP Everything Changed, the third of three EPs recorded by producer Mike Noyce (Bon Iver, Poliça) in March of 2021. -YV