The Current is a member-supported public radio station that brings you the best authentic new music alongside the music that inspired it, from unique to universal, indie to influential, new to nostalgic. Broadcasting from Minnesota, listen to The Current and you'll see why we say, “Great Music Lives Here.” Find playlists, interviews and more at thecurrent.org.
In this weekly show, David Safar — the music director at The Current (find it on Slacker) — guides you through the best new releases each week. New Hot is a mix of new songs from emerging and established artists, giving you a preview of the new albums being released this week.
Musicheads Essentials is a feature from The Current (find it on Slacker) where the station's staff share some of their favorite albums of all time with listeners. Each week, a different host or staff member from The Current chooses an essential album from his or her collection and tells you why it’s something to love.
Mark Wheat is heard weekdays 6-10 p.m. on The Current and a DJ with the station since it launched in 2005. He tries to emulate his hero, the late, great BBC DJ John Peel, introducing new music to the audience by mixing it with songs they know and love. Wheat was raised near Cambridge, England, permanently relocating to the United States in 1983. He won the City Pages' "Best AM Radio Personality" in 2004; and "Best FM Radio Personality" in 2009. Between 1999 and 2003, he was a resident DJ at First Avenue and The Lounge for which he was awarded the honor of "Best Club DJ" in 2000-2001 by the Minnesota Music Academy.
Jade is The Current’s Morning Show Producer and on-air host for 89.3 The Current. During her tenure, she's interviewed favorite artists such as the Decemberists and Girl Talk. She is also producer for The Current's Sunday night specialty show, "In the Studio," and for the live event series, "The Current Road Trip," which brings Current DJs and local bands to select cities throughout Minnesota.
Steve Seel co-hosts weekday mornings on The Current with Jill Riley from 6-10 a.m. He possesses a broad knowledge of many musical genres, having hosted radio programs ranging from classical to jazz and even avant-garde music before joining Classical MPR in 1999. In 2005, Seel become one of the founding voices on MPR's The Current, and since then has enjoyed being an advocate for engaging, adventurous modern music with a particular soft-spot for artists who tilt slightly to the experimental side. His resume' includes in-depth interviews with musical luminaries ranging from Brian Eno to Wayne Coyne, David Byrne to Tori Amos, and he also conducted the first on-air interview with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. Seel is an avid reader of political and social commentary as well, and he emcees The Current's popular Policy and a Pint community series, featuring discussions with noted scholars, politicians, community leaders, authors and big thinkers on important issues of the day.
