MINNEAPOLIS — In an era when musicians earn notoriously scant money from dominant digital streaming services such as Spotify, a new point of frustration is emerging for Minnesota rock acts — the unavailability of music that fans actually want to buy.
Duluth band Low recently aired its grievances with industry giant Universal Music Group over rights to its first three albums, which have long been out of print in vinyl and CD formats.
Low frontman Alan Sparhawk wants Universal to reissue the recordings or give up rights so another company can. Adding urgency to his cause: He can no longer make money as a touring artist after the death of his wife and bandmate Mimi Parker from cancer in November.
