BY MIKE BREEN

Women, Rhythm and Harmony
Love Canal Entertainment is continuing the noble efforts of raising the profile of local female artists with "A Night of Women & Rhythm," a showcase for female singer/songwriters at the Southgate House on Friday. Following the successful "Chicks Rock" event a couple of weeks ago and last week's "Rag Party" celebrating the new feminist 'zine The Rag, this show -- which is more acoustically focused -- is indicative of a local scene that is beginning to realize that a sense of community can be a sure route to success. It seems like it has been ages since female artists have collectively risen up and commanded attention via a collaborative flurry of activity.

Friday's Southgate show will feature Andrea Rosenthal of Venus Mission, Amy O'Meara of Beatrice, Annette Shepherd, Tracy Walker and organizer Andrea S. DeGolier of Tornado Green. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to VH-1's Save the Music foundation, which is striving to preserve dwindling musical programs in schools around the country.

"It's so fulfilling to see other women succeed and if we encourage each other it really helps," says DeGolier. "It is an honor to be a musician and I have always believed that as female performers we need to support one another. In the past, being a woman performer was taken more as a novelty than seriously. I think performers like Ani DiFranco, Tori Amos (and) Tracy Chapman, to name a few, have really helped people to take notice that different is good. If you have music you have the universe."

Rumors, Lies and General Misunderstandings
· The City of Montgomery kicks off its annual "Sensory Sundays" series this weekend at Terwilliger's Lodge, starting at 4 p.m. The event features local chefs' dishes for your taste buds, artwork for your eyes and local musicians for your ears. Music for Sunday's kickoff comes in the form of a "Vocal Summit," with Mary Ellen Tanner and Larry Kinley sharing the mic and Phil DeGreg, Lou Lausche and John Von Ohlen providing the Jazz backdrop. Future aural accompaniment will be provided by jazzers Rick VanMatre and the Phil DeGreg Trio (Feb. 23), Latin Jazz troupe Fiesta Del Sol (March 9) and Big Band Swing from the Buffalo Ridge Jazz Band. For ticket info, call 513-891-2424.

· Congrats to local musician Zach Mechlem for recently winning the national Shure Music Roots songwriting competition. Mechlem, who has played with numerous local bands and currently works with World music juggernaut Mohenjo Dara, submitted his song "Dakota," from his solo CD, The Haight Gang. Mechlem was whisked away to the NAMM Conference in California and was awarded $5,000 in music equipment. "I just wanted to share with fellow musicians that, if all else fails, try entering as many songwriting contests as you can," Mechlem says. Check out www.mp3.com/zjm for some samples of his work.

· Matthew Shelton has taken over Thursday nights at Cody Café's new downstairs lounge. Each evening features a different guest artist, as well as a headlining set from Shelton, who also fronts the eclectic duo Me or the Moon. Thursday night's guest is elecTRObus; Feb. 13 it'll be Toby Ellis (Len's Lounge); Feb. 20 check out ex-Monkey Biscuit singer Rob Ervin's High Strung Lifters; and on Feb. 27 you can hear the extraordinary Indie Pop of The Underwoods. Check the Me or the Moon Web site (mymagnet.no-frills.net) for updates.

· The Weston Art Gallery at the Aronoff Center in downtown Cincinnati recently announced the release of Irato, a live recording culled from a performance/installation by Tony Luensman and the Current Quartet. The exhibit at the downtown gallery was the third in a series of projects funded and commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts; it featured a mix of sound sculptures, interactive devices and handmade instruments. The disc -- available as a part of the documenting Irato exhibition catalogue -- can be purchased at the Weston or online at www.cincinnatiarts.org/weston.

E-mail Mike Breen

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