If a duo can qualify as a “supergroup,” then Freekbot is a legit local music supergroup. Freekbot features Freekbass (a.k.a. bassist/singer Chris Sherman of Funk crew Freekbass) and Tobotius (a.k.a. Tobe Donohue, producer and founder of world-renowned turntable crew Animal Crackers) in an Electronic duo configuration.  

Local Ska/Reggae/Soul group The Pinstripes are throwing themselves a well-deserved release party in honor of their solid sophomore LP, titled simply I, this Friday at Bangarang’s of Covington (in the old Mad Hatter space). Firecracker-hot Chicago Soul/Funk band JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound joins eclectic local Indie group SHADOWRAPTR and Funk/Soul/Pop crew Sassafraz as openers for the all-ages, 8:30 p.m. show.   

Covington native and legendary bassist on numerous crucial sessions done for Cincinnati’s King Records, Ed Conley, passed away on Jan. 5 at the age of 84. Following the private memorial for family a couple of weeks ago, friends and admirers this Thursday will gather at the Gwen Mooney Funeral Home (inside Spring Grove Cemetery at 4521 Spring Grove Ave.) at 1 p.m. for a public ceremony.  

One of the hardest touring and most internationally renowned bands to come out of Cincinnati in the past decade, electrifying carnival rockers Foxy Shazam, are all set to release their new album, The Rock and Roll Church, which is due in stores this Tuesday.  

Friday at Northside Tavern, “Cosmic Roots” band Shiny Old Soul celebrates the release of its first full-length album, Cash Is King. The band is joined by Sassy Molasses and Dante’s Gypsy Circus for the free event.    

The Southgate House wasn’t the only storied and beloved local music venue to shut down after its New Year’s Eve 2011 show. Last Saturday also marked the end of local Jazz institution the Blue Wisp Jazz Club … at least at its home on Eighth Street between Broadway and Sycamore. Unlike the Southgate, fans of the Wisp shouldn’t be sad, though.  

The Southgate House’s show on New Year’s Eve headlined by local Punk band The Dopamines will be the last ever for the beloved Newport club under its current, longstanding management. The future of the venue under new ownership is uncertain.  

With Christmas falling on a weekend this year, there are far fewer live music shows in the area this season. But on the weekdays there are some excellent options.    

On Aug. 30 of last year, local Country artist Dallas Moore and his band teamed up with longtime Willie Nelson guitarist Jody Payne to celebrate the 61st anniversary of music icon Hank Williams’ historic recording sessions at Cincinnati’s Herzog recording facilities.  

Though there are a few local bands that have been known to play only one show a year, but the Punk Pop band Kevin and the Octaves might be the only active, successful act capable of pulling off an annual “one-off.”  

The day after popular Covington club The Mad Hatter hosted its “closing party,” Newport’s Southgate House, one of the most unique and notable venues in the Midwest, issued a press release to announce its own closing. While the Mad Hatter booking/managing core will continue in a similar vein with shows at the Madison Theater and a new, smaller venue nearby that's reportedly set to open in the new year, the Southgate House “magic” is a bit harder to replicate.  

Black Friday is not only about bargains and mall stampedes. This year, singer/songwriter/guitarist Maurice Mattei and his band The Tempers have chosen the day after Thanksgiving to release its latest project, The Tempers Christmas Show, in conjunction with a performance Friday at the York Street Café in Newport.  

The website Cincy Groove is a great resource for local music fans, with podcasts, interviews, reviews, news and photography centered around area performers and touring artists coming to town. Photographer/designer/artist Scott Preston founded the site four years ago. This Saturday, the site is hosting a fourth anniversary party at Covington’s Madison Theater.  

The Cincinnati Entertainment Awards ceremony is just a couple weeks away (deadline to vote for your favorite nominees is Friday at noon), but its sister event, BRINK: A New Music Showcase, returns for its 11th year this Saturday.   

Last year, officials in Marshall, Texas, declared its city the birthplace of Boogie Woogie music. But 13 years ago, local pianist Ricky Nye started a tradition that has made Greater Cincinnati (or, more precisely, Newport, Ky.) one of the premiere active hubs in the U.S. for the rolling, rollicking American style of Blues/R&B music that dates back to the late 1800s.