In addition to our "cover boys" this week, The Lions Rampant, three other local acts will be out in the clubs this weekend hosting release parties for their latest recording projects: Progressive/Hard Rock band Livid Friday at Silverton's Play By Play Cafe, Bluegrass trio The Tadcasters Friday at Arnold's Bar and Grill downtown and Metal band Behead the Tyrant Saturday at Harvey's in Price Hill (the old Blue Note). Come out and support local original music.

A long-distance-relationship band with local ties will become not-so-long-distance this weekend as they team up for a few CD release events in the area. The trio is called Honneycombs and features local singer/songwriter April Combs, her L.A.-based brother James Combs and locally-based harmony singer Laurie Burnham.

This Friday at Covington's Mad Hatter, two local bands team up for a dual release party celebrating their latest creations: Small Time Crooks (Hip Hop/Pop) and I Am the Messenger (Punk/Metal). The disparity between the their musical styles is a great testament to how local bands don't seem too concerned about genre classification, at least in terms of what bands they play shows with.

The recent snow blast caused the cancellation of the Feb. 15 “Help Them Sing Again” Haitian relief benefit at the Blue Wisp Jazz Club, but you can make up for it this Saturday at The Leapin Lizard gallery space in Covington. Read about this show and much more local music news here.
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The problems in Haiti aren't going to end anytime soon, so thankfully the stream of local Haitian relief benefit concerts continues to flow over the next few weeks (and hopefully months). Here are several Haiti-related happenings this week.
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The Brothers and The Sisters feature singer/songwriter Jeremy Pinnell, whose work with The Light Wires and The Great Depression proved him to be one of the most soulful writers in the Folk/Roots arena. The songs are similar but presented in a different setting — instead of electric instruments or a stark acoustic-duo format, The Brothers and The Sisters use banjo, acoustic guitars and dobro (and drums and bass).

Organizers for Sunday's "Help for Haiti" benefit at Oakley's 20th Century Theatre put together a show in just a few days, and the massive and diverse roster of performers shows just how quick to help local artists are when an important cause comes up. The 6 p.m. concert will have Them Bones featuring Cheryl Renee, Freekbass, Kathy Wade, Kevin Fox, Sonny Moorman, Scotty Anderson, Phil DeGreg Trio, Steve Schmidt, Rumpke Mountain Boys, Robin Lacy and DeZydeco and many more acts. Suggested donation is $20. Proceeds go to the Red Cross.

Chris Sherman (aka Freekbass) and his Funk band (aka Freekbass) maintain one of the most consistent touring schedules of any band based in Cincinnati. Soon, Freekbass (the man, not the band) will be getting a lot busier, especially if his new "all star" group takes off. His new trio (With DJ Logic and Steve Molitz) gets its official debut Saturday here in Cincinnati.

The first time I put on 'Got to Tell the World,' the new album by local Pop/Rock foursome Screaming Mimes, and cued up the first track, "You're the Kind of Girl," I listened for about a minute then had to run outside to pay my parking meter. Walking back to the office, I found myself already singing the chorus hook in my head.

The Cincy Blues Society's annual "Winter Blues Fest" is coming up at the end of January, but Monday you can get your Blues fix via a stellar lineup at Play By Play in Silverton. And it's for a good cause: helping area artists spread the good word of Midwestern Blues. The "Road to Memphis 2010" raises money to help local musicians get to Memphis to battle in next month's International Blues Challenge.
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