Music Tonight: Ohio-bred Roots Rock champion Tim Easton has been absorbing the soul stirring spirit of Joshua Tree, Calif., lately, but he returns to the Buckeye State tonight for a free, 10 p.m. show at MOTR Pub. Local singer/songwriter Jason Ludwig, who has two fantastic albums coming out this weekend, opens. Read Brian Baker's preview of the show here. And here's a gorgeous video for Easton's song "Highway 62 Love Song." Yeah, I can see how Joshua Tree would be a nice place to visit but an even better place to live.

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Cincinnati born and bred legend Bootsy Collins is known for his collaborations, from James Brown, George Clinton and Deee-Lite to more recent (and more unusual) hookups, like William Shatner, Charlie Daniels and Dr. Cornel West. But his latest collabo might be his strangest — and most fun — yet. Last night, Collins joined The Roots, DEVO's Mark Mothersbaugh, Biz Markie and Erykah Badu on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon for a little jam session with the cast of the trippy, hip kids' show, Yo Gabba Gabba.

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Twenty years ago, one of Cincinnati's most successful bands — Over the Rhine — signed a record deal with I.R.S. Records, the label founded by Miles Copeland (brother of Police drummer Stewart) and home to key "Alternative" music releases by R.E.M., The English Beat, Concrete Blonde, The Go-Go's and many others. Now, I.R.S. is back as a working label and its first signing is, coincidentally, eclectic/eccentric Cincinnati rockers Foxy Shazam. The new I.R.S. Records is being relaunched as a joint venture between Crush Management (whose founders have guided the careers of Train and Gym Class Heroes) and EMI. Foxy Shazam released two albums through Warner Bros./Sire, which — along with extensive touring — helped them amass a big following in the States and overseas.

The first sounds from the band's I.R.S. debut are available now via the band's Facebook. Click here to listen to or download your own MP3 copy of the muscular, powerful track "I Like It."

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Comedian/social commentator Jon Stewart from The Daily Show interviewed the surviving members of Nirvana (Dave Grohl and Kris Novoselic) and the producer of Nevermind, Garbage's Butch Vig, which was broadcast this past weekend on Sirus/XM satellite radio in honor of the 20th anniversary of the band's breakthrough album. The two-hour interview was taped in New York and, during the sessions, Stewart offered up one of the best short descriptions of the album ever: "It was like The Beatles had swallowed Black Flag." For those without Sirus/XM (or if you missed it), below are clips from the special.

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All throughout MPMF.11, local promo group will be hosting several area performers for daytime "Ultrasessions" at Ultrasuede Studio. And you can watch them from the comfort of your cubicle/couch/bed as they happen! Click below for the schedule and UStream portal. Hurry — The Chocolate Horse start at 1 p.m.!

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Music Tonight: Alternative music legends (and The Beatles of children's music) They Might Be Giants play the Southgate House in Newport tonight in support of their latest "grown up" album, Join Us. Check out CityBeat's interview with one of the Johns here. The duo will also being doing an in-store signing at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Norwood at 6:30 p.m. (hang around until 8 p.m. and you can catch magician/comedian/social commentator Penn Jillette, who will discuss and sign his new book, God, No!: Signs You May Already Be an Atheist and Other Magical Tales). They Might Be Giants and Jonathan Coulton's SGH show also begins at 8 p.m. and tickets are $25 SOLD OUT. Below, check out the just-released TMBG music video for the Join Us track, "Cloissone."

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Music Tonight: A solid (and free!) Indie Rock double-bill at MOTR Pub tonight features two quality bands with a healthy dose of ’90s Indie influences evident — Athens, Ga.'s Witches and Florida's Holopaw. Witches' dirty but warm sound (which reminds me a little of Cincy heroes Wussy) is on glorious display on the band's 2011 debut full-length, Forever. Check out the track "Creatures of Nature" by clicking the arrow above. Holopaw put out its self-titled debut on SubPop in 2003 following the release of Ugly Casanova's Sharpen Your Teeth, which was co-written/performed by Modest Mouse's  Isaac Brock and Holopaw's John Orth. Holopaw, which mixes progressive experimentalism and captivating Art Pop, now records for Bakery Outlet Records (their most recent full-length was 2009's Oh Glory Oh Wilderness), also home to Witches' debut.  Below, check out the official video for the Holopaw track "Curious," from its 2005 SubPop swan song, Quit +/or Fight.

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Two highly anticipated concerts this week have been canceled. Last night, I received an emailed press release from the promoters of the Stone Temple Pilots concert at Taft Theatre at 7:24 p.m. announcing the show had been called off due to singer Scott Weiland’s inability to perform (not for the reason you’re thinking — Weiland was suffering from “inflamed vocal chords”). The concert was scheduled to start last night at 7:30 p.m., so that was a close call (especially for fans already at the venue). Today, Live Nation announced that the rare performance by Black Star (featuring modern Hip Hop heroes Mos Def and Talib Kweli) at Bogart’s this Saturday had also been canceled.

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Music Tonight: Say goodbye to August tonight with some classic Hip Hop at Bogart's, one of many recent and upcoming Hip Hop shows from the longstanding Corryville concert venue. Rock the Bells began seven years ago as a stand-alone Hip Hop festival in California, but today the brand has been expanded to included RTB package tours and smaller club tours, like the one in town tonight.

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Area label Sol Records is taking pre-orders now for the Dallas Moore Band’s next release, Hank To Thank, culled from the locally-based Country crew’s sessions one year ago with longtime Willie Nelson guitarist Jody Payne at the site of Cincinnati’s Herzog studios where Hank Williams laid down some of his early, big hits.

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