Public’s debut four-song EP, Red, released last summer through the local Counter Rhythm Group, offers the yelping howl, martial cadence and galloping verve of Modest Mouse without the thick icing of ironic hipster cool.  

The New Artist nomination for Heavy Hinges might be the most ironic of this year’s slate of Cincinnati Entertainment Awards candidates.   

Sometimes it only takes a well-placed reference to bump an artist up to the next level. French-born guitarist Stephane Wrembel was already enjoying an acclaimed career when director Woody Allen tapped him to score the theme of his 2011 Academy Award-winning film Midnight in Paris, which he performed live to the millions who tuned into the ceremony’s telecast.
  

Brooklyn, N.Y.’s Swear and Shake coalesced just a couple of years ago, but from the sound of its debut full-length Maple Ridge, you’d swear (and shake) that this electric Folk marvel has been percolating over the course of a decade or more with a half dozen previous releases under their belts.
  

Apparently, Chris Denney has only been writing songs for the past four years, but he’s clearly channeling a lifetime of pent up creative energy in the tunes he’s unleashing with his Nashville quintet, Denney & the Jets.  

Cincinnati Indie foursome The Kiss Me Everlasting features a quartet of veteran musicians who've used their wide-ranging experience to do things right, making it easier to balance their busy schedules.
  

You don’t often hear the terms “Crunk” and “Christian” in the same paragraph let alone the same band description, but Family Force 5 has accomplished the rare feat of combining Rap, Punk, Hardcore, Funk, Metal and Dance beats with a Christian perspective.   

Since roaring out of the collegiate confines of Big Rapids, Mich., a mere eight years ago, Ultraviolet Hippopotamus has energized the national and international Jam community with a diverse stylistic range and a raucous and freewheeling approach to its live presentation.    

In the realm of Death Metal and Grindcore, Dying Fetus is more than good; it’s a band that has not only survived and thrived over the past two decades, but has managed to become an enduring influence on subsequent musical generations.
  

Cincinnati enjoys a reputation as a city with a rich and colorful musical history, exemplified by the influential reach of Syd Nathan’s roster at King Records, a label that attracted and embraced every conceivable style of music and musician. And there’s a case to be made that King’s diversity was simply a reflection of the city’s broad creative scope — then, now and perpetually, it’s ...