If you spend any of this long Memorial Day weekend in downtown Cincinnati, there’s a really good chance you’ll hear some of the best music makers in the area doing their thang. Two festivals will be competing for your ears.

The lineup for this summer’s edition of the wildly successful MidPoint Indie Summer series has been released and, once again, it’s loaded with some of the best local artists around. It also features several MPMF alumni and an impressive array of international talent, with acts from as far away as Australia and Timbuktu (literally!).

Tickets for the first Afghan Whigs concert in 13 years go on sale this Friday through ticketmaster.com. The band is kicking off its (so far) primarily European reunion tour dates with a May 23 show at New York’s Bowery Ballroom.

The local Roots music scene and its fans have a cool new music venue to check out. This Friday-Sunday is the grand opening of Plain Folk Café, a converted two-room schoolhouse (originally built in 1913) featuring coffee, beer, food and regular live music from area Folk, Bluegrass, Americana and acoustic acts.

Northern Kentucky Indie Rock foursome Philosopher’s Stone is set to unveil its first full-length in a decade, When Life Rafts Begin To Fail, in conjunction with a free show at Covington’s Avenue Lounge this Saturday. The show opens at 9 p.m. with guest Andyman Hopkins. 

Some readers are probably giddy with excitement over Friday’s holiday (“4/20, dude”), while others are more anticipating 4/21, otherwise known as Record Store Day. (More than a few are probably psyched for both and have blocked out the entire weekend for debauchery and music buying.) 

The latest edition of the School of Rock franchise — which has 80 other schools for young, aspiring Rock musicians in the U.S. and Mexico — opens this weekend in Mason. Like the other facilities, School of Rock Mason provides lessons for students ages 7-18, including the chance to play real venues in front of real audiences. 

Cincinnati Rock quartet The Ready Stance will be giving local audiences a special chance to pick up its debut full-length, Damndest, this Friday at MOTR Pub in Over-the-Rhine. The group hosts the locals-only release party two months before the album is made available (digitally and on CD and vinyl) nationally.

Since it’s such a huge, kick-ass music festival that spotlights the newest and best of the local, original music scene from several genres, we thought we’d give you a little heads up on next week’s Clifton Heights Music Festival so you can make plans early.

One of Cincinnati’s top and most consistent original music clubs is celebrating its 10th anniversary this weekend with a blowout party featuring lots of live music. And it’s all free, of course, because the club in question is the beloved Northside Tavern, located in heart of Northside’s bustling strip along Hamilton Ave.

To anyone who knew late veteran musician/promoter Johnny Schott, it should be no surprise that there will be a huge “Commemorative Concert” in his honor loaded with tons of local performers this Sunday. Schott was not only a kind soul, but he assisted and mentored many local artists.

If you were to use Cincinnati’s representation at this year’s South By Southwest festival as an indicator of the health of our local music scene at the moment, then Cincinnati music circa 2012 is in top physical condition. Never has Cincinnati had such a presence at America’s premier fan/industry showcase.

Singer/songwriter Holly Spears celebrates the release of her first full-length album, Heartache to Hope, at the 20th Century Theater in Oakley this Friday.

This is one of those random weeks where there are so many notable events involving local bands, we could have done an all-music double issue of CityBeat and still not have room for it all. Thankfully, we do have constantly updated Staff Blogs. So here’s what’s up, lightning-round-style; check the blog throughout the week for more details.

Since remodeling and reopening last year, downtown’s Taft Theatre already was programming a more adventurous concert lineup than usual. This year, the venue has already announced shows by more “mid-level” groups like Trampled By Turtles and JJ Grey & Mofro, both cult faves and Southgate alumni.

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.