Irony is something The Hold Steady has worn for years — and really, the fact that multi-instrumentalist Franz Nicolay left the band in January seems like a stitch in that overcoat. 'Heaven Is Whenever,' released in May, finds Craig Finn and Co. trading some Indie Rock muscle for Alt Country kisses while also issuing their usual anthemic and ass-rattling Rock tracks like "The Smidge" and "A Slight Discomfort."  

Bruce Springsteen hasn't played in Cincinnati since 2008, but various iterations of him promise to keep the local concert and record scene busy this fall. There are at least three major acts coming to town that — in the style and substance of their material — have been pronouncedly influenced by The Boss: Gaslight Anthem, playing Bogart's Sept. 22; The Hold Steady, playing the Southgate House Oct. 2; and John Mellencamp, performing at Music Hall Nov. 1.