Veteran local musician David Rhodes Brown presents the second annual Browngrass Festival this Saturday in Rabbit Hash, Ky., starting at noon. Brown — a lap-steel specialist (and multi-instrumentalist) known for his work with Warsaw Falcons, 500 Miles to Memphis, Magnolia Mountain and many others — launched the fest last year at the Southgate House.  

Now a band some 20 years old (if not counting the long hiatus between the late '90s and early '00s), Earth creates Folk-ish Metal that sounds timeless in its sparseness, as exhibited on the recent album, Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light I.  

The annual exhibition of Greater Cincinnati’s fantastic American Roots music scene, Rivertown Breakdown, presents its 10th anniversary event this Saturday at Newport’s Southgate House. Besides showcasing local music, the event — the brainchild of local Folk music hero Jake Speed — has raised money each year for “river-related” causes.  

Nightlands’ debut from last November, Forget the Mantra, arrived caked in a fanciful, transcendental dust. In “God What Have I Done,” the titular phrase repeats as a meditative mantra instead of a painful plea, filled with divinity and a kind of sweetness that’s tough to pin down. This fantastic chill-out music resembles how Animal Collective would approach covering Elton John’s contributions to The Lion King soundtrack. Nightlands’ future is real promising.  

Oh, the trouble Justin Townes Earle has seen. The 29-year-old singer/songwriter’s well-publicized drug and alcohol problems over the years have resulted in several rehab stints, the most recent coming last fall after an altercation at an Indianapolis venue which necessitated Earle’s return to treatment and the cancellation of his tour, including his scheduled appearance at Cincinnati’s MidPoint Music Festival. Thankfully, Earle is doing better these days.  

The Savannah, Ga., quintet rose from the ashes of southern Sludge Metal outfit Damad, utilizing the band’s original members (including guitarist/vocalist Phillip Cope, widely recognized as the prime mover within the Savannah Metal scene), adding guitarist Laura Pleasants and shifting to a sound that incorporated Doom Metal riffage, psychedelic frippery and Jazz syncopation.  

If you think it’s difficult for legends to live up their legacies, imagine their children following them into the family business and finding their second-generation work being measured by the first-generation yardstick of their parents’ achievements. Ronnie Baker Brooks knows every chapter in that book.  

Underbelly has been entertaining in-the-know audiences since 2009 and has managed to spark sketch comedy’s resurgence in Greater Cincinnati and comedy in general at the Southgate House. Underbelly’s anniversary will be celebrated on May 3 at the group’s monthly first-Tuesday show in the venue’s Parlour.  

Texas singer/songwriter/author/raconteur/politician/animal activist/cigar aficionado Kinky Friedman finds himself at the crux of a fascinating paradox: If he didn’t exist, his exploits are so incredible that only he could imagine someone as improbable as himself. And he has done just that on more than a few occasions.  

If you ever need a reminder of how incredibly valuable location and hype are to a band's success, take a look at Vivian Girls. When the New York City-based outfit bubbled up in the Indie Rock world in late 2007, they were greeted with buzz and excitement. That early positive push was crucial to giving them a solid fan base as they got used to being a band.