Abiyah
(Cincinnati) Soul/Hip Hop/Electronica
A talented poetess, arranger, producer and vocalist, Abiyah has been a Cincinnati favorite for the past several years, thanks in large part to her entertaining live show, which often features a variety of collaborators from a variety of genres, a testament to her unique, diverse style. For her MidPoint show, Abiyah will be joined by Ilyas Nashid (from acclaimed Hip Hop group Tanya Morgan), CJ the Cynic, Ron C, Clifton Stuart Jones, DJ Apryl Reign and Dana Hamblen (of local Indie bands like Culture Queer and The Fairmount Girls).
You'll Dig It If You Dig: Versatile artists who follow their own Muse and not trends.
Havana Martini Club
Thursday, Sept. 24, 9:00
Aeolian Race
(Boston) Prog Rock
Visions of multi-headed unicorns galloping in exotic, far-away lands dance through one’s head upon exposure to Aeolian Race’s searching Psych Rock epics. The aptly named “The Hidden Queen of the Drone Throne,” from the band’s lone album Landlocked Nation, sounds as if Perry Farrell masterminded a sonic union between an avant-garde Jazz pianist, the redheaded guy from Phish and Syd Barrett.
Dig: Pink Floyd, King Crimson with a Tolkien fetish, a Dali painting come to life.
Courtyard Cafe On Main
Saturday, Sept. 26, 8:00
Aficionado
(Albany, N.Y.) Indie/Progressive/Rock
This large “Rock orchestra” prefers to call itself a “musical family” rather than just a band (as testament, they claim strangers who see them out of a musical setting think they are a cult). When the band members came together in 2004, they set out to create something different and, boy, did they ever. Meshing Progressive Rock influences from Punk experimenters Refused to ’70s-era groups like Yes and King Crimson, the band creates epic, dramatic soundscapes that incorporate flute, horns and mandolin. Somehow they pull it all off with a playful, engrossing flair that is almost completely devoid of pretension. If they were an actual cult, you couldn’t be blamed for falling under their spell and joining in. Be sure to bring your Attention Deficit Disorder!
Dig: A much larger Man Man, a more rockin’, distorted Arcade Fire, Meatloaf reborn as a skinny Indie kid from upstate N.Y.
Inner Peace Center
Thursday, Sept. 24, 8:00
Amo Joy
(Indianapolis) Indie Psych Pop
This band creates songs that sound like they could have been written for a Disney animated movie from 50 years ago. The band’s childlike approach results in things like whistling, xylophone, kazoos, lots of noisemakers, slide-whistles and grandiose, cheerfully theatrical songs that seem ready for Broadway musical adaptation.
Dig: The Flaming Lips write an all-new soundtrack to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
Inner Peace Center
Friday, Sept. 25, 11:00
Ampline
(Cincinnati) Instrumental Post Punk/Rock
Complex but never confusing, progressive without being Prog, this mostly-instrumental trio Ampline makes an engrossing noise that has been put on glorious display across a handful of magnificent LPs/EPs, as well as in clubs across the country. There is a stream-of-conscious flow to the band’s muscular, dynamic compositions that draws the listener close, proving that if you successfully transfer melody and personality to all of the elemental instrumental pieces, vocals become disposable.
Dig: The grand tradition (from The Ventures to Mogwai) of instrumentals that don’t make you wish for singing.
Southgate House
Saturday, Sept. 26, 11:00
Annie and the Beekeepers
(Boston) Acoustic Folk
Annie and the Beekeepers began three years ago as three friends from Boston’s Berklee School of Music throwing together as a Country/Folk trio. Their 2007 album, Annie Lynch and the Beekeepers, earned them a boatload of good press and invitations to last year‘s CMJ and Boston Folk Festival and this year’s SXSW. The year’s EP, The Squid Hell Sessions, is a short set about dealing with life’s inevitable suffering.
Dig: Gillian Welch and Joni Mitchell playing gin on a cross-country train.
Mr Pitiful's
Saturday, Sept. 26, 10:00
B K Jackson
(Tampa, Fla.) Smooth Jazz
At just 17, B K Jackson is already something of a veteran of the Jazz world, having been performing since he was 11. Just out of high school and headed toward a music degree in Jazz studies, Jackson has received several awards for his talents (and not just in teen-only competitions) and has already opened for big-timers like Brian McKnight, Fantasia, Kirk Whalum and Pieces of a Dream.
Dig: Quiet storms and sophisticated, R&B-tinged Contemporary Jazz.
Havana Martini Club
Saturday, Sept. 26, 10:00
B.SOUL
(Cincinnati) Soul/R&B
Glory B! Cincinnati has a great R&B tradition, and B.Soul’s brand of Soul/R&B is good enough to catch the attention of Funk architect Bootsy Collins. Who’s gonna argue with Bootsy, baby?
Dig: Freekbass, The Animal Crackers and any other Bootsy-endorsed endeavor that has made you trust the funkster’s taste.
Havana Martini Club
Saturday, Sept. 26, 11:00
Banderas
(Cincinnati) Hard Rock/Post Punk/Alternative
One of Cincinnati’s finest live bands, the members of this six-member Rock & Roll machine have the chops to match their swagger. With Punk and Rockabilly undercurrents, the band emerged from the studio last year with the fantastic debut LP, Beast Sounds and Parlour Tricks, an explosive and eclectic powerhouse of an album that is one of the best Rock & Roll records to come out of Cincinnati this decade.
Dig: Orgy time with Jesus Lizard, Murder City Devils and pre-crazy Axl Rose.
Subway Bar and Lounge
Thursday, Sept. 24, 12:00
Before Dawn
(Austin, Tex.) Electro Party Rock
The aptly named guy/girl duo Before Dawn is in it for the fun, fun, fun. The guy plays guitar, the girl plays bass and a laptop provides programmed beats and various Disco-evoking bells and whistles. The campy “You’re Not Too Cool to Dance” could be the Austin-based band’s manifesto: jaunty sing/speak vocals backed by a simple New Wave synth loop, shot through with refreshing shamelessness. Surprisingly, other tunes reveal the guy to be a decent guitar shredder.
Dig: Adam Ant, The Killers fronted by Captain and Tennille, Bow Wow Wow.
Subway Bar and Lounge
Friday, Sept. 25, 9:00
Black Saints Cartel
(Cincinnati) Rock
This local crew doesn’t play the “genre tag” game — the Cartel is a straight-up Rock & Roll band fueled by the immortal legacy of classic bands like AC/DC and (pre-Axl’s Howard Hughes-ness) Guns ’N Roses. Don’t be remotely shocked if the group’s fat, ropey guitar riffs, electrifying rhythm section and killer, swaggering frontman make Black Saints Cartel a Rock radio favorite some day soon.
Dig: A “Monsters of Rock” tour revival starring Buckcherry, Stone Temple Pilots and Black Stone Cherry.
Mainstay Rock Bar
Saturday, Sept. 26, 12:00
Black Signal
(Cincinnati) Alternative
This relatively new local trio is shrouded in mystery, from its name and spare band bio to a sound they describe as “Avant Progressive Rock with traces of Industrial and Doom Metal.” The songs on Black Signal’s MySpace page bring to mind the soundtrack to a moody modern noir set in a desolate town where guys with beards look longingly at photos of past girlfriends.
Dig: Slint, a slightly more sinister Mogwai, apocalyptic movies.
Subway Bar and Lounge
Thursday, Sept. 24, 9:00
Blastronauts
(Columbus, Ohio) Indie Psych Pop
Space Rock … the final musical frontier. Blastronauts explore the galactic fringe with Floydian intensity, Beatlesque melodicism, Phish Jam/Funk syncopathic abandon and Flaming Lips’ dipped-in-chocolate-acid freakapotamus psychedelicism. Blastronauts is a paisley contact lens for your inner eye. The band’s new EP, Galileo August, is being released MidPoint weekend.
Dig: A Syd Barrett-obsessed Wayne Coyne assembling an Elephant 6 tribute to Pink Floyd.
The Lodge Bar
Friday, Sept. 25, 9:00
Bojibian
(Philadelphia) Indie Rock
Bojibian hearkens back to a time when bands routinely drew on Rock’s past, absorbed the vibe of their time and anticipated the next steps in musical evolution. The Philadelphia quartet weaves together sugary Pop, energetic New Wave, jittery Post Punk and Rock classicism without irony or calculation and presents the hybrid with pure, unadulterated enthusiasm. As Andy Partridge once bubbled, this is Pop.
Dig: The Hooters as a Post Punk tribute to XTC.
The Lodge Bar
Saturday, Sept. 26, 8:00
Bowery Boy Blue
(New York) Americana
Whether acoustic or electric, singer/songwriter/guitarist Zeb Gould plays with a tremulous vulnerability or an audacious power. Bowery Boy Blue began four years ago as a solo side project away from Stereofan (his band with wife Megan Gould). After an EP, Gould’s guest-laden full-length, Stalk That Myth, came out last year. Since then, Bowery Boy Blue has expanded into a legitimate and howlingly muscular band.
Dig: Ryan Adams covering Neil Young covering Jeff Tweedy.
Washington Platform
Saturday, Sept. 26, 9:00
Brett Rosenberg
(Nashville) Roots Pop
Making Power Pop with an ingrained twanginess, singer/songwriter Brett Rosensberg got his start in music by moving to Boston and doing the “busking” thing. After several years with his “Hard Pop” band The Brett Rosenberg Problem, Rosenberg spent some time touring with Pub Rock hero Graham Parker as a guitarist. A move to Nashville earned him jobs as a guitarist and co-writer, but his solo career has always been in the front of his mind. His 2008 release, Born Twice, drew acclaim for its sharp, dark humor and instantly memorable songs.
Dig: The Jayhawks and Crowded House steal the show at a Big Star tribute show.
Arnold's Bar and Grill
Saturday, Sept. 26, 10:00
Brighton, MA
(Chicago) Indie Rock
With a mesmerizing melodicist, an appreciation for classic Pop music (from Neil Young and The Kinks to The Beach Boys and George Harrison’s solo work) and a subtle approach to sonic backdropping, this engaging group has created a unique sound full of spaciousness and to-the-bone sincerity. A bridge between the modern and the vintage, Brighton, MA’s smart lyricism, creative approach and strong songwriting sensibilities have drawn praise from critics across the country.
Dig: Rootsier versions of Pixies, Cold War Kids, The Walkmen.
Washington Platform
Thursday, Sept. 24, 12:00
Buckra
(Cincinnati) Alternative/Rock
One of this city’s most entertaining live acts since the start of the millennium, Buckra also has one of the most impressive resumes of any act in the region. The band has more nominations and awards than Meryl Streep and its music has appeared on innumerable compilations. Along with making a handful of solid albums and EPs, the band knows its calling card is its vigorous, exuberant live show, so they tour frequently around the region.
Dig: Harry Connick Jr. reborn as Dave Attell, fronting Santana with The MGs rhythm section sitting in, playing a set of classic Hard Rock, Hip Hop, Swing, AltRock and Jazz.
The Lodge Bar
Thursday, Sept. 24, 12:00
Buffalo Killers
(Cincinnati) Psych/Garage/Pop
Following the dissolution of nationally acclaimed Garage Rock group Thee Shams, three of the members formed Buffalo Killers and didn’t skip a beat. In fact, the trio — which crafts head-swirling dirty Pop songs like that you’d believe came straight out of 1968 — has surpassed its former musical entity in popularity, building a supportive nationwide fanbase. When both The Black Keys and The Black Crowes seek you out for extensive touring, you know you are on to something good. Buffalo Killers have that and then some.
Dig: Vintage, swampy and hyper-melodic Psych Pop with swagger and beards.
Southgate House
Saturday, Sept. 26, 12:00
Captain Kneal and the Noisemakers
(Cleveland) Rock/Progressive/Alternative
You know you’ve got something special with listeners accuse you of having a hidden synthesizer player or two. But Captain Kneal and The Noisemakers are just three dudes in the classic drums/bass/guitar formation who make an engulfing, ocean-sized sound. Incorporating Electronic music influences into its heady modern Prog mélange, CKATNM has the potential to appeal to everyone from the most twirling Jam band diehard to Math Rock aficionados to old-school Prog fans that have seen Yes in concert 121 times.
Dig: Massive Attack composing the new Tool album, King Crimson becoming the house band at a hipster dance club.
The Segway Room
Saturday, Sept. 26, 11:00
Carley Tanchon
(Nashville) Folk/Pop
With the vocal chops of a Soul singer and a folksy songwriting style that hovers like a cloud, Carley Tanchon’s strength as a writer and performer might be a result of her time spent as the frontwoman for a cover band that played everything from Aretha Franklin to Loretta Lynn to Aerosmith. The Berklee grad’s debut album Peridot is a lush, romantic-sounding release with lyrics that are honest, soul-bearing and intimate.
Dig: Sarah McLachlan with rootsier influences, The Dixie Chicks.
Arnold's Bar and Grill
Friday, Sept. 25, 9:00
Mia Carruthers and the Retros
(Cincinnati) Pop/Rock
Not many singer/songwriters regular exposure on MTV before even out of high school, but Mia Carruthers’ appearance on the locally-filmed Taking the Stage (at her old high school, the School for Creative and Performing Arts) insured she would have a lot more eyes watching her career moves after the show. Carruthers has been performing more regularly around Cincinnati and her brand of Pop/Rock shows she’s more than just a member of the “Former Reality Stars Club.”
Dig: John Mayer, Jewel: The Early Years, Taylor Swift.
Fountain Square
Saturday, Sept. 26, 8:00
Cash Flagg
(Cincinnati) Indie Pop/Rock
Does anybody offer music contracts anymore? Why aren’t these guys signed and huge underground Indie stars already? Punk fury, Pop melodicism, Art Rock dissonance, loud/soft, sloppy/tight, light/dark, howling/soothing. Cash Flagg has it all … and there had better be a long line of MidPointers crowding in to see it.
Dig: Lloyd Cole and Velvet Crush in a hot stickball game with The Afghan Whigs and Pavement. Everybody wins.
Grammer's
Thursday, Sept. 24, 6:30
Cassavettes
(Boston) Rock
While Cassavettes doesn’t necessarily conjure its presumed namesake (come to think of it, what would a musical version of filmmaker/actor John Cassavetes sound like?), this Beantown (by way of Texas) four-piece does evoke any number of melodic Pop Rock practitioners while adding just enough unique flavoring to carve out its own place in the genre’s crowded house. A fair share of the band’s songs deal with relationship trouble, a universal topic Cassavettes explores with candor and occasional insight.
Dig: The Old 97s drunk on Red Bulls, an Americana-tinged Superdrag, Tom Petty after watching the complete Dawson’s Creek DVD box set.
Javier's Mexican Restaurant
Thursday, Sept. 24, 9:00
Chairlift
(Brooklyn, N.Y.) Electronic Pop/Rock
Chairlift throws a little bit of everything into the sonic cauldron, from blippy Synth Pop and breakneck Surf guitar to Goth tendencies and Modern Rock, then turns the heat up until it bubbles nicely. There’s way more to Chairlift than the infectiously catchy “Bruises,” which was used in one of Apple’s more effective iPod spots. See and hear for yourself.
Dig: Beck meets Kraftwerk by Berlin’s wall.
Grammer's
Saturday, Sept. 26, 9:30
Charlie Hustle
(Cincinnati) Indie Rock
It’s been an eventful year for Charlie Hustle — not that one, the local Indie Rock quartet — which got together to casually jam and wound up staying together as a band. The group’s debut full length, Speed the Pony, came out earlier this spring and CH already released its follow-up EP. The band is quickly becoming a fixture in the local club scene. Just like the original, Charlie Hustle is sprinting to first base at top speed.
Dig: Spoon spinning early Radiohead and Supergrass at Modest Mouse’s afterparty.
Subway Bar and Lounge
Thursday, Sept. 24, 8:00
Chemic
(Louisville, Ky.) Indie Pop
What hath Jonathan Richman wrought? The king of naive Pop has spawned several generations of tremulously voiced Indie bands that wear hearts and their influences on their polyester sleeves. Chemic (essentially singer/songwriter Scott Kirkpatrick) makes gently bent Pop that is simultaneously breezy and moody and ephemeral and substantive. Oh my.
Dig: Peter, Bjorn and the Postal Service roast marshmallows with The Palace Brothers and Clem Snide.
Contemporary Arts Center
Thursday, Sept. 24, 8:30
Chick Pimp, Coke Dealer at a Bar
(Cincinnati) Laptop Hilljack Fusion
Trying to accurately describe the unrelenting musical joy of Chick Pimp, Coke Dealer at a Bar is like having sex with a flannel condom. Talking ain’t hearing and hearing is the only way to appreciate the astonishing Free Jazz/Prog/Jamgrass/Hip Hop/Pop/Rock experiment that Chick Pimp brings to studio and stage. Their sophomore album, The People vs. Lemoncello, is just another hint at what Chick Pimp is capable of doing.
Dig: They Might Be Giants, Phish, Sun Ra, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey and Mike Doughty mix up their laptops and accidentally collaborate.
Courtyard Cafe On Main
Friday, Sept. 25, 10:30
Chico Fellini
(Lexington, Ky.) Indie Dance Rock
In a relatively short time, Chico Fellini has become the toast of the Lexington scene with hooky and jagged dance rhythms and the high, histrionic vocals of frontman Christopher Dennison. After two years of building a faithful fan base, the quartet’s recent eponymous debut CD has generated great press at home and nationally; can Cincinnati and MidPoint audiences be far behind?
Dig: A Broadway show about David Bowie, Gang of Four and The B-52s trick or treating as The Strokes.
Below Zero Lounge
Saturday, Sept. 26, 11:30
CHILDE
(Brooklyn, N.Y.) Progressive/Alternative Rock
If Prog is the new Grunge, this Brooklyn trio could be the new Soundgarden. With an eclectic approach to songwriting, the band’s songs rarely approach the expected, with more twists and turns than Lost. Don’t let the Prog tag scare you away — despite avowed influences like Mahavishnu Orchestra and Sigur Ros, CHILDE’s music isn’t overly serious or pretentious (in fact, it’s often quite playful and hooky).
Dig: Oh My God, Yes born today, a Jam band with a sense of composition.
Below Zero Lounge
Thursday, Sept. 24, 11:30
Coltrane Motion
(Chicago) Electro/Shoegaze
Vocalist/keyboardist Michael Bond creates Electronic Pop homages to his favorite musical styles (Soul, girl groups, Psych Folk, Synth Pop) and guitarist Matt Dennewitz distorts it into the stratosphere with Shoegaze abandon. That’s the blissful cacophony of Coltrane Motion. And if you think the duo’s debut full length, Songs About Music, is a frenetic pleasure, wait until you see it live; Coltrane Motion careen and cavort like an Avant Laptop Punk tribute to St. Vitus Dance.
Dig: Tapes N’ Tapes and My Bloody Valentine having a who-can-pee-on-the-electric-fence-longer contest.
Subway Bar and Lounge
Saturday, Sept. 26, 12:00
Come On Go With Us
(Starkville, Miss.) Americana/Southern Rock
Come On Go With Us wears its collective heart on its flannel sleeves, right next to its Southern Rock influences. There are flecks of Black Crowes, Allman Brothers and Drive-By Truckers in there, but the quartet draws on a lot of Pop melodicism as well as new traditionalists like the Avett Brothers. Put it all together and it’s a fantastic evocation of the recent history of Southern Rock.
Dig: Counting Crows playing the Drive-By Truckers in the Broadway production of Southern Rock Opera.
Mr Pitiful's
Thursday, Sept. 24, 11:30
Courtenay Green
(Los Angeles) AltPop/Rock
Courtenay Green writes quirky Pop songs and normally plays them with an eight-piece band dubbed The Red Scare. Having an octopus-of-a-band is probably a good thing for Green — though the songs come off as direct and straightforward, her recordings have a lot going on (from horns and organ to some synthy, electronic sprinkles and glockenspiel).
Dig: Jenny Lewis, Lily Allen, Natalie Merchant doing a tribute to ’60s “girl group” Pop.
Cadillac Ranch
Friday, Sept. 25, 9:00
Crazy Legs
(Cincinnati) Progressive/Jam
Crazy Legs actually started when guitarist Jason Elrod and bassist Matt Musgrove first played together in junior high school and continued through high school. Their parade of drummers stopped in 2001 when Dan McGrath filled the slot permanently. CL played as a trio with occasional guests until asking guitarist Shane Wingert to join earlier this year, After successfully sitting in last fall on Crazy Legs’ performance of Pink Floyd’s Animals album. The band so impressed Bootsy Collins that the legendary bassist has taken them under his wing — the quartet is currently preparing to record their sure-to-be-amazing debut CD.
Dig: Primus, King Crimson and Medeski, Martin & Wood building a shrine to Frank Zappa.
Havana Martini Club
Saturday, Sept. 26, 9:00
Creatures!
(Louisville, Ky.) Alternative Rock
Claiming to possess the “Rock & Roll Attitude” of Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley, this high-energy group features a singer that has the pipes of a young Steve Perry and a drive within its music that does not relent. Creatures! makes Big Power Rock with an hyper, underlying dance-ready groove.
Dig: Fall Out Boy trying to make inroads at the dance clubs.
The Lodge Bar
Friday, Sept. 25, 10:00
Crooks & Children
Subway Bar and Lounge
Saturday, Sept. 26, 11:00
Culture Queer
(Cincinnati) Electro Art Pop
This long-running quartet just keeps spreading its Avant Pop love across the Cincinnati scene, pimping a tasty, melody-infested catalog rife with boy/girl vocals, shimmering synths, handclaps and jaunty guitars. (2004’s Supersizeit Under Pontius Pilate remains one the best locally spawned albums of the decade.) And CQ’s infectious live shows add another layer of conceptual flair via candy-colored sets and projected video. Post-Bush debacle blues got you down? Take a dose of Culture Queer and call me in the morning.
Dig: Imperial Teen, That Dog after a Looney Tunes marathon, Fruit Loops at midnight.
The Segway Room
Thursday, Sept. 24, 10:00
Dare Dukes
(Savannah, Ga.) Indie Folk/Rock
Not since Freedy Johnston’s Can You Fly has an unknown alternative Folk/Rock singer/songwriter put out an album so unexpectedly and profoundly captivating. Dare’s Prettiest Transmitter of All is a marvel of off-kilter Pop and Folk, stocked like a trout pond with great songs inspired by the realest of stories. See this … we dare you.
Dig: Linnell and Flansburgh fronting Sparklehorse for Bob Mould’s off-Broadway Dylan tribute.
Madonna's Bar & Grill
Friday, Sept. 25, 12:00
Daughters and Sons
(Cincinnati) Funk/Rock
These winners of the 2008 Cincinnati Entertainment Award for “Best Funk/R&B” band have accomplished a lot since forming just a couple of years ago, becoming a top draw in the local clubs thanks to an energized, sweat-inducing live show. D&S’s horn-laden sound is so authentic, listening to the group’s recordings might lead you to believe someone slipped on some ’70s Soul/Funk while you weren’t paying attention. Frontman/guitarist William “Nitty” Morren’s voice has the depth, flexibility and soul of some of that era’s most expressive vocalists and the band is bulletproof.
Dig: Curtis Mayfield, Sly and the Family Stone, James Brown.
Cadillac Ranch
Friday, Sept. 25, 12:00
Brandon Dawson
(Cincinnati) Singer/Songwriter
When Brandon Dawson moved here four years ago, he hadn’t written a song in a very long time, but a longstanding gig as Over the Rhine’s road manager fueled his desire to return to songwriting and performing. And what a comeback. Dawson’s debut full-length, Becoming Human, is a friends-and-neighbors recording that immediately connects with the listener, transcending outside influences and moving effortlessly from personal to universal. Forget about hanging a tag on it. All you need to know is that Brandon Dawson plays music with conviction, passion, power and faith.
Dig: Bruce Cockburn covers Jeff Buckley at Over the Rhine’s Sunday picnic.
Washington Platform
Friday, Sept. 25, 11:30
Decibully
(Milwaukee) Indie/Rock/Pop
Not sure if it’s irony, sarcasm or pure coincidence, but the only way Indie collective Decibully’s third album, World Travels Fast, could be any more inappropriately named would be if it was called Polyvinyl Records Broke My Heart. The band had a couple of critically-lauded records out on Polyvinyl (an excellent label with excellent bands) earlier in the decade, but the label decided not to put out World, meaning Decibully hasn’t had a new release since 2005. The band makes expansive, spacey Indie Rock that collapses into shimmery, delicate and somewhat “AM Gold”-inflected Pop as it twists and turns. Listening to the summery, glowing, gorgeous sounds of the band’s released work so far, it’s hard to see what Polyvinyl was thinking. Lucky for all of us, Decibully is dedicated to soldiering on and following its own muse.
Dig: Secret Machines, Aloha, Radiohead with its Pop sense magically restored.
Inner Peace Center
Saturday, Sept. 26, 11:30
Deke Dickerson backed by The Modern Sounds
(Los Angeles) Rockabilly/Country/Roots
Born in Missouri, Rockabilly/Roots hero Deke Dickerson started out playing in a Surf band in his teens and that sound is still evident in some of his music. But he's since become a darling of the Roots music movement. In the early ’90s he moved to L.A. and formed a popular “Hillbilly” duo. By the end of the decade, Dickerson made the decision to go solo and began to draw a larger following, thanks in large part to his masterful, trademark guitar playing, which blends Surf, Country, Rockabilly and Jazz techniques and his charmingly authentic take on classic Country and Rockabilly. Dickerson’s understanding of music and musical history is evident in his other careers, too — he writes liner notes and music pieces for various publications, does soundtrack work and has produced albums for a wide range of artists. His latest album is the acclaimed King of the Whole Wide World, which featured a bevy of top-shelf Country players. His current tour teams him with The Modern Sounds, a popular Hot Jazz/Western Swing group from Chicago.
Dig: Hank Williams, Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys, Ray Price, Buck Owens.
Southgate House
Thursday, Sept. 24, 10:00
Detox Retox
(Washington, D.C.) Indie Rock
Hailing from our nation’s capital, Detox Retox is suggestive of that point in time when New Wave and Punk experimented with the whole chocolate/peanut butter balance. But the group manages to modern up the proceedings with a bracing splash of now. Riffs, grooves, rhythms and a sharply defined sense of humor contribute to Detox Retox’s fascinating flow.
Dig: Electric Six guided by Gang of Four and The Tubes and Bloc Party and Modest Mouse and voices.
Javier's Mexican Restaurant
Saturday, Sept. 26, 9:00
Dick Prall
(Chicago) Pop/Rock
Iowa-bred, Chicago-based singer/songwriter Dick Prall makes Pop Rock informed by masters like Grant Lee Buffalo, Elliott Smith and The Jayhawks. Prall’s style (and backing band) has evolved over each subsequent release, from rootsier Rock to face-slap Pop. When it came time to make a new record, Prall decided for the first time to make an album on his own. The resulting Weightless has a more reflective, somber feel than Prall’s more upbeat previous work.
Dig: Wilco, Elvis Costello, maturing songwriters who go all dour all the sudden.
Havana Martini Club
Friday, Sept. 25, 9:00
Dirk Quinn Band
(Philadelphia)
Led by skilled, crafty guitarist Dirk Quinn, this Jazz/Funk/Fusion combo is an improvisational machine that also flaunts slick composition and arrangement skills. Like Quinn (an in-demand session player), the rest of the members of the band are also top-shelf, making the Dirk Quinn Band a wildly entertaining listening experience both on stage and on record.
Dig: The Headhunters, Medeski Martin & Wood, John Scofield.
Mr Pitiful's
Saturday, Sept. 26, 11:00
J. Dorsey Blues Revival
(Cincinnati) Blues/Rock
Growing from a two-piece to a quartet over the course of three years, Josh Dorsey and his Blues Revival bandmates help keep the Blues fresh and relevant by reveling in what made Blues so revolutionary in the first place: raw passion. They’ve got chops to put most suburban Blues bands to shame (and they can’t be touched when it comes to their energized live show), but — as the band’s just-released debut, Get Right Church, testifies — it’s the soulfulness and intensity that make J. Dorsey Blues Revival so irresistible. You won’t hear “Mustang Sally” at a JDBR show.
Dig: A full-band version of The White Stripes or Black Keys, legendary soulful Blues shot through a canon.
Southgate House
Saturday, Sept. 26, 11:00
Eagle to Squirrel
(Cincinnati) Electronic/Experimental/Hip Hop
Veering wildly from poetry slam to Hip Hop jam to Electronic blip fest to Dance beat craziness to Jazz disrhythmia, The Eagle to Squirrel Variety Hour offers up something for everyone. Gape slackjawed at the band’s Klezmer tribute to Pulp Fiction and Dick Dale on “Miserlou.” Be amazed that anyone but you knows dialogue from Buckaroo Banzai. Check out the bachelor-pad-in-space homage to Alien. Weird doesn’t get any better than Eagle to Squirrel.
Dig: They Might Be Giants collaborating with Gorillaz on a tribute to every cool movie ever made.
Subway Bar and Lounge
Friday, Sept. 25, 10:00
Early Day Miners
(Bloomington, Ind.) Indie Rock
Early Day Miners have been defying categorization and expectation for over a decade. The band’s latest work, The Treatment, slated for release the week of MidPoint, is a quiet affirmation of what EDM has always done well and a defiant proclamation of where they’re going. Intimately cinematic. Broadly personal. Loudly hushed. Powerfully cool.
Dig: My Bloody Valentine if they’d been all squishy over Pavement.
Inner Peace Center
Saturday, Sept. 26, 10:30
Eat Sugar
(Cincinnati) Electro/New Wave
Twenty years ago, archly-coiffed, science fiction-attired, pale-skinned young men made eerie keyboard noises in a syncopated manner that aligned them with the New Wave scene. A good many of them would have been more successful if they’d had even a fraction of the sense of visceral fun that Eat Sugar bring to the Synth Rock concept. Their new EP, It’s Not Our Responsibility, was produced by John Schmersal of Enon, a band that also gets it. Eat Sugar will you have you clamoring to change the signs at the city limits to Synthinnati.
Dig: Swinging, swaggering, smoking Synth Garage Pop.
Grammer's
Saturday, Sept. 26, 6:30
Echo Son
(Chicago) Hard Rock
With a sound that recalls ’90s Grunge with loving reverence and explodes with big choruses that possess the dramatics of mainstream Metal, Echo Son is a quartet that has been working the Illinois circuit since coalescing into its current form just a couple of years ago.
Dig: Motley Crue biting the bullet and going Grunge in 1991.
Mainstay Rock Bar
Friday, Sept. 25, 10:00
Eclipse
(Cincinnati) Hip Hop/Jazz/Jam
Fronted by noted local MCs Jibri and Daddie Rich and featuring turntable work by Mood’s DJ Jahson, Eclipse has become one of Cincinnati’s favorite party bands. But this isn’t mindless Funk or rote Hip Hop; Eclipse is a gifted, smart group of musicians with music degrees, Jazz backgrounds and a keen sense of improvisation. The group’s unique Jazz/Hip Hop blend is wildly endearing — how can you not love a band that puts its own spin on compositions by everyone from Led Zeppelin and The Beatles to George Benson and The Yellowjackets?
Dig: Digable Planets reincarnated in the ’00s with an adventurous, chops-to-spare live Jazz band with Rock, Funk and even more eclectic tendencies backing them up.
Blue Wisp Jazz Club
Saturday, Sept. 26, 11:00
Ed fROMOHIO
(Pittsburgh) Acoustic/Indie
It’s been a while for most of us since we’ve heard the name Ed fROMOHIO, or, as his mama calls him, Ed Crawford, and, as Punk and Indie Rock fans call him, “That dude who sang for fIREHOSE with Mike Watt.” After fIREHOSE broke up in 1994, Crawford slowed down after a while, still performing on occasion but now preferring the acoustic-guitar/solo format.
Dig: The rumbling Pop of fIREHOSE, acoustically.
Southgate House
Saturday, Sept. 26, 12:00
Ellery
(Cincinnati) Roots Pop
Karin and Linford aren’t the only married couple in Cincinnati making beautiful music off and on stage. For the past four years, Tasha and Justin Golden — better known to all and sundry as ellery — have been lighting up local venues with a lilting and lush Pop sound that hints at the Innocence Mission and Over the Rhine but soars with a power all their own.
Dig: Over the Rhine, over the moon, over the rainbow, over and out.
Cadillac Ranch
Thursday, Sept. 24, 11:00
Enlou
(Cincinnati) Indie Pop
Enlou formed in late 2007, hooked up with Lujo Records (home of fellow Cincinnatians Pomegranates) put an EP out in early 2008, toured behind the release, then lost two members. After a reflective break, the three returned to making its ethereal, radiant Indie Pop with a new member this year. Welcome back, Enlou.
Dig: The way the city lights look at dawn on the first day of Autumn.
Know Theatre
Friday, Sept. 25, 10:00
Eric Matthew Tepe
(Cincinnati) Roots Pop
Eric Matthew Tepe is yet another example of the diversity and excellence of the Cincinnati scene. With no formal training, Tepe crafted his debut album, last year’s Right Shirt Wrong Shoes, an album that easily stands with the work of Ryan Adams, Jeff Tweedy and Dave Matthews. See him, love him, appreciate him before he flies toward the big time on the horizon.
Dig: Sting and Chris Martin trading songs at Jack Johnson’s bonfire.
Mr Pitiful's
Thursday, Sept. 24, 10:30
Eric Wilson and the Empty Hearts
(Nashville, Tenn.) Folk/Rock
Singer/writer Eric Wilson’s debut EP is Quarterfuse, an atmospheric collection of story/songs about love, loss and, well, the Civil War. Wilson sounds a little bit like a gene-spliced melding of Bruce Springsteen and Peter Gabriel, grounded yet grand. Wilson performs with a skilled backing band to help him recreate his songs wide open spaces.
Dig: Paul Simon, Jackson Browne and Ryan Adams sharing stories and songs in the desert.
Mr Pitiful's
Friday, Sept. 25, 9:00
Extra Golden
(Washington, D.C./Nairobi, Kenya) African Psych Folk
Five years ago, Golden guitarist Ian Eagleson was doing graduate work in Kenya and became entranced with the region’s Benga music scene and met Otieno Jagwasi, guitarist for Extra Solar Africa. Eagleson and Jagwasi ultimately recorded a laptop session of their combined bands that became Ok-Oyo System, the debut album by Extra Golden. Jagwasi passed away the following year, and Eagleson was determined to keep the project going as a tribute to his late friend. Adding Benga player Opiyo Bilongo, Extra Golden continues in the spirit of its origins with its latest album, Thank You Very Quickly.
Dig: The marriage of real African Pop rhythms with real American Indie Rock.
Havana Martini Club
Friday, Sept. 25, 12:00
Fairmount Girls
(Cincinnati) Indie Rock/Pop
Thirteen years. Three great albums. Some local music awards. Opening slots for Guided By Voices and the White Stripes. Spiky Farfisa. Crashing guitars. Swinging drums. Heady highs. Unspeakable lows. Triumph over tragedy. What more do you need to know about The Fairmount Girls? Go. See. Love.
Dig: Four decades of Rock and Pop Culture in five amazing people. That’s more math than we can do, but it’s a great proportion.
Inner Peace Center
Saturday, Sept. 26, 9:30
Finding Fiction
(Brooklyn, N.Y.) Indie Rock
Much like the above-mentioned Mean Tambourines, Finding Fiction takes the Glam magnificence of Mott the Hoople and turns it into contemporary guitar Pop with a distinct edge. And like Ian Hunter, the Fiction boys have a little thing for Dylan, as well. Look up … that’s where Finding Fiction is headed.
Dig: The Strokes with blue-collar roots and influences.
Cadillac Ranch
Saturday, Sept. 26, 10:00
Fists of Love
(Cincinnati)
You really need no other reason to love this band other than the fact that it’s named after a song by Big Black. But if you need more, try this: The band features former Fairmount Girls members Donna Rubin and Chris Schadler and has expanded from a duo to a full quartet with the addition of drummer Cedric Rose and bassist Mike Weinel (of The High & Low). The band’s sound is wide-open, psychedelic Indie Rock with grit under its fingers and urgency to spare. They’re currently working on their debut record.
Dig: The Fiery Furnaces, The Kills, inventive lo-fi Rock.
Courtyard Cafe On Main
Thursday, Sept. 24, 9:30
Flaregun
(Cincinnati) Pop/Rock
Flaregun was formed by popular local singer/songwriters Ryan Adcock and Craig Dockery (from Cincy rockers The Vinyltones) as an outlet for songs Adock was writing about spirituality and sermons he’d hear at church. Together, the duo (which does perform with a trio of backing musician) crafted its debut Ten Sundays.
Dig: Spiritual music that is smartly reflective but not preachy.
