Unholy Ghosts and Cool Ghouls and Boys

· Halloween without howling, undead Bluegrass miscreants Hogscraper is like Christmas without Santa Claus. This Saturday, the treacherous trio brings its outlandish stage show and hell-bound Devilgrass back to Newport’s Southgate House for their outrageous annual spooktacular, featuring their usual assemblage of like-minded freaks. The band hits the main ballroom stage at midnight, but you can explore other cultural and musical oddities throughout the night (doors open at 9 p.m.). The sassy, animal-friendly dance collective Barnyard Burlesque which has taken on a life of its own, with performance dates lined up in and out of town will again perform, while local rockers Banderas kick the music off in the ballroom at 10:30 p.m. Honky Tonk faves Straw Boss will handle the musical duties in the lounge area, while Wilmington’s video-game-lovin’ Electro-Hip Hop crew Kare Bear Mafia performs in the parlour. For a warm up, check Hogscraper’s MySpace page (myspace.com/hogscraper) for some new tunes slated for the band’s forthcoming new album, their first in a decade. (hogscraper.com)

· Saturday at the new alchemize in Northside, the popular monthly “Girls & Boys” night takes on a ghoulish theme, as local Pop/Rock group The Turnbull AC’s perform what they are calling “The Séance Sessions.” The band is channeling music from a graveyard full of dead musical icons, playing songs by everyone from The Ramones and The Clash to The Doors and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. Dynamic DJ duo Boy Radio will follow the band’s one-time-only performance. The Turnbulls play at 11 p.m.; admission is $5.

(theturnbullacs.com)

· The “Metal Attack Radio Show” which airs Fridays at 3 p.m. on WAIF (88.3 FM or listen online at waif883.org) is presenting a benefit for WAIF/Halloween party at Top Cat’s Friday. Music is provided by the bands Our Last Offer, Azygous, Abominant, Beneath Oblivion and others. The best costume winner gets $25, while runners-up will receive prize packages. Admission is $5 and the show is open to headbangers 18 and up.

More Local Notes
· Spectacular Indie Pop singer/songwriter Peter Adams who is featured in a full-page profile article in the current issue of Magnet magazine is performing at The Poison Room this Thursday with his band, The Nocturnal Collective. Adams has been talking with Warner Bros.-distributed imprint, Record Collection (home to acts like The Walkmen, Ash and Eisley), and the label’s manager is planning on being in attendance for Thursday’s show. Good luck! (peteradamsmusic.com)

· Also gearing up for a special guest at their show is the young local Pop/Rock band BackBeat, who specialize in Beatles covers, but also released a fantastic CD of original songs under the name Story earlier this year. For the band’s performance this Friday at the 20th Century Theater in Oakley, legendary producer Geoff Emerick will be on hand, signing copies of his book, Here, There and Everywhere, which is about his experiences recording the real Fab Four. The event which kicks off at 8 p.m. will have a variety show theme, with emcee Mark Rogers playing the Ed Sullivan role (BackBeat plays at 9:30 p.m.). Emerick has expressed an interest in recording the local foursome and last visited with them in May. (xanga.com/backbeatohio)

· Guitarist and facilitator of the “Blues In the Schools” program John Redell celebrates the release of his new CD, Oasis of Love, Saturday at Arnold’s. Redell will be joined by The Flock and other special guests for the free, 8 p.m. event. Redell’s next recording projects are shaping up to be quite ambitious; he plans to travel to all 50 states over the next three years, recording tracks for a Classical guitar album in each state. When he completes his journey, he also plans to record more material inspired by his travels and hopes to release two more CDs, one for children with breathing disabilities and another to “help reforest our planet.” For more on Redell and his various projects, check his newly launched Web site: johnredell.com.

· Local band The Trojan Rabbit recently added new lead guitarist Matthew Brauer, the founder/frontman of the Matthew Shadley Band. Brauer and the band are currently working on the Rabbit’s first CD, which is due early next year. The band plays this Friday at Stanley’s Pub with local faves Buckra. (thetrojanrabbit.com)

· Also working on a debut release is Knife the Symphony, featuring former members of Theraphosa and Ampline. The Indie trio is planning to release an EP on drummer Jerry Dirr’s Phratry Records in January. This Thursday, KTS joins labelmates Covington for a show at Covington’s Mad Hatter, also featuring The Bomb (containing former members of Naked Raygun and The Methadones) and The Black Cloud (ex-A Ten O’Clock Scholar). The all-ages show starts at 10 p.m; admission is $5. (knifethesymphony.com)