Groovy, gritty art/performance space The Mockbee (off Central Parkway, near Brighton Corner) is hosting live music and art events again. The venue presents two cool musical performances this weekend, starting Friday with the latest presentation from Art Damage Inc., the non-profit organization that spawned from the long-running "Art Damage" experimental music radio show, now airing Thursdays at 2 a.m. on WAIF (88.3 FM). The AD folks have been putting on shows and bringing in artists from out of town in an effort to draw attention to music that falls far outside of the mainstream. Friday's 10 p.m. show at The Mockbee features local electronic/psychedelic troupe Neato Torpedo, as well as Spires That In The Sunset Rise, an all-woman, Chicago-based Psych Folk quartet, Deuxeaux and Dayton's Tonight Golden Curls. (artdamage.org)

Saturday, a solid lineup of locals takes over The Mockbee for a 9 p.m. shindig. Artists participating include Lovely Crash, Le TechnoPUSS13S, Blue Rock Boys, Jackass and Savalas. Also performing is Staggering Statistics, who have been especially active of late, touring behind their EP, Pixelated Ones and Zeros, the first release from 75 Or Less Records, an extension of the succinct Indie CD review Web site, 75orless.com, based in Rhode Island. The band -- which has expanded from its original three-piece set up, after enlisting ex-Throneberry/current-Culture Queer member Sam Wommelsdorf for guitar and keyboard duties late last year -- is also preparing for the imminent release of All of this and more ..., due on Shake It Records. And they can't seem to slow down -- band members have already laid tracks in Detroit with former Cincinnati musician Chris Koltay for another album, their first disc as a quartet. The Stats will also again hook up with bassist John Curley's former bandmate in The Afghan Whigs, Greg Dulli, when they open for Dulli's Twilight Singers at the Southgate House on May 20. (staggeringstatistics.com)

Rumors, Lies and General Misunderstandings
· New "World Jazz" ensemble Terra Azul performs this Saturday at Baba Budan's in Clifton, starting at 9 p.m. The quintet -- which features singer Susan Babey, bassist Andrea Souza, percussionist Stan Nelson, keyboardist Tom Billman and saxophonist/flautist Jack Walker (of Iswhat?! fame) -- is built on a Jazz base, with frequent dives into Brazilian, African and other World music forms, serving up everything from Antonio Carlos Jobim's "One Note Samba" to a smooth, jazzy interpretation of Tommy James and the Shondells' "Crystal Blue Persuasion," as well as some original material.

· Passionate local AltRock band The Times will have the title track from their excellent debut album, Begin, featured on the WB network's One Tree Hill Wednesday at 8 p.m. After advancing to the national finals of last year's Zippo Hot Tour battle of the bands, The Times signed up Los Angeles-based manager Michael Aston, who helped them nab the TV gig and is also shopping the band to various labels. The Times' next local show is April 21 at The Underground in Forest Park. (thetimesband.com)

· Downtown's Poison Room, one of the best venues in the city for live original music, has been having a lot of success with their "specialty nights." On Sundays, the club helps fill the all-ages shows void with "All Ages Sundays," which presents four or five acts each week, starting at 6:30 p.m. (and ending by 10:30 p.m., 'cause it is a school night). This Sunday, the event takes a break for Easter, but returns April 23 with Farewell Flight and Consoling Dara. The local Punk Web site cincypunk.org has also been doing bang-up business with their "Cincy Punk Presents ..." nights every Wednesday. The site -- which will present its fifth Cincy Punk Fest at the Poison Room in mid-May, across four nights -- showcases Jonuh, Eatafetus Trio, Deranged Gerbils, The Wankers and Canada's Kid Gib this Wednesday. The Cincy Punk shows are usually for fans 18-and-up and start at 9 p.m. (poisonroom.com)

· Fleetwood Mac fans, mark your calendars. On Friday, April 21, at The Poison Room, several local groups will participate in "Go Your Own Way: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac," a benefit for AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati (AVOC). Artists taking a swing at their favorite Mac tunes include Wojo, The Beau Alquizola Band, 1000 Arms, The Newbees, The Kelly Evans Trio, Backseat Virtue, The Whitney Barricklow Band, Kelp, Kohai, One Week, Up & Away and Sean P. Hafer. (avoc.org)

CONTACT MIKE BREEN: mbreen(at)citybeat.com