California native and acclaimed Jazz composer/saxophonist Donny McCaslin got a fairly big jump on his music career, performing with an ensemble of experienced musicians by the time he was 12.  

The husband and wife duo of Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst, better known as Shovels & Rope, were slated for an appearance at MidPoint Music Festival here in Cincinnati last fall, but an offer to open for Jack White convinced them to bow out of the fest.  

Writing since his teen years, 21-year-old singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran became a star in the U.K. in 2011. His U.S. success picked up in earnest last year and now Sheeran appears to be on the verge of becoming a household name in the States.  

The 16th annual Cincinnati Entertainment Awards — honoring Greater Cincinnati's local music scene — take place at the Madison Theater in Covington this Sunday, featuring live performances from Bad Veins, The Dopamines, Jess Lamb, Gold Shoes, Ricky Nye and much more.
  

Left Land Cruiser's output is brutish, noisy and deep-fried in so much muck and raw distortion that you'll want to take a half-hour shower after a few YouTube listens.
  

Calling your band Gringo Star is a surefire way to raise some eyebrows. Throw in the fact that your music immediately conjures the holy trinity of British Invasion bands and you’re doubly damned in the eyes of many purists.  

 As a composer, educator and performer, Arturo O’Farrill is on the leading edge of enlightening new generations to the rhythmic wonder of Latin Jazz.   

Ever fantasize about vacationing in the serene English hillside? If the answer is yes, we're happy to introduce you to Skinny Lister, a vibrant, Punk-in-spirit Folk/String band that will appease those idyllic sensibilities.  

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Jason Snell approaches music and art with an open, collaborative spirit. Sometimes, it’s to his own creative detriment.
  

Last year was a busy one for The Natives — the Hip Hop aggregation released two new albums as free downloads, maintained a high profile in the local club scene, produced a handful of videos and nabbed a Cincinnati Entertainment Awards nomination for New Artist of the Year.  

Public’s debut four-song EP, Red, released last summer through the local Counter Rhythm Group, offers the yelping howl, martial cadence and galloping verve of Modest Mouse without the thick icing of ironic hipster cool.  

For a band that started as a “lark,” Kelley Deal and Mike Montgomery’s R. Ring is evolving nicely.   

During their journey, The Heartless Bastards have experienced a few personnel changes and a record label switch, as well as a major relocation from Cincinnati to Austin, Tex., all of which occurred within a few years. The one constant has been the original songs, guitar playing and vocals of Erika Wennerstrom.   

The band known as the DAAP Girls is made up of all guys, has barely anything to show as far as web-presence and has yet to release any music. Still, they have been chosen as a nominee for the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards’ New Artist of the Year, and rightly so. 
  

These days, it’s more and more unusual to see a so-called “Country music band” that features a pedal steel guitar onstage. Now, in Cincinnati, believe it or not, there is band carrying a steel guitarist called Jeremy Pinnell and the 55s.