Local musical eccentrics Chick Pimp, Coke Dealer at a Bar celebrate the release of their new CD, The People Vs. Lemoncello, with a huge show at the Southgate House this Friday. Performing throughout the Southgate will be The Sundresses, The Lions Rampant, Rumpke Mountain Boys, Wonky Tonk, The Harlequins, CJ the Cynic, Bullying Ben Jones, Losanti and many others.  

The final deadline to be considered for a performance slot at this year’s MidPoint Music Festival (returning to Downtown this Sept. 24-26) is Friday, May 1. Get thee to mpmf.com to submit. There have also been a couple of other MPMF09 developments. The first performer for the fest has been announced — ex-Drive-By Trucker Jason Isbell and his band the 400 Unit  

Local newcomers Mona Medusa celebrate the release of their debut CD, 'Shiver,' Friday with a free show at the Northside Tavern that includes performances by local Rock bands The Host, Caterpillar Tracks and The Prohibitionists. For their set, Mona Medusa promise a theatrical production in the form of a short play intended to reflect the new CD (not sure what that means, but I was sent a Lone Ranger mask to wear to the show).  

The free "Tunes & Blooms" concert series at the Cincinnati Zoo returns this Thursday with the teaming of local Pop/Rock legends psychodots and Gypsy Jazz masters The Faux Frenchmen. Plus there's news about new albums from The Ohms and Cari Clara, an animal fundraiser at Stanley's Pub and PJ Herrington's new band coming through town.  

Molly Malone's in Covington presents a benefit show Friday for local Irish Folk/Rock performer Roger Drawdy and his family. A month ago, Drawdy's home burned down and the family lost everything but the clothes on their backs, a couple of guitars and a child's car seat.  

The unofficial local holiday known as Opening Day (referring to Cincinnati’s pro baseball team’s first game, for you non-sporto types) has had its pre-game parade for 90 years. But local folksinger Jake Speed has started what has become a new Opening Day tradition.  

Wake the Bear — a.k.a. one-man-band Scott Cunningham — celebrates the release of his third album, Player Piano, this Saturday at the Northside Tavern. Dan Mecher of Turnbull ACs opens the free show, Cunningham plays in the middle (with his unique loop-and-sample-centric set-up) and new pop rockers The Mighty close the night.  

Just like when she was alive and performing, the love for late local singer/songwriter Katie Reider has been strongly evident since her death from a rare tumor last summer. The Web site 500kin365.org — which allows music lovers the chance to download a compilation of Katie’s music for a $1 donation — has helped keep Katie’s spirit and music alive, with 80,000 people participating.  

Scoring glowing reviews in national music magazines for your first two albums might intimidate some artists. But for Wussy, set to release its newest (a self-titled effort) for locally-based Shake It Records, a natural progression and tightness has resulted in its best album yet. The brilliant Wussy will get “CD release partied” this Friday at the Northside Tavern.  

They've spent the past couple of years working their orchestral Indie Pop magic to music fans and the music industry around the country, and now Bad Veins finally has a record label home. They're soon to become Dangerbird Records recording artists; the deal is in place, and papers just need to be finalized.  

Though I'm not a believer in the notion that "there's no truly original music being made anymore," I can recognize a truly unique aesthetic when I hear one. And that's just what I hear all over the debut album from Indie trio Slow Claw.  

Though known for a wide-range of musical styles, Greater Cincinnati has always had an especially strong Americana/Roots music scene. With the release of 'Nothing As It Was,' Mark Utley and his band Magnolia Mountain should instantly jump to the top of any list of the city's best Roots practitioners.   

The J. Dorsey Blues Band formed three years ago as a duo and morphed into the quartet it is now, featuring Josh Dorsey on guitar and vocals, drummer Andrew Karas, bassist Mike Gregory and Kristen Kreft on keys and vocals. The band's evolution continues with a recently announced 'slight' name change; you can soon call them The J. Dorsey Blues Revival.  

It seems like only yesterday that we were running all over Downtown trying to see a bazillion bands perform for the 2008 MidPoint Music Festival. Now it's time to start preparing for a bigger, badder, better MidPoint in 2009. Artists can now electronically submit their music for consideration to perform at MidPoint (Sept. 24-26) at www.mpmf.com.  

The Cincy Blues Society, renowned across the region for its annual summertime Cincy Blues Fest, is once again giving local Blues fans a hot taste of some of Cincy's best Blues acts this winter. The Winter Blues Fest used to feature acts scattered around various Northern Kentucky clubs, but this year it will have the music all under one roof (so you can leave your galoshes at home).