Thanks to Paul Grein, who writes the "Chart Watch" blog for Yahoo, we now know that one of legendary Cincinnati-based King Records' impressive chart-topping records has been toppled. James Brown's King release Pure Dynamite! Live at the Royal was the last mono-only release to make Billboard magazine's Top 10 until John Mellencamp's new No Better Than This, which recently hit No. 10 in its first week of release.

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Though not officially available until Aug. 2 to the rest of the world, Southwestern Ohio’s Buffalo Killers begin their touring duties for the new album 3 tonight in Dayton before coming to MOTR Pub Saturday night for their Cincy album release party. In honor of the forthcoming release, today the band issued a free MP3 download today of the song “Love Is Gold,” which was recorded during the 3 sessions, but left off of the album. Click above to listen.

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Vice — the cool, ever-emerging media empire that includes a popular, irreverent magazine and record label — and raucous band The Black Lips have curated a mini local music festival set for this Thursday at MOTR Pub in Over-the-Rhine. The Lips (who opened for The Raconteurs for that half-local-band’s debut in Cincinnati a few of summers ago at PNC Pavilion) handpicked Cincy acts The Harlequins, Weakness and Sacred Spirits to perform at the free show, which they’ve dubbed “Uncapped Cincinnati”

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The new album by Cincinnati-bred/Brooklyn-based Indie Rock stars The National, High Violet, won't be available until May 11. But, thanks to The New York Times, you can listen to the full-length in its entirety on the Old Gray Lady's Web site.

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Two Cincinnati acts with strong Irish ties recently announced some good news for the holidays. For Voodoo Loons, the good news is a special gift for fans and a preview of their next album. For Roger Drawdy and the Firestarters, it's the announcement of their nomination for an international music award. For fans of progressive Irish music, it's like Christmas in, well, Christmastime.

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It ain't the Oscars, but Cincinnati rockers Foxy Shazam will be making like Bill Conti and providing the music for Spike TV's manly "Guys Choice" awards, which will be telecast on the channel June 9 at 9 p.m. (the show is taping in Culver City, Calif., on June 2).

Foxy will rock between the doling out of awards such as "Holy Grail of Hot," "Most Dangerous Man" (fitting!), "Top Fantasy Leaguer," "Comedy MVP," "Best Fight Scene,"  "Outstanding Literary Achievement" (seriously, though it's Dick Cheney vs. Tina Fey in the category), "Best Ass Kicker" (alas, no "Best Ass Kisser") and "Top Masturbator" (OK, made that one up).

Joining Foxy on the broadcast will be Adam Sandler, Emma Stone, Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane, Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell and others.You can vote for the awards (and look at photos of half naked women) here. 

Foxy, as always, has been relentlessly touring, traveling the world in support of its early 2012 release Church of Rock & Roll on I.R.S. Records. The band is performing at the huge Rock on the Range festival in Columbus this weekend (they play the FYE second stage Friday at 8:30 p.m.). Here's some footage of the band from a recent U.K. stint.

It's looking like the historic Emery Theatre on the border of Over-the-Rhine and Downtown is back in business as a full-time functioning venue. Bands like Magnolia Mountain and Pop Empire have been using the Theatre to film music video projects and, next Saturday (April 28), the Emery hosts the "Rock This Town" benefit concert for CityLink, which helps resident "break the cycle of poverty" by providing employment training and other assistance. The event's music will be provided several groups of business people who can play instruments or sing (modeled on the "Suits That Rock" concerts that benefit the Carnegie Arts Center in Covington).

On April 27, the Emery will host a dual album release party/concert in honor of two new releases from the label Ol Kentuck, run by SubPop recording artist and Northern Kentucky native Daniel Martin Moore. One of the albums is a vinyl release of producer/guitarist/composer Ric Hordinski's Arthur's Garden (read more about the album here).

The other is the first release from a duo project consisting of Moore and singer Joan Shelley (pictured) titled Farthest Field. The event will also feature readings from authors Silas House and Marianne Worthington (who wrote one of the most engaging press releases for the album I think I've ever laid eyes on for the duo's debut; click the "Bio" pdf link on this page to read it).

It's a great time to check out the Emery circa 2012 because the concert is also free and open to the public. (Rock this Town's tickets range from $35-$100 — for a great cause, of course.)

Here are two video clips (shot by photographer Michael Wilson with help on the audio side from Pop Empire) promoting the concert, with music from Moore and Shelley's Farthest Field (officially available May 8).

The eerie humming sound that kicked off The Afghan Whigs' 1993 major label debut, Gentlemen (considered by many to be one of the best albums of the ’90s), sounded mysterious to those who’ve never visited Greater Cincinnati. But those in Northern Kentucky and Cincy knew that rhythmic buzzing wasn’t a swarm of bees or a loop of some old man snoring. To anyone who frequently traveled across the Roebling Suspension Bridge over the Ohio River, the sound was instantly recognizable as the sound created by the cars, buses and trucks driving across the bridge’s distinctive blue grating. So in some ways, it makes perfect sense that this year’s RoeblingFest, Saturday’s daylong celebration of the 155-year-old structure, is showcasing some high quality musical acts to enhance the festivities.

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Music Tonight: Say goodbye to August tonight with some classic Hip Hop at Bogart's, one of many recent and upcoming Hip Hop shows from the longstanding Corryville concert venue. Rock the Bells began seven years ago as a stand-alone Hip Hop festival in California, but today the brand has been expanded to included RTB package tours and smaller club tours, like the one in town tonight.

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Popular Northern Kentucky Ska/Reggae/Rock crew Duppy a Jamba is no more. But fans shouldn’t be too disappointed. The band announced, due to a creative shift in new material, though membership is essentially the same, it has changed its name to The Secret Six.

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