Since forming in 2007, Mad Anthony has been recording and touring almost non-stop. The Cincinnati band has also pared down to a trio. For guitarists/vocalists Ringo Jones and Adam Flaig, along with drummer Marc Sherlock, doing more with less and going back to basics are mantras that they’ve applied to all aspects of the band.  

Five surf-rockers, two go-go dancers and a guy in a gorilla suit walk into a bar … That’s either the weirdest setup for a joke ever or it means that Cincinnati’s only Surf Rock band, Doctor Bombay and the Atomic Bachelor Pad, has arrived.    

There’s something about the written word that adds finality to a subject. Contracts are finished with a signature, newspapers are often considered bastions of truth and obituaries often put a person’s death in perspective for their loved ones. Perhaps this is why I put off writing this story for so long; I didn’t want to admit the truth: at the end of the year, two of the most important places in my life will cease to be. The Mad Hatter has already shuttered its doors and the Southgate House is closing after Saturday. And I can’t quite bring myself to accept that.  

Conventional wisdom would tell you that The Dopamines did everything they could to guarantee their descent into oblivion. Tour the country without a big, local following? Check. Create a band with goals that didn’t go past hanging out with friends? You bet. Recording an album simply for the hell of it? Of course.   

There’s something about the written word that adds finality to a subject. Contracts are finished with a signature, newspapers are often considered bastions of truth and obituaries often put a person’s death in perspective for their loved ones. Perhaps this is why I put off writing this story for so long.  

Fly is the Pickups’ first album, which might seem surprising, given how long the band has been together. But musicians are notorious for their side projects, and Kelly Thomas is no different.  

The Vikings were an interesting breed. They were vicious, bloodthirsty warriors who glorified slaughter, brutal killers who lived from one battle to another. But they also put a great emphasis on death and the afterlife and looked forward to eternal battles in Valhalla. This mixture of vicious power and fatalistic sorrow can be heard in the music of local sextet Winterhymn.   

Emptying change jars, digging through couch cushions, turning pockets inside out, shining a flashlight under the fridge hoping to retrieve a lost quarter from yesteryear — some bands will do anything to get into the recording studio. Rounding up some money to lay down a few tracks is a rite of passage nowadays. For Northern Kentucky’s Great Young Hunters, this wasn’t just a rite of passage; it was pretty much a monthly occurrence.  

Cincinnati has a vast and flourishing Indie scene. However, in an omnipresent scene, all the heartfelt lyrics and well-written chord progressions in the world won’t get you very far. It requires bands to be more daring with their music, both lyrically and sonically. It requires a work ethic to which Northern Kentucky's Great Young Hunters (Nick Hill, David Coombs, Benjamin Sims and Brandon Lomax) subscribe.  

For some people, Fido just isn't fun. And some don't think Boots the cat isn’t that cuddly. They prefer something a bit more exotic, preferably with more scales and legs-optional. Lucky for these cold-blooded collectors, the Cin City Reptile Show, Inc. is continuing its immensely successful reptile exhibition Sunday. The public will be able to view and buy snakes, lizards, amphibians, spiders and more.