Cincinnati and MP3s       

Culture Queer, a staple of the Cincinnati electro-pop scene for years, are back and ready to hit you with an all new set of songs. The quartet, known for their energetic live shows and loyalty to their hometown Cincinnati, might have their best recorded work to date waiting in …

 Cincinnati and Show Previews       

Cincinnati-based rock group The Dukes are Dead announced this week that the band is calling it quits. The band posted a message on their Facebook page on Monday, saying “We have found that the best way to continue contributing to the music scene is by branching out and pursuing our …

 midpoint music festival       

Press: Popmatters : “Imagine what would happen if the Postal Service hung out with Justin Hawkins of the Darkness, listened to a lot of Passion Pit, and started recording. This is the kind of finely crafted, deliciously indulgent synthpop you get from Stepdad.”

Stepdad have many elements reminiscent of successful bands. …

 midpoint music festival       

Our MidPoint Music Festival previews continue.
The Chicago-based hip hop duo The Brown James aka Faba and Johnny DuJour can attribute their sound to a wide net of influences, including indie rock, funk, and soul.

Personally, I’m a sucker for anyone that has the balls to label their music as “clitoral rock.” Respect for …

 midpoint music festival       

It took a week to listen to all 170+ bands playing at this year’s Midpoint Music Festival, but here it is: Each Note Secure’s MPMF playlist.
FYI A handful of bands on the lineup aren’t on Spotify, so you’ll either have to make due with a mere 134 tracks (or about …

 midpoint music festival       

Black Owl’s name suits their dark, rough sound remarkably well. There are comfortable swaths of American roots-rock, 70’s folk stomp, and 60’s guitar pop. However, the whole thing gets a proto-punk tint with the occasionally aggressive guitar work and oblique lyrics. The result is a strong-backed collection of wooly guitar …

 midpoint music festival       

With a festival like MidPoint, it is increasingly difficult to navigate the schedule and make good decisions on who to see. I know a lot of friends looking for guidance during non-headliner time slots on who to check out. Well, if you gravitate towards some familiar names when …

 midpoint music festival       

[Photo credit: David Andrako via Brooklyn Vegan]
Bands nowadays like to throw around “Afropop” as an overused descriptor of their sound, but Janka Nabay & The Bubu Gang are legit. Singer Janka Nabay brings the indigenous sounds of bubu, a frenzied dance music based in Nabay’s own Sierra Leone, to Midpoint. Nabay will be joined …

 Cincinnati and Show Previews       

Ever heard of the Scion Tunnel parties? Yeah, me either, but it sounds pretty interesting and if nothing else, you get RJD2, who was a big hit at this years Bunbury Festival. And did I mention the whole thing is free? The event takes place September 15th …

 Cincinnati and midpoint music festival       

Boston’s Krill make deliriously disheveled indie rock. Their sloppily frantic treble notes, off-kilter drums, and strained vocals remind me of bands on Brooklyn’s Famous Class record label from a few years ago; bands like Snakes Say Hiss and Huxtables. I’ve always had a soft spot for these weirdo guitar pop …