Tune in to the Tunes

Where has the merry month of May gone? It’s darn near Memorial Day. Which means it’s hot dog grilling season. Let’s be careful out there.

Speaking o’ sizzlin’ hot and tasty, feast your ears on the new album from Mammoth Penguins:

Public service reminder: Do not attempt to grill mammoth penguins.

Speaking o’ cool like penguins, Inhailer Radio is currently spinning the 2024 Indie 500. From the press release:

For those who may not know, Inhailer Radio is deeply rooted in the legacies of two iconic predecessors: WOXY and WNKU. WOXY, also known as “97X,” was a trailblazer in the world of alternative and indie music, while WNKU was renowned for its commitment to showcasing local and independent talent. These stations laid the foundation for what Inhailer Radio stands for today. In 2023, we had the honor of hosting the highly successful 97X Modern Rock 500, a nostalgic reunion for listeners and DJs alike. This year, we’re building upon that success with the Indie 500, marking a “passing of the baton” from 97X’s Modern Rock 500 to Inhailer Radio’s Indie 500.

This 2024 Indie 500 grants a nod to the rich histories and contributions of WOXY and WNKU, as well as a celebration of our vibrant Cincinnati independent music community. Inspired by the legendary Memorial Day marathons hosted by 97X, The Indie 500 will showcase the top 500 indie songs curated by our team of dedicated music enthusiasts.

Former WOXY, WNKU, and Inhailer Radio DJs will be joining us for this historic event, hosting their own segments and sharing their unique perspectives and insights. It’s a chance for them to pay homage to the stations they once called home and the audiences they once captivated.

List member and longtime 97X staffer Dave Tellmann and I teamed up to do a few breaks. Because we’re both half-wits, so we figured two heads would be better than one.

Geez, would you look at the time? Here I’ve been prattling on and it’s practically Memorial Day Weekend. I’ll take the “Live Music” category for $200 please, Alex.

Wednesday night, RiversEDGE in Hamilton (city motto: “Quit calling us Hamil-tucky – we have craft breweries now!”) opens their outdoor concert season with Scotty Bratcher and GA-20. And 21 Savage plays Riverbend (unless it’s underwater.)

On Thursday, it’s Orgy Time!

Uh, the band Orgy plays the Madison Theater to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their album Candyass.

Speakin’ o’ candyass, your Peeps should be sufficiently stale by now. Have at ’em!

Tab Benoit plays Madison Theater on Friday, and The Broken Relics play the Southgate Lounge.

On Saturday, it’s time for Boys’ Life:

The Po’ Ramblings Boys and the Whiskey Bent Valley Boys play Southgate’s Revival Room.

That same evening, Don Was and the Pan Detroit Ensemble play Memorial Hall.

Speakin’ o’ Pan Detroit:

Laura Jane Grace graces the Madison Theater stage on Sunday. Sunday is also race day in Indianapolis.

Monday is Memorial Day.

You can enjoy your day off from work by checking out the movie Brainiac: Transmissions After Zero at the Woodward Theater.

Next Tuesday (5/28), Parliament Funkadelic plays the Bobby Brady, with special guest Dumpstaphunk.

Next Wednesday (5/29), Flock of Dimes (a.k.a. Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak) is playing a house concert in Cincy. Actually, the venue will be an art gallery in Mariemont. Hard to believe an Undertow artist would want to play anywhere other than my place, but it happens sometimes. Nevertheless, I’ll be there as a paying customer.

I have an extra ticket – HMU if you’d like to join me. That same evening, Mr. Big (the band, not the “Sex & The City” character) plays Ludlow Garage, and TyeDye (feat. list member John Sandman) plays Wunderbar in Covington.

On Thursday, 5/30:

• Ruth Moody of The Wailin’ Jennys plays Ludlow
• Ben Chapman & Co with Abby Hamilton at RiversEDGE in Hamilton
• Camp Springs Tavern hosts a bluegrass jam

Gigs on Friday, 5/31:

• Brainiac plays the Woodward with opener Exit Angles
• Leftover Salmon is at the old Annie’s

Speakin’ o’ Leftover Salmon:

But that’s just the appetizer. The main course is on Saturday, June 1st:

Hooray and huzzah! Cereal Killers will be bringing their vintage punk and new wave music to Big Ash Brewing. For the uninitiated, the standard “CK One” rules will apply: I will buy your first beer. No coupon necessary!

Other 6/1 shows:

• Railbird kicks off in Lexington (lineup is here)
• Highly Likely plays Plain Folk Café
• Tommy James & the Shondells play Ludlow Garage
• Pokey LaFarge plays Memorial Hall

Speakin’ o’ Pokey:

On Sunday, June 2nd, you can catch Day 2 of Railbird or see birds of a different feather: Pigeons Playing Ping Pong at the Ovation in Newport.

And don’t forget the big Pixies/Modest Mouse/Cat Power show at the Jan Brady on Wednesday, June 5th.

Speakin’ o’ Cat Power:

I let you down (yet again)

I forgot to mention Kraftwerk’s gig at Ovation in my last post. So sorry. To make it up to you, here’s some exclusive live footage from the show:

In my defense, the gig was a bit of an outlier.

The Engineer has left the station

Steve Albini didn’t produce your favorite album. But only because he didn’t like the “producer” label. He did work the knobs for Pixies, The Breeders, Nirvana, PJ Harvey, and hundreds of other bands, both big and small, often for a fraction of the market rate. He passed away earlier this month, just as his band Shellac’s new album came out. Matthew Berlyant pays tribute to Steve here.

We love live music

But we need to catch our breath after a great run of shows: GBV/Wussy at Madison Theater (tons of list members at that gig), Wussy at The Lodge in Dayton, KY (with list member Dave Roberto), Wussy at my house (several list members in attendance), Robbie Fulks/Scott Miller at Southgate (with noted Cereal Killer Howard Cohen in the house), They Might Be Giants at Madison Theater (hat tip to list member Chris Jones for the ticket – list member Jason Hipskind also was there)… and last but certainly not least, Violent Femmes at the old Annie’s.

The Violent Femmes concert featured a cavalcade of list members, including Ken “Lobby Boy” Laube (Fridays 11a-3p on Inhailer Radio), Dave Tellmann and his rock star son Joe (This Pine Box), Todd Butler, John Sandman (Tye Dye Band), and Chuck and Christine Ackerman. Chuck and Christine (a.k.a. “C+C Music Factory”) get a special shout-out for some way-too-kind words about this lousy little music blog/newsletter/dog’s breakfast. Clearly they had been overserved.

It’s hard to explain the ’70s… but here’s a crash course

After my Star Wars references in the last post, list member “Rowdy” Rob Ervin shared the gem below. As Rob said: Redd Foxx, Kris Kristofferson, Paul Lynde:  TV Magic! I don’t know if hard core Star Wars fans count this as canon, but they should. Enjoy!

And of course I’m such a voiceover nerd that I thought I detected the dulcet tones of the legendary Thurl Ravenscroft (original voice of Tony the Tiger and singer of the Grinch song… and Disney’s “Grim Grinning Ghosts”… as Darth). But he wasn’t listed in the credits. Sure enough, the interwebs confirmed my eardrums:

Album Cover(s) of the Week(s)

Praise hands! Because Amy Grant and leg warmers go together like peas and carrots. Or like Amy Grant and The Young Fresh Fellows: