MidPoint picks from people you know

We asked music experts, musicians and fans for their top picks. Here’s what they said:

Bootsy Collins
Funk bassist and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer
The Syd Natanists (Cincinnati): Born with the first King Records exhibit at the downtown library and bred to bring the funk, hillbilly twang, blues, and rock, these guys carry our Cincinnati King tradition along everywhere they go. 8 p.m. Saturday at the Blue Wisp.

Noctaluca at the Cadillac Ranch (midnight Thursday) and the Seedy Seeds at the Contemporary Arts Center (10:30 p.m. Thursday), both from Cincinnati: Noctaluca’s sound and live show are amazing and the Seedy Seeds are so original it hurts. I’m glad their shows times are spread out enough to catch both of their shows on Thursday! If you like live shows, you will love this one!

The Hotcakes (New York City) are going to be at Fountain Square (7 p.m. Friday) and can best be compared to Blondie on steroids. Erin, their lead singer, has a voice that is powerful and will captivate you the entire show.

Courtenay Green (Los Angeles) will be accompanied by her eight-piece band that provides a hypnotic backdrop for her modern rendition of that swooner ’60s style made famous by all of those girl groups back in the day. Remember the malt shops and car hops, yeah baby! Playing 9 p.m. Friday at the Cadillac Ranch.

For those who just want to dance and dirty dance they should take the time to check out Son Del Caribe (Cincinnati) for some upbeat Latin and Salsa sounds. Better grab an energy drink or two before you check this gig out! They will be kickin’ it at Javiers Mexican Restaurant (9 p.m. Thursday).

Vanity Theft is composed of four beautiful and talented ladies from the Dayton, Ohio, area and their harmonies will blow your mind. Their music will make you want to party and dance the night away at the Know Theatre downstairs (9 p.m. Thursday).

Stereo Deluxe is the band to check out now before you have to pay big money for an arena seat in the nosebleed section. They are from (Indianapolis) Indiana and they rock ’til they drop. 9 p.m. Thursday at the Mainstay Rock Bar.

Lauren Frost hails from the "Windy City" and she can blow! She has a voice too big for Broadway and her resume is growin’ faster than a baby giraffe! 10 p.m. Saturday at Madonna’s Bar & Grill.

Bill Donabedian
MidPoint cofounder, Fountain Square managing director and musician
Trouble with Boys (Louisville) followed by Mia Carruthers (MTV’s “Taking the Stage”) will be two great shows back-to-back. Plus, MTV will probably be there to film Mia’s performance. 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday on Fountain Square.

I love the Seedy Seeds (Cincinnati). Their CD saw a lot of airplay on the Square. It was often played in between set changes. It’s melodic folk with driving rock beats. 10:30 p.m. Thursday at the Contemporary Arts Center.

Paper Airplane (Columbus and Cincinnati) is a band I heard while reviewing press kits many MidPoints ago. I loved their song “Courthouse” and it’s been on my iPod ever since. 10 p.m. Saturday at the Lodge Bar.

I love the Chocolate Horse (Cincinnati). Jason Snell writes amazing melodies. They played Indie Summer on the Square and I couldn’t hold a conversation with anyone because I kept focusing on the music. 11 p.m. Friday at the Havana Martini Club.

I’ll probably go see Chick Pimp, Coke Dealer at a Bar (Cincinnati) because they are called Chick Pimp, Coke Dealer at a Bar. It’s too much to resist. 10:30 p.m. Friday at the Courtyard Café.

Finally, I’m looking forward to seeing Messerly & Ewing. Why? Well, I’m biased. I’m the drummer in the band. (Sean Rhiney, MidPoint cofounder, is the bass player.) I played the fest in 2002 and 2003 (with Crosley), but not since. I’m really excited to play MidPoint again. 8:30 p.m. on Thursday at Madonna’s.

Sean Rhiney
MidPoint cofounder, attorney and musician
(He's playing with Messerly & Ewing at 8:30 p.m. Thursday at Madonna’s and the Moon and the Stars at 8:30 p.m. Friday at the Contemporary Arts Center)

Stereo Deluxe: Indy (as in the city, not the sound) rockers with great pop sensibilities. 9 p.m. Thursday at the Mainstay Rock Bar.

The States: NYC trio, gorgeous noise and melody driven, like Coldplay without the preening. 10 p.m. Thursday at the Lodge Bar.

Love in October: Chicago combo plays groovy power rock with dance touches. 8 p.m. Friday at the Know Theater.

Dick Prall (Chicago): Dick made his MPMF debut in ’02 with dearly departed pop masters, the Starch Martins, and I’ve been a fan ever since. Solo, he’s taken his clever songwriting to a new level, just more chill and moody. And he’s dead handsome too. 9 p.m. Friday at the Havana Martini Club.

mallory (Cincinnati): I first heard and wrote about these guys in 2002, and their sweeping, haunting guitar/keyboard soundscapes sound fresher than ever today. Neil Young fronting Radiohead at their most experimental, but still surprisingly accessible. 9 p.m. Friday at the Blue Wisp.

The Mighty: Hands down, Cincy’s finest crunchy power pop trio. 11 p.m. Friday at the Southgate House Parlor.

Jack Fords: Cleveland-based roots rockers, sound like the Stones stuck on an exit ramp between “Exile” and “Beggars Banquet.” 11 p.m. Friday at Arnold’s.

God Made Me Funky (Toronto): A religious experience. Played packed, sweaty shows the past couple of MPMFs that left no survivors. Go, they’ll convert your soul (and ass) I promise. Midnight Saturday at the Blue Wisp.

Coltrane Motion: When Datawaslost label founder and former Cincinnatian Michael Bond takes off his label head hat, he becomes a mad scientist. This Chicago-based duo is just one big ball of kinetic, danceable/soulful energy. Never seen someone make a laptop look so cool either. Midnight Saturday at the Subway.

Sohio (Seven Mile, Ohio): These guys first blew me away in the smallish front room at Neon’s several MidPoints ago. Sound like Guided by Voices challenging the Jayhawks to a drinking contest – and winning. 11 p.m. Saturday at Javier’s Mexican Restaurant.

Laura Chenault
Northside, MidPoint attendee since year one; volunteer for four years
God Made Me Funky (Toronto): I missed their set last year. After hearing people talking about what I missed and how great they are, it is a must! Midnight Saturday at the Blue Wisp Jazz Club.

Rosewood Thieves (New York City): Love, love the song on the MPMF compilation and want to hear more. 11 p.m. Saturday at the Lodge Bar.

Brighton, MA (Chicago): Have heard great things about them, and (MidPoint executive producer) Dan McCabe seems excited to see them so they must be good. Playing midnight Thursday at Washington Platform.

Look Mexico (Tallahassee, Fla.): Caught the last two songs of their set last year and loved what I heard. 10 p.m. Thursday at the Know Theatre.

Oxford Cotton (Cincinnati): Made up of ex-players from The Heartless Bastard, The Greenhornes and Pearlene. These guys played last week at my block party and they were great. 10 p.m. Saturday at the Southgate House.

Mavis “Swan” Poole (Brooklyn): Bring on the real deal soul. 9 p.m. Friday on Fountain Square and midnight Saturday at Mr. Pitiful’s.

Son of the Sun (Buffalo, N.Y.): Melodic. Even their rocking stuff is soothing. 10:30 p.m. Saturday at Below Zero Lounge.

Lab Partners (Dayton): They played at the Northside Rock-n-Roll Carnival, made me stop talking and ask who they were. Great sound and I want to see them in a more intimate place. 11 p.m. Friday at the Southgate House.

Wussy (Cincinnati): They keep getting better and better and their latest album just received four stars in Rolling Stone magazine. 11 p.m. Saturday at the Know Theatre.

Wendy and Ken Adams
Price Hill residents, MidPoint attendees since 2004
stephaniesid (Ashville, N.C.): stephaniesid are one of our all time favorites. They always puts on a great show, their sound is original, complex, and layered. Kind of a Björk vibe with a jazzy/bluesy edge. Steph’s vocals are amazing. We’ve followed them for years, and see them every chance we get. 10 p.m. Saturday at the Know Theatre.

Chico Fellini (Lexington): One of our other favorites. Their shows are an experience – energetic, dramatic, unexpected, unique, great stage presence. Very tight set, quite cool and they look amazing too! Chris’ vocals at times feels like one of the instruments in the band, and we were already huge fans of Emily Hagihara (the bass player.) Love them! 11:30 pm. Saturday at the Below Zero Lounge.

Telling on Trixie (New York City): Saw them at last year’s MidPoint and again over the summer, and I’ve been keeping up with them ever since. Catchy, fun, and polished. They work hard at keeping connected to their fans, and raised money to self-fund their CD. (I think I might even have contributed some lyrics to one of the songs…) (Lead singer) Derek (Nicoletto) has style and presence and great vocals, energetic and personable, sometimes serious, sometimes silly. 12:30 a.m. Saturday at the Below Zero Lounge.

New bands (to us) we plan to see: Why these bands? All of them grabbed my attention on first listen, and made me want to hear more. Most are also from out-of-town. We try to see as many out-of-town bands as we can, they will typically win the time slot if they conflict with a local band: The States, Anni Rossi, Chairlift, Mean Tambourines, Toy Horses, Lightning Love, In Cadeo, Creatures, Stereo Deluxe and Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles.

Other bands we’ve seen at previous MidPoints and plan to see again: Cassavettes, Vanity Theft, The Elms, Everthus the Deadbeats.

Kendall Bruns
Filmmaker, guitarist for Koala Fires who play 9:30 p.m. Friday at Courtyard Café on Main
Lightning Love (Ypsilanti, Mich.): I’m more excited about Lightning Love than any other band on Thursday. Bad Veins brought them to the Northside Tavern earlier this year and I was immediately won over by their beautifully simple songs. Their CD, November Birthday, has been in constant rotation ever since. Do yourself a favor and check out their MySpace for some musical samples. 11 p.m. Thursday at The Segway Room.

Mock Orange (Evansville, Ind.): There are actually five bands performing at 11 on Thursday that I would like to see (take that, naysayers!) but my second choice would definitely be Mock Orange. Unique vocals and ambitiously melodic guitars combine to create foot-stomping romps you can sing along to. I just hope they’re running behind schedule so that I can catch some of their set. 11 p.m. Thursday at Inner Peace Center

Amo Joy (Indianapolis): Standard Recording Co. is an Indianapolis based record label that has their own MPMF showcase on Friday at the Inner Peace Center. I’m looking forward to seeing all the bands they’re bringing but Amo Joy is the one I’m most excited about. Amo Joy use a variety of non-traditional instruments—think kazoos, slide-whistles, toy-sounding keys—but it doesn’t come across as gimmicky, more like poppy fun. I particularly like the song, “It’s Not an Artist’s World” which you can hear at www.myspace.com/amojoy. 11 p.m. Friday at Inner Peace Center.

The Sundresses (Cincinnati): The Sundresses’ bio begins, “If there were a punk band in the swing era of American music The Sundresses would be that band.” That sounds about right to me. One of the things that I love about them is that they’re not afraid to make bold statements lyrically—oftentimes about living in Cincinnati. Midnight Friday at Blue Wisp Jazz Club.

Flotation Walls (Columbus): Self-described as “intelligent art-pop”, Columbus, Ohio’s Flotation Walls spent five years putting together their lush new album, Nature, and they ended up featuring 25 musicians on the recordings before all was said and done. Currently they are a quartet but their CD release show featured a ten piece orchestra – I wonder how many will make a MidPoint appearance. They like to wear yellow. 9 p.m. Saturday at Subway Bar and Lounge.

Kevin Bayer
Drummer for You, You’re Awesome who play 10:30 p.m. Saturday at Contemporary Arts Center: the Project Mill stage
The Bloodsugars (Brooklyn): Good dance-oriented indie rock. Curious to see how they translate live. 11 p.m. Thursday at Know Theatre.
The Seedy Seeds (Cincinnati): Duh! Super fun locals who combine semi-serious lyrics with insanely catchy melodies and beats. 10:30 p.m. Thursday at Contemporary Arts Center.
Pomegranates (Cincinnati): I can’t get enough of their new album. “Southern Ocean” is one of my favorite songs of the year. Midnight Friday at Know Theatre.
The Super Desserts (Columbus): I have not seen live yet, but I really like what I’ve heard so far from this collective. Midnight Friday at The Segway Room.
Geographer (San Francisco): Trio that I keep hearing more and more good things about. 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Contemporary Arts Center: Project Mill stage

Sharon Udoh
Keyboardist

I feel terrible about this, but I'm going to recommend some of my bands for this year's Midpoint. Not because I want you to come see me perform (and you won't because Midpoint triple-booked me...all shows are at 11 or 1130 on Friday night), but because the core of the reason why I perform with these bands is because I'm a fan of the bands I'm in--that's why I joined them in the first place. Does this make me an arrogant jerk? I hope not.

Matthew Shelton's Picnic (Cincinnati): This band (possibly better named an "orchestra") is a refreshing offering from a local folk master, Matthew Shelton. His quirky lyrics, technical prowess on the guitar, and his commanding yet gentle voice will steal your heart immediately. And he's one of the nicest guys I know, to boot. As if he isn't a showstopper on his own, he also has a magnificent backing band including a cello, violin, bassoon, and bass clarinet. What?! That's what I said. 11 p.m. Friday at Subway

Brandon Dawson (Cincinnati): I know, another good-looking white guy with a guitar, it's all been done before. But seriously, who cares if it has been done before if it's good? If someone offered you something great to eat, like a vanilla cupcake or an ice cream cone, would you complain because you've had it before? Probably wouldn't, would you? Exactly. Brandon and his band (which features another mind-blowing, incredible folk singer, Mike Helm, on electric guitar) reinvent folk with underlying tones of blues and funk. His lyrics are honest and his voice sends chills up my spine. The good kind. Check him out. 11:30 p.m. Friday at Washington Platform.

The Chocolate Horse (Cincinnati)
What can I even say about this amazing group of musicians? The band leader, Jason Snell, is another white guy with a guitar, but rarely would be called something so common. He's seasoned in his craft, handling the guitar with a powerful energy, while his smooth and colorful voice soars over it all. Interested yet? There's more! This local powerhouse features a bassist who does jumping jacks while he plays AND sings backup vocals, a flautist who plays all sorts of unusually wonderful world instruments, a saw/trumpet/keys/French horn player (yes, he plays all four of those things), and an innovative, hard-hitting drummer. SOLD! 11 p.m. Friday at Havana Martini Club

Okay, I can't just talk about myself; I feel terribly guilty.

Extra Golden (Kenya): Afro-pop goodness. Bring your dancing shoes. Midnight Friday at Havana Martini Club

The Seedy Seeds (Cincinnati): Electro-pop goodness (with incredibly hot band members). Bring your dancing shoes. 10:30 p.m. Thursday at Contemporary Arts Center

Pomegranates (Cincinnati): Indie-pop/rock/shoegaze goodness (also with incredibly hot band members). Bring your dancing shoes. Midnight Friday at Know Theatre

The Read (Cincinnati): I don’t even know what this band is. Punk? Funk? All I know is that this trio has never disappointed. Prepare to move! 10 p.m. Saturday at Southgate House.

Yourself and the Air (Chicago): Some of the most innovative music you’ll hear. Bring your dancing shoes, and your sweat towel, probably. Midnight Saturday at The Lodge Bar.

Nate Rosing
Edgewood resident, blogs about music at www.brokenmic.com
Chairlift (Brooklyn): One of my favorite discoveries of 2009, I’ve already seen Chairlift twice this year and have been feeling impatient as to when I’d get to see them again. Thankfully, someone at the MidPoint headquarters was into this band and decided they’d be a good addition. I’ll admit that it was the catchiness of “Bruises” and the angelic sound of Caroline Polacheck’s voice that made me fall in love with them. But even though the album is somewhat inconsistent, I feel they are the best when it comes to creating a sound that is imaginative, dreamy and mysterious. 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Grammer’s.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (Muscle Shoals, Ala.): Although his bittersweet departure from the Drive-By Truckers may have left some fans feeling heartbroken, I think this move was for the best. Isbell’s always been an excellent songwriter and storyteller, and I’m glad he finally gets to do it on his own terms. Although his debut didn’t exactly please the critics and fans, assembling a backing band called the 400 Unit has helped steer him in the right direction. Nice to see Isbell in a band with more soul and less Skynyrd-isms. 9:30 p.m. Thursday at Grammer’s.

Heartless Bastards: Not to be disrespectful toward the local music scene, but I try to make it a point of not catching any local bands at MidPoint simply because I can see those bands on a weekly or even a daily basis. Although Erika Wennerstrom made the move to Austin, I still consider the Heartless Bastards to be a local band. Nevertheless, I wanted to include the Heartless Bastards on my list because, well let’s face it, 2009 has been a killer year for the band. And I’ve got three reasons to back that up. One: They’re playing every major music festival in the country this year that will expose them to large, wide and diverse audiences. Two: The Mountain may be their greatest and most eclectic album to date. By using different instruments like violins, banjos, mandolins and the lap steel, they dip into country and folk rather than stick strictly to bluesy, garage rock. Three. The band is tighter than ever, with the return of Jesse Ebaugh and Dave Colvin and the addition of Marc Nathan on guitar. 9:30 p.m. Friday at Grammer’s.

Scotland Yard Gospel Choir: Known as one of Chicago’s best kept secrets, the Scotland Yard Gospel Choir features a who’s who of the underground Chicago music scene. Members have worked with bands like Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley and the Legendary Shack Shakers, to name just a few. And I’m a sucker for gorgeous vocals and orchestrated, string-arranged indie pop. 11:30 p.m. Thursday at the Contemporary Arts Center.

The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker (Nashville): Not many musicians can say they’ve been performing for nearly half a century, but Charles Walker can. His voice captures the grace, soul and spirit of a James Brown or Otis Redding, while his ten-piece backing band, The Dynamites, keep him young with their horn-pumping, funky grooves and energetic, explosive sets. 11 p.m. Friday at the Southgate House ballroom.

Extra Golden (Washington, D.C.): I have the diverse, multi-cultural music styles of Bonnaroo to thank for turning me onto a band like Extra Golden. Originally hailing from Kenya, they’ve got bits of both world and American music with their rhythmic, African beats and guitar-driven, bluesy rock. It makes for heavy dance music that people of all ages and backgrounds can get into. Midnight Friday at the Havana Martini Club.

The Young Republic (Sky Mountain, Tenn.): I love bands that have many musicians; bands with more than just the typical guitar/bass/drum setup – it keeps things interesting because there’s just so much more to see and hear. The Young Republic is an eight-piece outfit that finds a way to mix folk, country, and even blues and jazz by using instruments like flutes and fiddles (they’ve also got one of the finest rhythm sections around)to create a type of orchestrated, indie pop you have never heard before. 6:15 p.m. Thursday on Fountain Square and midnight Thursday at the Blue Wisp Jazz Club.

The Baltic Sea (Portland, Maine): I wasn’t even aware of this thing called “experimental, post-rock” until a few years ago when I attended the Austin City Limits Music Festival and discovered a band called Explosions in the Sky. I quickly fell in love with the instrumental, atmospheric soundscapes that could change from slow and soft to noisy and loud within the blink of an eye. From there I discovered bands like Sigur Ros, Mogwai, Tortoise, Caspian and Godspeed You! Black Emperor and am always in search of bands who play music like this. Thanks to the organizers of MidPoint, I can now add another band to that list. 11:30 p.m. Friday at the Contemporary Arts Center.

The Lighthouse and the Whaler (Cleveland): I honestly don’t know much about this band, and it makes it much harder when you can’t reach the root of the sound problem you’re having on your laptop and can’t afford to buy every CD that interests you. Needless to say, they made my list because of the way Mike Breen described them in CityBeat’s MidPoint guide: “Iron & Wine, Fleet Foxes and My Morning Jacket jammin’ acoustic.” 10 p.m. Thursday at Arnold’s Bar and Grill.

Bowery Boy Blue (New York City): Here’s another band that I really don’t know too much about, but I had to include because of the way Brian Baker described them in CityBeat’s MidPoint guide: “Ryan Adams covering Neil Young covering Jeff Tweedy.” 9 p.m. Saturday at Washington Platform.

Compiled by Lauren Bishop and Daniele Pfarr