On Jan. 13th, North Carolina’s Bowerbirds brought their honeyed harmonies to the ballroom of Newport’s Southgate House. Opening for them was Montreal based, indie veteran Julie Doiron. Our very own Mylynda Nellermoe recaps the evening.

If you're bored in Cincinnati, you're doing something wrong. On any given night in the Queen City (aside from the occasional boring Monday), you can find a bevy of things to do. Better yet, not only are these things awesome, but the vast majority of them are also free. Really, there's no excuse to be sitting at home and Saturday, December 12th was no exception. After the "Made in Cincinnati" opening at Northside's newest gallery, Fabricate, TRACER's Tiffany Dawn Nicholson and Amber Valentine headed to Mayday, the former Gypsy Hut, for the official Fabricate afterparty, featuring some sweet tunes from local bands The Harlequins and The Guitars, as well as an appearance by Detroit, Michigan's The Sights.

To say a band plays "rock and roll" music doesn't give you much information about their sound, what with all the categories and subcategories of rock that exist these days. There's folk rock, punk rock, psychedelic rock, and the list goes on. But to say Chicago's Archie Powell & The Exports play rock music is the best way to describe them. Fuzzy, catchy rock with a slightly garagey, grungey sound, with a bit of alt-country and a modern twist, is what they do... and they do it well.

As if today's Coachella announcement wasn't sign enough that the festival season will soon be upon us again, Cincinnati's own MusicNOW Festival has just announced their 2010 lineup. Running from March 30-April 1, this year's festival welcomes the likes of Joanna Newsom, St. Vincent , yMusic (premiering the festival commission written by St. Vincent's Annie Clark), and a rare solo performance by Justin Vernon (or, as Miley Cyrus and I like to call him, "Bob" Iver).

Presented by the fine folks at Chamber Music Cincinnati, the 2010 MusicNOW Festival again makes its home in Cincinnati's historic Memorial Hall. A festival pass will run you $50 for all three nights or $20 for any single concert. Visit MusicNOW's official website for more information or to reserve your tickets now.

If you would like to learn more about MusicNOW, please do check out Each Note Secure for a look back at the festival. We'll have more information on this annual event as it develops!

Twas the night before the night before Christmas and before TRACER HQ settles in for a brief holiday hiatus, it's time for one last look back at the year that was. Join us, then, for part four of your musical round up for 2009 as we unveil our top 13 favorite albums of the year.

Before the events of the past year become a distant, hazy memory, TRACER takes a look back at the year that was. Join us for a trip down short-term memory lane.

This is part three of your musical round up for the year, presenting 13 more of our favorite albums of 2009.

Before the events of the past year become a distant, hazy memory, TRACER takes a look back at the year that was. Join us for a trip down short-term memory lane.

This is part two of your musical round up for the year, presenting 13 more of our favorite albums of 2009.

Before the events of the past year become a distant, hazy memory, TRACER takes a look back at the year that was. Join us for a trip down short-term memory lane.

This is part one of your musical round up for the year, presenting 13 of our favorite albums of 2009.