BY MIKE BREEN

CD Release Shows
· Master guitarist Scotty Anderson continues his fusion of Roots, Jazz and other American styles on his latest release, Classic Scotty. The follow-up to Triple Stop, Anderson's well-received debut for the locally-based J Curve Records, Classic Scotty gets the CD release party treatment on Friday at the 20th Century Theatre in Oakley.

A favorite of guitar-virtuoso fans worldwide (some critics say he might be the best ever!), Anderson's appeal is in his ability to be spellbinding with his speed and finesse without being overly flashy. Classic's motif serves Anderson's multi-genred approach perfectly -- the disc's 10 songs are all covers from the worlds of Rock, Blues, Country and R&B;, which allows Anderson's dynamic six-string calisthenics to be the point of cohesion. Taking on such known songs is a great way for Anderson to bridge the gap between die-hard guitar fanatics and the casual music fan.

Also abetting that process is the inclusion of guest vocalists on three of the tracks -- Blues singer Bill Woods lays it down gruff on ZZ Top's "La Grange," P. Ann Everson-Price gets all Tina Turner on a scorching "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" and Eugene Goss adds his soulful pipes to the funky "Boogie On Reggae Woman," a Stevie Wonder classic. The "technique" heads might find the instrumental cuts more appealing -- Anderson's awe-inspiring picking on "Honey Fingers" is particularly dazzling, while he slides into the pocket of Hank Williams' "Cold Cold Heart" like he wrote it himself. The crisp production of Pat Kelly is noteworthy, lending the album a warm closeness that makes you think you're sitting next to Anderson in the studio. Classic Scotty is a must-hear for those who appreciate guitar wizardry without the "look-at-me" bravado. Anderson's tasteful manner is almost as impressive as his undeniable skill.

For more on Classic Scotty, surf to jcurverecords.com.

· Indie Pop D.I.Y.-ers Post-Haste are gearing up for the release of their first full-length album, due this Fall from the Philly-based Ionik label, also home to the locally-produced debut from The Spectacular Fantastic. In the meantime, the band is pressing a CD single featuring two songs from the forthcoming record. The disc features the song "i," a scrappy, fader-pushing slice of brazen stomp-and-circumstance, and the dark, anxious and jittery "Symmetry." The single will be available at the band's show at Bar Humbug in Covington this Saturday. 24-Hour Flu, featuring members of Hilltop Distillery, open the night at 10 p.m. For more info, get over to ionikrecords.com.

This is a Call
· Local independent and influential radio station, WOXY (97.7 FM), is gearing up for its 18th annual 97Xposure local band competition. The station will be accepting submissions from area bands until 5 p.m. on Oct. 3. Those interested in participating should send a CD or DAT with two original tracks and a band bio (with full contact info) to 97Xposure, 5120 College Corner Pike, Oxford, OH 45056. Judges will pick a Top 20 from the pool, which will be aired on Oct. 29 at 8 p.m. A "Top 6" will be chosen that night, and a series of live play-offs will determine the ultimate champ. The last band standing will receive recording time, CD pressing, airplay on WOXY and a $1,000 gift certificate to Guitar Center. As the station's listener base expands thanks to its popular online simulcast (at woxy.com), the contest is even more valuable to the local artist wanting to be heard by a huge audience.

· MidPoint Music Festival time is creeping up fast. The original music showcase/conference (Sept. 25-27 in Downtown Cincinnati) is seeking volunteers to help the process run smoothly. Those lending a hand will get all access badges to the event and other MPMF goodies. Registration for volunteers closes Friday, so hop to it. For full info, go to mpmf.com/volunteers.php.

Collective Action
· Cincinnati native why?, a member of the underground Indie/Hip-Hop collective anticon (based in the Bay Area), returns to the area this Friday for a show at the Top Cat's. Why?'s recently released new EP, early whitney ep, is an entrancing, quirk-riddled slice of eccentric Indie Rock, with elements of Rap and Folk. Why? will be performing with a four-person band and supported by fellow anticon-ian Dosh.

· Datwaslost, a local Indie aggregate, has made a couple of new collaborative ventures available. The lo-fi/electronic projects Coltrane Motion and Velcro One have created a 12-song "split CD" dubbed We Are the Media We Love. And Pop Rock faves Clabbergirl and "floetry" maven Abiyah have cross-pollinated on the fifth installment of DWL's split-single series. Both discs will be available at datawaslost.net and at your favorite local-music-friendly record shops.

E-mail Mike Breen

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