Assorted ramblings from the world of entertainment:
A Champion native has a chance to live Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show's dream by appearing on the cover of the Rolling Stone.
Alex Kandel, lead singer of the band Sleeper Agent, is one six finalists for a contest sponsored by the magazine to pick a new artist for the flip cover of its ''Women Who Rock'' issue in September.
In a statement released by the band's publicist, Kandel said, ''Being nominated is a great opportunity for the band. It's not even as much about winning or losing as it is about more people discovering our band. That's all I really want - more people hearing our record. I'm really proud of what we've created.''
Kandel, 19, lived in Champion until her freshman year in high school, when her mother, Amy, moved to Bowling Green, Ky. By the time Kandel was 18, the band had earned gushing praise from national publications like Rolling Stone and Spin. Since the release of its self-titled debut last fall, the band has appeared on ''Last Call with Carson Daly,'' performed at such festivals as Coachella and SXSW, played on a ship as part of the Weezer cruise and toured with such acts as fun., Cage the Elephant and the Joy Formidable.
Readers can vote online through July 23 at www.rollingstone.com/ womenwhorock.
The Sleeper Agent page for the contest includes the video for the band's song ''Get Burned'' and an acoustic version of ''That's My Baby.''
The top two finalists will perform head to head on stage at the Rolling Stone Rock Room at the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago on Aug. 3-4. Those videos will be posted online, and fans will get another opportunity to vote for their favorite.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's Summer in the City concert series returns Wednesday for the first of four outdoor concerts.
The first concert will feature Cloud Nothings and Herzog. Cloud Nothings may be a Cleveland band, but it's attracted national hype since the release of its ''Attack on Memory'' disc, which was engineered by Steve Albini. The band has been featured in Rolling Stone, Spin and the New York Times.
Other shows this summer include Torche and Ohio Sky on July 25, Bear in Heaven and Mr. Gnome on Aug. 1 and Sharon Van Etten and Bethesda on Aug 22.
The music starts at 7 p.m., and admission is free. Shows will be moved indoors if the weather isn't cooperating.
Attention aspiring filmmakers: submissions now are being accepted for the 37th Cleveland International Film Festival, which will be held April 3-14, 2013.
The festival is open to films (narrative and documentary/ features and shorts) produced after June 1, 2011, and the festival traditionally spotlights filmmakers and subjects with Ohio ties.
The deadline for submissions is Nov. 30 with an early submission discount for films received by Oct. 31.
Complete details, costs and entry forms can be found online at www.clevelandfilm.org.
Andy Gray is the entertainment writer for the Tribune Chronicle. Write to him at grayareas@
tribtoday.com.