Transition metal (M) carbides, nitrides, and oxides (MX, X=C, N, and O) are important molecules in astrophysics, catalysis, and organometallic chemistry.  The measurements of the ionization energies (IEs), bond energies, and spectroscopic constants for MX/MX+ in the gas phase by high-resolution photoelectron methods represent a challenging, but profitable, approach to gain fundamental understanding of the electronic structures and bonding properties of these compounds.  We have developed a two-color laser excitation scheme for high-resolution pulse field ionization photoelectron (PFI-PE) measurements of MX species.  By exciting the neutral MX species to a single rovibronic state using a visible laser prior to photoionization by a UV laser, we have obtained fully rotational resolved PFI-PE spectra for  TiC+, TiO+, VC+, VCH+, VN+, CoC+. ZrO+, NbC+.  The unambiguous rotational assignments of these spectra have provided highly accurate IE values for TiC, TiO, VC, VCH, VN, CoC. ZrO, and NbC, and spectroscopic constants for their cations.