These are the things I'd do
Our guide to this week's live music
By Troy Johnson
For websites listed below, MS=www.myspace.com. These are bands we especially dig, not full listings. For those, please see Concerts and Clubs. Also, ticket price is not taken into account--you know better than us if you can afford it.
WEDNESDAY
PLAN A: Public Enemy @ House of Blues. If you think PE is soft now that the Library of Congress has added their music to the national record collection, think again. Last December in San Diego, Chuck D proved he's still one of the most commanding stage presences in rap, period. Expect material from the new album, How to Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul. MS/publicenemyofficial. PLAN B: The Veils @ Beauty Bar. These New Zealand musicians (who live in London) are poised to become new indie darlings--with lead singer Finn Andrews playing a scratchy-throated Quaker version of Jeff Buckley. MS/theveils. PLAN C: The Detroit Cobras, Dan Sartain, The Willowz @ The Casbah. Three solid touring bands--headlined by the old-school girl-rockers (think Chrissy Hynde) of The Detroit Cobras. MS/thedetroitcobras, MS/dansartain, MS/thewillowz. BACKUP PLAN: Culver City Dub Collective @ Lou's Records (MS/culvercitydub collective).
THURSDAY
PLAN A: B-Side Players @ The Casbah. There's a reason respected jazz label Concord put out B-Side's newest, Fire in the Youth. The Players are masters of Latin percussion, Karlos Perez' voice is unmatched (listen to the title track for proof) and they manage to coat politically searing lyrics in a beat you can dance to. MS/bsideplayers. PLAN B: Autolux @ The Epicentre. L.A.'s Autolux has shown promise as a sort of Sonic Youth/Ride hybrid, but holy damn do they need to release another album soon (debut dropped in 2004). MS/autolux. PLAN C: Sleeping People, CJ Boyd @ Scolari's Office. One of San Diego's best instrumental rock bands (Sleeping People) with a damn good, meditative guitarist in CJ Boyd. MS/sleepingpeople, MS/cjboyd. BACKUP PLAN: Reeve Oliver, Bad Credit @ Lestat's (MS/reeveoliver, MS/badcredit).
FRIDAY
PLAN A: Blonde Redhead, Midnight Movies @ House of Blues. Blonde Redhead--with shrill Japanese vocalist Kazu Makino and piercing, modal guitar work from twin brothers--isn't for everyone. But those who appreciate their noisy preciousness (members of Sonic Youth and Fugazi are fans) are nearly cultish in their zeal. Openers Midnight Movies are good female-fronted noir-rock. MS/blonderedhead, MS/midnightmovies. PLAN B: Scarlet Symphony, Get Back Loretta, The Silent Comedy, Inberst @ Soma. Four good locals from all genres--spaz-rock (Scarlet), pop (Loretta), indie-folk (Comedy) and psychedelic (Inberst). MS/scarletsymphony, MS/get backloretta, MS/thesilentcomedy, MS/inberst. PLAN C: 3Oh!3 @ Beauty Bar. Like Lil' Jon meets indie rock, complete with choreographed dancing that re-embarrasses the white man. MS/3oh3. BACKUP PLAN: Cake @ Del Mar Fairgrounds (MS/cake).
SATURDAY
PLAN A: Fifty On Their Heels, The Vultures, The Scare, Skull Kontrol @ The Tower Bar. Two of San Diego's best brat packs--the minimal punks of Fifty On Their Heels and the Clinic-esque brash mouths of The Vultures--join with the noisy, glammy Aussies in The Scare. Mario Orduno and the Skull Kontrol DJs keep things moving between sets. MS/fiftyontheirheels, MS/officialvultures, MS/thescare, MS/skullkontrolpresents. PLAN B: Downs Family @ The Alibi. More traditionally Irish than Flogging Molly but twice as punk, The Downs Family is San Diego's ultimate drinking-til-you-jig experience. MS/thedownsfamily. PLAN C: Rafter, The Vision of a Dying World @ Che Caf
Published: 08/15/2007
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