Wednesday, July 21
PLAN A: Maps & Atlases, Cults, The Globes @ The Casbah. Chicago's Maps & Atlases delve into a folksy sound on their debut full-length, Perch Patchwork, that's offkilter and startlingly beautiful. PLAN B: Lycaon Pictus, Bella Novella @ Bar Pink. Like weirdo predecessors Pere Ubu and The Residents, Brooklyn trio Lycaon Pictus toe the line between catchy pop-craft and unsettling experimentation in tracks like “The Goat Gets In” and “I Give You a Rose.” BACKUP PLAN: The Poison Control Center, Red Pony Clock, Chairs Missing @ Soda Bar.
Thursday, July 22
PLAN A: Robyn, Dan Black, Far East Movement @ Belly Up. A Swedish pop singer who's too badass to fit a preordained pop mold, Robyn pulls at the heartstrings of teenie-boppers and indie-music geeks alike with the resonant lyrics and infectious electro-pop grooves on her latest record, Body Talk Pt. 1. The pulsating, heartbreaking “Dancing on My Own” has been stuck in my head for days. PLAN B: Mix Master Mike, Hyena, Shark Attack, DJ Leif @ Fluxx. Last month, the first live show at this swanky Gaslamp nightclub was a big (and surprising) success. This time, with Beastie Boys' Mix Master Mike going off on the decks, the club's second live music show should be that much awesome-er. PLAN C: MC Lars, MC Frontalot, Ytcracker, Random @ The Casbah. Get in the Comic-Con mood with some of the best “Nerdcore” hip-hop around. BACKUP PLAN: Gerald Clayton Trio @ Athenaeum Music and Arts Library.
Friday, July 23
PLAN A: Le Butcherettes, Marquez!, Shapes of Future Frames @ Soda Bar. Mexican garage-rockers Le Butcherettes are known to put on live shows involving a real pig head and lots of audience interaction, so it goes without saying that I'm excited. Get there early for Marquez!, who're reworking their excellent rock en español to be darker and headier. PLAN B: Pinback @ Del Mar Racetrack. Pinback masterminds Rob Crow and Zach Smith will drop their backing band and perform as a duo for this one, so expect a pared-down rendering of the band's spindly guitar lines and coolheaded grooves. BACKUP PLAN: Kelli Scarr @ The Park Gallery.
Saturday, July 24
PLAN A: Boris, Saade, Brainticket DJs @ The Casbah. Japan's Boris made it big when they released the gnarly psych-metal album Pink in 2005. Their drone-y jams of recent years are more uneven, but their live show is still awesome—and really fucking loud. Plan B: Tan Dollar, Weed Diamond, Dash Jacket, The Endless Bummer, Surveyor @ Che Café. Lo-fi usually refers to recording quality, but I'd expect Tan Dollar to sound just as scratchy onstage with their cheap-sounding keyboards, drawn-out synth drones and washed-out vocals—though they do have some guitar. In keeping with the night's theme, Weed Diamond and Dash Jacket make hazy indie-rock with echoing vocals. BACKUP PLAN: Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube @ 4th & B.
Sunday, July 25
PLAN A: Sleepy Sun, Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound, Miranda Lee Richards @ The Casbah. There are plenty of bands that borrowBlack Sabbath's giant rock riffs and Led Zeppelin's earthy psych-rocktones—and most of them do a crappy job of it. But on their excellentnew album, Fever, California sextet Sleepy Sun infuse their classic-rock vibe with stunning guy-gal harmonies and Latin touches. PLAN B: Silian Rail, The Burning of Rome @ Bar Pink. Notsince I saw Hella have I heard such mind-blowing interplay as thatbetween Oakland guitar-drum duo Silian Rail. Just wait till you seedrummer Eric Kuhn hold down a complex beat while playing guitar. PLAN C: Sick of it All, 50 Lions, Alpha & Omega, Take Offense @ Che Café. Old-schoolNYC hardcore band Sick of it All captures in song what it must feellike to get beaten down by a pack of angry skinheads. BACKUP PLAN: Random Gibberish, The Megas, Kirby Krackle @ Dream Street.
Monday, July 26
PLAN A: Snuffaluffagus, Father Figures, Ben Lear, Fungi Girls @ Tin Can Ale House. This lineup couldn't be any more diverse: Between Father Figures' skronkyfree jazz and Fungi Girls' janky surf-rock, there's a whimsical folkopera by Ben Lear about a boy, his lover and an island of trash in themiddle of the Pacific. PLAN B: Zombie Surf Camp, The Slow Poisoner, Nerve Meter @ Soda Bar. Walkin during one of The Slow Poisoner's spooky songs about witches andzombies and you'd swear you'd wandered onto the set of a campy Tromafilm. BACKUP PLAN: Schitzophonics, The Mashtis, The Canton Mudders, Happy Ron @ The Casbah.
Tuesday, July 27
PLAN A: Gayle Skidmore, Rheanna Downey, The Olive Grove, We Landed on the Moon! @ Soda Bar. Thislineup will feature lots of lush folk from female singer-songwriters,but the highlight is Gayle Skidmore, a multi-instrumentalist with asweet, rich voice whose dreamy piano ballad “Remember” could make theperfect soundtrack for a rainy day—which is more than welcome,considering how hot it's been lately. BACKUP PLAN:S.P.E.C., Spirit Photography, DJs Blk Pnts, Autumn Child @ Tin Can Ale House.