June 4

Gold Chains Topher LaFata, a.k.a. Gold Chains, turns it out tonight at a release party for his debut CD, Young Miss America (Pias), a spastic, booty-jangling affair that grows on you, like femme mullets, bacteria, and Flashdance. True to Chains' form, Miss America keeps up the sex, the sax, and the promises to burn up the disco – and G.C., ever the self-proclaimed punk rock MC, even manages to inject critiques of capitalism and humor aplenty into the proceedings whenever he can. Vahco and the Pleased also play. 9 p.m., Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., S.F. $8-$10. (415) 474-0365.

June 4 and 16

Winfred E. Eye Welcome to vocalist-guitarist Aaron Calvert's junkyard of blues rock – namely Winfred E. Eye, where he cavorts with guitarist Craig Adams, bassist-guitarist Mikel Garmendia, keyboardist-vocalist Dax Pierson, bassist Chandan Naravan, and drummer Josh Kilboum. The Oakland combo have come up with a new assemblage, a recently completed album titled The Dirt Tier. With Steve Von Till June 4, 9:30 p.m., Cafe du Nord, 2170 Market, S.F. $7. (415) 861-5016. With the Dying Californian and Nervous and the Kid June 16, 9 p.m., Parkside, 1600 17th St., S.F. Call for price. (415) 503-0393.

June 5

Lilys Lilys leader Kurt Heasley has a strange way with a pop song: he approaches it sideways and peppers it with verbiage like a sleepy, lyrical Robyn Hitchcock or an oddball Neil Hannon. Heasley's latest, Precollection (Manifesto), doesn't quite get a groove on – but it does layer the lyrics on in weird, almost XTC-ish ways. Swirlies, Explosions in the Sky, and Lazarus also play. 9 p.m., Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., S.F. $10. (415) 474-0365.

LTJ Bukem Bukem, Danny. LTJ Bukem, or Danny Williamson, and Makoto play good cop and bad cop for a lesson on progressive at a CD-release party for Progression Sessions (Good Looking). The new jazz-dappled drum 'n' bass disc was recorded live at the End in London. 8 p.m., Ruby Skye, 420 Mason, S.F. $15. (415) 593-0777.

June 5-6

Damien Rice Making delicate, subdued folk music in the mold of Ed Harcourt and David Gray, Dublin singer-songwriter Damien Rice doesn't shy away from sentiment. And success seems to follow his Jeff Buckley-like songs: his debut, O (Vector), is already platinum in Ireland. Joel Shearer and Charlotte Martin also play. 9:30 p.m., Cafe du Nord, 2170 Market St., S.F. $8. (415) 861-5016.

June 6

Jay Hannan of Lazy Dog Fresh from his final May 16 event with his Lazy Dog club night cohort, Ben Watt of Everything but the Girl, Jay Hannon goes it alone, five years after starting the deep house biweekly Sunday gathering at the Notting Hill Arts Club. He moves his dogs forward and onward to S.F. 9 p.m., Ruby Skye, 420 Mason, S.F. $15-$25. (415) 593-0777.

June 6-7

Johnny Talbot with De Thangs East Bay guitarist Johnny Talbot has teamed with a mini who's who of soul and blues history. Word has it the Kilgore, Texas, native toured as the guitarist and music director for legends like Sam Cooke, Little Willie John, and Aretha Franklin after putting in time with T. Bone Walker and Tex Ritter. 8 and 10 p.m., Kimball's East, 5800 Shellmound, Emeryville. $20. (510) 658-2555.

June 7

Dismemberment Plan and Enon D.C.'s Dismemberment Plan took apart punk and put in the funk and fusion over the course of 11 years and four albums. But that was the old plan. This time the quartet dismembers itself – right after this farewell tour, which reliable sources promise won't be a pseudo-event in the grand tradition of bands such as, oh, the Who. Heavy yet lighthearted, charmingly schizophrenic, and high on the volume, NYC trio Enon returns with In This City, a new EP of remixes. Beauty Pill also perform. 9 p.m., Slim's, 333 11th St., S.F. $15. (415) 522-0333.

June 8

Dubblestandart Dubblestandart are Vienna, Austria's foremost reggae and dub collective, which may not sound like high praise – considering the omnipresent Mozart memorabilia and very untropical nature of the city. Nonetheless, given a love for the music and a willingness to experiment, the group have ended up serving as a backing band for artists including Lee "Scratch" Perry and Topcat. This week they're striking out on their own and stopping in S.F. on their first U.S. tour with a new, funky, electro-washed album, Streets of Dub (Select Cuts). 9 p.m., Elbo Room, 647 Valencia, S.F. $7. (415) 552-7788.

Lovemakers Bay Area band the Lovemakers bring the love, trot out a new self-titled album, and show off their wicked way with new wave conventions – all for beloved Bottom of the Hill at this benefit with Harold Ray Live in Concert and Dashboard Weenie. 9 p.m., Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., S.F. $7. (415) 474-0365.

June 9

Quintron and Miss Pussycat Why didn't anyone think of this earlier? Quintron, those Drum Buddies, and his lovely, maracas-wielding female assistant Miss Pussycat couldn't be more perfect showmates for the Cramps – they're sharing a stage and an equally kitsch-loving, aggro vision. The new Three.One.G release, Are You Ready for an Organ Solo?, says it all. The Cramps headline. 9 p.m., Fillmore, 1805 Geary, S.F. $20. (415) 421-TIXS or (415) 346-6000.

Fruit Bats Once a four-track endeavor, now a full-blown beauty of a band, Fruit Bats began life as a noodly side project for Brian Belval and Eric Johnson (of Califone and Ugly Casanova). Somehow, with timing and luck, Fruit Bats coalesced into a group, with Belval and Gillian Lisee, that combine the quiet eloquence of Big Star with a healthy dose of unhinged country-folk psychedelia. I want to just eat up their recent second album, Mouthfuls (Sub Pop). Nik Freitas and Triangle also perform. 9 p.m., Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., S.F. $7. (415) 474-0365.

June 10

Datsuns More glam rock than garage bound, Cambridge, New Zealand's Datsuns roll into town once more, promising plenty of power chords and howling attitude. We'll see if they can fill the Fillmore with raw wedges of stomping insanity. Meanwhile the Forty Fives warm up with streamlined, organ-driven boogie. Star Spangles also play. 9 p.m., Fillmore, 1805 Geary, S.F. $15. (415) 421-TIXS or (415) 346-6000.

Go-Go Fightmaster Producer Myles Boisen describes Go-Go Fightmaster's music as "heavy metal country jazz," and as I scan the band's helpful list of influences – Sun Ra, Lee Konitz, Art Ensemble of Chicago, and Black Sabbath – it occurs to me he just may have a second career in marketing. In any case, there's a reason the group's self-titled Pax CD is on the top-10 playlist at KUSF: they're accomplished and challenging. So go. Adam Lane's Full Throttle Orchestra and Nick Didkovsky and Tom Dimuzio also play. 8 p.m., Black Box, 1928 Telegraph, Oakl. (510) 451-1932.

June 13

Jungle Brothers Those pesky Jungle Brothers – Afrika (once known as Baby Bam and Nathanial Hall) and Mike G (a.k.a. Michael Small) – are used to messing with hip-hop fans' minds from way back, in the progressive heyday of De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest. They're still trying, though perhaps they've yet to beat Straight out of the Jungle during their swings through the recording studio. Black Sheep open. 9 p.m., Great American Music Hall, 859 O'Farrell, S.F. $16. (415) 885-0750.

'Live 105's BFD No. 10' It seems like a circus from over here – and it'll probably seem like a zoo once you're in the thick of it. But it's hard to deny BFD is a good deal for those who want to see all of the station's current darlings in one fell jamboreelike swoop. The Foo Fighters, the White Stripes, A.F.I., the Deftones, Evanescence, the Transplants, the Donnas, the Used, Interpol, the All American Rejects, the Ataris, Finch, Hot Hot Heat, BT, the Roots, Dan the Automator, DJ Ken Jordon of the Crystal Method, Mystre, Dyloot, Tom Silk, Denise, Disko Shawn, and Party Ben perform. 1 p.m., Shoreline Amphitheatre, 1 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View. $28.75-$58.75. (650) 541-0800.

June 15

Jets to Brazil Jets to Brazil give emo a good name. Their latest album, Perfecting Loneliness, is just that – darn near ideal when it comes to providing punk-pop in full-frontal high-sensitivity mode. Too bad their tour was canceled a few months back; I'm sure former Bay Area regular Blake Schwarzenbach will try to make it up to the many loyalists. John Vanderslice and Whysall Lane also play. 8 p.m., Great American Music Hall, 859 O'Farrell, S.F. $16. (415) 885-0750.

June 17

Blur Don't judge a band by their initial singles. I was a bit let down by "Crazy Beat," and admittedly Think Tank is a patchy, tinny affair. But there's also some intriguing, bizarre stuff: the Bowie-esque, dub-drenched "Ambulance," the oud-chestrations of "Out of Time," and the sweet drift of "Good Song." Catch 'em before they blur into the Damon Albarn Experience once and for all. 9 p.m., Great American Music Hall, 859 O'Farrell, S.F. $30. (415) 885-0750.

Sean Paul Everyone in the aerobics class is singing along to Sean Paul's bidding to "shake, shake, shake that thing." So do as the man says – he's managed to pull dancehall into the mainstream and sports bars everywhere with his terse, cool monotone delivery and mesmerizing songs. Wayne Wonder, Lumidee, and Wild 94.9 DJs also appear. 8 p.m., Ruby Skye, 420 Mason, S.F. Call for price. (415) 593-0777.

June 19

Britta Phillips and Dean Wareham Scanning the sultry mug shots on their CD, L'avventura, you suspect Luna's Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips were styling themselves as the Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin of indie rock – or at the very least the stateside Cinerama. L'avventura does do an admirable job of casting their already plenty-sexy dual vocals in an even more intimate light, couching them amid plush keyboards and twinkling vibes. 9 p.m., Great American Music Hall, 859 O'Farrell, S.F. $15. (415) 885-0750.

June 23

Wire One of the brightest moments of the past few years' slew of punk reunion tours had to be the taut, ultraminimal performance by a grim and gray-haired Wire at the Fillmore. I was a little hypnotized by the disciplined fury, and in the end it sent me scurrying off to the merch nook to get my mitts on their mail order-only Read and Burn: 02 EP. It didn't disappoint, and neither will their latest self-released album, Send, which includes four 02 tracks as well as three from the first Read and Burn. 8 p.m., Great American Music Hall, 859 O'Farrell, S.F. $21. (415) 885-0750.

June 25-26