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Tip
sheet
Viki and Talib Kweli rock their respective mics in
May.
By Kimberly
Chun
May 7
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli is no novice, despite the Arabic translation of his
name ("student of truth"). After trading rhymes with Mos
Def as part of Black Star and fortifying the music of DJ Hi-Tek
as Reflection Eternal, he continues to strike out on his own, bringing
along his well-titled Rawkus/MCA CD, Quality. J-Boogie also
plays. 9 p.m., Bimbo's 365 Club, 1025 Columbus, S.F. $20. (415)
474-0365.
Viki
With vocals jacked up to 11 and attitude up a notch further, Viki
puts a little space between herself and Adult., with whom she's
touring. It's safe to guess she'll douse the Hemlock Happy Hour
with beats, integrity, and loveliness (also the title of her latest
release). So release her. DJ Shitbird and the Ultimate Party Machine
(with Bay Guardian staffer Sarah Han) also perform. 7
p.m., Hemlock Tavern, 1131 Polk, S.F. Free. (415) 923-0923.
May 8
Broadcast
Despite stories of false starts in the studio (including some therapeutic
playtime exercises with Squarepusher's Tom Jenkinson), Broadcast
don't seem to have lost their touch. Just air the Birmingham band's
latest EP, Pendulum (Warp), for hints of their upcoming album.
Haunted futurists Trish Keenan (vocals), James Cargill (bass), and
Tim Felton (guitar) belong on a ship or a planet like Solaris, drifting
in a dream state on eternal loop. English new wave eccentric Echoboy
opens. 9 p.m., Great American Music Hall, 859 O'Farrell, S.F.
$14. (415) 885-0750.
Lagbaja
Who is that masked man from Nigeria with such sax appeal? More Fela
Kuti than Manu Dibango, Lagbaja has been known to Yoruba drums,
highlife, juju, Afrobeat, funk, jazz, pop, and politics with a 12-piece
combo at his Lagos club. 9 p.m., Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo, Berk.
$17. (510) 525-5054.
May 8-11
Bill Frisell
Cosmopolitan guitarist Bill Frisell intermingles film scores and
Brazilian, Greek, Malian, and American roots influences with careful
refinement on his latest CD, The Intercontinentals. Frissell
may not be with the two-year-old band of the same name, which includes
Brazilian composer Vinicius Cantuaria and bouzouki player Christos
Govetas, but he'll be ably backed up by Alison's bro Viktor Krauss
on bass and Santa Cruz's Kenny Wollesen on drums. 8 and 10 p.m.
(Sun/11, 2 and 8 p.m.), Yoshi's, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakl. $18.
(510) 238-9200.
May 9
From Monument
to Masses What do you get when you combine the Mass, tape loops,
a politicized sensibility, and a burning distaste for traditional
vocals? From Monument to Masses' second album – recently completed
and due in June. Vermilion and Roma 79 also play. 9:30 p.m.,
Edinburgh Castle Pub, 950 Geary, S.F. $5. (415) 885-4074.
Kooken and
Hoomen The Bay Area group keep moving and grooving, from glitchier
experiments to more Mahavishnu-like meanderings. Call it "live
jungle fusion" if you swing through the trees; down on earth,
you can just applaud their braver proggy excursions. Tonight the
quartet celebrate a new live CD, Gopal to Starwin. Drums
N Space also perform. 10 p.m., Elbo Room, 647 Valencia, S.F.
$8. (415) 552-7788.
Skyflakes,
Clarendon Hills The Filipino American hookmeisters of Skyflakes
ply their pop tunes apart from the annual Pinoise Pop fest they
helped found. API lo-fi punk trio Clarendon Hills put the ill
in Illinois before they brightened up the Bay Area with good taste
in comic books and an interest in organic chemistry. Le Plebe, Charmin,
and Mike Park also perform. 8 p.m., Balazo/Mission Badlands Gallery,
2811 Mission, S.F. $5. (415) 550-1108.
May 9-10
Throwing
Muses The '80s Amerindie throwback reunion they thought would
never happen comes to pass for a self-titled 4AD rock full-length
and a short tour (blame it on drummer David Narcizo's and bass player
Bernard Georges' day jobs). Audio Learning Center open. 9 p.m.,
Slim's, 333 11th St., S.F. $16. (415) 522-0333.
May 9 and June
1
Citizens
Here and Abroad Born of the splinters of Secadora and Dealership,
Citizens Here and Abroad apply a Velvets-like drone to breathy,
propulsive pop with enough confidence to win over all aliens, outsiders,
and noncitizens. Film School also play. 10 p.m., Hemlock Tavern,
1131 Polk, S.F. $6 (Fri/9, call for additional price information).
(415) 923-0923.
May 10
Voyager One
Seattle foursome Voyager One will come off like sheer bliss to space
indie fans. Their recent Loveless CD, Monster Zero, teems
with airy, Anglo pop and a love of '60s psychedelia via '80s rock.
Sunstorm and Projector Head also play. 9:00 p.m., Cafe
du Nord, 2170 Market, S.F. $8. (415) 861-5016.
May 11
Essex Green
Chicken-fried Elephant Six-style psychedelic pop emanates from NYC's
Essex Green. Say hello to their new second album, The Long Goodbye.
The Oranges Band and Communiqué also play. 9 p.m., Bottom
of the Hill, 1233 17th St., S.F. $8. (415) 474-0365.
Vahco
Former piano prodigy Vahco flaunts a restless intelligence on his
current self-released album, Interesting Giraffes –
part dance pop, part Brit arena rock, part glitcheratti classical,
part archfunk. Priest Shen and IBM open the Bay Area one-man band's
CD-release party. 8:00 p.m., Cafe du Nord, 2170 Market, S.F.
$7. (415) 861-5016.
May 12
Cass McCombs
Former San Francisco singer-songwriter and onetime Palace tourmate
Cass McCombs returns to the scene of his former crimes with Not
the Way, his debut on Monitor Records. Ceramic Isles, the Curtains,
and Anchors also play. 9:30 p.m., Cafe du Nord, 2170 Market,
S.F. $6. (415) 861-5016.
May 13
Odessa Chen
This ain't no Björk-off. Bay Area dream popper Odessa Chen
rises above the mundane associations with the Icelandic imp with
pretty, moody tunes, last heard on the recent Dreams by Degrees
comp Blue. Boxcar Saints headline. 10 p.m., Hemlock Tavern,
1131 Polk, S.F. $5. (415) 923-0923.
Everclear
With their poppy faux-grunge cheer, Everclear still sound like a
guilty pleasure on their catchy, cheese-covered new CD, Slow
Motion Daydream (Capitol). Despite nyah-nyah snarkathons like
"Volvo Driving Soccer Mom" and "I Want to Die a Beautiful
Death," the nicest thing you can say about Art Alexakis, Craig
Montoya, and Greg Eklund is they very well could be the Cheap Trick
of the '90s, minus all that comic book cool – it must be those
sirenlike guitars on "Blackjack." The Exies and Authority
Zero open. 8 p.m., Warfield, 982 Market, S.F. $25. (415) 421-TIXS
or (415) 775-7722.
May 15
Teenage Harlets
San Francisco's Teenage Harlets – vocalist Johnny Dismal, guitarist
Chris Christ, drummer Atomic Sound, and bass player Rob Lawless
– strut garage punk of the primal, muy minimalist variety.
Brazil's Thee Butcher's Orchestra also play. 10 p.m., Thee Parkside,
1600 17th St., S.F. (415) 503-0393.
May 16-17
Charlie Hunter
Longtime Bay Area guitar-bass maestro Charlie Hunter may be off
Blue Note Records but that doesn't mean he's out. Now on the label
ropeadope and skating between the '50s cool of Time Out and
the funk fusion of On the Corner, Hunter sounds as sure of
himself as ever on the new, groovy CD Right Now Move. May
16, 9 p.m., Fillmore, 1805 Geary, S.F. $22.50. (415) 421-TIXS or
(415) 346-6000. May 17, 8 and 10 p.m., Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2
Cedar, Santa Cruz. $18. (831) 427-2227.
May 17
Les Baton
Rouge Fronted by the raspy, tireless Suspiria Franklyn, who
is said to have started the first riot grrrl group in Portugal,
the now Berlin-based female-centric punkers of Les Baton Rouge are
still screaming themselves hoarse and raging – whining minor-chord
guitar and all – against the Man and all he stands for. Bonfire
Madigan and Sarah Dougher also perform. 10 p.m., Hemlock Tavern,
1131 Polk, S.F. $6. (415) 923-0923.
May 21
Ester Drang
Shoegazers unite, join hands, and bend our heads to pray –
for more of the same. Broken Arrow, Okla., quartet Ester Drang get
that creamy smooth, jazz-drizzled atmospheric vibe down, with salient
touches of Radiohead and Cocteau Twins – hence the story that
has them pegged as the first band signed to the Jade Tree label
by demo alone. Their second album, and first for the Tree, Infinite
Keys, makes nice Musak for dreaming. Pedro the Lion, Stratford
4, and Starflyer 59 also play. 8 p.m., Great American Music Hall,
859 O'Farrell, S.F. $13. (415) 885-0750.
May 21-25
Nicholas
Payton and Sonic Trance Mentored by a Marsalis and encouraged
by a Grammy win, New Orleans trumpet player Nicholas Payton brings
around his new band and a kind of mod funk that tips its hat to
tradition. 8 and 10 p.m. (May 25, 2 and 8 p.m.), Yoshi's, 510
Embarcadero West, Oakl. $18. (510) 238-9200.
May 22
Effection
Oakland trio Effection spread their affection for revved-up power
pop with a touch of ska. Fellow Adeline Records mates Influents
appear with Plus Ones. 10 p.m., Thee Parkside, 1600 17th St.,
S.F. (415) 503-0393.
May 23-25
Gearhead's
10th-anniversary parties The house that garage built and that
the Hives took to new storied heights, Gearhead celebrates a decade
of badass behavior, good bad taste, and dirty old rock. San Diego's
raging rock 'n' roll kamikazes the Dragons, hard-rocking wise men
Lazy Cowgirls, and local party rockers the Pattern kick it for a
good cause – the label and zine that broke the mold. The
Dragons and Riverboat Gamblers perform May 23, 10 p.m., Bottom of
the Hill, 1233 17th St., S.F. $8-$10. (415) 474-0365. Lazy Cowgirls,
Girl Trouble, and Killer's Kiss perform May 24, 7 p.m., Thee Parkside,
1600 17th St., S.F. Call for price. (415) 503-0393. Red Planet and
the Pattern perform May 25, 5 p.m., Thee Parkside, 1600 17th St.,
S.F. Call for price. (415) 503-0393.
May 31
Chuck Prophet
What do you get when you put out one of the most underappreciated
roots albums of last year? If you're the ex-Green on Red guitarist
you got to contribute a song, "I Need a Holiday," to the
last, acclaimed Solomon Burke CD and gather nominations for a slew
of California Music Awards. Slobberbone also play. 9:30 p.m.,
19 Broadway, 19 Broadway, Fairfax. $10. (415) 459-1091.
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