Sound Menu September 13 2006

THURS/14

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KING BRITT Call me oblivious, or maybe just call me one smoldering hunk of man meat continually caught up in making love to his own reflection, but I was not aware we had lost sexy. And yet — from Justin Timberlake to Philadelphia’s jazzy funk jockey King Britt — artists are vowing to bring sexy back. And oddly enough they are doing it with laptop, tech-hop backgrounds. Britt’s “Nova Dream Sequences” — which he will bring into Atlanta’s soulful belly through an extended set — are aggressive, unrelenting flicks and flecks of synthuality. Because sometimes everyone could use a deep, hydraulic and metronomic fuck, the kind that equally curls your toes and leaves your spirit heaving. 9 p.m. Django Gypsy Kitchen. 404-347-8648. www.djangoatlanta.com. — Tony Ware

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NELLIE MCKAY Whatever happened to Nellie McKay? Two years ago, the twentysomething musician was the new hotness and critics fell over themselves with praise for her cabaret pop and wryly earnest musings on vegetarianism, dogs and Ralph Nader. It’s been two long years since her acclaimed debut, Get Away from Me!. Fans eagerly await Pretty Little Head, which is tentatively set for release next year. In the meantime, McKay is satiating her cult following with a brief jaunt. Local popsters the Brilliant Inventions open. $20. 8 p.m. 404-524-7354. www.variety-playhouse.com. — Mosi Reeves

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FRI/15

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ARTHUR DOYLE TRIO, KONX Saxophonist Arthur Doyle is a last vestige of New York’s downtown jazz and avant-garde music scenes of the late 1960s. Doyle plays a signature blend of “free jazz soul” with elements of gospel and R&B, fronting a trio that features Ed Wilcox (percussion) and multi-media artist Jamie Harrar. Atlanta’s long-standing jazz-noise-skronk outfit Konx returns from a three-year hiatus to help shred the stage. $6. 9 p.m. Eyedrum. 404-522-0655. www.eyedrum.org. — Chad Radford

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DJ KRUSH Emerging from Tokyo’s neon-drenched Garden of Duality, turntablist DJ Krush introduced the world to a blunted crossbreeding of East Coast hip-hop and the Far East’s reverent tensions. Melancholy, melodic laments waft atop anchors of spry, dubby boom-bap. Live, ominous ethno-instrumentation lends elegant noir to the multi-culti mélange. And with his latest release, the 2-CD Stepping Stones, Krush personally remixes a smattering of his finest ephemera; generating heft through guest Western MCs adding flow to down-tempo trip-hop patterns. Krush’s reworked breakbeat textures exhibit both poise and fluidity. Also appearing is Edo. $20. 11 p.m. The Loft. 404-885-1365. www.theloftatl.com. — TW

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EARL KLUGH Atlanta’s own Grammy-winner Earl Klugh is one of today’s top unplugged-contemporary-jazz guitarists, with a harmonious and personable style with a range of influences from melodic ballads and Brazilian syncopations to old-school R&B and fiery fusion. $32-$42. 8 p.m., Ferst Center, 404-521-1786. www.ferstcenter.org. — Mark Gresham

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TRIO SOLISTI Violinist Maria Bachmann, cellist Alexis Pia Gerlach and pianist Jon Klibonoff have been receiving stronger public spotlight as Trio Solist over the past few years, in part due to performances at Wolf Trap and similarly prominent venues, and in part through their recording of Paul Moravec’s 2004 Pulitzer-winning “Tempest Fantasy” with clarinetist David Krakauer. For this concert, the Trio will perform classics by Brahms and Schubert, plus “Scherzo” by Paul Moravec and “Sirens” by Atlanta composer John Anthony Lennon. Free. 8 p.m., Schwartz Center, Emerson Hall, 404-727-5050. www.arts.emory.edu. — MG

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SAT/16

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BAND OF HORSES, CHAD VANGAALEN Band of Horses’ reverb-drenched country music stylings are born of the rainy day emotions of its Pacific Northwest stomping grounds. But despite the dark clouds hovering over each song, an uplifting spirit peaks out from behind the group’s shimmering guitars and the bucolic voice of frontman Ben Bridwell. Sub Pop label mate Chad VanGaalen opens with a set of dissonant and jazz-inflected songwriter synth-pop. $15. 8 p.m. Variety Playhouse. 404-524-7354. www.variety-playhouse.com. — CR

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DAVE ALVIN & THE GUILTY MEN, BIG BLUE HEARTS With his deep baritone and powerful material, Alvin is a hypnotic performer. His solo career has pretty much eclipsed his run in the legendary Blasters, but he has never lost sight of where he came from. The Guilty Men are tight as a drum and can swerve from a full-on rocker to a sad minimalist folk tune in an instant. It’s all about the dynamics, baby. $15. 8 p.m. Smith’s Olde Bar. 404-875-1522. www.smithsoldebar.com. — James Kelly

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ELECTRIC FRANKENSTEIN, ARTIMUS PYLEDRIVER E.F. is the brainchild of guitarist-singer Steve Miller. No, not that one. This one has led his vigorous New York-bred garage punk rascals since the mid-’90s and left a seemingly inexhaustible supply of material in their wake. Tonight, they’ll have to plow through a set of their hardest-rockin’ material to offset and ferociously complement the clobbering attack of local boys Artimus Pyledriver. $15. 9 p.m. Star Bar, 404-681-9018. www.starbar.net. — Lee Valentine Smith

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RONNIE MILSAP, JAMES GREGORY His career really peaked in the ’70s, but multi-instrumentalist Milsap has been active in rock and country music since the mid-’60s. His affecting take on ultra-slick country-pop won a hardcore following that has remained faithful, even though his mainstream popularity waned. His live shows are an energetic cross between the southern-fried R&B of Ray Charles and the seamless blue-eyed soul of Hall And Oates. Comic James Gregory opens with a set of family-friendly material. $25. 7:30 p.m. Lanierland Music Park. 770- 887-7464. www.lanierland.com. — LVS

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VICIOUS CIRCLE The other day I was thinking Australian slang and drum ‘n’ bass have a lot in common. Australians love shortening words. “Ambulance” becomes “ambo,” “afternoon” becomes “arvo,” “barbecue” becomes “barbie,” etc. As for drum ‘n’ bass, they just chop words in half and paste them together. Take the example of the Vicious Circle crew. Admittedly, this quartet is from London, not the Land Down Under, but they have accents. And they play dark and hard, dance floor-friendly heavy rollers. So they’d call it “hardfloor” if the Germans didn’t have that patent, meaning we’ll just use “hardstep.” They probably say “‘ardstep.” No matter where they’re from people with accents are so cute. Like the usual suspects? Peep this jackhammerin’ future funk jam, also featuring locals Evol Intent, Quadrant, Ideal and MCs Kakarot, Raceone and MC13. And don’t ask what the “Vicious Circle” means in a Southern frat house. $8. 10 p.m. The Masquerade. 404-577-8178. www.masq.com. — TW

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SUN/17

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REGINA SPEKTOR Regina Spektor is drawing acclaim for her major-label debut, Begin to Hope and the lovely, subversively mainstream single “Fidelity.” Whether you’ve heard her album or not, her free concert during 99X’s “Unplugged in the Park” series is a difficult proposition to ignore. Local singer-songwriter Adam James opens. Free. Park Tavern. 404-249-0001. www.parktavern.com. — MR

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TUES/19

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THE GOSSIP, MIKA MIKO, SWAN ISLAND Portland punk band the Gossip rests on the sturdy shoulders of vocalist Beth Ditto, an activist, feminist and force of nature. Her full-throated songs power the band’s minimalist jams, recently captured in 2005’s Standing in the Way of Control and a new remix album, Listen Up. LA quintet Mika Miko, whose C.Y.S.L.A.B.F. just came out on Kill Rock Stars, sounds like the Gossip five years ago: all raw, riot grrl energy. Portland upstart Swan Island opens on this Left Coast showcase of estrogen rock. $8. 10 p.m. Drunken Unicorn. www.thedrunkenunicorn.net. — MR

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OLABELLE, JIM WHITE, ELVIS PERKINS Rising from the fertile Alphabet City area in lower Manhattan, Olabelle finds six unique musicians brought together through a shared love of deep-rooted American music, from Southern spirituals to Appalachian ballads. Jim White has created his own niche in the Americana scene with his acoustic Tom Waits-esque sound, virtually indescribable but fascinating. Elvis Perkins is not an impersonator. $12. 8 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — JK

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RACONTEURS, DR. DOG The Raconteurs is a happy marriage between White Stripes front man Jack White’s blues-rock sensibilities and Brendan Benson’s sharp pop instincts. The group’s debut album, Broken Boy Soldiers, is a modest delight with hummable songs like “Steady As She Goes” and “Level.” Dr. Dog is a pop group more textured than the straight-ahead Raconteurs. Its latest EP, Takers and Leavers, mixes thrift-store instruments and esoteric sounds alongside winning melodies. $30. 8 p.m. Tabernacle. 404-249-6400. www.livenation.com. — MR

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ROOTS TONIC Sometimes Dreadheads and Trustafarians experience hair loss, and for these cats Rogaine just ain’t enough. They need something more earthy, more organic. They need Roots Tonic. Roots Tonic — the trio that backs up this show’s headliner, the “Hasidic hot stepper” Matisyahu — has recently released an album of lock-grooves recorded with New York City worldbeat knob worker Bill Laswell. Starting out as a free-jazz/drum ‘n’ bass experiment, Roots Tonic now works the post-jam band fans with “futurist space/dub transmission” in the hopes ultrasound can be used to stimulate hair follicles. Because there is nothing sadder than dreads and a receding hairline. Besides, it’s a lot warmer than purifying yourself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka. Bloosy, woozy Brit rockers Gomez and tightly choreographed street percussions Steel Drum Corps, the “punk rock version of Stomp,” also perform. $39.50. 8 p.m. The Fox Theatre. 404-881-2100. www.foxtheatre.org. — TW

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WED/20

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A NIGHT OF RAMONES Anytime is a good time to play Ramones songs and tonight, a ton of heavy hitters and up’n’comers gather at the venerable Star Bar for a long evening of mayhem to raise hell and money for Jerry Weldon. Scheduled guests include Drivin N Cryin, the Georgia Satellites, the Hot Rods, Rock City Dropouts, the Infernals and a gaggle-gaggle-hey of others. A minimum $10 donation is requested. 6 p.m. Star Bar, 404-681-9018. www.starbar.net. — LVS

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ROBINELLA While dropping the “CC String Band” moniker might have been a good career move for Robinella, her transformation from a neo-folkie into a torch song diva leaves some faithful listeners a little frustrated. The String Band thing was pretty cool, but the jazz diva thing has been done to death. $12. 7 p.m. Smith’s Olde Bar. 404-875-1522. www.smithsoldebar.com. — JK

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THURS/21

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ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA & CHORUS Robert Spano leads the ASO’s season-opening gala featuring “Serenade to Music” by Ralph Vaughan Williams, the Walt Whitman-inspired “Dooryard Bloom” by Atlanta-raised Philadelphia composer Jennifer Higdon, and Beethoven’s emphatically joyous choral “Symphony No. 9.”. $23-$65. 8 p.m. Symphony Hall, 404-733-5000. www.atlantasymphony.org. — MG

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SUPERSYSTEM, ZOMBI, PEELANDER-Z Washington D.C/NYC’s cerebral party punk outfit Supersystem blends the base elements of angular, post-punk grooves with a crisp, electronic sheen that offers an element of earnestness to the dance punk masses. Pittsburgh’s multi-instrumental duo Zombi plays intricate neo-prog rock in the vein of Goblin or John Carpenter’s soundtracks. Japanese comic book trio Peelander-Z plays oddball punk from its latest release, Happee Mania. $12. 9:30 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — CR

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· Bands/performers/venues wishing to be included in Sound Menu’s noted-acts boxes may send recordings, press material and schedules two weeks in advance to Creative Loafing c/o Heather Kuldell, 384 Northyards Blvd., Suite 600, Atlanta, GA 30313, or e-mail information to: heather.kuldell@creativeloafing.com. To be included in the listings only, e-mail venue and band schedules by Friday at noon (for the issue that comes out the following Thursday) to soundboard@creativeloafing.com.