Education of the Modern Doctor: Marcus Welby vs. House 
Ludacris
Wednesday, Aug. 4
PLAN A: Hello Seahorse! @ Bar Pink. Mexican synth-rockers Hello Seahorse! have the sprightliness of Los Campesinos!, but an unsettling melancholy streak runs through their processed beats, synth hooks and syrupy vocals. PLAN B: Writer, The Blank Tapes, Little White Teeth, DJ Travis T @ Tin Can Ale House. Between The Blank Tapes’ psychedelic grooves and Writer’s scrappy tunes, the latest edition of the monthly “Chilltown” night features quality indie rock. But what makes this night truly chill is Little White Teeth, whose melodious folk-rock is the stuff of sweet dreams. BACKUP PLAN: The Temper Trap @ House of Blues.
Thursday, Aug. 5
PLAN A: Manuok, Drew Andrews @ Wonderbread Factory. You can always count on Manuok to serve up pensive indie rock with lingering melodies. With the help of Drew Andrews, an Album Leaf vet who plays wonderful music of his own, the band will mark the release of its fine new album, The Old Horse. PLAN B: Mumford’s, Utopia Park @ Park Gallery. Hailing from Iowa, Mumford’s sound like a cross between The Aquabats and Townes Van Zandt, with scrappy horn fills and blues riffs. As for fellow Iowans Utopia Park, I can’t tell if they’re deranged or just really happy, what with their triumphant rave synths and crazy vocals. BACKUP PLAN: The Kabbs, Ferocious Few @ Tin Can Ale House.
Friday, Aug. 6
PLAN A: Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Puro Instinct, The Dabbers @ The Casbah. Credited with crafting the “glo-fi” sound a decade before it became ber-trendy, Ariel Pink’s bizarre take on pop music seems to borrow as much from The Velvet Underground as the Charles in Charge theme song. Somehow, it works really well. His latest (and most palatable) record, Before Today, won accolades from Pitchfork and the infectious single “Round and Round” is the sing-along of the summer. PLAN B: The Funk Revival Orchestra, Parker & The Numberman, DJ Collagey @ Kava Lounge. The Funk Revival Orchestra, a nine-piece from Oakland, has a simple goal: Bring back the obscure ’60s and ’70s funk and Latin grooves you hear on old-school hip-hop LPs to get people moving on the dance floor. BACK- UP PLAN: Nappy Roots, As the Sun Sets Fire, The Dynasty, DJ Legion @ Brick by Brick.
Saturday, Aug. 7
PLAN A: Ludacris @ Belly Up. Ludacris has no use for the pedestrian tropes of mainstream rap—misogyny and Auto-Tune—but he’s no anti-pop Puritan, either. In fact, he sets his standards pretty high on “My Chick Bad,” one of his latest singles, in which he brags about how his girl is hotter than yours—and she’ll kick her ass, too. PLAN B: Rumspringa, Lesands, Dinosaur Feathers @ Bar Pink. Come hear the sound of buzz bands buzzing. Rumspringa’s ragged garage rock stands out with lithe guitar and a killer rhythm section. Locals Lesands have been together for only seven months, but I won’t be surprised if / when their accomplished new-new-wave soon ends up on Pitchfork. BACK- UP PLAN: Silversun Pickups, Everest, The Henry Clay People @ SOMA.
Sunday, Aug. 8
PLAN A: Snuffaluffagus, Kenseth Thibideau, Ah Holly Fam’ly, The Ocean Floor @ Che Café. Snuffaluffagus and Kenseth Thibideau have been in this column plenty of times—for good reason—but the highlights here are Portland’s Ah Holly Fam’ly and The Ocean Floor. Ah Holly Fam’ly makes me feel warm inside with their multi-part harmonies and fluttering woodwinds. And I can’t help but nod my head to The Ocean Floor’s lounge-y songcraft. BACKUP PLAN: Tokyo Police Club, Arkells @ The Casbah.
Monday, Aug. 9
PLAN A: Semen Sundae, Rats Eyes, Spider Fever, 2Up @ The Casbah. Paris might be home to highbrow culture, but it’s also home base for California transplants Semen Sundae, whose shit-kicking hardcore is anything but. And then there’s Rats Eyes’ skuzzy hardcore, featuring a growly Gabe Serbian (The Locust, Holy Molar) on vox. PLAN B: Greg Gibson, David Luning, Miss Erika Davies @ Tin Can Ale House. Get quiet with some quality folk music. Don’t miss jazz singer Miss Erika Davies, whose voice is nothing short of breathtaking. BACKUP PLAN: White Mystery, Slippery Slopes, Cum Stain @ Soda Bar.
Tuesday, Aug. 10
PLAN A: Happy Birthday, Residual Echoes, Neon Dick, DJ Mario Orduno @ Tin Can Ale House. Combining punk riffs with pop harmonies, Vermont’s Happy Birthday have a wonderfully sunny disposition. L.A. noise-pop outfit Residual Echoes is a little rougher around the edges, but they’re just as adorable. Don’t miss Neon Dick, whose warped, catchy tunes bring to mind post-punk bands like Gang of Four and The Slits. PLAN B: The Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt!, Rafter, Smile Now Cry Later @ The Casbah. Their computer-made tracks aren’t terribly impressive, but the traveling dance party known as The Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt! puts on a visceral show that makes even the most jaded hipsters smile. BACKUP PLAN: Alejandro Escovedo and The Sensitive Boys, Amy Cook @ Belly Up.
