San Diego Unseen: An Urban Portrait
Thos Darlins
- Photo by Veta & Theo
PLAN A: Tragedy Khadafi, Parker & The Numberman feat. DJ Collagey, Orko the Sycotic Alien, Black Mikey, Broken Dreams, Mag Flux, West Indies, Matty Hemmz, Nejma Shea, DJ Splifkin @ Kava Lounge. Hip-hop heads are sure to turn out for Tragedy Khadafi, an old-school rapper from Queens, but it’s the openers who put this latest edition of “Urban Underground Weekly” over the top. Indeed, Orko the Sycotic Alien—whose 2010 record, Forbidden Physics, was one of the most bizarre, unsettling and incredible hip-hop releases I’d heard all year—might just end up stealing the show. PLAN B: Lionel Loueke @ The Loft at UCSD. One of a long line of great West African guitarists, Lionel Loueke plucks out free-form, syncopated figures as he sings beautiful vocal melodies or clicks his tongue percussively, beautifully blending African folk styles with contemporary jazz. BACKUP PLAN: Moon Duo, Ale Mania, Trap Gold @ The Casbah.
Thursday, April 14
PLAN A: Maserati, Kenseth Thibideau, The Devfits @ Soda Bar. Taking cues from the likes of Neu! and Kraftwerk, Maserati deliver spaced-out rock with bubbling synth arpeggios, high-flying guitar and driving rhythms on their latest album, 2010’s Pyramids of the Sun. The record is a radical departure from the instrumental outfit’s math-y roots, but it’s awesome all the same. BACKUP PLAN: Brandon Flowers, The Nervous Wreckords @ House of Blues.
Friday, April 15
PLAN A: Yuck, Porcelain Raft, D/Wolves @ The Casbah. As you can read in the feature on Page 42, U.K. rockers Yuck have wooed plenty of critics with their ’90s-inspired indie-rock. That’s all well and good, but just make sure you show up early for D/Wolves, a ridiculously talented band of local youngsters who recently put their excellent debut full-length up on Bandcamp for free download. PLAN B: Here We Go Magic, Cuckoo Chaos @ The Loft at UCSD. Here We Go Magic’s tie-dyed indie-rock is irresistible, but don’t skip out on Cuckoo Chaos. Sounding like Vampire Weekend’s precocious cousin, the local band plays worldly rock with slippery Afro-pop guitars and ridiculously funky rhythms that must’ve come straight out of a nightclub in Kinshasa. PLAN C: Catwalk, TV Girl, Tape Deck Mountain @ Soda Bar. Buzz band alert! Taking cues from oldschool twee bands like The Shop Assistants and Black Tambourine, Catwalk go for the Pitchfork geek’s jugular with jangly guitars, catchy melodies and, of course, lo-fi production values. PLAN D: Lesvilles, Pearls, SéanceintheSun @ The Park Gallery. Lesvilles’ Dorian Koehring, a classically trained local violinist, splits the difference between My Bloody Valentine and Arthur Russell in some hazy, synthinfused tracks he recently posted on Bandcamp.
Saturday, April 16
PLAN A: Dirty Gold, So Many Wizards @ The Loft at UCSD. Type “Dirty Gold” into Google and you’ll find ample proof that this new North County band is blowing up all over the blogosphere. It’s no surprise why: The blissful pop of their new EP, Roar, could brighten the disposition of even the most miserable desk jockey, transporting him to the breezy, sun-baked beach of some remote island paradise. PLAN B: Silian Rail, Weatherbox, Housewives, SéanceintheSun @ Soda Bar. A virtuosic math-rock duo featuring a drummer who does double-duty on guitar and footpedal synth (sometimes at the same time), Oakland’s Silian Rail sound remarkably cohesive for all their time changes and guitar acrobatics. Their 2010 record Parhelion is one of the best math-rock releases I’ve heard in a while, but it’s nothing compared with their mind-blowing live show. BACKUP PLAN: Greg Gibson, The Welcome Matt, Drew Andrews @ Tin Can Ale House.
Sunday, April 17
PLAN A: Multi-Cultural Earth Day Celebration @ World Beat Center. Pack up the family and don’t forget the bong, it’s time to celebrate Earth Day! Even if you’re not puffing on some Hindu Death Cabbage, it’s worth checking out the epic dub / reggae lineup at this daylong celebration, which features big names like King Tubby protégé Scientist, contemporary Trinidadian singer Jamelody and Afro- Argentinian icon Fidel Nadal. BACKUP PLAN: The Meatmen, Against the Grain, River Bottom Nightmare Band, Death Crisis @ Shakedown Bar (4 p.m.).
Monday, April 18
PLAN A: Those Darlins, White Arrows, Gun Runner @ Soda Bar. Critics noted that Those Darlins might’ve played it safe by incorporating trendy elements (surf guitar, girl-group harmonies) into their new record, Screws Get Loose. But this Tennessee rock band is still wickedly clever and totally badass. For proof of both, see “Be Your Bro,” in which they flip The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” on its head. BACKUP PLAN: Vultures 2012 @ Ruby Room.
Tuesday, April 19
PLAN A: Capillary Action, Innerds, The Devfits, Dead Animal Mod @ Che Café. Prepare for some seriously weird music: Capillary Action effortlessly mix Latin American exotica with math-rock riffs and deconstructionist horn skronk—usually in the same song. The Devfits is a Devo-Misfits mashup headed by Pinback dude Rob Crow. As for Innerds, well, you can read all about them on Page 40. BACKUP PLAN: The New Regime, Love Grenades, The Tender Box, Scott Mellis @ The Casbah.
