Sound Menu September 19 2001 Wed

ATERCIOPELADOS — Closer to Stereolab than Tito Puente, Bogota’s Aterciopelados (ah-terse-ee-oh-pel-ah-dose) puts a new-wave sheen on modern dance pop, with only occasional bits of anything recognizable as South American in origin. EarthLink Live (Sarig)

BLUES TRAVELER — Their recent Bridge album was a comeback of sorts, but this band’s bulky jam-heavy approach hasn’t slimmed down any with their lead singer’s newly svelte waistline. Less bluesy than even the Moody Blues, Popper’s nasal voice, clunky lyrics and lip-shredding harp runs are either mind-bogglingly annoying or moderately intriguing. Tabernacle (Horowitz)

BEN FOLDS, CITIZEN COPE — Folds’ Jeckyl ‘n’ Hyde musical identity (melancholic, nebbish outsider versus patented smart-ass) has, in the past, sabotaged his efforts to craft the perfect pop album. But his new, sardonically titled Rockin’ the Suburbs comes awfully close, showcasing a marked growth in both his melodic and lyrical skills. Opening is Citizen Cope, a project from ex-Basehead DJ/keyboardist Clarence Greenwood whose similarly languid, melodic funk/trip-hop/soul-pop goes down smoothly. Roxy (Robertson/Horowitz)

THE HEMISPHERE, SURVIVALIST — Local underground hip-hip promoter 4 Kings Entertainment continues its Wednesdays at Kaya series with a performance by two up-and-coming Atlanta acts. In particular, the Hemisphere — recently signed by prestigious New York hip-hop label SubVerse (also home to Atlanta acts Micranots, Scienz of Life and MF Doom) — are ones to watch. Kaya (Sarig)

JEMANI — A six-piece “rip-hop” band from Augusta, Jemani (pronounced Gemini) debuts in the big city tonight with their likeable mix of metal, hip-hop and soul. Somewhere between Living Colour and Limp Bizkit, Jemani deliver spit-fire raps over machine-gun riffing. Wastegate and 13 Stories also perform. Masquerade (Sarig)

GRANT-LEE PHILLIPS, DAVID LOVERING — Grant-Lee Phillips’ new solo album, Mobilize, is missing the cannon-report drumming of his larger-than-life rock outfit, Grant Lee Buffalo. Deferring instead to a drum machine to supply the album’s uneven rhythmic pulse, Phillips forgoes the borderline-formulaic tendency to amplify his strummed folk-rock melodies and artfully cryptic world-in-a-nutshell reflection into arena-sized Technicolor exposures. Former Pixies drummer David Lovering opens, billing himself as a “Scientific Phenomenalist” and offering a 30-minute show rumored to include science fair-type experiments such as attaching electrodes to pickles and telekinetic tremors. Worth an early arrival, especially for Pixies devotees. Smith’s Olde Bar (Rowland/Smith)

THE WHITE STRIPES, THE GREENHORNES, THE TOM COLLINS — Detroit two-piece the White Stripes throw garage rock, minimalist percussion, pop, punk and blues into a mix where simplicity is strength and energy is overwhelming. Cincinnati’s Greenhornes follow in The Who’s tradition of playing maximum R&B tossed with Brit-Invasion pop. And locals The Tom Collins, who lean more toward the Led Zeppelin/Yardbirds side of the golden age of British guitar bands, are the last tasty ingredient in this fiery cocktail of an evening. Echo Lounge (Ware)

BAYOU ROOM: Motor City Josh

BILLY’S: Partay with Martay

BLIND WILLIE’S: Philip Walker Blues Band

BLUE RACCOON: Acoustic open-mic with Stevie B

BRANDYHOUSE: Nitti Sipe Cunningham Iziks

BRIDGES: Piano with Bruce

CHURCHILL GROUNDS JAZZ CAFE: Joe Gransden Quartet

CJ’S LANDING: Pre-Tree Showcase with Field Day, Pacifica

CLUB GENO’S: The Brethern

COMEAUX’S: Sal Gentile Trio

COWBOYS: Darrin Robbins, Kickback

DARK HORSE TAVERN: New Talent Night with Second Shift, Smash Nova, Settlene

DARWIN’S: Open blues jam with Lola Gulley

DEUX PLEX: Vertical Funk Wednesdays

DOCK HOLLIDAY’S-BUFORD: Morgan and Melissa

EARTHLINK LIVE: Tantric, Oleander, Beautiful Creatures, Atericiopelados

ECHO LOUNGE: White Stripes, Green Hornes, The Tom Collins

ECLIPSE DI LUNA: Bonaventure Quartet

EDDIE’S ATTIC: Kristen Hall, Garrison Starr, more

1848 CAFE: Jazz with Yusef Sharif

FAT MATT’S RIB SHACK: The Electromatics

40 WATT CLUB-ATHENS: Exit Left

FUZZY’S: Mike Veal

THE GRAPE AT VININGS: Chellemi & Elliot

JAKE’S ROADHOUSE: Gnappy

KARMA: Cream

KAYA: Survivalist, the Hemisphere, DJ Rasta Root

LOCA LUNA: Rhythmic Fusion with Andre Rievers, Drew Dudley, Juan Bonini

MASQUERADE: 13 Stories, Wastegate, Jemani, Quartzz

METROPOLITAN PIZZA: Metropolitan Wednesdays

9 LIVES SALOON: Bitch, guests

NOMENCLATURE MUSEUM: Reunion - featuring dark wave, ether pop and trance

NORTHSIDE TAVERN: Daniel “Mudcat” Dudeck

OLDE PECULIAR PUBLIC HOUSE: Gene Hilbert

PECKERHEAD BREWERY-DOUGLASVILLE: Open mic with DeBone

POPPERS: Karaoke with Brian Green

RAY’S ON THE RIVER: Waveform with Doc Samuels, Larry Jackson, Tom Woodruff

RED LIGHT CAFE: Open mic

ROXY: Ben Folds, Citizen Cope

SAMBUCA JAZZ CAFE: Melanie Massell

SMITH’S OLDE BAR: Grant-Lee Phillips, David Lovering

SOMBER REPTILE: Main Street East, Texture

SPIVEY HALL: Haar/Hellmer Quartet

STAR BAR-L5P: Gargantua, Young Antiques

TABERNACLE: Blues Traveler

VARIETY PLAYHOUSE: CL’s Best of Atlanta party with Mandorico, Ultrababyfat, the Tender Idols

VIOLETTE RESTAURANT: Jus Jazz featuring Dave Wallis, Eddie Taylor, Dan Coy, Shack Lewis, Rita Graham