Sound Menu June 14 2006

CL’s picks for the week’s best shows

Mindless Self Indulgence plays the Masquerade Wed., June 21.

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THURS/15

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BECK, JAMIE LIDELL At this point, Beck Hansen is a familiar name to anyone who follows contemporary pop music. Less known is Lidell, an electronic soul singer who mines the same territory as Midnite Vultures-era Beck. Lidell’s Multiply was widely acclaimed upon its summer 2005 release, and he recently followed it up with Multiply Editions, a remix album with contributions from Four Tet, Matthew Herbert and other cutting-edge producers. Lidell is the frosting on Beck’s cake; needless to say, this show sold out shortly after tickets went on sale. 8 p.m. Tabernacle. 404-659-9022. www.livenation.com. — Mosi Reeves

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BRUCE JOYNER AND THE RECONSTRUCTION A one-man history of pop, Joyner has been actively rockin’ for longer than most of you have been alive, so show the man some respect, OK? He’s as timeless and cool as your favorite old LP and offers new surprises with each listen. A true link to the origins of Southern gothic jangle and moody new wave. Also, sets from the Midwives, Sound of Seventy Three, Friends of the Revolution and Training Cerberus. $5. 9 p.m. Lenny’s. 404-577-7721. www.lennysbar.com. — Lee Valentine Smith

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MADISON CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL The opening concert for this annual local festival in nearby Madison, Ga., features violinist Sarah Chang and cellist Lynn Harrell in an all-Baroque program including perennial favorites “The Four Seasons” by Vivaldi and Boccherini’s “Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in B-flat Major.” $5-$20. 8 p.m. Madison-Morgan Cultural Center. 706-342-4743. www.madisonmorgancultural.org. — Mark Gresham

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FRI/16

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THE COUP, T-KASH, ISELYFE, ZANO The Coup hits Atlanta in support of its Epitaph debut, Pick A Bigger Weapon. The group’s stinging political bend and rapid-fire beats give Dirty Mind-era Prince a high-tech makeover, pushing funk, hip-hop and electro soul beyond the realms of blingin’ and big pimpin’. Experimental MC Zano plays a set of abstract beats and free-form rhymes. T-Kash and Iselyfe also perform. $10. 9:30 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — Chad Radford

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LOS LONELY BOYS The Garza brothers have taken a well-worn formula and made it new again. Blending Latino rhythms and sentimentality (along with some sweet fraternal harmonies) with classic rock and blues guitar riffs, their sound is as welcome as a cold margarita on a hot summer day. $27.84-$74.28. 7:30 p.m. Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-733-5000. www.classicchastain.org. — James Kelly

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SAT/17

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BLONDIE, THE NEW CARS The Road Rage Tour careens to town tonight with Blondie and the New Cars fueling the memory tanks of all us old new-wavers. Deborah Harry and company have hinted that this could be their last tour, so catch them tonight with a retrospective of hits and maybe even a live take of “Dirty ‘N’ Deep,” their tribute to Lil’ Kim. No, that’s not a misprint. It’s available for download at www.blondie.net. The New Cars feature Todd Rundgren on vocals, and that’s not a misprint, either. See Media Mashups, p. 99. $37.25-$380. 7 p.m. Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-733-5000. www.tickemaster.com. — LVS

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CARL THOMAS, DONNELL JONES, KEN FORD This concert brings together two underrated R&B balladeers. Thomas will forever be known for his classic, Stevie Wonder-esque ballad “I Wish.” In fact, few have heard much from him since that 2000 album, Emotional, save for a 2004 follow-up that came and went without much notice. On the other hand, Jones scored several memorably jazzy soul singles over the past decade, including “Where I Wanna Be,” “U Know What’s Up,” and “You Know That I Love You.” Reviews of his latest album, Journey of a Gemini, indicate that it’s worth picking up. Local smooth jazz violinist Ken Ford opens. $25-$65. 8 p.m. Stewart Amphitheater. 770-484-8740. www.lithoniaconcerts.com. — MR

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THE DUHKS, CHICKENS & PIGS The Duhks are one of Canada’s best new exports, with an energetic mix of bluegrass, traditional folk, and jam. Their intensive instrumental skills and great harmony on vocals are all over the map, but that’s a good thing. Chickens & Pigs open ... why? $12. 8 p.m. Smith’s Olde Bar. 404-875-1522. www.smithsoldebar.com. — JK

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LINDSAY RAKERS BAND Tonight, Rakers and her band celebrate the release of Less Asleep, a wide-awake look at the state of singer/songwriter pop-rock circa right now. Refreshing, challenging and often insanely catchy, the disc is a wonderful debut from a talented and promising young artist. Michael Levine opens, then Northsouth and the Rakers’ party starts after that. Come join the fun. $7. 8 p.m. Red Light Cafe. 404-874-7828. www.redlightcafe.com. — LVS

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RECESS 4-PLAYGROUND SIX-YEAR ANNIVERSARY You might be a candy raver if ... your pants could comfortably fit two people in them ... you’ve tried to pay for bottled water at the gas station in hugs before ... you are prepared for a chemical attack because your jewelry is all edible ... you wear fairy wings any day other than Halloween ... you would buy a Chipmunks remix album ... you don’t trust anyone without a plushy accessory ... there’s a picture of you in the photography/video gallery of this party. DJs include Daniel M, Sid Reflux, Spunkie and Toto, Proximal, Belrok, Sharc, Ryze and Ramon Rawsoul. They will provide the happy hardcore, U.K. hard house, trancecore, freeform, nu-style-hard-skool whathaveyou. You just bring the glowsticks, glitter, Kandy Kissez and PLUR. Open to ages 18 and up. $15. 10 p.m. Studio980. www.playgroundatl.com. — Tony Ware

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VHS OR BETA Coke or Pepsi? VHS or Beta? My way or the highway? Eternal conflicts deserve rockin’ resolutions, and that’s just what Craig Pfunder and Mark Palgy of Louisville’s post-punk, filter-funk quartet VHS or Beta will deliver. The duo joins DJs Jeff “JazzSpace + Bass” Myers, Preston “Ice Cream Cone Head” Craig and Drew “Kitten Heels Killer” Van Atten (plus a live Shock Cinema show) to blend some records and blur some boundaries. Me, I’m one for no boundaries and shared personal body space, especially when there are retro-futuristic punk-funk electro-tech jams dropping. Like high fructose corn syrup, this show is going to be sweet. Coke AND Pepsi with some Jack Daniels and PBR. 21 plus. 9 p.m. $10. Relapse Theater. www.myspace.com/jazspa. — TW

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SUN/18

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DUNGEN, NETHERS For the past two years, Swedish indie-rock band Dungen has been promoting its second album, Ta Det Lugnt. Released in 2004, that disc surprisingly caught on in America and led to its coronation as the “next big thing” by the usual suspects (Pitchfork, Fader, etc.). If you haven’t heard the group yet, now’s your chance to hear what the fuss is about. Be sure to get there early and check out Washington, D.C.’s Nethers, a promising band not yet marred by too much hype. $15. 8 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — MR

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IL DIVO In an effort to manufacture a crossover sensation, a two-year search for beefsteak with classical voices resulted in Il Divo — what one might call the first “operatic boy band.” The foursome sings a mixture of boomer pop and international lounge styles. (Try to imagine the Spice Girls as operatically trained guys wearing tuxes. Eww. Well, maybe not ... .) The group’s special guest for the evening is platinum-selling singer/songwriter Katie Melua. $39-$78. 8 p.m. Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.ticketmaster.com. — MG

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PLIMSOULS, WHAT THE...? A night of pure ’80s pop for smart people. Peter Case and most of the original Plimsouls are revisiting their past and reviving such swirling Los Angeles jangle-gems as “A Million Miles Away.” Atlanta’s What The...?, just back to the States after shows in Liverpool, feature the Plimsouls’ pal Lee Flier. Expect a set of Beat(les)-crazy tunes from the band’s recent You Have No Idea! album. $15. 8 p.m. Smith’s Olde Bar. 404-875-1522. www.smithsoldebar.com. — LVS

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MON/19

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DEERHUNTER, HOWLIN RAIN, WARMER MILKS, AWESOME COLOR Deerhunter headlines an evening of droning and experimental rock for the “official Sonic Youth after party.” Featuring members of Comets on Fire and Sunburned Hand of the Man, Howlin’ Rain breaks from the avant-garde to craft classic songwriting and good-time jams. Warmer Milks plays massive swells of metallic dissonance. Michigan trio Awesome Color plays a Stooges-esque trash-rock strut. $7. 9 p.m. Drunken Unicorn. www.thedrunkenunicorn.net. — CR

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TUES/20

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ASHTON ALLEN Allen has been compared to troubled, heartbreaking troubadours like Nick Drake and Elliot Smith. Dewdrops, released on Alpharetta label Livewire Recordings, reveals him to be an interesting artist capable of sweetly melancholy songs like the title track and “Prodigal Son.” Allen doesn’t quite reach the tragic depths of his heroes but, considering their untimely demise, he probably doesn’t want to. Two more singer/songwriters, New York City’s Annie Keating, and Rosemary Beach, Fla.’s Jonah Sage, round out the bill. $7. 7:30 p.m. Eddie’s Attic. 404-377-4976. www.eddiesattic.com. — MR

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DEKALB SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA A free community concert of French music conducted by Fyodor Cherniavsky, featuring Alexandria Rice in Saint-Saens’ “Cello Concerto No. 1,” plus music by Bizet, Faure and Berlioz. Free. 8 p.m. First Baptist Church of Decatur. 678-891-3565. www.dekalbsymphony.com. — MG

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MURDER BY DEATH If Nick Cave writes murder ballads from the depths of Australia, then Murder by Death renders dark tales near the center of Indiana. The quartet bears similarities to other conceptual bands like the Weakerthans and Calexico, except it sounds much more muscular, the result of lead vocalist Adam Turla’s brawny voice. You can check them out for yourself when they reach the Masquerade with two equally moody rock bands, Memphis’ Lucero and Kansas City’s Vedera. $12. 7 p.m. The Masquerade. 404-577-8178. www.masq.com. — MR

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THURS/22

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CORNDOGORAMA OPENING PARTY FEAT. BAND OF HORSES As the posters say, “Ten Years of Mud Sweat and Beers” are coming to a head as the Corndogorama — Atlanta’s indie event of the summer — rings in a decade of celebrating local music. Seattle’s aching Americana rockers Band of Horses headlines the show. Pro-skater Travis Graves’ mannered songwriter project, Mt. Egypt, is also on the bill. The Can’t See opens. $10. 9 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — CR

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PAUL VAN DYK I don’t think I’ve ever seen DJ Paul van Dyk wearing a black turtleneck, but that doesn’t make him any less German to me. I mean, the man is a trance/tech mainstay since the Berlin Wall came down, and delivers expansive but never stereotypical “epic” selections. I’m not trying to be unnecessarily grandiose, but van Dyk IS reunification; and resurrection, because God is a DJ; and because sometimes you wonder how in God’s name any human can survive doing six-, 10- or 14-hour sets. So according to the transitive property, God is German, which means that image of him in all white isn’t quite right. I bet God wears something much more subdued and slimming as he sways to uncluttered urgency for three-plus hours. Jerry Bonham adds friskiness to prog pump. 9 p.m. $30. Eleven50. 404-874-0428. www.eleven50.com. — TW

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RADNEY FOSTER, STAYTON BONNER You get two Texans for the price of one tonight. Foster is well-known for his stint in ’80s country duet Foster & Lloyd, and is a songsmith of the highest order with an excellent solo career. Bonner is an up-and-coming artist, with musical roots in Austin. $15. 7:30 p.m. Eddie’s Attic. 404-377-4976. www.eddiesattic.com. — JK

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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.