Sound Menu July 18 2007

CL’s picks for the week’s best shows

THURS/19

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INDIGENOUS This is part of the venue’s ongoing “Americana Series,” and what can be more American than a full-blooded Nakota Nation Native American band named Indigenous playing Stevie Ray Vaughan-styled blues rock? Leader/founder/guitarist/vocalist Mato Nanji’s riff-heavy power blues may not exactly be right off the reservation, but he’s a powerful presence and has enough sturdy rockers and molten licks culled from a five-album catalog to show he’s not just a novelty. $12. 9 p.m. Vinyl. 404-885-1365. www.vinyl-atlanta.com. — Hal Horowitz

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JANELLE MONAE, SCAR, DEEP COTTON This familylike affair is headlined by the uniquely talented Janelle Monae. She should be familiar to local soul fans, but despite all the hype (and a recent CL cover story), she still hasn’t dropped her Metropolis yet. Scar is another Purple Ribbon All-Star who has yet to issue a full-length album, despite being a standout guest vocalist on OutKast’s “Morris Brown.” Punk-funk band Deep Cotton opens. $15. 10 p.m. Sugarhill. 404-658-0068. www.sugarhillatl.com. — Mosi Reeves

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RECKLESS KELLY, SAM THACKER Based in Austin, Texas, the Kellys (no relation) blend country roots with barroom rock, and the mix is a pleasant surprise. Not terribly original in the Americana scheme of things, but still worth a listen. Thacker delivers his nondescript repertoire with confidence, and the college kids seem to like it just fine. $18. 8 p.m. Smith’s Olde Bar. 404-875-1522. www.smithsoldebar.com. — James Kelly

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STEVE AOKI AKA KID MILLIONAIRE Atlanta has received a heavy dose of mashup/dance/rock flavor, thanks to DJs such as Le Castle Vania and parties such as Sloppy Seconds. The ambassador of the U.S. scene, however, is Steve Aoki. As owner of Dim Mak Records, he’s issued influential albums by Bloc Party, Pretty Girls Make Graves and the Kills. As one of L.A.’s biggest DJs/promoters he has, for better or worse, propagated a confluence of celebrity, fashion and overmarketed “underground” trends. True to his piratelike nature, Aoki arrives in Atlanta under the guise Kid Millionaire and via a Rockstar Energy Drink-sponsored blowout. Why else would he play at a country bar like Wild Bill’s? Call for price. 9 p.m. Wild Bill’s. 678-473-1000. www.wildbillsatlanta.com. — MR

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FRI/20

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BEYONCE, ROBIN THICKE With her current tour and the hype of the “Beyonce Experience,” the singer/actress/model/spokeswoman/entrepreneur/all-purpose-supastar takes on the guise of her singular-monikered predecessors, Cher and Madonna, and mounts her ‘round the world el grandé specta-calé. Flash and umph are a given as she breezes and, dare we say, vogues, through a dizzying set of costume changes amid a scheduled 22-song performance, including a medley of her megaselling Destiny’s Child hits. Robin Thicke opens. $49.75-$99.75. 8 p.m. Philips Arena. 404-878-3000. www.philipsarena.com. — Lee Valentine Smith

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CAPITOL CITY OPERA Songs from and about the American South are offered in a musical tossed salad drawn from jazz, blues, opera and gospel, and are offered by CC Opera in its “Songs of the South” summer fundraising concert. Billed as an “indoor picnic” (bring your own food and beverages, that is), the tin-cup event includes a silent auction. $25. 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., July 20-21; 3 p.m. Sun., July 22. Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. 404-872-5338. www.callanwolde.org. — Mark Gresham

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DELBERT McCLINTON, HEAVEN DAVIS McClinton’s a party animal, and will probably have the flowers dancing in the garden tonight. Comfortable with the blues, rock and country, he is a world-renowned bar-band legend. Heaven Davis is a big-voiced shouter of the highest order, and will set the night on fire early. $35. 8 p.m. Atlanta Botanical Garden. 404-876-5859. www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org. — JK

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MORRISSEY, KRISTEEN YOUNG Now considered an old-timer by New Wave standards, Morrissey has carved a niche where he gets respect for his legacy with the Smiths, and for maintaining a high level of quality throughout his prodigious solo career. He hasn’t lost a bit of debonair charm. Kristeen Young brings her operatic voice and hard-rocking band to open the show. $35-$87. 7:30 p.m. Chastain Park Amphitheater. 404-249-6400. www.classicchastain.com. — JK

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RICKY RAW AND DROPBOMBZ Tonight is a celebration of all things Ricky Raw: it’s the rapper’s birthday and he’s dropping a new album, The Good Fight. He’s making sure he’ll have plenty of music to hear while he gets drunk, though. Among the guests are DJs Knick and the Enemy from Evol Intent, 404 Audio don Mayhem, Treasure Fingers, DJ DJ Dylan and Brian Parris. Performances from Ricky’s Dropbombz crew, Alpha Noise Project and Audubon Society round out this free hootenanny. Free. 8 p.m. Lenny’s Bar. 404-577-7721. www.lennysbar.com. — MR

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TREE CREATURE, MAGICICADA, ZANDOSIS, LID EMBA, SMALL FRAMED BOY, SAILOR WINTERS This show is officially christened the Stickfigure vs. Sleepaway Recordings “Battle to the Death.” Two labels, both with a bend for outsider pop, offbeat electronics, noise and drone music of the post-punk variety, pit several of Atlanta’s experimental acts in a showcase of local talent. Each group tests the boundaries of form and sonic art for art’s sake. $5. 9 p.m. Eyedrum. 404-522-0655. www.eyedrum.org. — Chad Radford

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SAT/21

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CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR One of the more impressive and intense classical pianists of today, Colorado-born pianist Christopher Taylor presents a solo recital including two American works, “Turning” by Derek Bermel and the “Etudes” of William Bolcom, plus the 12 “Transcendental Etudes” by Franz Liszt, among the most difficult piano pieces ever written. $35. 8:15 p.m. Spivey Hall. 770-971-4179. www.spiveyhall.org. — MG

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LUIGI, THE PREAKNESS, BAD MAGIC NUMBER Unassuming in their role as one of the least-inflated, but preeminent, pop acts, Michelle DuBois and her dashing Luigi-ites continue to produce a cache of pleasantly serrated pop rock. While the other here-today-signed-to-a-major-label-tomorrow (and dropped the day after) bands come and go, DuBois will continue to assemble charming bands and write some of the best Atlanta-bred songs available in any format. With the Preakness and Bad Magic Number. $8. 9 p.m. Star Bar. 404-681-9018. www.starbaratlanta.com. — LVS

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MARIZA WITH THE ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA With a fusion of contemporary pop and traditional Portuguese fado, vocalist Mariza (Mariza Reis Nunes) is musical heir to the late fado diva Amália Rodrigues. The fado tradition is rooted in expression of saudade, a special sense of destiny and fateful longing particular to the Portuguese people and culture. As its best-known 21st-century exponent, Mariza has internationalized its popularity. Laura Jackson conducts the ASO. $25-$40. 8 p.m. Symphony Hall, Woodruff Arts Center. 404-733-5000. www.atlantasymphony.org. — MG

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RICHARD BUCKNER, SIX PARTS SEVEN Buckner’s quietly forged a terrific catalog of dark-hearted music bleak enough for Nick Cave, coasting over a blend of country, folk and rock he’s made his own. Originally inspired by the Texas songwriters such as Terry Allen and Robert Earl Keen, the gruff-voiced Buckner pens harrowing journeys to the center of the heart. He’s backed by supple, talented, melodically rich instrumental rockers Six Parts Seven. $12. 9:30 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — Chris Parker

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TIM McGRAW, FAITH HILL They are not exactly the George & Tammy of country music, but they may be the closest thing these days to a “First Family.” Hill has bounced back toward a more traditional sound after her fling with pop music didn’t sail like it was hoped. And even though McGraw admits he’s not that good a singer, he has the ladies swooning. Sorry girls, he’s taken, and not by Kenny Chesney ... I think. $51.75-$91.75. 8 p.m. Philips Arena. 404-878-3000. www.philipsarena.com. — JK

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MON/23

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SILVERCHAIR Back after a self-imposed sabbatical in 2002, these once-rocking Aussie kids are now all grown up. Silverchair’s latest album, out this week in the United States, is already double platinum in its homeland. That’s not surprising since the group is in the running for the most popular Australian act ever. The new disc reflects the trio’s maturity with an indie/grunge attack that is both edgy and more melodic than in the past. We Are the Fury opens. Sold out. 8 p.m. The Roxy. 404-233-7699. www.ticketmaster.com. — HH

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TUES/24

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BISHOP ALLEN, PAGE FRANCE The Baltimore quintet Page France strikes a shimmering, shambling note somewhere between the quirky indie pop of Neutral Milk Hotel and the jangling earnestness of Sufjan Stevens, though singer Michael Nau’s lyrics can get impenetrably fantastical. Bouncy Brooklyn popsters Bishop Allen deliver British Invasion melodicism (often compared to the Kinks) in an innocent, light-hearted style like a grown-up Jonathan Richman. They’ll be celebrating the release of their new album, The Broken String. $8. 9 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — CP

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WED/25

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THE FORMAT If you want to hear the Format’s new album Dog Problems, go to its website or MySpace page. At press time, the whole thing was available for free for a two-week period, because the band says it’d rather people actually hear the album than to sit on a box of unsold discs. And, with CD sales in the toilet, that’s a great idea: give it away and maybe make some new fans in the process. The Arizona-based indie-pop gang is headlining tonight, with a solid lineup of like-minded tourmates: the Honorary Title, Limbeck, Steel Train and more. $16. 6:30 p.m. The Masquerade. 404-577-8178. www.masq.com. — LVS

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UNTIED STATES, NYMPH, RUSSIAN SPY CAMERA Untied States rides a maelstrom of paranoid rock tension that exists in a manic state, always teetering between spun-out melancholy and absolute release. Think Mike Patton, Igor Stravinsky and Hieronymus Bosch, and you’re in the right ballpark. Tonight is a release party for the group’s brand new “Bye Bye Bi-Polar” b/w “These Dead Birds” 7-inch. NYMPH and Russian Spy Camera open. $7. 9 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — CR

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WILL HOGE Nashville performer Hoge has a big, radio-ready voice, well-matched to his earnest blue-collar songs with a little blue-eyed soul tossed in for good measure. He follows in the tradition of rocking blues-folk performers such as the Counting Crows and Dave Matthews, mixing Hammond organ, guitar jangle and a Modern Rock® sensibility. Somewhat ham-handed on record, he’s more effective at conveying emotion and avoiding sentimentality in person, as evidenced on his new live release, Again Somewhere Tomorrow. $20. 8 p.m. Wed.-Thurs., July 25-26. Eddie’s Attic. 404-377-4976. www.eddiesattic.com. — CP

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THE ZYDEPUNKS This raucous New Orleans quartet pays tribute to its Cajun roots by increasing the music’s tempos to radar-triggering speed and spitting out lyrics, many not in English, like they had a mouthful of jalapeños. Add some Klezmer, Irish, Slavic and punky power chords to the already hopped-up mix, and be prepared to dance like nobody’s watching. World music never sounded like so much frantic, frenetic and sweat-soaked fun. The Sickfigures also appear. $7. 9 p.m. Star Bar. 404-681-9018. www.starbaratlanta.com. — HH

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THURS/26

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B.B. KING, AL GREEN, ETTA JAMES Wow, what a triple bill. Each is a legendary headlining act in his or her own right, and even if they don’t share the stage for a closing encore, the enticing possibility of a three-headed jam is enough to tempt even the most casual fan to pony up the bucks just in case that happens. Certainly all three have been known to coast through shows based on their stellar reputations, but if they get a shot of adrenaline from each other’s sets, this might be a night of blues and soul you’ll tell your kids about. $38.50-$68.50. 7 p.m. Chastain Park Amphitheater. 404-364-4272. www.chastainseries.com. — HH

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MARNIE STERN, CELEPHAIS, LID EMBA Brooklyn experimental punk songstress Marnie Stern plays fast and furious art rock that is at once pleasant and totally invigorating. Each song takes shape like a clunky, giddy take on Sonic Youth circa Goo, imbued with a penchant for prog-rock. Oh yeah, and Zack Hill from Hella plays drums for Marnie Stern, too. Fantasy art-metal trio Celephais and Lid Emba also perform. $7. 9 p.m. Drunken Unicorn. www.thedrunkenunicorn.net. — 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 Rodney Carmichael, 384 Northyards Blvd., Suite 600, Atlanta, GA 30313, or e-mail information to: rodney.carmichael@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.