Lyrics Born, The Donnas, Tyrese, Dandy Warhols & Noise Pop

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Fri. Mar. 2, 9pm The Blank Club 44 S. Almaden Ave., San Jose 408.292.5265 $10 My Monster ALTERNATIVE FREQUENCY: The long awaited full-length CD, In Tune With the Voices in Your Head, from local alt-rock heavies My Monster is finally here and this show at the Blank is your chance to get your little paws on a copy. But, not only will My Monster be ripping out a full set of fresh tracks for your listening pleasure, but a ton of other hitters in the local rock scene will be making appearances in support of this killer local four-piece. Special guests at the My Monster CD release show include: Jade of Days, Otto, Atomic Mint, Point 3, the Shoguns and, it's rumored that Kung Fu Vampire will swoop in for the festivities.

Wed. Feb. 28, 8pm Avalon Nightclub 777 Lawrence Expwy., Santa Clara 408.241.0777 $5

880 South, Relapse & Starving Millionaires PRE-SPRING FUNK: If you're thirsting for that backyard barbecue vibe that kicks with grooving reggae infused rock jams, look no farther than this show at the Avalon Nightclub with 880 South. These local boys hit your ears with a three-pronged sonic attack of reggae, soul and funked up rock fully blending musical styles to produce one tight and melodic sound that can call up the days of summer even in the cold of February. 880 South is headlining this show with the funk-infused rock 'n roll sounds of Relapse opening along with the Starving Millionaires.

Wed. Feb. 28, 9pm Johnny V's 31 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose 408.947.8470 $5

Reckless Rebels & Sick City Daggers FTW PSYCHOS: Psychobilly sounds will be ripping out of Johnny V's tonight with local greasers the Reckless Rebels setting up with the Sick City Daggers who're hitting San Jo all the way from the wastelands of Texas for this show presented by the psycho biker crew at Full Throttle Workshop. The Reckless Rebels run 5-strong and always tear shit up no matter where they play, from backyards to dive bars, with amplifiers cranked and firing on all cylinders for their blazin' brand of souped up psychobilly.

Wed. Feb. 28, 8pm Slim's 333 11th St., San Francisco 415.255.0333 $14 BUY TICKETS

Fu Manchu RED EYE ROADSHOW: So-Cal hard rockers Fu Manchu--who rip out pure '70s stoner rock complete with funk based riffs and fuzzy guitars--hit Slim's tonight on their coast to coast tour for their latest offering to bong heads everywhere, We Must Obey. While they originally started as a hardcore punk outfit in the late '80s, cutting their sonic teeth in the Sub Pop rising, Fu Manchu ultimately decided that they'd be satisfied to kick out amped up tunes that were more in line with water pipes than half pipes, but somehow still manage to keep the adrenaline high for the numerous ears of their skateboarding fans. Valiant Thorr and Artimus Pyledriver get things started before the psycho-stoner roadshow of Fu Manchu tears up the stage.

Thu. Mar. 1, 7pm The Fillmore 1805 Geary, San Francisco 408.998.TIXS $25 BUY TICKETS

Lyrics Born LYRICAL SCIENCE: Rising up out of the mid-90s UC Davis underground hip-hop scene along with longtime collaborators DJ Shadow, Chief Xcel and Lateef, Lyrics Born has been an influential force in the Bay Area scene that began with the now classic cut, "Lady Don't Tek No." Known for his fast delivery of socially conscious lyrics, complex rhyming technique and vocabulary that probably banked him a high score on the SATs, Lyrics Born clocks more globetrotting road hours today than just about any other rapper while still finding the time to produce other artists, like Pigeon John, on his Quannum Projects label. Uber-smooth Lyrics Born hits the Fillmore tonight with the Coup and Lifesavas for an all-ages performance.

Thu. Mar. 1, 9pm Britannia Arms: Downtown 173 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose 408.278.1400 No Cover

Wiggle Wagons MOONSHINE METAL: Buzz-sawin' licks delivered with full-tilt hardcore Southern Pride tear into Downtown tonight when the Wiggle Wagons pull their liquored up, country shred convoy into the Brit. Their sets are filled with booze, blazing guitars and driving bass lines that help tell the hard luck tales of the Wagons. This local outfit rips out buzzed up country tunes with the full-blown angst of punk tempered by the love of whiskey, women and welfare that'll turn heads, blow amps and break some hearts wherever they plug in. This show at the Brit ain't gonna cost you a dime in cover and the Wiggle Wagons always rip it up, plus the Whiskey Avengers are doing a set, so, yeah, there, Thursday night's taken care of.

Thu. Mar. 1, 8pm Slim's 333 11th St., San Francisco 415.255.0333 $15 BUY TICKETS

French Kicks TRAVELING INDIE: Mod-pop indie rockers, the French Kicks roll their mellowed garage sounds into Slim's tonight as part of the '07 SF Noise Pop fest that seems some of the best in the indie biz gather in the City for a six days of shows, events, parties, forums, art and films. Hailing from NYC, the French Kicks have been an indie powerhouse since first hitting the venerable Big Apple scene in the late '90s after which the four-piece spent much of their time on the road--from dive bars to big venues--gathering new fans at each stop. The French Kicks hit the stage tonight with Scissors for Lefty and the Oolahs.

Thu. Mar. 1, 7pm Avalon Nightclub 777 Lawrence Expwy., Santa Clara 408.241.0777 $20

Winger RETURN OF THE HAIR: It will always be fun to make fun of hair bands like Winger, in the same way it's fun to make fun of the dude who got so wasted that he f*cked the donkey at the party last night. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? We know, they were probably drunk, it was the '80s, when cheesy ball-clenched anthems were turning androgynous guitar heroes into millionaires, and so a bunch of extremely talented musicians were reduced to noodling their guitars on songs like "Easy Come, Easy Go," "Miles Away" and "I Can't Get Enough" ("It's never enou-oo-wuff"). Kip Winger has been milking it ever since, but now the whole band is back together for a hilariously hairy reunion. Fear the Days and Seven Reasons also perform.

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Fri. Mar. 2, 8:30pm Bottom of the Hill 1233 17th St., San Francisco 415.621.4455 $20 The Donnas PUNK ROCK GIRLS: The favorite daughters of Palo Alto, the Donnas, rock Bottom of the Hill tonight in conjunction with Noise Pop '07 alternative music festival that's taking over the City this week. The Donnas have been ripping it up together since the old high school days, starting out with a more riot grrl sound and style that has now matured into a solid, classically punk infused alternative rock stew. Their latest, Gold Medal, sees the four girls coming into their own musically and stylistically with the Donnas ready to unleash their unique sonic assault. Since they parted ways with major label Atlantic nearly a year ago, the Donnas have been hard at work further honing their rock chops, working on some new cuts and returning to the indie DIY credo that heavily marked their formative years. Boyskout opens.

Fri. Mar. 2, 9pm Taste Ultra Lounge 87 N. San Pedro St., San Jose 408.885.1016 Usual Cover

The Velvet Shop NICE MATERIAL: For more than 12 years, The Velvet Shop has been the premiere event to hear the best house, funk, electro DJs without leaving your South Bay backyard and tonight at Taste sees one of the best spinners on the scene hitting the decks. Doc Martin will be commanding the main room at the Velvet Shop that will also be going off with visuals by Mark Johns and beats provided by Paul Leath, M3 and MJ Gamez while soul, old skool and R&B will be heating things up with Wen Davis and Vinroc elsewhere. Plenty of sexy ladies will be on the dance floor getting down and dirty. There's something for everyone, so "Shut up and funk it" at Velvet Shop.

Fri. Mar. 2, 9pm Johnny V's 31 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose 408.947.8470 $5

Patryk de Rosa w/ Europa & Catholic Comb AMPLIFIER SESSIONS: Variant musical styles converge on Johnny V's tonight with four outfits plugging in and each delivering their versions of musical truths. We're not exactly sure of the lineup with this one, but we can tell you with the utmost of certainty that you'll hear some dark alternative rock from the Catholic Combs from San Francisco along with little punk rocking anthems spun by the Bumping Uglies. Also hitting the bill tonight is the guitar driven heavy rock of Europa--who are seriously worth a long, long listen--and, to top it off, the instrumental metal-laced sounds of Patryk de Rosa, who is one of the better guitarists playing today, and his band (pictured).

Fri. Mar. 2, 9pm Ruby Skye 420 Mason St., San Francisco 415.693.0777 $25 BUY TICKETS

John Digweed & MSTRKRFT 2 FOR THE DECKS: Famed UK trance DJ John Digweed mans the decks at Ruby Skye tonight as part of the Diamonds '07 Tour bringing hard hitting and highly danceable progressive house to the table and joining forces with the electro-punk anthems of MSTRKRFT. In this unusual pairing, the variant styles of Digweed and MSTRKRFT will be rocking a 19-date major dance club circuit throughout the month of March and culminating at the infamous Pacha in New York. John Digweed headlines the set at Ruby Skye that starts at 9pm and will most likely end whenever the last exhausted raver collapses in a heap of glowsticks.

Fri. Mar. 2, 8pm The Catalyst 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz 831.423.1338 $10 BUY TICKETS

Ribsys Nickel EXTREME ANTHEMS: Local SC outfit, Ribsys Nickel--who've rocked the soundtrack to nearly every surf, skate, bmx and board video produced in the last 3 years--play their hometown digs tonight as part of the YMM Battle of the Bands at the Catalyst. Ribsys Nickel hit with a reggae-punk-alt rock sound that's quickly becoming synonymous with the Nor-Cal scene, focusing on hard-partying but mellow grooves that still have a classic punk kick for when the waves turn harsh and you need a little extra juice. The show at the Catalyst tonight also features locals Waisted Noize and Who's Holding.

Fri. Mar. 2, 7pm San Jose State Event Center 290 S. Seventh St., San Jose 408.998.TIXS $40 BUY TICKETS

Iced Out Winter Concert, feat. Tyrese ABDOMINAL ADS: Okay, so we're kind of heading into spring now, but we'll leave meteorological debates and discussions to the experts and simply inform you that the Iced Out Winter Concert is hitting the San Jose State Event Center tonight featuring the man with the most envious abs around, Tyrese, headlining. Also rocking the Event Center stage tonight are Pretty Ricky and Bobby Valentino for a show that's sure to make all the ladies in attendance swoon and all the guys suck their collective guts in.

Fri. Mar. 2, 9pm Mezzanine 444 Jessie St., San Francisco 415.292.4058 $30

Dandy Warhols MADISON AVE DARLINGS: So if you haven't realized this by now, Noise Pop '07 has taken over San Francisco this week teeming with alternative and indie rock heavyweights ripping out shows every night and tonight the Dandy Warhols set up at Mezzanine. The Dandy Warhols first hit in the late '90s with The Dandy Warhols Come Down that was rife with the band's signature catchy hooks--the album also spawned the hit single "Not if You were the Last Junkie on Earth"--that catapulted the Portland quartet into the rock spotlight and it's basically the nouveau rock band rise to stardom story from there with the Dandy Warhols' tunes being heavily used in nearly every media form by nearly everyone on earth. Local indie alt-rock outfit Audrye Sessions and Elephone open.

Fri. Mar. 2, 8pm Avalon Nightclub 777 Lawrence Expwy., Santa Clara 408.241.0777 $10

Ultimate '80s Party DUCKY'S REVENGE: The Ultimate '80s Party taking over the Avalon Nightclub tonight is exactly that, ultimate. Plus all proceeds go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and we over here at Metroactive genuinely feel that while partying for the usual reasons is awesome, partying for charity is infinitely better. The Ultimate '80s Party is going to be a blast with two DJs rocking all of your favorites, break dancers performing, raffles for '80s movies (and we promise that they're not all John Hughes flicks), a costume contest, drink specials, a bachelor and bachelorette auction and--probably the most anticipated, premiere event of the night--the Rubik's Cube Challenge...our money's on the poindexter in the sweater vest and pocket protector.

Fri. Mar. 2, 8:30pm The Independent 628 Divisidaro St., San Francisco 415.771.1421 $14

Autolux SYNTH PERFECT: Autolux--if anyone can make the claim--is considered by many to be the spearheading the next wave of indie rock utilizing heavy synth-laden hooks, minimalist percussion and a mod-pop sound that really doesn't fit into a neat alt rock mold. A distinctive three-piece hailing from LA, Autolux first recording was laid on an 8-track that somehow made it into the hands of legendary producer T-Bone Burnett who immediately signed them to his DMZ label and cut their first release, Future Perfect. Autolux hits the Independent for Noise Pop with Snowden, Malajube and Death of a Party...FYI, this show is rumored to be sold out, but, we all have been known to get creative in that department before when we really want something.

Fri. Mar. 2, 9pm Vivid 8 S. First St., San Jose 408.279.4444 Usual Cover

Frenchy Le Freak A VOTRE SANTE: Influenced by '70s funk, rock and reggae, Frenchy Le Freak started spinning when most of our voices were doing the Peter Brady falsetto to baritone scale every time we spoke. With a beat up garbage can mixer, Frenchy began his musical quest that took him from his native Toulouse to New Caledonia where he gained a Latin perspective into his growing house and hip-hop beat turntable lexicon before arriving in the current house capital of San Francisco to pander to the City's bass heads. Catch the 16-year veteran of the DJ booth laying down high-energy funky tracks at the second weekend for newly minted Downtown mega-club Vivid tonight.

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Sat. Mar. 3, 9pm Tres Gringos 83 S. Second St., San Jose 408.278.9888 No Cover Metroactive Mindbenders Bar Crawl DRINKING FILMS: We know this is a few weeks away, but we feel compelled to get the word out early so all of our loyal Metro and Metroactive readers can gear up for a little bar crawling and movie watching at this year's Cinequest film festival. We'll be hitting Tres Gringos starting at 9pm on Saturday, March 3 and then moving the whole party over to the Blue Monkey Lounge before cruising to Camera 12 Cinemas--and hopefully not stumbling too bad--to catch the Mindbenders shorts series starting at midnight. Drinks and indie flicks with your buddies at Metroactive...what could possibly be better?

Sat. Mar. 3, 9pm The Blank Club 44 S. Almaden Ave., San Jose 408.292.5265 $5

Clay Wheels & Cacti Widders SKATEBOARD SLINGERS: The Clay Wheels--who're practically synonymous with the local skate scene--rip out a raw and honest blend of straight skate punk with a head full of mayhem and retro surf rock sounds spit out through a cranked amplifier. Set to blaze on any stage or half-pipe they may find, these three guys are no strangers to the local live music scene either, Clay Wheels--the incomparable Jonny Manak on vox and guitar, Ray Stevens hitting bass and vocals and Eric Powers demolishing the kit--consistently deliver revved up skate anthems that you don't have be riding on urethane wheels to appreciate. Clay Wheels are setting up tonight at the Blank with the sickest guitar slingers from the Central Valley, the Cacti Widders, for the premiere of the new skate movie from Santa Cruz Skateboards, V-Day.

Sat. Mar. 3, 9pm Angels Ultra Lounge 400 S. First St., San Jose 408.885.9588 Usual Cover

Corset @ Angels DRESS CODES: If you can't figure out what the Corset Party hitting Angels Ultra Lounge tonight is all about, you either need some serious help in the lingerie arts with a cheat sheet dissecting the peculiarities of hot ladies undergarments that are often worn as outer-garments to amazing effect or a dictionary. We'd take the former for sure and while we're at it, we'd also hit Angels tonight for the ever-hot Ndamixx Hunnies rocking their sexiest corsets--which should encourage all of you ladies out there to sport the same--and some cheap as your penniless uncle drink specials. Snap, almost forgot, DJs Jammin J, Leslie Perez and David Q are rocking the decks tonight...you see what effects corsets have on thought processes?

Sat. Mar. 3, 9pm Johnny V's 31 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose 408.947.8470 $5

Atomic Love Bombs LO-FI HIGH: Straight from the dive bar circuit in San Francisco--and seriously a band to keep your eyes on--the Atomic Love Bombs rip out a killer garage rock stew filled with psychedelic licks, noisy distortion, crackling guitar chords and gritty bass lines that's more infectious than the Avian Flu. The stripped down style and guitar driven sounds of the Atomic Love Bombs may, at first listen, seem simplistic, but after extended play, you'll realize just how deep this sonic crock-pot goes when this 5-piece plugs in. The Atomic Love Bombs hit Johnny V's tonight with the Rockin' Chair and Oceans of Fire.

Sat. Mar. 3, 10pm Whisper Ultra Lounge 535 Florida St., San Francisco 415.356.9800 $20

Feel Good Special Edition @ Whisper NAME CHANGE NEEDED: The Feel Good Special Edition party going off tonight at Whisper Ultra Lounge in the City is a bit of a misrepresentation; let us break down the case for ya. First of all, the party will have no less than 5--that's right 5--Playboy Playmate celebrity guest hosts including Brande Roderick, Tiffany Taylor and Paula Larocca. Secondly, killer beats will be provided by the hottest--and we mean hottest--DJs rocking the decks on the club scene including DJ Tamara Sky, DJ Ms. Vicious, DJ Dust (the ultra-hot jailbait one, not the scraggly old man one) and the Asian Sensation DJ June. Third, they'll be helped on the turntables by a live set from Drummer KC. Four, the cover is way, way low for this sort of action and there'll be a hosted bar if you splurge for the VIP treatment. The verdict: Feel Good Special Edition is a severe misnomer way under-representing the, um, talent on tap at Whisper tonight. We'd call it something like "The Best Feeling You Could Ever Possibly Hope To Have at a Nightclub While On This Earth Blowing Your Visual Pleasure Circuit Remarkably Outstanding and Spectacular Singularly Amazing Edition"...or something.

Sat. Mar. 3, 9pm Agenda Lounge 399 S. First St., San Jose 408.287.3991 Usual Cover

Rhumba @ Agenda DANCING BEE: Whether you spell it rhumba, or the more trad rumba, this party at the venerable Agenda Lounge will be rocking. Locally grown and famous turntable scientists Nasty Nick, DJ Sequence and Reckid will be hitting the decks tonight along with some drink specials being dropped from the bar. Oh yeah, did we mention that Agenda rocks it on three levels? Yeah, that means there's definitely no shortage of partying and dancing space for you to either rhumba or rumba...seriously, whichever one you prefer.

Sat. Mar. 3, 8pm The Rockit Room 406 Clement, San Francisco 415.387.6343 $15

Jade of Days @ Emergenza Festival in SF ALT-ROCK MELEE: Local alt-rock heavy Jade of Days takes their unique sound up to the City tonight for Round 2 of the worldwide Emergenza Music Festival Battle of the Bands. Jade of Days play that style of music that, when you hear the first chord drop, pick up the blazing guitar and the driving bass and drums then hear vocalist Dana Kelley's delicate lilting voice over the beat, you think to yourself that this is what every alt band should sound like. Kelley's melodic and emotional vocal chops perfectly compliment the amazing musicianship of guitarist Paul Borges, bassist Nelson Medeiros and drummer Junior Medeiros--the sound is clean, amazingly harmonized and spans musical styles ranging from hard hitting punk inspired choruses to driving rock solos to intelligent alt indie numbers. With their tight sound, JOD is poised to show SF how we rock it in San Jo.

Sun. Mar. 4, 8pm Bimbo's 365 Club 1025 Columbus Ave., San Francisco 415.474.0365 $25

Cake LET THEM HEAR: Sacramento alt rockers Cake hit Bimbo's 365 Club tonight in preparation for their two new releases, Rarities and Live at the Crystal Palace. The Rarities release compiles b-sides and such from Cake's tragically quirky indie rock career while Live will be the first live recording available--well besides shady bootlegs--for mass consumption from McCrea, DiFiore, McCurdy, Nelson and Baldi done in the genre-splitting, deadpan rock style that these guys are internationally known for. Catch Cake in San Francisco as they lend their legit indie credo to the waning days of Noise Pop '07.

Mon. Mar. 5, 9pm Kuumbwa Jazz Center 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz 831.427.2227 $25

Booker T. Jones Band LONG TOOTH SOUL: As house band for the Stax/Volt labels in the '60s, Booker T. and the MG's took sounds straight out of the hottest nightclubs into the studio, inventing Southern, instrumental Memphis Soul. They recorded classics with Sam and Dave, Albert King and Wicked Wilson Pickett, appearing on more than 600 recordings between 1963 and 1968 while recording 10 albums of their own, featuring instrumental hits like "Green Onions," "Time Is Tight" and "Soul Limbo." The band enjoyed a close relationship with Otis Redding, backing him at the legendary 1967 Monterey Pop Festival and playing on nearly all his recordings. Keyboard legend Jones earned a degree in music and moved into production, working on albums for Willie Nelson (Stardust), Bill Withers (Ain't No Sunshine) and Earl Klugh. A gifted songwriter, Jones was also a Lifetime Achievement recipient at this year's Grammy Awards.

Tue. Mar. 6, 8pm Cafe du Nord 2170 Market St., San Francisco 415.861.5016 $10

Low vs Diamond INDIE BOUTS: Forgiving the fact that the name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue and has more antagonistic implications than the sound of this al-indie outfit, Low vs Diamond is probably one of the hottest bands rocking the scene right now. 5-strong out of LA, Low vs Diamond hits a near perfect indie edge that flows with personally reflective and emotive lyrics riding high over the more alt based sounds driven by skillful guitars and percussion that blend to produce a wall of noise that's melancholy when it needs to be and amped when it counts. Low vs Diamond hits CafÈ du Nord tonight with You Said Saturday pulling opening duties.

coming up

Fri. Mar. 9, 9pm The Blank Club 44 S. Almaden Ave., San Jose 408.292.5265 $10

Strata HOMECOMING: Eager to deliver their hard driving alt-indie power licks to the hometown fans and showcase their awesome new material, Strata comes to The Blank for what is sure to be a sold out show. Strong and visceral, haunting, but melodic Strata hits your heart, mind and soul with resonating power and the long journey from across the pond has diluted none of their edge. The vivid imagery of Eric Victorino's lyrics are as poetic as ever and the stunningly elegant, yet somehow apocalyptic operatic sounds delivered by guitarist Ryan Hernandez, bassist Hrag Chanchanian and drummer Adrian Robison are as tight as they are brutally honest. As their sound continually evolves, Strata stays way ahead of the mainstream musical curve.

Sat. Mar. 10, 6:30pm HP Pavilion 525 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose 408.998.TIXS $55 - $95 BUY TICKETS

Christina Aguilera MOUSE TRAP: While some of her Mickey Mouse Club female contemporaries seem to be going down in a pantyless and hairless blaze of, uh, glory, Christina Aguilera is riding her proven star power into legit diva status. Despite some early less than glamorous and improper allegations made by that bastion of nobility Eminem, the pop princess continues to collect Grammys like other people collect used coffee cups and she shows absolutely no signs of slowing down. Her latest works have opened up the jazz, swing and blues heydays to getting a little rework form Aguilera, but no word yet if a rendition of "Candyman" will make it onto her next Latin album (hombre de dulce, anyone?). Christina Aguilera brings her far reaching vocals and probably several footlockers of costumes to the HP Pavilion on Saturday, March 10.

--This week's newsletter by: RO, MC, MM & AL

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