San Francisco Weekly — June 13, 2012
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Feel-Good Explosion
In light of its title, Japandroids’ new Celebration Rock bookends its eight tracks with the perfect sound effect: the pop of fireworks.The second album from the Vancouver duo is a legit contender for record of the year based on its irony-free sense of jubilation and the pervasive feeling that these guys are going all-in with this adrenaline rush. Japandroids have enough ties to the indie rock sphere that this album is out on Polyvinyl, and Pitchfork keeps a close eye on ‘em, but Celebration Rock is truly the 2012 progeny of feel-greateven- when-things-suck pop-punk bands such as Crimpshrine and Operation Ivy. Celebration’s muddy, cranked-up production only enhances its songwriting’s skittish sparkle, constantly reminding you that these tracks will make for A-grade singalongs. Plus, this record includes a ferocious cover of The Gun Club’s “For the Love of Ivy,” so let’s award Japandroids a couple of bonus points for having great taste and making good on it. Japandroids perform with Cadence Weapon on Thursday, June 14, at The Independent. 7:30 p.m., $15; www.theindependentsf.com. Reyan ali
Tupac Tribute
Since the Oakland-bred rap group Digital Underground was the first to take a young Tupac Shakur on the road as a backup dancer and roadie, and produced his early hits “I Get Around” and “So Many Tears,” every live show contains a heartfelt and knowing tribute to its members’ fallen friend, with passionate snippets of his songs and an audience full of people throwing two fingers in the air. On what would have been Shakur’s 41st birthday, Digital Underground dedicates its entire show to the late rap legend. The group performs an intimate benefit for National Alumni Association of the Black Panther Party on Saturday, June 16, in the Lounge at Yoshi’s S.F. 10:30 p.m., $30-$35; www.yoshis.com. TamaRa PalmeR
Rhyme on a Platter
Odds are 50-50 that calling a rising artist “the next big thing” is a kiss of death, but screw it, we’re going to roll the dice with Action Bronson. If this heavyset Albanian-American from Flushing, N.Y., isn’t the next big thing in hip-hop, he sure as hell deserves to be. The nimble-tongued MC’s calling card is his love for name-dropping dishes within rhyme — a trait that comes not only from a love for food (as his hilarious weight loss analysis “Ronnie Coleman” can attest) but his past as a chef.On the recent mixtape Blue Chips, Bronsolini cooks up “wild dandelion greens dressed up on the plate,” the Greek dessert baklava, the sheep’s milk cheese kashkaval, and “bone marrow roasted, spread it on the rosemary bread/ Lightly toasted, drizzled with the vinaigrette.” So don’t listen on an empty stomach when Action Bronson performs Wednesday, June 13, at The Independent. 9 p.m., $15 advance, $17 doors; www.theindependentsf.com. Reyan ali
Chiva Knieval
Taking cues from the high-octane, destructo punk of The Dwarves, the Seattle-based reprobates who make up Zeke first came together amid the monolithic early-1990s rise of grunge. Anchored by founding members Blind Marky Felchtone (guitar/vocals) and drummer Donny Paycheck, Zeke grafted ’70s guitar heroics to meth-fueled hardcore tempos with explosive results. Its first two frenetic albums — Super Sound Racing in ’94 and Flat Tracker in ’96 — were packed with scorching 90-second odes to sex, drugs and fast cars/motorcycles. Relentless road work during that decade and subsequent releases for Epitaph helped earn Zeke a rabid cult, but the band’s activity has been far more sporadic of late. Don’t miss a rare chance to witness the fury of Zeke live when Felchtone and Paycheck bring the current lineup to The Uptown in Oakland on Friday, June 15. 9 p.m., $12.Www.uptownnightclub.com. Dave Pehling
In light of its title, Japandroids’ new Celebration Rock bookends its eight tracks with the perfect sound effect: the pop of fireworks.The second album from the Vancouver duo is a legit contender for record of the year based on its irony-free sense of jubilation and the pervasive feeling that these guys are going all-in with this adrenaline rush. Japandroids have enough ties to the indie rock sphere that this album is out on Polyvinyl, and Pitchfork keeps a close eye on ‘em, but Celebration Rock is truly the 2012 progeny of feel-greateven- when-things-suck pop-punk bands such as Crimpshrine and Operation Ivy. Celebration’s muddy, cranked-up production only enhances its songwriting’s skittish sparkle, constantly reminding you that these tracks will make for A-grade singalongs. Plus, this record includes a ferocious cover of The Gun Club’s “For the Love of Ivy,” so let’s award Japandroids a couple of bonus points for having great taste and making good on it. Japandroids perform with Cadence Weapon on Thursday, June 14, at The Independent. 7:30 p.m., $15; www.theindependentsf.com. Reyan ali
Tupac Tribute
Since the Oakland-bred rap group Digital Underground was the first to take a young Tupac Shakur on the road as a backup dancer and roadie, and produced his early hits “I Get Around” and “So Many Tears,” every live show contains a heartfelt and knowing tribute to its members’ fallen friend, with passionate snippets of his songs and an audience full of people throwing two fingers in the air. On what would have been Shakur’s 41st birthday, Digital Underground dedicates its entire show to the late rap legend. The group performs an intimate benefit for National Alumni Association of the Black Panther Party on Saturday, June 16, in the Lounge at Yoshi’s S.F. 10:30 p.m., $30-$35; www.yoshis.com. TamaRa PalmeR
Rhyme on a Platter
Odds are 50-50 that calling a rising artist “the next big thing” is a kiss of death, but screw it, we’re going to roll the dice with Action Bronson. If this heavyset Albanian-American from Flushing, N.Y., isn’t the next big thing in hip-hop, he sure as hell deserves to be. The nimble-tongued MC’s calling card is his love for name-dropping dishes within rhyme — a trait that comes not only from a love for food (as his hilarious weight loss analysis “Ronnie Coleman” can attest) but his past as a chef.On the recent mixtape Blue Chips, Bronsolini cooks up “wild dandelion greens dressed up on the plate,” the Greek dessert baklava, the sheep’s milk cheese kashkaval, and “bone marrow roasted, spread it on the rosemary bread/ Lightly toasted, drizzled with the vinaigrette.” So don’t listen on an empty stomach when Action Bronson performs Wednesday, June 13, at The Independent. 9 p.m., $15 advance, $17 doors; www.theindependentsf.com. Reyan ali
Chiva Knieval
Taking cues from the high-octane, destructo punk of The Dwarves, the Seattle-based reprobates who make up Zeke first came together amid the monolithic early-1990s rise of grunge. Anchored by founding members Blind Marky Felchtone (guitar/vocals) and drummer Donny Paycheck, Zeke grafted ’70s guitar heroics to meth-fueled hardcore tempos with explosive results. Its first two frenetic albums — Super Sound Racing in ’94 and Flat Tracker in ’96 — were packed with scorching 90-second odes to sex, drugs and fast cars/motorcycles. Relentless road work during that decade and subsequent releases for Epitaph helped earn Zeke a rabid cult, but the band’s activity has been far more sporadic of late. Don’t miss a rare chance to witness the fury of Zeke live when Felchtone and Paycheck bring the current lineup to The Uptown in Oakland on Friday, June 15. 9 p.m., $12.Www.uptownnightclub.com. Dave Pehling
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