San Diego Shows–Monday, July 6

PLAN A: Strange Boys, The Coathangers, Heavy Hawaii, The Anasazis, DJ Mario Orduno @ The Casbah–Sorry, but that supposed “garage-rock” shit that was popular in 2002 (The Hives, The Vines, Division of Laura Lee) has nothing on the stuff that’s coming out these days. However, it doesn’t begin and end with those coked-out dickheads in the Black Lips. Just ask The Coathangers, fellow ATLiens who play a bratty blend of garage and punk that sounds like someone shit in Bikini Kill’s cereal (see Carissa Casares’ great piece on the band from this week’s issue). I saw them open up for The Sess years ago at The Tower Bar and even though they were total bitches to me, I still enjoyed their show thoroughly. Also, check out Todd Kroviak’s blurb on The Strange Boys and The Anasazis from this week’s If I Were U section. I agree with Todd’s take that The Anasazis are gaining momentum in the scene and that their debut EP (out this month) will certainly be good enough that their name will soon be uttered in the same sentences as all those other “hot” garage-rock bands.  PLAN B: Modern Rifles, The Tall Ships, Robbers @ Radio Room–Modern Rifles released a hell of a debut earlier this year and shame on you for not picking it up. Less political than Against Me! and more a agressive than Jimmy Eat World, the band somehow balances the line between pop and punk without falling into that dreaded blink-182 subgenre (see my review here).   BACKUP PLAN: The Bugs, The Secretions @ Bar Pink–There are about half a dozen bands out there with the name The Bugs, but there’s no doubt that San Diego’s Bugs are the funnest. Old-school, Ramones-esque punk that’s fucked up (“Dopefiend”), funny (Dave Navarro’s Goatee Sucks”) and decidedly not politically incorrect (“Lesbo, Lesbo,” “I Wish I Was a Mexican”). Check out there videos on MySpace and pass around the office.

QUICK PICKS:

Lady Dottie and the Diamonds, DJ Jason Weedon @ U-31

“Dub Dynamite” with DJs Rashi, Eddie Turbo @ The Office

The China Clippers, Sailor Jerry Tattoo Art Show @ Ruby Room

Industrie de Lundi @ Soda Bar

Pop Culture Trivia Challenge @ Whistle Stop

Astra Kelly, Nicole Torres @ Dublin Square