Rock Picks: Digable Planets, Pigeon John, the Wedding Present, Prima Donna

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22

Renata Raksha

Electrocute, attacked by a wall of tin foil

Kelly Davidson

At the movies with Mission of Burma

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More About

• Mr. T
• Savina Yannatou
• Josh Rouse
• Punk Rock
• Knitting

THE RACONTEURS, THE KILLS at the Greek Theatre

Perhaps to prove that he’s not just some megalomaniacal creative dictator who tells Meg White what to do — forcing her to dress in humiliating shades of barber-shop red-and-white stripes — Jack White shows that he’s a team player in the Raconteurs, splitting mike time with the yearning pop vocals of Brendan Benson and buttressed by the Greenhorne’s damn solid rhythm section, bassist Jack Lawrence and drummer Patrick Keeler. With so much talent flying all over the place, the Raconteurs ramble seamlessly through a non-specific field of rock genres, and it’s wonderful to see White and Benson daring each other to tumble further over the cliff with their twined harmonies and elaborate guitar solos. “I’m sick of social graces,” Alison Mosshart warns on the Kills’ recent CD, Midnight Boom, where she and co-conspirator Jamie Hince mash together schoolyard chants, punky amputations and electronic fuzz for a gloriously wonderful and strangely hypnotic mélange. Even with all that artful sound and misanthropic fury, Mosshart’s beguiling pop chanson “Black Balloon” is even stranger, with a disarmingly direct prettiness. It could be the sad-beautiful song of the year. Also Tues. (Falling James)

 
FLEET FOXES at El Rey Theatre

These young Seattle dudes play hippie-friendly acid-folk jams full of strummed guitars, tribal drums and creamy harmony vocals — imagine Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young as produced by Animal Collective. Fleet Foxes have been the subject of some furious blog buzz lately, much of it warranted by the heart-tugging tunecraft on their self-titled debut; in gorgeous cuts like “White Winter Hymnal” and “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song” singer Robin Pecknold floats perfect little melodies that sound channeled from the beginning of time. Unfortunately, as with many of their indie-roots peers — think Band of Horses or Bon Iver — some of the hype appears to have to do with Fleet Foxes’ return to a time when real men played real instruments, back before rappers ruined everything with their drum machines and their AutoTune. Yawn. Ah, well — baby, bathwater, blah blah blah. Also Tues. (Mikael Wood)

 
Also playing Monday:

HOT CHIP at the Wiltern; CSS, TILLY & THE WALL at the Mayan; DEATH TO ANDERS, ONE TRICK PONY, HAPPY HOLLOWS at the Echo; BILL FRISELL & GREG LEISZ at Largo; THE KRIS SPECIAL, EZRA BUCHLA & LAURA STEENBERGE at Mr. T’s Bowl; MONOLATORS at Pehrspace; PEACHFUZZ at Spaceland; DOES IT OFFEND YOU YEAH at Troubadour.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

ELECTROCUTE, THE LADY TIGRA, THE BIRD & THE BEE at Spaceland

The sassy local electro-pop outfit Electrocute might be best known for fizzy, fluffy tunes like “Tiger Toy” and “Saturn Rings,” as well as the sleekly sexy and insidiously catchy title track of their recent EP On the Beat, but if there’s one thing that makes lead singer Nicole Morier deadly serious, it’s the sobering possibility that new “feminist” icon Sarah Palin might end up dismembering dead moose on the White House lawn in January. That prospect scares her so much, she’s helping to organize tonight’s Barack Obama fund-raiser. You know something’s wrong with America when even a silly, fun-loving band of dance-mad hedonists like Electrocute feel motivated to take political action. They’ll be joined by the sugary pop confections of Greg Kurstin and Inara George’s the Bird & the Bee; juiced-up and juicy hip-hopper the Lady Tigra; breezy pop combo Willoughby; the voyeuristic dance mob Hard Place; and funky glam weather people the Polyamorous Affair. Get up and dance — you might just save a moose. (Falling James)

 
JOSH ROUSE at Largo at the Coronet

Josh Rouse is something like Joe Henry without the flashy producer resumé. Both are Midwestern boys (Rouse born in Nebraska, Henry raised in Michigan) who found themselves constricted as rootsy singer-songwriters. While Henry hightailed off to avant Americana, Rouse’s own musical wanderlust took him to Nashville (where he made, among other discs, the aptly named Nashville). His real breakthrough came with 2003’s 1972, where he opened up — and loosened up — his sound with a dose of laid-back soulful pop. He continued to broaden his stylistic scope with his subsequent moves to Spain and Brooklyn (he now splits time between the two). His recent full lengths, Subtitulo and Country Mouse City Mouse, exude a wonderfully relaxed charm. He gracefully crafts his music with touches of rock, country, R&B, jazz and folk — whatever he thinks his warm, silky songs need. Hopefully, his L.A. set lists will include his irrepressibly funky, irresistibly funny “Hollywood Bass Player.” Also Wed. (Michael Berick)

 
Also playing Tuesday:

THE RACONTEURS, THE KILLS at Greek Theatre; FLEET FOXES at El Rey Theatre; CSS, TILLY & THE WALL at the Mayan; OKKERVIL RIVER, SEA WOLF at Henry Fonda Theater; ETRAN FINATAWA at Amoeba Music, 7 p.m.; AUTOMATIC MUSIC EXPLOSION at Canter’s; THE DUHKS at Hotel Café; LITTLE JACKIE, J DAVEY at the Roxy; CHINO XL, CROOKED I at Safari Sam’s; AMY McDONALD at the Troubadour.