Rock Picks: Former Ghosts, Steely Dan, the Dirtbombs, Six Organs of Admittance

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26

Walter Lure

DUNGEN AT THE TROUBADOUR
Swedish polymusic or whatever (they’re eclectic, y’see) wizards Dungen had, by the September 2008 release of Dungen 4, mastered the rare art of creating a new rock sound that was both ruminative and head-banging. By this time the band’s savagely rocking psychedelia had morphed into territories where things got really intriguing, mainly because you couldn’t pinpoint exactly what they had achieved: Was their creation the most richly musical yet most blisteringly raw guitar rock on the planet, or perhaps some sort of new, kool space jazz whose stunningly deep orchestral maneuvers were the soundtracks for films yet to exist? Of course, how one categorized it ultimately mattered not at all, and still doesn’t, because what emerged was a vast sea of sound sources fused and transmogrified into a space we’d never fallen into before — or pumped our fists to. Also at the Echoplex with Conor Oberst and others, Thurs. (John Payne)

CHRIS ISAAK, SUSAN TEDESCHI AT THE GREEK THEATRE
Chris Isaak hasn’t really thrilled anybody since his 1989 smash, “Wicked Game” (or perhaps since the Herb Ritts–directed video for his 1989 smash, “Wicked Game”), but neither has he disappointed: This Northern California native claims one of the sturdiest songbooks in adult-oriented rock, a deeply crafty catalog of Presley/Orbison/Everly echoes that never sacrifices sexiness at the altar of authenticity. This year Isaak’s been busy; in February he launched The Chris Isaak Hour — a Bio Channel chat show — and released Mr. Lucky, his first new studio disc since 2002, with highlights including “We’ve Got Tomorrow,” a kicky rockabilly jam, and “Breaking Apart,” a tender Trisha Yearwood duet. Still, don’t expect him to sound anything other than perfectly relaxed tonight. Opener Susan Tedeschi sings and plays a mean blues-soul guitar; she and her hubby, Derek Trucks, run what must be the jam-friendliest household in America. (Mikael Wood)

Also playing Wednesday:

THE DEAD WEATHER, TYVEK at the Mayan; CAKE at the Henry Fonda Theater; MUSIC GO MUSIC, RAINBOW ARABIA, TOMMY SANTEE KLAWS at the Bordello; DAWES, MICHAEL DAVIS & LIONS, ANDREW LYNCH at the Echo; PAGING BETO, DON JUAN & LOS BLANCOS at the Redwood Bar; FRUIT BATS, DEATH VESSEL, AB & THE SEA at Spaceland.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27

WOODS, BEST COAST, GARBAJ KAETZ, LA FOG, TEARIST AT ECHO CURIO
Brooklyn-based Woods sounds anything but “of the city.” The band’s fourth and latest full-length, Songs of Shame, dwells in a sort of organic psychedelia that one would assume could only be sourced deep within, well, the woods. How main man Jeremy Earl manages to eke out such a kaleidoscopic (yet humble) folksiness from concrete and iron, one may never know, but enigma becomes Earl’s work, which also includes running the hotly tipped indie label Woodsist. That imprint has played host to a few L.A. underdogs as well, including Wavves and Eagle Rock’s Pocahaunted. In fact, supporter Best Coast features an ex-member of the latter band, Bethany Cosentino, who here combines her talents with solo artist Bobb Bruno (he of the bunny suit, drum kit and noise box) to make lo-fi SoCal surf pop. Garbaj Kaetz is a local guy-girl duo as well, though one which leans more heavily into the psychedelic haze, and drinks more deeply from the well of weird. (Chris Martins)

WALTER LURE & THE WALDOS AT THE KNITTING FACTORY
Uptown, downtown, Walter Lure has seen both sides of New York City. Today, he’s a Wall Street stockbroker, but in the 1970s and 1980s he was a guitarist with Johnny Thunders’ post–New York Dolls band the Heartbreakers (not to be confused with Tom Petty’s group, which later nicked the name). In 1975, rock was its most bloated, dominated by tepid singer-songwriters and soggy prog musicians who noodled endlessly, when the Heartbreakers broke things down with short, fun, rude, loud and hooky anthems that directly influenced the Sex Pistols and the other early punks. While the swaggering Thunders got most of the attention, Lure was actually the better guitarist, and the latter wrote and sang lead on several of the Heartbreakers’ classics, including “Get Off the Phone,” “All by Myself,” “Can’t Keep My Eyes on You” and “One Track Mind.” Since then, Lure has worked with the Ramones and started several of his own groups, most notably the Waldos (whose original guitarist Joey Pinter joins him tonight), but it’s been many, many moons since he last performed in Los Angeles. (Falling James)

THE DIRTBOMBS AT THE ECHO
On their way to the Outside Lands festival in San Francisco, the Dirtbombs swing down low to Los Angeles tonight for a quick shot of garage-soul-punk kicks. Led by singer-guitarist/science-fiction writer Mick Collins (whose 1980s band the Gories were a major influence on Jack White), the Dirtbombs are Detroit’s preeminent garage-rock auteurs, combining a skuzzy, dirty, raw punk-blues attack with wide-ranging, intelligently probing lyrics. Their 2008 CD, We Have You Surrounded (In the Red), was a thrilling mix of such shadowy Collins originals as “Wreck My Flow” and “I Hear the Sirens” and unusual remakes of tunes by Sparks and Dead Moon. “I want to be the one ... to catch you as you tumble while the empire falls,” Collins shouts urgently, as the punk chords of “Ever Lovin’ Man” crash together. Assuming that you (and/or rock & roll) can still be saved, Collins is the man for the job. (Falling James)