Music Picks: The Hangmen, Brother Ali, Tommy Rock-A-Shacka, Weezer

HELLRIDE WITH MIKE WATT, STEPHEN PERKINS AND PETER DISTEFANO AT CENTRAL SOCIAL AID AND PLEASURE CLUB

Mike Watt really likes the Stooges. Even when he's not in the Stooges, he's in the Stooges. Hellride, the L.A. Stooges cover band experience, is Mike Watt yowling and playing bass, drummer Stephen Perkins of Jane's Addiction and guitarist Peter Distefano of Porno for Pyros. They've played together for years in various combinations — Banyan, Lil' Pit, etc. — so this is your chance to see three incredibly talented musicians play incredibly simple songs at an incredibly loud level of sound. Also on the bill: Lojic, who apparently "bring together a love of funk, rock, reggae, hip-hop and food" — which presupposes some kind of culinary breakdown onstage, but one never knows; and Mikey Pauker, a "folk and soul artist hailing out of Orange County," with his latest selection of "progressive spiritual songs demanding that we celebrate our differences, accept change and love each other." And if you don't celebrate your differences and love each other, his songs will have your legs broken. (David Cotner)

Brother Ali

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Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal CityWalk

100 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, CA 91608

Category: Attractions/Amusement Parks

Region: Out of Town

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The Cat Club

8911 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90069

Category: Music Venues

Region: Out of Town

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• John Payne
• Chris Martins
• ROMANY RYE Rey
• Arts, Entertainment, and Media
• Electronic Music

Also playing Saturday: THE FLOWER MACHINE at Spaceland; OK GO, A FINE FRENZY, SUMMER DARLING at ClubNokia; ATREYU at House of Blues; KARL DENSON'S TINY UNIVERSE, SUPER DUPER, BREAKESTRA at El Rey.

SUNDAY/NOVEMBER/28

NEIL HAMBURGER AT SPACELAND

When you're feeling down, it's always a good idea to pin a note on your computer screen that says, "I'm not Eliot Spitzer." "I'm not Mel Gibson" is another good one. And then there's "I'm not Justin Bieber's hair." Probably, though, the best one is "I'm not Neil Hamburger," because nothing could possibly be so very, very sad as having to live the greasy, wretched life of this pathetic boob who calls himself "America's Funnyman" — without a trace of irony or humor! Night after night and even as we speak, Hamburger's out there, trodding "the boards," expounding on his interminable miseries in the vain hope that he'll get a little chuckle, a guffaw, even, or a groan, a bottle on the bean, a date, spare change, something ... anything. ... To be charitable, let us recognize that Neil Hamburger's life is pointless, stupid and depressing. Someone has to do it. (John Payne)

Also playing Sunday: BLUE SHADOWS, RUMBLEKING at the Redwood Bar & Grill; INTERNATIONAL TENNIS CHAMPIONS, PAULIE PESH and FARSPEAKER at the Bootleg Theater.

MONDAY/NOVEMBER/29

THE BOOKS, BLACK HEART PROCESSION AT THE MUSIC BOX

One explanation for the fact that critics almost uniformly adore the Books is that they represent hope for incurable music geeks everywhere. As the story goes, Nick Zammuto and Paul de Jong first bonded in 1999 over a copy of a record by obscure Harlem scat singer Shooby Taylor. Sure, they were also accomplished players in their own right (guitar and cello, mainly), but the legacy they've built in about 10 years has had as much to do with their esoteric taste in other people's audio. They set the mold as the Books with their 2002 debut, Thought for Food, weaving unusual vocal samples and field recordings into a finely chopped tapestry of their own acoustics. Another explanation for the consistent praise these guys have received is their near-magical ability to turn their collage art into brilliantly arranged, endlessly enjoyable songs that manage to thrill anew with every album. The Books' latest, The Way Out, borrows heavily from hypnotherapy tapes, but the effect is positively ebullient. (Chris Martins)

Also playing Monday: ROGER WATERS at Staples Center; DIRT DRESS, OH DARLING, CUM STAIN, ALLAH LAS at Spaceland; BLACK APPLES, JAIL WEDDINGS, MY PET SADDLE, DANTE VS. ZOMBIES at the Echo; CHASING KINGS, WOOLEN, FRANCISCO THE MAN, TOY BOMBS at Silverlake Lounge.

TUESDAY/NOVEMBER/30

NEW KINGDOM AT THE SILVERLAKE LOUNGE

If you weren't remotely surprised when Faith No More covered the Commodores' "Easy" and you're down with a band that lists "sexy" as its genre, New Kingdom awaits. This lusty, local foursome throws down groovin', guitarless gauntlet — crotch-thrusting beats, kitschy organ, Noah King's soulful wail and even flickers of Jacko's wacko warbling funk — and dares you not to let loose. Their live shows are impossibly frenetic, step-outside-yourself hip-hop/rock/blues celebrations. In fact, it's hard to imagine how the cozy Silverlake Lounge will contain King's paranormal pentathlon-on-PCP antics. Devoid of the onstage visuals (or their cracking, clothing-optional "When Can I See You" video), New Kingdom's Naked Time EP treads some water, especially during the slowies, but for the first three songs tonight you'll be wondering why other bands even bother. (Paul Rogers)

FAITH NO MORE AT THE HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM

Faith No More deserved a reunion tour, if only to remind the world that the '80s-formed funk/metal/pop outfit shouldn't be historically lumped into the disgusting pile of nü-metal dreck that followed their pretty damn untouchable run of albums. Plus, whoever orchestrated this thing got it right, coaxing back the almighty Mike Patton for the job (instead of the band's first, far inferior singer, Chuck Mosley) alongside the pummeling vintage triumvirate of skinsman Mike Bordin, keyslayer Roddy Bottum and bass-slapper Billy Gould. The group has always cycled through guitarists, but Jon Hudson is a good choice, since he manned the ax through FNM's incredibly focused, melodic high point and swan song, Album of the Year (1997). But expect the set list to reach as far back as 1989 megahit "The Real Thing," to dip into the weird stuff with songs from 1992's Angel Dust ("Be Aggressive") and to dive into the dirt of 1995's King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime ("Digging the Grave"). Epic indeed. (Chris Martins)