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Monday, October 20
TTNG
The Constellation Room
Formed in Oxford, England, in 2004, TTNG originally named their band This Town Needs Guns, a cleverly ironic nod to the fact that no one in England really owns firearms. Then, as the group started to tour and gain popularity, especially in the United States–well, what was once a locally-appropriate inside joke became in danger of being taken seriously. So, they renamed, regrouped, and kept on math-rockin. With their beautifully complicated hooks, rhythms and beats, the men of TTNG (Henry Tremain and brothers Chris and Tim Collis) create a perfectly tangled sound lightened by buoyant vocals. Tonight marks the inaugural concert of their North American tour, with support from Mylets and Emma Ruth Rundle, presented by label Sargent House–don't miss it. (Erin DeWitt)
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Tuesday, October 21
Bellhaunts
The Prospector
Santa Ana's Bellhaunts come and go as they please across a series of punky-indie-pop EPs, but they've been working on a full-length album for a while now–and they put out two teaser tracks just weeks ago, which somehow offer both evolution and refinement at the same time. Natural A-side “Garbage Pail Kid” matches acrobatic Sleater-Kinney-style vocals to frantic poppy punk, while slower (and yes, darker) “Bad Wulf” is a brooding, propulsive Trompe Le Monde-Pixies-ish excursion into bleakness. (“Did he really love her? He wouldn't say.”) As a peek at work to come, it's satisfying for now and intriguing in the long run. Maybe you'll get more revelation at the tonight's live show, with support from Seattle's lo-fi-ish Crazy Eyes and Long Beach's formidable Albini-ready rockers These Are Villains. (Chris Ziegler)
Ab-Soul
The Observatory
Suburban-bred Carson native Ab-Soul is not the “secret weapon” he's been labeled as — he's already come out strong enough and received enough exposure — but he's probably the TDE member most likely to duly pull out a reference to a conspiracy theory with a cult following or an arcane philosophical outlook. Every time he's in a period of potency and in control of a mic, expect an outlandish, comfortably bizarre DMT trip into territories charted by black helicopters and cutthroats. (Patrick Montes)
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Friday, October 24
Kimbra
The Observatory
When Gotye hit it big with “Somebody That I Used to Know,” he didn't do it alone. The chart-conquering 2012 track also featured the New Zealand-born, Australia-based singer-songwriter Kimbra Lee Johnson, who performs professionally as simply Kimbra. Johnson initially started penning songs and playing guitar as a teenager, right as her musical ear began veering off in unusual directions. “I'd gone from R&B and soul music and suddenly being super-inspired by metal and prog-rock and experimental psychedelic music,” she told Interview magazine in 2011. That versatility is reflected in August's The Golden Echo, her second record. Assisted by a medley of guests — among others, Bilal, John Legend, Muse leader Matt Bellamy, and David Longstreth from Dirty Projectors — Johnson joyfully plays around with styles and angles, never settling on a thing. “Miracle” sports the carefree pomp of a disco song, “As You Are” is a warm piano ballad, and the warped “'90s Music” is experimental electronic music. Who needs a kaleidoscope when you have Kimbra? Catch her early show at the Observatory at 8 p.m. before illustrious stoner Wiz Kahlifa takes the stage later that night. (Reyan Ali)
Wiz Khalifa
The Observatory (Late show)
Rapper Wiz Khalifa is taking over the late night crowd at the Observatory Taylor Gang style, supplying Santa Ana with easily one of craziest concerts of the fall in support of his latest release, Blacc Hollywood. And of course, the opportunity to roll into a packed venue with your pals and group chant the chorus to “We Dem Boyz” is well worth the price of admission (Nate Jackson)
See also
10 Punk Albums to Listen to Before You Die
10 Goriest Album Covers
10 Most Satanic Metal Bands
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