Here's where I'd be

These are bands we especially dig,
not full listings.

Wednesday, Jan. 2

PLAN A: Graf Orlock, Dangers, Owen Hart @ Che Café. Graf Orlock was built to be destroyed. The L.A. foursome—named after the bloodsucking protagonist from Nosferatu—cuts and splices dialogue from movies like Total Recall, Bad Boys II and Red Dawn into a grindcore soufflé that boasts more copyright violations than you can shake a Lethal Weapon at. PLAN B: Lizfest 2008 @ La Jolla Methodist Church. Yes, you read that correctly. But it’s not just because this is a slow week. More than 30 musicians—with a boatload of San Diego Music Awards between them—will perform at this benefit for the School of Creative and Performing Arts and the San Diego Center For Children. Do it for the kids.  

Thursday, Jan. 3

PLAN A: The Chelsea Smiles @ Zombie Lounge. This is a band that benefits more from name-dropping (guitarist Todd Youth played for Danzig and D Generation) the famous bands (opened for New York Dolls and Social Distortion) they’ve been associated with than any name recognition (The Chelsea Smiles?) of their own. PLAN B: Sin City Revue II @ Belly Up. A slew of musicians—including Sin City All-Stars, The Slidewinders, Eve Selis and Mike Stinson—paying homage to Gram Parsons without stealing the corpse of the former Byrd and trying to cremate it at Joshua Tree. But we’ll see how the night goes. BACKUP PLAN: The Drowning Men, China Clipper @ The Casbah.

Friday, Jan. 4

PLAN A: Charmaine Clamor @ Anthology. Clamor has coined the term “Jazzipino” to describe her blend of jazz, blues, soul and Filipino folk. I might have gone with something catchier (Filipazz? Jalipino? Manila Wafer?), but critics still clamor for Clamor and her new album, Flippin’ Out. PLAN B: Faded Chroniclez, Irie Side, The Knee Highs @ ’Canes. I refuse to acknowledge any stoner rap/rock/reggae bands stupid enough to put a “z” or an “Irie” in their name. The Knee Highs, on the other hand, are one of San Diego’s most accessible hip-hop acts. I also dig their socks. BACKUP PLAN: Supernova, Bad Credit @ The Casbah.  

Saturday, Jan. 5

PLAN A: Circle Jerks @ House of Blues. It would seem that these (cough) seminal punks have been playing with themselves a little too much for the past decade. The group’s latest material (the song “I’m Gonna Live”) was released last February. The song has nonetheless raised hopes that the Jerks will rub out another studio album sometime before 2015. PLAN B: The Creepy Creeps, Lords of Altamont @ The Casbah. Why do garage/surf-rock bands like The Creepy Creeps feel compelled to kitsch their music up a notch by wearing tuxedos and monster masks or skeleton costumes and sombreros? I don’t know. But I like it. BACKUP PLAN: Shaka Buku, Mystic Roots, Carbine @ ’Canes.

Sunday, Jan. 6

PLAN A: The Muslims, The Sess, The Prayers @ Tower Bar. This is a send-off before The Muslims and The Sess launch a West Coast tour with stops in L.A., Berkeley, Portland, Seattle and Santa Cruz. Sadly, The Muslims have to do van tours until they can get around all the confusion they cause with that pesky “No Fly” list. PLAN B: Japandi, Planets, Short Hair, Manacle @ Che Café. Japandi is what happens when a screamo band (Mister Valentine) develops laryngitis and decides to play instrumental math-rock (with song titles like “Blowjobs From the Sky”) instead. BACKUP PLAN: Michael Ward @ Anthology.

Monday, Jan. 7

PLAN A: Wish My Little Brother a Happy Birthday. He’s young (22) and virile. Or at least young. Plus, it’s slim pickins for live music.

Tuesday, Jan. 8

PLAN A: Bill Frisell & Joey Baron @ Anthology. Jazz guitarist Bill Frisell is known for his collaborations—including with drummer Joey Baron—and covers of artists like composer Aaron Copland and Madonna, but it’s his solo work (specifically, the album Unspeakable) that earned him a 2005 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. PLAN B: The Modlins, Love Pentagon, Secret Apollo @ Zombie Lounge. The Modlins are busy spreading their pop-rock seed in support of their second album With Friends Like These. Love Pentagon is an all-female band from Las Vegas with a thing for “psychedelic dance rock” and unicorns. I could tell you something about Secret Apollo but, well, it’s a secret. BACKUP PLAN: Kill Me Tomorrow, Nightmares, Heartaches, Widows, Bunky (benefit for Glossines bassist Amber Everson) @ The Casbah.