Also this issue: Emotional Rescue Philly punks Paint It Black overcome a CVA and release CVA. -John Vettese Uprooted How Ben Kenney left Philly’s hip-hop legends to rock with Incubus. -Eve Simonsen Executioners' Songs Rilo Kiley takes off. -Michael Pelusi soundadvice Get out. Rule Blur-Tania Britain's best band head for the Think Tank. -A.D. Amorosi Idle Pleasures -M.J. Fine Two Halves and a Hole The division of At the Drive-In. -John Vettese Bubba Sparxxx -Ainé Ardron-Doley

July 24-30, 2003

musicpicks

Venus Hum

Dance/ electronic

As far as unusual stage sights go, it's hard to top three painted percussionists. Where headliners Blue Man Group (for more on them, see Artspicks on p. 28) are animated and manic, Kip Kubin and Tony Miracle spend most of their set coaxing sounds from computers -- they're outnumbered by Macs -- while sartorially suspect Annette Strean pours her heart into lyrics inspired by childhood ("Montana," "Lumberjacks"), nature ("Hummingbirds," "Springtime #2") and music ("Sonic Boom"). Like a more refined Björk, she swoops over hyper-real landscapes. On Big Beautiful Sky (MCA), the result is closer to new age than electroclash -- but not by much -- and Strean's earthiness balances her bandmates' Erasure fixation. She and Tracy Bonham (over her "Mother Mother" angst) will get some mic time during Blue Man Group's set; the jury's still out on if the cheery ladies will make their hosts less blue.

Fri., July 25, 8 p.m., $25-$48, with Blue Man Group and Tracy Bonham, Mann Center for the Performing Arts, 52nd St. and Parkside Ave., 215-893-1999.

—M.J. Fine