October 9-15, 2003

music

Soundadvice

Get out.

Anoushka Shankar

During the first number, Ravi Shankar's daughter/heir to the sitar dynasty will have the audience wondering how anyone so young (she's 22) can be so accomplished. After that, age is forgotten as the music does its work, taking the entire room on a contemplative journey.

--Mary Armstrong

Sat., Oct. 11, 7:30 p.m., $28-$38, Kimmel Center, 260 S. Broad St., 215-893-1999.

Bla Fleck

Keep on forgetting what you think you know about the banjo. Jazzgrass pioneer Béla Fleck and his band, The Flecktones, weave acid jazz, bluegrass and pop into quirky -- but often brilliant -- melodic patterns. Their just-released three-CD set, Little Worlds, features a rendition of The Ballad of Jed Clampett that's more fab fusion than hoedown hokey.

--Amy L. Webb

Sun., Oct. 12, 2 p.m., $10-$58, Kimmel Center, 260 S. Broad St., 215-893-1999.

Calexico/The Frames

The trick with The Frames is getting them to set aside their crowd-pleasing rockers in favor of a few of Glen Hansard's heart-splitting confessionals. Similarly, Calexico are best when they step away from the spaghetti Western stuff and drift off into a country of their own. Neither has a new album to flog -- though they come armed with tour-only collections aplenty, and The Frames have a new odds-and-sods collection, The Roads Outgrown, to boot -- but the chance to see them stretch out in NXNW's relaxed atmosphere is a precious opportunity indeed.

--Sam Adams

Sat., Oct. 11, 10 p.m., $15, North By Northwest, 7165 Germantown Ave., 215-248-1000.

Interpol

Yes, Interpol is still touring. They've gone from upstarts to elder statesmen, thanks to months of moving up from clubs to featured slots on summer shed shows to being introduced by Alyson Hannigan on that Pepsi summer music show (they were on right before Chingy). But damned if Turn on the Bright Lights, their only full-length album, doesn't still sound completely astonishing, in a big-guitars (that will echo even greater in the October chill) and sad-songs kind of way.

--Maura Johnston

Tue., Oct. 14, 8 p.m., $19-$20, with Elefant and The Occasion, Electric Factory, Seventh and Wood sts., 215-336-2000.

LTJ Bukem

He's followed the heart line of U.K.-based dance music through its phases and shifts, from DJ'ing at '80s acid house outdoor raves to establishing a groundbreaking drum 'n' bass camp. Long having held court beside fellow junglists Fabio and MC Conrad, and pursuing a sleek, cerebral D&B sound, committed undergrounder Bukem (named after a certain TV catch phrase -- long story) will bring no unnecessary fanfare at his Philly show; that's only fair to his fans.

--Juliet Fletcher

Thu., Oct. 9, 9 p.m., $18, all ages, with Sound Tribe Sector 9, MC Conrad, Makoto and MC Deeizm, The Trocadero, 1003 Arch St., 215-922-LIVE.

The Mariner Nine

Before local uber-producer Brian McTear was wowing local audiences as one-man band Bitter, Bitter Weeks, he was a vital cog in West Chester psych-pop darlings Marinernine. The erstwhile band never made it big (or settled on a consistent spelling of its name), but plenty of warm memories remain. With the band's core members in town from drummer Matt Neal's wedding, the Mariner9 will reunite for one night only. McTear promises none of those difficult numbers from swan song A Little Something From the Weathervane's Perspective, but rather, just the hits.

--Brian Howard

Thu., Oct. 9, 9:30 p.m., $8, with 1929 and Pilot Round the Sun, The Khyber, 56 S. Second St., 215-238-5888.