Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip

Sat., Sept. 27, 9 p.m., $10, with B. Dolan and Strawberry Mansion DJs, The M-Room, 15 W. Girard Ave., 215-739-5577, themanhattanroom.com.

by Kevin Pearson

hip-hop/rock/pop

In a perfect world, the lyrics to "Thou Shalt Always Kill" would be required reading for all school-aged children. The first single released by British indie rock/hip-hop twosome Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip blasts forth a plethora of lyrical commandments ranging from "Thou shalt not read the NME" to "Thou shalt not steal if there is a direct victim." Bounding along on low-budget beats and glitchy keyboards, the song also informs us that the Beatles (among others) were "just a band." It's a bold proclamation for two white dudes from the outskirts of London whose instrumental prowess runs no further than a Mac and a microphone. Live, Dan le Sac's minimalist beats and samples — the rising riff from Radiohead's "Planet Telex" forms the arc of one song — act as a perfect backdrop for Pip's wordy monologues. And while their lyrical muse can seem somewhat weighty ("A Letter from God to Man" is exactly that), Pip lightens the mood with a prop-laden performance that's part sarcastic, part sincere.

Sat., Sept. 27, 9 p.m., $10, with B. Dolan and Strawberry Mansion DJs, The M-Room, 15 W. Girard Ave., 215-739-5577, themanhattanroom.com.