BeatBox

Every trend, no matter how fleeting or forgettable, can cough up at least one masterpiece that marks its zenith. The most durable artifact that's emerged from the irksome '80s revival (reissued Garbage Pail Kids, anyone?) might be the recent work of Chicago's prodigious Felix Da Housecat. His latest, Devin Dazzle and the Neon Fever, is a refreshing rehash of the classic (albeit corny) T-808 thump. With its sleek guitars, cheap synths, and sassy vocal sirens it echoes the dawn of electro-pop, way back to the days when 14-year-old Felix Stallings Jr. first entered the studio to become the teen prince of the windy city's dance explosion. And maybe that's why it sounds so right: He isn't scavenging ideas from a bygone era, he"s returning to the tunes of his youth. When he hits the decks on Friday, June 11, at Ruby Skye's "White" party with DJs Donovan, Solomon, and Behrouz, come fully prepared to do the robot. For complete information, call 693-4340 or visit www.rubyskye.com.
-- Nate Cavalieri

Since the early '90s, DJ Icey has been hellbent on showing the rest of the world that his hometown of Orlando has more to offer than family-friendly theme parks. Icey has brought the city a well-deserved reputation as one of the early epicenters of American break-obsessed electronica; his claim to fame remains as the first stateside promoter to book England"s Chemical Brothers back in 1993. Icey's latest mix-CD, For the Love of the Beat, pays respect to the Brothers with its inclusion of their "Get Yourself High," as well as tracks by Fatboy Slim, the Weekend Players, and many more. Party-hearty fans of non-Disney-approved forms of recreation will eat up Icey's brand of funky, fast-moving beats when he takes to the decks on Friday, June 11, at 1015 Folsom; call 431-1200 or go to www.1015.com.
-- Charlie Amter

One can't imagine a more unlikely concert paring than Pharoahe Monchand M.O.P.While M.O.P.'s hardcore tales of drug-dealing and bitch-slappin' sound as if they were recorded in the back of a police van, Pharoahe Monch's introspective and technically flawless albums exude a certain sophistication and subtlety. I guess in this era when proto-blinger Jay Z name-checks "conscious" MCs Talib Kweli and Common on his most recent album, seeing hip hop's Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker share the same stage should be no surprise. But audience beware: While Monch's dense, word-drunk verses will pull you into the songs and leave you lost in the verbiage, M.O.P. will assault you with roughneck paeans to chain-snatching and crack-slinging. Scratch from the Roots DJs when these two acts perform on Tuesday, June 15, at the Independent; call 771-1421 or go to www.theindependentsf.com.
-- Sam Chennault