BeatBox

Sly, absurd, and more prolific than God, MC/producer MF Doom was crowned '04's king of the underground after releasing a half-dozen proper albums and numerous instrumental records in the past year and a half. Aesthetically, Doom is a bottom feeder. His rhymes traffic in phonetically slippery wordplay that references comic books and B-grade sci fi, while his production work is shaded with the retro kitsch of '80s R&B synth samples and lo-fi breakbeats. Philosophically, Doom is a true believer. He constantly espouses his neo-Marxist values and refuses to conduct interviews or even reveal his face in photographs, lest the focus drift from his music. His live show is an extension of said philosophy. Eschewing a hype man, DJ, or any other unnecessary embellishment, Doom manages to rock a crowd with only a microphone, a DAT recorder, and his trademark metal mask. Although visually spare, his lyrical marathons can be overwhelming, and this show is not to be missed. Catch MF Doom on Thursday, Nov. 18, at Slim's; call 255-0333 or go to www.slims-sf.com for more info.
-- Sam Chennault

For more than three years, PinkyRing was the pre- and post-show DJ at "Trannyshack." Then suddenly, mysteriously, he was gone. For months, the Stud's "Guilty" -- the rollicking club night of mash-ups brought to you by DJs Adrian and the Mysterious D -- was one of the more decent places to go on Friday nights. Then suddenly, mysteriously, it, too, was gone. Now, vying for the title of the Friday night spot at which to blow your hard-earned cash -- because I've heard so many bitch that there's just nowhere to go on a Friday night -- is the new weekly "Vice," which finds DJ PinkyRing and the Stud coming together once again. And although the party could use a bit of a better sound system than what the Stud has to offer, its promise of $2 beers and $1 shots and PinkyRing's electro and pop makes "Vice" quite a crowd pleaser. Call 252-STUD or visit www.studsf.com for more info.
-- Brock Keeling

It's too bad Ellen Allien is German, or I'd be lobbying those MacArthur "genius grant" people to send a no-strings-attached check to the DJ/producer/label owner. But I suppose it's for the best: Berlin is, after all, one of Allien's biggest inspirations. Last year's Berlinette, like its predecessor, Stadtkind, was an ode to that city's vibrant techno scene, the one that has emerged in the past decade thanks to pioneers like Allien, who in 1991 helped lead the charge into the newly reunited metropolis' abandoned warehouses and shuttered nightclubs, transforming them into the techno temples they now are. In recent years, BPitch Control, Allien's seminal label, has released the work of countless artists dancing on the bleeding edge of bleep. Though her DJ sets are pleasantly unpredictable, you can count on a few things when she spins at the Rx Gallery this Saturday, Nov. 20: dense, driving beats; glitches and twerps galore; moments of dance floor euphoria; and a very late bedtime. For more info, call 474-7973 or go to www.rxgallery.com.
-- Garrett Kamps