Mu-- the husband/wife team of Mutsumi Kanamori and Maurice Fulton -- occupies that widening space between techno, house, noise, and mohawk rock. Fulton lays down the grooves -- tough and angular, but definitely funky -- while the squawking and just plain rocking Kanamori provides something rare in dance music: a compelling frontperson. Her porcelain beauty, Technicolor outfits, and boundless energy guarantee a good ol'-fashioned stompdown, even if Mu's music is far from traditional dance fare. The pair's most recent album, Out of Breach, skewers pop icons ("Paris Hilton," a proper ode to a chickenhead) even as it urges people to give them a break ("Stop Bothering Michael Jackson"), and it's filled with what could easily be called challenging sounds. And challenge is good. Get ready for disco punks who pogo when Mu touches down on Saturday, July 30, at the Rx Gallery; call 474-7973 or visit www.blasthaus.com for more info. -- Tamara Palmer
Mu.
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It's rare to see mainstream hip hop artists performing live in San Francisco: We normally get passed over for markets with more money and bigger venues. Even more uncommon 'round these parts are outdoor hip hop festivals, which makes "Rock the Bells" such a welcome surprise. Big-ticket talent from the Big Apple such as Method Man and Redman (rap's own Cheech and Chong), the Wu-Tang Clan's Ghostface and Raekwon (in their Cuban Linx guise), Guru (one-half of Gang Starr with DJ Premier), and the politically vocal duo dead prez will bring beats and rhymes usually only heard in this town on the radio. The locals will be representing, too, in the form of nimble turntablist legend Q-Bert and live favorites Zion I and Crown City Rockers. But one of the most exciting artists on the bill is Busta Rhymes, who's been carefully cooking up his next album under the watchful guidance of Dr. Dre for the producer's label; if we're lucky we may hear a few snippets. Hosted by the lovely MC Jean Grae, this all-day event kicks off at 1 p.m. on Sunday, July 31, outside of Mighty; go to www.mighty119.com for more info. -- Tamara Palmer
While the boys who put on "Suicide Tuesdays" are on a temporary break from their residency at Aunt Charlie's Lounge, DJs Gary Fembot and Der Blaue Reiter step in as your cool substitute teachers with Turning the Tenderloin dive bar into an '80s mini-European discothèque -- complete with "The Clap."young'uns sporting ties and geometrically shaped haircuts -- the two spin rarely heard power-pop and glitter-rock ditties, as well as more well-known '70s disco, '80s Euro-wave and hi-NRG, and increasingly trendy '90s vogueing classics. And if you're too afraid or too old to show off your moves on the dance floor, sitting at the bar watching "pop wasteland" TV shows and movies culled from the last 50 years, such as the groundbreaking The First Nudie Musical, will prove just as amusing. A mere $3 gets you in this and every Tuesday (through mid-August); call 441-2922 or visit www.auntcharlieslounge.com for more information. -- Brock Keeling
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