Bayonics moves Latin funk to free jazz and frenetic hiphop

Truly a band of these genre-blending times, S.F.'s Bayonics combines the chops and energy of a freestyling jazz ensemble with the beats and rhymes of hip hop. On stage, the group's lineup grows to between nine and 11 members strong, swelling traditional Latin-sounding songs like "Ay Mami" into a heaving, hybridized stew of urban funk. If any live group deserves recognition outside this area (and a big, fat recording contract to release its debut album), it's Bayonics, which performs on Saturday, July 14, at Elbo Room at 10 p.m. Admission is $10; call 552-7788 or visit www.elbo.com for more info.

AK1200, Dara, and Dieselboy have gone nearly unchallenged as America's leaders in DJing drum 'n' bass since the genre first came to prominence here in the mid-'90s. Mass enthusiasm for the music has waned somewhat since then, though, and major tours have dwindled. But this trio (from Orlando, New York, and Pittsburgh,respectively) is keeping the movement alive and in the main rooms of clubs across the country. Los Angeles-based MC Messinian mans the microphone for the evening, rhyming and providing commentary as the DJs present their annual "Planet of the Drums Tour"on Saturday, July 14, at Mighty at 10 p.m. Admission is $12; call 762-0151 or visit www.mighty119.com for more info.

Austrian DJ/producer Florian Meindl made international waves last year with a brilliant techno remix of Rockers Hi-Fi's classic dub-heavy anthem "Push Push." It was a reworking sufficiently different from the original, displaying Meindl's penchant for making tunes with gritty, growling bass lines and blippy melodies. Now that the 22-year-old is living in the clubbing capital of London - with frequent stays in Berlin - Meindl is poised to become an even brighter beacon for the new techno generation. Meindl visits San Francisco on Saturday, July 14, at Rx Gallery at 9 p.m. Admission is $8 in advance; call 474-7973 or visit www.blasthaus.com for more info.