Kevin Bronson on November 7th, 2008

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[Happy Friday. And happy birthday, Joni Mitchell …]

Friday: Mezklah [pictured], whose cocktail of hip-hop, reggae, cumbia, rock and social commentary have put them on map all over the world, has a new EP out next week (and a nifty placement in the movie “Pride and Glory”). Tangier is a pretty small room to hold all that genre-mashing energy, but that’s where the band will celebrate the EP, “Bestia Sonika,” with a show tonight. … Figures to be an ear-bending night at the Echoplex for Flying Lotus’ “Brainkiller” party — Daedelus, Kutmah and the the Dublab folks will be out in force, and somebody says it’s the Gaslamp Killer’s birthday. … Lots of people still trying to angle their way into Van Morrison’s shows tonight and Saturday at the Hollywood Bowl too. … In their first local show since they released “Now or Heaven,” local foursome the Broken West join the Heartless Bastards at Spaceland. … The Electric Six party at the Key Club. … And then there are Apes & Androids. The face-painted Brooklyn quintet wowed a modest crowd Wednesday at Spaceland, even if I wasn’t quite sure what to call it. “Tribal glam?” Yes, that.

Saturday: Happy to see Letters to Cleo reuniting. Tonight’s Roxy show kicks off their 20th anniversary tour and announces the release of a rarities compilation [and, hey, here’s a download of “Here & Now” for you newbies]. … Let’s see, the flyer says “Free show, free CD, free drinks” — that’s how local trio Nico Stai are celebrating the release of their new album, “The Victory of Miss Friday,” at Silver Lake’s Ghettogloss Gallery. … Highly regarded (and rightfully so) Bay-area trio the Dodos visit the Echoplex. … Or you could admire the haircuts as Hawthorne Heights visits the House of Blues. … Fun stuff at the Knitting Factory, with Scissors for Lefty and Voxhaul Broadcast. … Dead Meadow returns to the Troubadour. … And this little band from the U.K., or what’s left of it, holds forth Saturday and Sunday at the Nokia Theatre.

Sunday: And if the Who are playing the big Nokia on Sunday, and the Lakers are playing across the street, imagine what the parking gougers are going to ask me for when I try to make it downtown for Sunday night’s opening of Nokia’s kid sister, Club Nokia. Beck and Jenny Lewis are performing. … Or I could make it easy on myself and see Spirit Vine at Spaceland, or Charlie Wadhams at Tangier, or Andy Clockwise at the Hotel Cafe.