Kevin Bronson on March 5th, 2010

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[It’s John Frusciante’s 40th birthday today; think I’ll revisit one or two of his solo albums to mark the occasion. Which should put me in the mood for this busy weekend …]

Today: The Clientele’s fifth full-length album, last fall’s “Bonfires on the Heath,” provided another sylvan scene in the U.K. quartet’s pop dream; the foursome hits L.A. tonight for the first of a two-might stand at Spaceland, with the Wooden Birds and Spain supporting. … Deer Tick, it’s third album “The Black Dirt Sessions” on the way in June, plays First Fridays at the Natural History Museum; L.A. quintet Everest, its sophomore album “On Approach” on the way April 20, joins in. … And the Bird and the Bee, joined by Juliette Commagere, hold forth at the sold-out El Rey Theatre. … Also: Shadow Shadow Shade and the Rhone Occupation at the Echo; Rocky Votolato and Adam Stephens at the Troubadour;  the Glassell Park 3 at the Smell; the Cool Kids at the Key Club; the Dirty Heads at the Roxy; Lukas Nelson at the Viper Room; Limbeck at the Mint; the Appleseed Cast at the Echoplex; Bell X1 at the Hotel Cafe; Moses Campbell and So Many Wizards at Synchronicity Space; Old Californio at the Redwood Bar; the Idylists at Mr. T’s Bowl; and Black Apples at Pehrspace.

Saturday: The Orange County Music Awards hands out the trophies at the Grove of Anaheim; besides a lot of hapy winners, there will be performances by Lit, the Steelwells, Dusty Rhodes & the River Band and others. … The big 826LA benefit (the Mini Music Festival), which the celebrates the release of the student-written collection of songs “Chickens in Love,” goes off from noon to 7 p.m. at the Echoplex, with the Submarines and Summer Darling among the performers. … Jarrod Gorbel (ex-Honorary Title) and Orenda Fink play the Bootleg Theater. … Also: The Clientele’s second night at Spaceland; the Glassell Park 3’s album-release party at La Cita; the Blind Boys of Alabama, with Allen Toussaint, at UCLA’s Royce Hall; Boyz II Men at Club Nokia; Killswitch Engage at the Wiltern; the Black Dahlia Murder at the Roxy; Duane Peters at the Redwood Bar; Meho Plaza at the Smell; Joe Henry at Largo; Visa at Troubadour; Jim Hanft and Tiff Randol at the Hotel Cafe; and Tearist at Pehrspace.

Sunday: Voxhaul Broadcast heads up a rockin’ lineup at the Viper Room. … Also: Audacity at Spaceland; and  Earthworm Ensemble’s matinee show at the Echo.