Kevin Bronson on April 4th, 2014

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Pigeon John’s musical roots date to the Project Blowed days at the Good Life Café and his time spent with underground rappers L.A. Symphony, but the recent exploits of the man born John Kenneth Dunkin have fused hip-hop and pop in a decidedly fun and subversively smart manner. European audiences especially glommed onto his 2010 release “Dragon Slayer,” with its single “The Bomb” winning fans via a Volkswagen commercial, and Pigeon John guested on French turntablists C2C’s 2012 album “Tetra” as well. Back in L.A. and still wielding the ability to string together clever couplets, Pigeon John on April 29 will release his sixth full-length, “Encino Man.” The title represents a nod to the time he spent living in the Valley. The new song “Oh Yeah” is built on a rock riff, while the single “Champagne on My Shoes” is a bass-driven affair that gets a puppet-filled video treatment from Sapient (who created the puppets with Anthony DeMarco). Sometimes, spillage isn’t a bad thing.

||| Stream: “Oh Yeah”

||| Live: Pigeon John performs tonight at the Roxy along with the Grouch & Eligh, Eliot Lipp and DJ Fresh.