Author: rakemag

Personality conflicts and petty infighting have killed so many great bands that Doug Martsch was probably on to something when he decided to form a group that would occasionally shed its members, like a molting snake. With his revolving cast of players, the founder of Built to Spill created a consistent sound marked by spaced-out, anxiety-driven guitar jams that have reverberated throughout the indie-rock world. But—surprise—Martsch eventually settled on a crew that he just couldn’t let go, and they are touring after releasing their first new album in five years, You in Reverse. Though this recording is friendly and more melodic than previous efforts, Built to Spill hasn’t mellowed much; Martsch and his band have merely perfected the beautifully tense sound of things about to go haywire. 612-332-1775; www.first-avenue.com

A whole day of live, outdoor, Django Reinhardt-style gypsy jazz? Used to be such things simply did not happen around here. More unusual still, Uptown Row is not a new music club, but rather one of the upstart retail/residential developments changing the face of West Lake Street. Gypsy jazz, which blends American swing and Parisian café jazz, is enjoying a renaissance through the hot club movement, with ensembles paying homage to the name and work of Django Reinhardt’s 1930s-era band, the Quintet of the Hot Club of Paris. At this festival, the Hot Club of Sweden with Connie Evingson, Clearwater Hot Club, Parisota Hot Club, and the Twin Cities Hot Club will all carry the style into our Cities. 1221 Lake St. W., Minneapolis; 612-824-7000

To celebrate its twentieth year of craft-brewing quality barley pop, the esteemed St. Paul brewery is serving the best brew in town and inviting a bunch of great homegrown bands out to Harriet Island to watch you drink it. Worth the price of admission alone is a rare Suburbs reunion and an appearance by Richard Thompson, whose “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” has been covered so much as of late. That Thompson must get a nickel every five minutes. Also on the docket: Soul Asylum, Tapes ‘n Tapes, the Alarmists, Big George Jackson, and headliner Cake. www.summitbrewing.com

Rollins turns seventy-six this month, but he’s not one to spend his golden years reminiscing; he’ll leave fans and scholars to ponder over his younger days, when he created the definitive sound of 50s jazz with Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, and Max Roach. Instead, he’s on to new things, including an album, Sonny, Please, that is as eloquent as any of his mid-century work. And luckily for us, he’s taking the show back on the road. It’s a rare privilege to witness one of the giants of jazz working out exceptional new material (and one that can’t be repeated many more times). 612-624-2345; August 24, 2006

Life in Russia has always been the best of times and the worst of times, inspiring a national malady of excessive melodrama. On the bright side, this sadness-as-a-way-of-life inspired generations of composers to turn political turmoil and social strife into richly layered music shot through with adrenaline and a surprising, resilient joy. Violin superstar Joshua Bell may not bring his own angst to this program of Russian composers (he enjoyed a comfortable, all-American boyhood in the Midwest), but his bold strokes are perfect for this selection of works by Tchaikovsky, as well as Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff. 651-224-4222; August 24, 2006

Walk into this cavernous Chinese restaurant in Richfield and you’ll lose all sense of self-importance. There’s no prime seating for players, no celebrity chef to beckon—you are just one among the lucky masses. Sitting down, you’ll be further humbled by the quantities of dim sum brought to your table by smiling and friendly servers. Shrimp dumplings, bao buns, steamed pork shaomai, chow fun noodles, spring rolls, the carts keep coming. The chicken feet might not appeal to all, but who can deny the flaky and creamy egg tart? If you choose to refuse a third or fourth helping of the dim sum (be prepared to do so again and again), you can order from a menu featuring both traditional and American versions of Cantonese dishes. 7717 Nicollet Ave. S., Richfield; 612-866-6888

If you work downtown, this place is the ideal escape for lunch. Tucked into the fabulous new Guthrie Theater, Level Five’s long, narrow room with dark glass walls is like a tonic for those subjected to fluorescent office lighting. And then, just as your hunched shoulders begin relaxing, the food comes. The local, seasonal menu has been designed by Chef Lenny Russo, his ambition being to deliver perfectly satisfying, lightly balanced meals for theatergoers and meandering downtowners alike: young hen with a red quinoa cake; lobster salad with heirloom tomatoes. The nicely proportioned sandwiches are plenty flavorful as well, but it’s their accompanying polenta fries that steal the show. These thick, long blocks of warm cornmeal are crispy on the outside and softly herbed on the inside. Dip them in the aioli and consider the work day eased—three martinis are optional. 806 2nd St. S., Minneapolis; 612-225-6499; www.cueatguthrie.com

Dufner’s humbly makes a fantastic sandwich. Located in an unsexy Plymouth strip mall, it’s the destination for anyone looking for something beyond the average sub. First of all, the breads are fresh. And moving on from the basic deli menu, which includes tasty homemade soups, are serious offerings like the grilled salami hoagie with Swiss cheese and tart pepperoncini. The baked chicken sandwich with crispy bacon is beyond juicy, and the jalapeño burger is enough to provoke giddy jokes about “hot lunch.” If only there were more of these independent sandwich makers; they’d bring the chain shops, with their rubber-bread, mayo-drenched, uninspired creations, to their knees. 3900 Vinewood Ln. N., Plymouth; 763-553-9375

Michel Gondry has used his camera to view the world with an inquisitive and child-like vision in features like Human Nature and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which he collaborated on with writer Charlie Kaufman. The Science of Sleep, in which the Frenchman also took on screenwriting duties, is another exercise in topsy-turvy reality. Here, Gael García Bernal’s lonely Stéphane is a guy who’s a little too caught up in his quirky dreams, creating an imaginary “Stéphane TV,” replete with cooking shows that feature recipes of the subconscious. Returning to his childhood home after the death of his father, he meets a kindred spirit in Stéphanie, played by the striking Charlotte Gainsbourg. When he falls in love with this woman, who grows frustrated at his odd behavior, Stéphane is forced to confront the “reality” of his life.

“God will forgive them. He’ll forgive them and allow them into heaven. I can’t allow that.” So begins Shane Meadows’ haunting and violent revenge thriller, Dead Man’s Shoes. When a British soldier returns to his backwater Midlands village to find his mentally challenged brother has been violated by a gang of local goons, he takes it upon himself to eliminate the thugs one by one. The vengeful, steely intensity of Paddy Considine’s performance has been compared to DeNiro as Travis Bickle. Released in Britain in 2004 to high praise, and boasting an outstanding soundtrack, the film never gained traction here; it will undoubtedly slip onto the current-release shelf and then vanish. But like so many forgotten hard-boiled thrillers of the past—Edgar Ulmer’s Detour comes to mind—Dead Man’s Shoes stands a chance of gaining a much-deserved cult following.