Re-Armed:
This Monday's Atombombpocketknife show will feature a change of pace: longtime drummer Matt Espy quit the band for personal reasons three weeks ago, and will be replaced by Tony Lazzara, who will be moonlighting; Lazzara also knocks the skins for local band Sterling.

Though three weeks seems a short time for a new band member to learn songs, ABPK is motivated. "We've been practicing everyday for the last three weeks," says lead singer/guitarist Justin Sinkovich, "and we've definitely been concentrating on getting the set [for Monday's show] down." There's also a greater sense of urgency, as the band takes off on a tour of the East Coast at the end of April, during which time Lazzara will be doing double duty--Sterling is, coincidentally, touring with ABPK.

Sinkovich promises a set with a little different feel (though assume that it will be insanely loud, just like always), which is a barometer of the band's future direction. "When Matt quit, it was a big shock and we took a few days off to decide what to do. But it's actually ended up breathing some life into the whole thing." Atombombpocketknife plays March 25 at the Empty Bottle with the Hot Snakes and Selby Tigers.

Holding pattern:
Though Plaid (playing March 22 at the Metro) has yet to achieve the commercial heights of fellow IDM break-beaters Autechre or Orbital, the duo of Ed Hanley and Andy Turner achieves something better: organic excellence that, if anything, sounds under-produced but well thought out. Though the two have been noodling around with breakbeats, minimalist techno, noise and pop-slanted IDM for more than ten years, the band's greatest success to date was last year's "Double Figure" (Warp).

Beautifully assembled and powerfully addictive, Plaid simultaneously succeeds with down-tempo ambience, borderline (and, in places, full-on) break-beats and quiet melody, all achieved with a modicum of ultra-bizarre percussive jerks (though there are some, well placed), excessive over-dubs and unnecessary noise. With the exception of "Silversum," which sounds like the younger brother of a schizophrenic Squarepusher freak-out, Plaid never gives in to the elitist IDM rulebook. Music fans who like to obsessively listen for every crackling burst of lo-fi static, every percussive hit, esoteric melody and subtle headfuck, check out "Double Figure," because it's all that, and pretty too.

Pop 'n' bass?
Though the U.K.'s Kosheen, which plays March 27 at the Double Door, has found club and radio success (the latter in Europe) with drum 'n' bass tracks (specifically, "Hide U"), the band's debut full-length record, "Resist" (Kinetic), barely scratches the jungle surface, instead focusing on electro-pop, lame trip-hop and modernized soul.

Kosheen really has everything going for it: producers Decoder and Substance are long-time Bristol denizens, and Welsh vocalist Sian Evans has a crystalline alto that nicely contrasts with the puppy-fied Aretha Franklins who dominate house and two-step. And the drum `n' bass tracks are hot: "Empty Skies" has the pop-appeal that bass-heads have been saying would happen since 1995, and "Pride" has a deep dub quality that takes on a surreal effect with Evans' vocals. That's what they do well; unfortunately, the remainder of the record will likely just send people back to the shelves to re-discover Portishead, Baby Fox and Massive Attack. "Resist" feels like it's Kosheen's attempt to find itself as a band--here's to more drum 'n' bass, less trip hop.

Shame on me:
Yours truly will push the buttons and spin the discs for Delilah's Punk Rock Night, March 25. Patrons can expect to hear an equal mix of punk rock, hardcore and garage punk (with a touch of speed metal for good measure, and protest reggae for bathroom breaks), spanning 1973 to present.

Also by Dave Chamberlain

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