Always a hot spot for vegan delicacies, noble causes and eclectic bands, the Che Cafe is on the benevolent prowl again with the upcoming Darfur Benefit Show (May 24). The seven-band extravaganza features UCSD-affiliated groups like Honest Iago, Breathing by Wires and Auspice joining forces at the Che this Thursday to raise funds for the Genocide Intervention Network, an organization that will funnel half the proceeds to the civilian protection effort in Darfur.
But this is not your Granny’s bake sale – in true Che fashion, fundraising has gotten gritty: the UCSD S.T.A.N.D. (Students Taking Action Now; Darfur), Eyes Like the Sky Studio and 10 local bands have recorded the benefit CD What about the Humans?, featuring songs relevant to the cause and packed with twangy acoustic guitar and sure, resonating vocals (as will the live show). Acts like Honest Iago channel the rich, gritty scream-rock of Alkaline Trio, assembling a collection of baroque/classical piano with punk at its core. Also in the house will be easy-on-the-eyes crooner Wendy Darling, reminiscent of a jazzier, faster-paced Beth Hart. Her steady acoustic rhythm and strong-belted lyrics round out the concert’s mix of folk ballads and tenacious rockers.
In addition to the Darfur Benefit, the Che will see its usual week of stacked, offbeat performances, including the smooth electronica of Tussle (May 25), blaring highly stylized frenzies of thrilling buzz-beats and crashing UFO-inspired synthesizers (Think Sigur Ros or Mum without the oddball nonlanguage vocal overlay). Somewhere between trance and a contemplative whir, the tone of their 2006 album Telescope Mind is most prevalent in songs like “”Flicker Hot Chip,”” where the band blends a danceable yet chi-calming rush of post-club noise. In their own words (on MySpace), Tussle’s sound is “”boom boom boom skreeee~~~woooossshhhhh-da dum dum dum.””
Then, on Saturday, our quiet La Jolla campus will be invaded by the ferocious girl group from L.A. known as Mika Miko (May 26). Not to be confused with hot British sensation Mika, Mika Miko is a clash of screaming punk and raw funk from the throats of five ridiculously enthusiastic chicks. The girls are a hardcore cross of Black Flag-realm ’70s punk and modern scream-o sass; their jabbing blare could be seen as amateur – if not headache-inducing – if the main goal in their performance weren’t to make us just get up and dance. Tracks like “”Forensic Scientist”” are straightforward fun in their frantic need to skank and screech, even if all their lyrics are rendered unintelligible.
