Its slogan is “Everything a mall store isn’t,” but the truth is, you won’t find a store like BiPolar anywhere.

No stressing here. Even after relocating to California, recording six albums and touring extensively, the three busy men of reggae-infused rock act Pepper manage to keep their watches on laid-back Hawaiian time—their native Kona, to be exact. The Alibi relaxed with Pepper drummer Yesod Williams and got a bead on Pepper’s record label, a dream tour with NOFX and what the Aloha State and The Land of Enchantment have in common.

When Jim Coker started performing live electronic shows 12 years ago, he found himself frustrated by the available software. "And I had this other problem, which is that I'm a software developer," he says, half-joking. "Then I had some free time." He got to work on a more ideal music program, and after about a year, he had something worth putting out. It's been five years since Coker, an Albuquerque resident, began. The program's still a work in progress, but he says he's created a product that provides a decent middle ground in the world of electronic music software.

La Junta, Native Fire, One Foundation and The 2Bers wage a war on apathy this Saturday, Oct. 11, at the Launchpad (21+, $5). (LM)

It’s important to remember that not all Alaskans are Sarah Palin. Some, like the members of Portugal. The Man, are more interested in crafting lush, Technicolor melodies than a bridge to nowhere. Teleporting from sharp-edged prog-rock to folksy sing-alongs and peculiar, electro examinations, Censored Colors is unfiltered; it splatters on the canvas and drips to the ground. Lead singer John Gourley is trailed by a cluster of falsetto backup vocals that answers his every call. At its kitschiest, the album borders on faux-rock opera, but somehow it works. There’s an unchained spirit inside Portugal. The Man that runs on adrenaline and only comes out at night. (SM)