Venues come and go, but the Crocodile rocks on

It's almost hilarious how often these restaurants, bars and clubs around Belltown change over — they seem to flip like McDonald's burgers. Bada Lounge is now Omi Sake House. Axis is now Amber, a sprawling restaurant-bar that's as swank as Hilary.

Then there's the Crocodile, which, it seems, never changes. For 15 years, it has smelled like fried food and stale beer, a no-frills place for some of the best local and touring rock bands going.

Modest Mouse and Death Cab for Cutie had their early shows here. The Minus 5 — Scott McCaughey's acclaimed garage band, most often featuring Peter "R.E.M." Buck (husband of Stephanie Dorgan, the Crocodile founder) — practically lives there.

Sunday night, 50 or so casually dressed music fans shuffled around on the sticky-from-spilled-drinks floor, under the wacky paper sculptures hanging from the ceiling. (Acid-trip art?) Six Parts Seven, an Ohio band in town to record with Matt Bayles, played from its body of work — gentle, hopeful instrumental indie rock.

Just another night at the Crocodile: a good band, serious-about-the-music fans, no glam. It's Fort Crocodile, the last bastion of "old Belltown," starkly contrasting with the glamorously bedecked dine-and-martini crowd on First Avenue.

For most of its 15 years, the Crocodile has long been the most Sub Poppin-est club in Seattle, very friendly to Sub Pop bands. Two Canadians from the Seattle label's roster, Toronto garage rockers the Constantines and Calgary bedroom-popper Chad VanGaalen ("Clinically Dead" — great song), share a bill at 9 tonight ($10).

Big Japan, an actor band featuring "The O.C." cast member Adam Brody on drums (Brody's character is a big Death Cab fan), visits the Croc at 5 p.m. Saturday ($15, all ages).

The freakishly fun "gypsy-funk-rock" band Kultur Shock — an Eastern European immigrant version of Parliament — turns the Belltown club into a dance party at 8 p.m. Sunday ($12, all ages).

And June begins at the Croc with Panda & Angel playing at 9 p.m. Thursday (free).

Led by spine-tingling singer Carrie Murphy, Panda & Angel hit the indie jackpot on its first album, landing a deal with the respected Jade Tree Records. The counterpoint to Murphy here is Josh Wackerly. The latter writes the chilling lyrics and moody, slow-to-fast explosive music.

"Dangerous" and "China" are the two most powerful songs on the Panda & Angel EP, which is to be released July 25.

• Two new hip-hop spots opened in the Pioneer Square/Chinatown International District neighborhoods. On the down-low is Pioneer Square's iKANDY, an after-hours (10 p.m.-5 a.m.), invite-only lounge at 311-½ Occidental Ave. S.

The way to get in is to send an e-mail to ikandyonline@gmail.com.

Check www.myspace.com/ikandy for more info.

The Blue Club — 1207 S. Jackson St., second floor of a shopping center — launched this month in the nearby International District. It is open on Friday (electronic, hip-hop) and Saturday (Vietnamese music) nights. Fenni Casino has an album-release show at the Blue tonight, a hip-hop show featuring several other local acts.

The 18-and-older club plans hip-hop Thursdays, starting in June.

For more info, visit www.myspace.com/expandfridays.

• If Folklife isn't exactly your cup of chai, the near-to-Seattle Center Funhouse invites you to its third annual Punklife.

The raucous-and-roll starts with the science-fiction metal band Blood Hag and high-concept Captured By Robots at 9:30 p.m. Saturday ($8).

Old Man Smithers and 11 other acts challenge the Funhouse sound system on Sunday, and the Hacks lead another dirty dozen bands on Monday. Music starts at 1 p.m. on Sunday and Monday, $6 each day.

• Down-tempo, artsy Seattle groups Grand Hallway and the Dead Science glide into the Tractor at 9 p.m. Wednesday ($7).

• Ministry heads up a tour called ... well, let's skip the tour name — anyway, the bands get nasty at the Showbox at 9 p.m. Sunday ($35).

Mobb Deep rolls a fat hip-hop concert at the Showbox at 9 p.m. Wednesday ($30).

• Snitches Get Stitches, one of Seattle's loudest rock bands, plays from its second album, "Even a Butchered Carcass Can Shine," at all-ages venue SS Marie Antoinette at 8 tonight ($6)

If you're going to the SS (1235 Westlake Ave.) to hear this hardcore trio, bring earplugs. Your brain will thank you.

• Too Short — one of the all-time great underground rappers — gets greasy at Chop Suey at 9 p.m. Thursday-next Friday ($25 each night).

• The new "cowpunk" band Charley Horse rides into the Funhouse on Wednesday. Charley Horse's debut CD is called "Unholy Roller."

• Obituary, Sadus, Deeds of Flesh and a couple dozen other bands join forces for Northwest Deathfest at the Fenix on Sunday. The music starts at 11 a.m., and goes on all afternoon and night, 29 bands in all, for a $30 admission fee.

Tom Scanlon: tscanlon@seattletimes.com