Grham Colton, Kowli Nights, James Nasty, Alkemists, and many more.

WEDNESDAY:

Super-mainstream singer/songwriter guy

Graham Colton

performs at Baltimore Soundstage. Postrock duo the Water returns to the stage after what seems like a bit of a break at the Windup Space with the Deaf Scene, Grandfather, and USSA Pleasuredome. German death-metal band Obscura takes on the Talking Head with Abysmal Dawn, Enfold Darkness, and more. New Jersey rock-rock outfit the Parlor Mob plays the Ottobar with Pandomonia. Vince Gill and Amy Grant bring their 12 Days of Christmas tour/program to the Lyric.

Don't miss:

Kyuss Lives!, a mostly intact version of desert-rock legend Kyuss, performs at Rams Head Live with the Sword.

THURSDAY:

The Kowli Nights techno-plus dance party takes over the Ottobar upstairs. Alabama metalcore band

Maylene and the Sons of Disaster

play the Talking Head club room with

Holy Tongues

. Ace Baltimore MC the

Boy Blesst

heads up the Show With No Name local hip-hop showcase at the Talking Head lounge with

BNOC

,

Landlord

, and many more.

Monteclair

makes left-field-leaning pop-rock at the Metro Gallery with

Minimus the Poet

and

Sun Buffalo

. Washington, D.C., folk songwriter

Nancy Eddy

performs at the Sidebar with the

Keys

,

Beggar's Ride

, and

Sarah Rudy

. Baltimore hip-hop producer

Wendel Patrick

brings his brainy, sample-skipping, jazz-influenced sound to the Windup Space with

Saleem and the Music Lovers

and

DJ Swyft

. Latter-day soul star

Anthony Hamilton

performs at the Meyerhoff for Magic 95’s 30th-anniversary celebration with

Chrisette Michele

.

Don't miss:

Local out-music deep-thinkers

Neil Feather

and

Samuel Burt

gather an impressive roster of players for their Time and Note Conglomerate—imagine a sort of rapid-fire collaborative in-the-round performance—at 2640 Space, including

Dan Breen

,

Martin Schmidt

,

Tiffany Defoe

, former

City Paper

contributor

Shelly Blake-Plock

, and more.

FRIDAY:

Holiday Hop for the Animals, benefitting local animal rescue groups, takes over the Ottobar with music from

J.P. McDermott and Western Bop

,

Danny Kay and the Nightlifers

,

and DJ Franke

Deth Feige

; upstairs at the club,

James Nasty

and

Antonio Harper

’s dance weekly Physical Education returns. Local psych tripper

Telesma

heads up a night dubbed Introspection at Sonar with

Tek SubPort

.

Yeveto

brings its cinematic instrumental rock/postrock explorations to the Metro Gallery.

Amanda Otto

’s monthly mod party Reaction at the Sidebar brings in guests the

Living Kills

and

DJ Rob J

. Area five-piece

Bossalingo

does Latin American jazz at An die Musik.

Freedom Enterprise

makes “jazz rock acid pop” at the 8X10 with the

Rez

and

Hunger Strike

. Local songwriter favorites

Victoria Vox

and

ellen cherry

bring their Not All Holiday Holiday Show to the Creative Alliance.

All Fruits Ripe, a new reggae and dancehall party, takes over the Golden West Café with DJs

Adam Savage

and

Nick Hope

.

Don't miss:

The

Pajama Jammy Jam takes over the Windup Space with

DJ Benny Stixx

spinning old-school club and hip-hop.

SATURDAY:

Japanese alt-metal favorite

Dir En Grey

plays Sonar with the

Birthday Massacre

. “Swab for Amit,” a night/show supporting the Be the Match bone-marrow donor registry, takes over the Metro Gallery with

Squaaks

, the

Garnet Hearts

,

Rodney Henry

, and

Swanage

. Come Together 2011, a benefit for Young Audiences/Arts for Learning of Maryland, finds

Tears of Mars

, the

Cheaters

,

Mason Vixon

,

Brickfoot

, and more doing Beatles tunes at Rams Head Live. New York doom-metal band

Archon

tears into the Sidebar with

Graven

,

Sour Mash Survival

, and

Icefox

. Baltimore-bred vibes/jazz-composition force

Warren Wolf

returns to An die Musik.

Splintered Sunlight

does the Grateful Dead at the 8X10 with

Jordan August

.

White Lodge

, an occasional supergroup of local out-jazz heads, pays tribute to Tom Waits at the Windup Space.

Joel Knispel

,

Owen Gardner

, and

Sharif Sehnaoui

explore the outer limits of the guitar at the Red Room at Normal’s Books and Records.

Ensemble Galilei

takes over the Creative Alliance at the Patterson with traditional music of various stripes.

Corey Taylor

, of Slipknot fame, has already sold out Baltimore Soundstage, but check the usual marketplaces. Baltimore throwback punk/rebel-rock standards the

Fishnet Stalkers

play the Golden West with the

Cheap Thrills

and

Rekless Youth

.

Don't miss:

Awesome Baltimore feminist hardcore band

War on Women

plays Charm City Art Space with

Radical Discharge

, Westminster’s

Whiff

, and

South Carey

.

SUNDAY:

Latter-day indie-rock shining lights

White Rabbits

play the Ottobar with

Sonoi

and the

Alkemists

.

Duncan Sheik

is barely breathing at Annapolis’ Rams Head Tavern. Boston thrash band

Razormaze

peels the paint at the Sidebar with

Blackout Brigade

,

Sour Mash Survival

, and

Mind as Prison

.

Arty Hill

,

Paul Margolis

, and

John Shock

guest at

City Paper

contributor Geoffrey Himes’ songwriters series Roots Cafe at An die Musik. Trombonist/composer

Steve Swell

leads an impressive ensemble of Baltimore-and-beyond jazz-and-beyond freethinkers—

Dave Ballou

,

John Dierker

,

Lafayette Gilchrist

, and more—at the Windup Space.

MONDAY:

The

Herd of Main Street

, the “only band in Baltimore with a full time pedal steel guitarist,” brings its smart alt-country/Americana take to the Ottobar with

Who Is Atlas

. Baltimore indie-pop usual suspects

Gary B and the Notions

play the Metro Gallery with

Bozmo

, the

Clippers

, and

Balkan Falcon

.

DJ James Nasty

spins “’80s and ’90s jams” at Joe Squared Power Plant.

TUESDAY:

Pennsylvania alt-folk act

Good Old War

plays the Ottobar.

Pocket Vinyl

makes “piano slam rock” at the Sidebar with

Noah Kain

,

Box Elders

, and

Little Lungs Little Hips

. The Out of Your Head improv collective returns to the Windup Space.

Landis Expandis

and

DJ Napspace

’s Dig weekly is still weekly at Joe Squared Station North.

Scottie B

keeps it old-school at Joe Squared Power Plant.

WEDNESDAY: JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound

tell the Ottobar why Baltimore is the new Brooklyn with the

Bellevederes

, the

Evokatones

, and

DJ Robbie Fearless

.

Don't miss:

The

Art Department

brings its witty, Meat Puppet-y proto-indie-rock to the Golden West with

Other Colors

,

Dave Fell

, and

Quiet Hooves

.

IN THE WINGS:

Canadian electronica outfit the

New Deal

comes to Baltimore Soundstage Dec. 29 with

Eliot Lipp

. (For more information visit baltimoresoundstage.com.)

Dark Star Orchestra

does the Grateful Dead at Rams Head Live Dec. 28. (For more information visit ramsheadlive.com or call [410] 244-1131.)

Woods

and

Mmoss

get together Dec. 18 at the Ottobar for the greenest show of the month. (For more information visit theottobar.com or call [410] 662-0069.)