Written by Patrick McNamara

This week is not messing around. The shows have come BACK. Sleater-Kinney! Hop Along! Joanna Newsom! Get Up Kids! Parquet Courts! Speedy Ortiz! Blood Orange! Andrew W.K.! and more (!) but I don't want to give everything away.

Let us begin.

Thursday - December 10, 2015 A.D.

Aimee Mann and Ted Leo show are putting on their Christmas show at Town Hall again with some special guests. Should be festive. (BTW, does this holiday have to happen EVERY year? Couldn't we take a couple years off every now and then just to refresh our burnt out batteries?)

There's a benefit for Bernie Sanders at The Gateway tonight w/ Haybaby + Sharkmuffin + Nonsense + more up-and-coming punkish bands. Two floors. Vote for ____.

"DON'T WORRY I'll CATCH YOUUUUU. DON'T WORRY I'LL CATCH YOUUUUU. DON'T EVER WORRRRRRRYYYYYYY."I already mentioned The Get Up Kids are playing The Bell House tonight, right? Well, did I mention that if you're ever falling….

And then...

"YOU'RE STILL ALL THAT MATTERS TO MEEEEEEEEEEE."

Yeah. I like The Get Up Kids.

Other notable shows = Modern Baseball and PUP at Revolution Bar and Music Hall (more on this in a bit) + Leverage Models at C'Mon Everybody + Psychic Twin at Manhattan Inn (free) + DJDS at Music Hall of Williamsburg

SEE ALL OF OUR THURSDAY PICKS

Friday - December 11, 2015 A.D.

A GOOD NIGHT!

Modern Baseball and PUP lead a super SOLID lineup (w/ Jeff Rosenstock and Tiny Moving Parts) at Webster Hall. Hey, remember when I said PUP's "Dark Days" video was the Best Video of the Year? Well, I meant it man. Also, they're one of the very best live bands playing the game today. Subjective FACT. See. You. There.

UPDATE: PUP HAD TO CANCEL LAST FIVE DATES OF CURRENT TOUR (INCLUDING THESE DATES) DUE TO VOCAL CORD INJURY (FEEL BETTER DUDE!) AND WILL NOW BE REPLACED BY SORORITY NOISE A GOOD BAND TOO.

Parquet Courts play Warsaw. This is our Most Popular upcoming show on the blob. As of this writing (12:25 PM in the Year That I'm Writing This A.D.) it has 81 saves. Do you want to save shows too? You can using your free "My Rockness" account. Pill opens. Best sax of your life.

Super solid emotional singer/songwriter Kevin Devine plays The Bell House and he's brought along a bunch of super solid emotional special guests, including Cymbals Eat Guitars + Laura Stevenson + Owen + Nada Surf + members of Tigers Jaw and Perfect Pussy and more super solid emotional goodness.

Also, this is a super solid song.

Hamilton Leithauser (that's right The Walk Man) plays Baby's All Right. Hey, remember this car commercial from 2002/3? I sure do. The song was so good I was going to buy a Saturn. But I didn't. Cars are stupid.

And the always awesome Andrew W.K. plays a solo holiday show at Knitting Factory. Love that dude. Let's revisit the time I went to a party at his house.

Other notable shows = Joanna Newsom at the Apollo + Speedy Ortiz at Silent Barn + Elvis Perkins at Berlin + Patrick Watson at Irving Plaza + Nightmare of You at Bowery Ballroom + Zomby at China Chalet +

SEE ALL OF OUR FRIDAY PICKS

Saturday - December 12, 2015 A.D.

SLEATER-KINNEY! Thanks for listening.

Blood Orange and friends play two shows (one afternoon - one evening) at the Apollo today/tonight. A benefit for Opus 118 Harlem School of Music. And totally sold-out. Sorry, dude.

Philly's Hop Along play Bowery Ballroom (w/ Radiator Hospital and Des Ark). The whole band is #dope but I would be remiss if I didn't mention that frontwoman Frances Quinlan is one of the best vocalists in the rock game today.

Speedy Ortiz play Palisades. Speedy Ortiz is a good band. You heard it here FOURTH.

The Brooklyn Rock Lottery is happening again. What's that? In a nutshell, bands are formed via names drawn from a hat and then these brand new bands have a few hours to come up with original songs and then they'll play them for you. Something like that, anyway. This year's participants include members of The Rapture, Nada Surf, Autre Ne Veut, The Hold Steady, Tokyo Police Club and more. Here's an old Rapture song just for the hell of it what a good band they were.

Other notable shows = Elvis Perkins at Berlin + A-Trak at Terminal 5 + Jim Gaffigan at MSG + Fern Mayo at Cake Shop + Mirah at the Ace Hotel (free)

SEE ALL OF OUR SATURDAY PICKS

Sunday - December 13, 2015 A.D.

SLEATER-KINNEY! Thanks for listening (again).

Dave Harrington (of Darkside) has again rounded up an impressive list of friends to help him celebrate the holidays in spectacular style. Players include members of The Antlers, Yeasayer, Small Black, Real Estate, Tanlines, Bear in Heaven and lots more. Plus, Holly Miranda and Olga Bell and Richard Hell too.

Other notable shows = Two Inch Astronaut at Baby's All Right + Adult Dude at Shea Stadium + Birthmark at Rough Trade

SEE ALL OF OUR SUNDAY PICKS

I told you it was a good week. Have fun out there.