Written by Patrick McNamara

It's January which means the music industry should (but doesn't) take the month off. It's slow as ice out there but there ARE some good bands playing this week whose HEAT will thaw the frost of your post holiday boredom.

I'd like to spend a couple quick seconds of your procrastination time talking to you today about those bands if I might.

Thank you for your time.

Brrr!

Hot!

#1 METZ & Bully - Bowery Ballroom + MHOW - Wed/Thurs - January 13/14 - 2016 A.D.

Toronto's METZ is one of the best live bands on the planet. I told you this forever ago (well, four years ago) and I'm reiterating my factual statement today and I will never back down from it ever ever EVER (unless they suddenly start sucking out of nowhere but I just don't think they have it in them). And I'll tell you what, Bully is right there too (when I saw them open for Built to Spill this summer I was like “whoa!" and I hardly ever exclaim that at a show mostly I just exclaim “I SAID what's your CHEAPEST beer!"). Therefore, doing the math with my calculator I like to call Ziggy I am able to predict with 100% certainty that METZ and Bully's two shows together at Bowery and MHOW this week are going to RULE and really bring the HEAT. Your move, winter. See your frost in hell, sucka.

#2 Shiner - Saint Vitus - Fri/Sat - January 15/16 - 2016 A.D.

Kansas City's Shiner were loudly shredding and melodically sludging up the post hardcore post emo post ______ scene from 19-Naughty-2 (you down with O.P.P.?***) until the early 2000s and toured with Sunny Day Real Estate, Hum, Jawbox, The Jesus Lizard, Girls Against Boys and more bands you've probably heard of. They recently reunited and are playing shows again. Like this week at Saint Vitus as a matter of fact. TWICE. Please listen to this Shiner song and if you like what you hear consider going to one of the shows because that's what this is all about.

***Yeah, you know me.

As a bonus, please also enjoy this good Hum song. They're not playing this week or anything. But I DID just mention them so….stream it just for fun there are no rules here on this music blob.

#3 Ratatat - Hammerstein - Thursday - January 14 - 2016 A.D.

“I've been rapping for about 17 years…"

Let's see…. this Ratatat song originally came out in 2003 so that rapper has now been rapping for…. hang on, let me ask Ziggy….. 30 years! This duo keeps chugging along, man, and I guess it's no wonder they're still playing big places like Hammerstein. I believe it was Abraham Lincoln who once said, “All things pass but rocktronica lasts forever."

#4 Yonatan Gat (with PC Worship) - Mercury Lounge - January 15 - 2016 A.D.

Yonatan Gat (ex-Monotonix) is a guitar GOD.

Go to this show at Mercury Lounge. Get super sweaty. Give your utmost for His Highest.

Amen.

#5 Forth Wanderers - Silent Barn - Friday - January 15 - 2016 A.D.

The following song by New Jersey's Forth Wanderers made my “Favorite Songs of 2015" list and it technically didn't even come out in 2015 it was released at the end of 2014 so THAT'S how good it is (remember: there are no rules on Whoa My Blobness). They open the action at Silent Barn on Friday and will be a headliner in no time. So help me blob.

(FW: please tour with Courtney Barnett - I thank you.)

Other notable shows this week = RJD2 at Brooklyn Bowl + My Brightest Diamond at Rockwood Music Hall + JD Samson at The Bell House + Buster Poindexter at City Winery + Dead Stars at Shea Stadium + Pill at Aviv + Panic! At The Disco at (le) poisson rouge + Fern Mayo at Silen Barn + Air Waves at Shea Stadium + Creepoid at Trans-Pecos + Donald Cumming at Mercury Lounge + Ryan Hemsworth at Output + Yazan at The Gutter + EZTV at Baby's All Right + What Moon Things at Aviv

Click here to see ALL of this week's shows

I hope this article about good bands warmed you up.

Hot!

Brrr!

Oh, January. Never change.