Krust Toons: "Ho Ho Ho – Merry Christmas!" by Tedd Hazard – please feel free to drop him a line at teddandthehazards@gmail.com if you dig or have any funny ideas. You can also check out more of his illustrations and animation shorts HERE.

Composed, personal narratives with crisp instrumentation filling in the details, the songs of Truth In Comedy (Lame-O Records) from Steady Hands travel down the road in a revealing confidently cathartic manner. Blending emotive honesty with an enthusiastic and, at times, humorous, anthem-generating quality, it balances waves of good-natured punk that everyone at the bar can join in on. Yet, those themes/stories will resonate as you make your way home. This Saturday evening, Steady Hands will be headlining a Home Outgrown showcase at Everybody Hits. They’ll also be joined by the vulnerable, raw rock of Earth Telephone, the sincere songwriting of Major Pursuit, and the powerful, affecting folk of Julia Rainer to complete the billing. (Photo by Chelsea Christer) – Michael Colavita

Other places where you can let loose this holiday season…

Everybody Hits (529 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Caracara, SAT Steady Hands, Earth Telephone, Major Pursuit, Julia Rainer

Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) SAT The Work Drugs 8th Annual Holiday Spectacle, The Yetis, Pilkington, SUN Good Old War

Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI DJ Deejay, SAT Attic Tapes, SUN Miles Chancellor, Ish Williams, Sudan, DJ Shad , DJ Tati Mia, BRNDN Forever

Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) SAT Mars Parker, Lucas Wolf, Cain Kerner, baby.com, Moses Mosima, Nogoodstepson, Mike Burns, Ash Shakur, KaneGang, Cousin Carl , Liv Means, DJ Muddy Taylor

TLA (334 South St.) FRI OT The Real, SAT HipHopSince1987 10 year Anniversary Holiday Festival

The Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal St.) FRI DJ Dirty South Joe, Magglezzz, SUN State Property

World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI (Upstairs) The Brothers J.A., SAT (Upstairs) Ali Awan/(Downstairs) Peek-A-Boo Revue

The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI TreyDay, CpTime, Roi Lush , Axe Limbert, Jesse Bertuco, Nazeer Art’aud, Timmy Jones, SAT Disoriental, World Breaker, Mr. Unloved

MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) FRI Aaron Parnell Brown

Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3^rd St.) FRI Party Muscles, SAT Ten Ton Hammer, Bandit, Drowse, World Below, Raw Force, SUN Korine, Haunted Homes, Sad Actor

Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) FRI Bo Bliz, SAT DJ Deejay

Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2^nd St.) FRI Stella Ruze, Black Horse Motel, Rob Tait, SUN Alec Stewart (Record Release), Alison Hoban, Lovers League 

Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) SAT Triage, SUN Rusty Cadillac 

Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9^th St.) FRI The Paul Green Rock and Roll Holiday Extravaganza, SAT The Paul Green Rock and Roll Holiday Extravaganza/Reverend TJ McGlinchey

Voltage Lounge (421 N. 7^th St.) FRI Year of the Knife, Kaonashi

Frankie Bradley’s (1320 Chancellor St.) FRI Ben Aire, SAT DJ Brian Toll

The Tusk (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Hawk Tubley’s Holiday Hullaballoo

Century (1350 S 29^th St.) SAT King Ani Mal, E.Grizzly, The Magnificent Shithawks of the Greater Northern Americas, The Hands Resist, The PLIBmen

The Tower Theater (S. 69^th St. & Ludlow St.) FRI The War on Drugs

The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI Bitchfork, Vitamin F, Peace & The City Grease, Jason McGovern, SAT Apple Juice Jones

The Locks at Sona (4417 Main St.) SAT Mutlu

Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) FRI Beru Revue, No Good Sister, SAT Let’s Danza, Double D, SUN Stolen Rhodes

Flanafi is a project of Simon Martinez, one half of the Philly-based band Pulgas. While Pulgas’ songs often consist of large and dynamic rock arrangements, Flanafi leans toward a more mellow, neo-soul vibe. Martinez’s musical partner, Zane Shields, makes an appearance on drums for title track and EP opener, "You live here?", and his sister Eva Martinez provides vocals on "cheese plate". Consistent throughout Martinez’s projects is an impressive ability to synthesize exciting songwriting with skillful sonic engineering. You live here? is a brief collection of songs, but packs in plenty of moments to appreciate and zone to. A welcome companion to cozy up with as we enter a collective winter hibernation. – Josh Kelly

The Platypus Zine recently released a compilation of Modern Baseball covers, a tribute to the beloved Philly outfit. Proceeds from Cover Therapy will go to L.E.A.D. DIY, an organization working to increase epilepsy awareness in music. For their part, The Trust Fund Kids took on “Going to Bed Now,” off the group’s 2014 album You’re Going to Miss It All. There’s a fuzzy, distorted yet up-close vibe to this version. It feels stripped and slowed down, allowing a grainy earnestness to result.

Featured on their latest EP Notes, Blubird recently shared a new video for “Loans,” which was created by the band’s own Henry Wolgast. It captures a hazy, traveling-on-a-winding-road aesthetic. Stitching together elements to create a compelling, cinematic strangeness, the footage feels like a whirlwind of thoughts. You can catch the band at Lizard Lounge 215 on Friday, January 4, on a lineup that also includes Americanadian, Swim Camp, and The Young Alaskas. (Photo by Jacob Zaoutis)

3X3 is the new EP from Man Like Machine, which is available now via Seventh Wave Records. A rhythmic thrust pushes one out into the cosmos. The underlying pressure of the moment factors into the roaring yearn of the vocals. It’s a brooding, enveloping sound that commands your attention.

“Spoiler” is a new single from the quartet of Lester. As languid instrumentals stir and matriculate, vocals vaporize into the ether. A hushed, slow-burning, anti-gravity experience is in reach. Allow yourself to drift and fade away.

Higher Reeper, the sophomore album from High Reeper, is scheduled for release on March 22 via Heavy Psych Sounds. Its menacing lead single, “Eternal Leviathan,” trudges and rumbles with a looming feel of heavy consequences. The impending destruction of society by a greater force is on the horizon. What remains in its aftermath will be revealed on the band’s forthcoming record. (Photo by Marco Mosti)

The creative pairing of Matt Korvette (Pissed Jeans) & DP Helmer, a.k.a. Fine Jewelers, recently dropped its debut EP Braindance Through The Midnight D – Beat via BANK Records. “Unreasonable Rider” dispenses noise-laced, ultra-pulsating beats as distorted roaring vocals reign down over the top. Unrelenting intensity tips the techno scales the limits. Its video, which stars and is directed by Hackey Garbáge, is a lavish, humorous display, whose calm demeanor is in direct contrast to the track’s sonic aggression.

Krust Toons: "Local Music Group on Facebook" by Tedd Hazard – please feel free to drop him a line at teddandthehazards@gmail.com if you dig or have any funny ideas. You can also check out more of his illustrations and animation shorts HERE.

Girls Chat Room, the creative collaboration between Carolina "Babystar" Leis-Usher and DJ James Weissinger (Making Time, Zillas on Acid), has returned with a new EP. The Sugar Stomach, which was released via 100 Years of Solid Dudes, was recorded over the phone between Philadelphia and Denver. Sugary bubbles of hyper-kinetic grooves, entrenching electro-experimentation, disperse within seamless, synth-sampling recordings. The heat is turned up, and demands that you dance. You can catch Weissinger as part of the upcoming Making Time New Year’s Eve at Union Transfer.

Sometimes, it’s easy to be consumed by personal circumstances, to feel that your individual situations are unique. Hence, you justify insulating yourself, turning your back on the outside world, when that may be the remedy to breaking the cycle. The portal of connection that you forge with others, via empathy, is a vital component in establishing a sense of community. Thin Lips find a way to maneuver through personal trials and tribulations, exposing vulnerability and insecurities in an unflinching emotive fervor. Harnessing that raw force with a melodic, pop-punk orientation, the plots play out in heavy yet refined swells; controlled, explosive songs tear down self-imposed walls, revealing that we’re all in this together. Billowing with emotion, the quintet of State Champs rolls ahead in composed, impactful waves, setting the stage for the collective, anthemic outpouring of local legends The Starting Line this Saturday at Franklin Music Hall. – Michael Colavita

Other places where you can avoid shoppers this weekend…

Franklin Music Hall (421 N. 7^th St.) SAT The Starting Line, Thin Lips

Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) SAT Photon Band, American Trappist, Mt Vengeance

Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) FRI Dreamswell, iAlive

Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Charley Coin/DJ Lil Dave, DJ Shango, SAT The Fleeting Ends/DJSC, SUN Full Bush, Dear Forbidden, Babe Grenade

Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) SAT Automatic 253

The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) SAT The 8th Annual Philly Hip Hop Awards, SUN Screamcloud, Big Handsome, Tiger Oil, Ascension Drive, Social Ruins, Dinosaur Diner, Mrs. Kitching

The Foundry (1000 Frankford Ave.) SAT Danny & Mary

World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI (Upstairs) Toby Lightman, SAT (Upstairs) School of Rock Philadelphia/Dukes of Destiny

The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI The Virus, Batallion Zoska, Stolen Wheelchairs, The Asthmatix, SAT Last Minute Hero, Moonflower, SUN Earth7, Familiar Things, Voltheque

MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) SAT Civil Holdup

Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3^rd St.) FRI The 1910 Chainsaw Company, Joey Sweeney, SAT Hotbed, Tetra, Dolphin Hotel

The Barbary (951 Frankford Ave.) FRI Full Bush, Grace Vonderkuhn, SAT Adventure Lost, Mirrorsigns

Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) FRI DJ Sylo, Astro 8000, SAT DJ Deejay

Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) SUN Rusty Cadillac 

Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2^nd St.) FRI Stella Ruze, Pete Hill, John Gilbride, SAT 56 Men, SUN Tiffany Janell, Séana Bailey

Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9^th St.) FRI The Eighth Fish of Christmas, SAT The Eighth Fish of Christmas

Frankie Bradley’s (1320 Chancellor St.) FRI Royale, SAT Ed Christof, SUN A Celebration Of Nerds

Century (1350 S. 29^th St.) FRI Secret Cutter, Bandit, SAT Thorazine, The End A.D.

The Tusk (430 South St.) SAT Wrong Planet, No Nothing, Belt Fed

The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI Stealing From Thieves, Delmont, Bohemian Mule, Goodthief, SAT Atomic Sky, The Band Sheep, Sonny Knockout, The Phazers

Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) FRI Morgan Pinkstone, SAT Jeff Washington Band, SUN The Newspaper Taxis

Creep Records (1050 N. Hancock St.) SAT Goalkeeper (EP Release), Midfield

Green Line Cafe (4426 Locust St.) SAT Swanning, Greg Electric, Psychic Flowers

The Pharmacy (1300 S. 18^th St.) FRI No Mere Machine, Snakes & Vultures, The Year End, SAT Overeasy, Blue Velvet

LAVA Space (4134 Lancaster Ave.) SAT Pinkwash, Iffy, Todd Killings

No Face Studios (5213 Grays Ave.) FRI Inspector Moon, Noera, In Trouble, Scyphozoan

The Music Ward (5101 Grays Ave.) FRI Port Arthur, Elaine Rasnake, SAT Internal Rhyme, PRLM CHLD

Living Room Show (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SUN Alec Ounsworth