Wednesday, Dec. 17

Thanksgiving behind us, it’s officially time to break out the holiday music. Hosted by Gavin Guss of XMAS Maximus, the local group that takes Christmas spirit to a whole new level, Christmas on TV features the band performing holiday classics like “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “C’est Noel,” and “Sleigh Ride,” while TV-loving quartet Sit Ubu Sit brings your favorite theme songs, including those from The Office, WKRP in Cincinnati, and The Addams Family, from the small screen to the stage. Columbia City Theater, 4918 Rainier Ave. S., 723-0088, columbiacitytheater.com. 8:30 p.m. $8 adv./$10 DOS. 21 and over.

Secret Evil, the latest from Detroit’s Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas, is compelling from beginning to end. Across the album’s 11 songs, Hernandez and her quintet move from genre to genre while maintaining a dark pop edge. When Hernandez is feisty, especially on songs like “Sorry I Stole Your Man” and “Caught Up,” she can sound like a fiercer Duffy, while tear-jerking ballads like “Cry Cry Cry” and “Lovers First” show her softer side. The Deltas effortlessly back Hernandez while bouncing among Motown-era soul, funk, rockabilly, R&B, and good ol’ rock & roll. As vocals and music combine, the band walks the line between retro and contemporary. With the Dusty 45s. Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599, tractortavern.com. 8 p.m. $15. 21 and over.

Thursday, Dec. 18

If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Shannon and the Clams’ latest, Dreams in the Rat House, came out decades ago, not in 2013. That’s how spot-on the Oakland trio is with its ’50s doo-wop and ’60s psychedelic flair. The album’s vintage feel makes it seem like the hidden treasure in a discounted box of vinyl, which makes the band a fun choice to headline Dancer & Prancer Extravaganza. On night one, the group will be joined by Connie & the Precious Moments, Gazebos, Dancer & Prancer, and DJ Matthew Counts. Night two features La Luz, Fe Fi Fo Fums, and DJ Brian Foss getting things started before Shannon and the Clams (and Dancer & Prancer again, in the Dragon Lounge) return to the stage. Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison St., 324-8005, chopsuey.com. 8 p.m. Thurs., 9 p.m. Fri. $12 adv./$15 DOS. 21 and over.

Though The National has been making music since 1999, it seems as if the world really jumped on board with the indie-rock band only in 2013, with the releases of the band’s sixth album, the somber Trouble Will Find Me, and Mistaken for Strangers, a documentary that brought front man Matt Berninger’s brother on the road to join him and brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner and Bryan and Scott Devendorf. At A Tribute to The National, Chris Cunningham (Ravenna Woods), Whitney Lyman (Pollens), Pete Jordan (Cloud Person), Dark Hip Falls, and Brenda Xu will honor the band that made “dad rock” a cool genre. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618, thecrocodile.com. 8 p.m. 
$12 adv. 21 and over.

While most artists who use a Lil’ or Young/Yung as part of their stage name are well into adulthood, 18-year-old Jonatan Leandoer Håstad, aka Swedish rapper Yung Lean, fits the moniker. Lean, who performs as one-third of Sad Boys along with Yung Sherman and Yung Gud, started generating buzz in 2013 after posting a music video for “Ginseng Strip 2002.” With his recently released full-length debut, Unknown Memory, under his belt, Lean is now gaining attention for his melancholic mindset and lyrics about complicated relationships and drug use. What he lacks in life experience, he makes up for in earnestness. With Gravity Boys. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442, neumos.com. 8 p.m. $15 adv. All ages.

Industrial Revelation is not your grandparents’ jazz quartet. Sure, the band’s latest, Oak Head, finds Ahamefule Oluo playing the quintessential smoky-jazz-club trumpet riff (especially on “Victorious Kite” and “Color of Caliman”) and pianist Josh Rawlings tickling the keys while drummer D’Vonne Lewis and bassist Evan Flory-Barnes set a smooth pace. But the group also infuses its classic jazz sound with elements that are just left-of-center, like up-tempo swing on “The Lake” and electric guitar on the experimental “Shadow Boxing in the Wind.” This mix of classic and avant-garde gives the album both a spontaneous and coolly composed tone. With Cataldo, Add Ode. Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave. N.W., 784-4880, sunsettavern.com. 
9 p.m. $10. 21 and over.

Dread the thought of enduring the holidays with family members? Why not spend a few evenings with like-minded folks at the Maldoggies Family Christmas? For three nights, country-rock septet the Maldives and roots-rockers the Moondoggies will celebrate the seasonal spirit with classic seasonal tunes and perhaps a song or two from their latest albums, Listen to the Thunder and Adios, I’m a Ghost, respectively. In its ninth year, Maldoggies offers all the togetherness you crave around the holidays, without the arguments that quickly dissolve into awkward silence around the dinner table. It’s a win-win! With Fauna Shade, Goodbye Heart, Lowman Palace. Through Saturday. Tractor Tavern. 9 p.m. $15. 21 and over.

Friday, Dec. 19

If there’s one thing all music fans understand, it’s the pain of having to wait for months for new music from a favorite band after it’s begun work on a new release. Lonely Mountain Lovers fans have surely been feeling impatient for new tunes these past few months after the twangy-rock six-piece announced it was entering the studio to record its debut full-length in September. An October update noted the end of the first phase of recording, so new music should be on its way soon. Until then, there’s “Friendly Ghost” and “Be Kind,” two demos the band recorded earlier this year, to tide fans over. With Day Laborers and Petty Intellectuals, Stubborn Son. Columbia City Theater. 9 p.m. $8 adv./$10 DOS. 21 and over.

Los Angeles, X’s debut album, is Punk Rock 101. The dual vocals from singer Exene Cervenka and singer/bassist John Doe are off-balance at times; drummer DJ Bonebrake doesn’t stop for a second across the album’s nine tracks; and guitarist Billy Zoom looms large and in charge with big riffs. There’s even a cover of the Doors’ “Soul Kitchen” for good measure. And 34 years after its release, Los Angeles is still one of the most respected punk albums around, landing on multiple best-of lists over the years. On this visit, X is playing two shows—two chances for young punks to learn from these enduring icons. With the Blasters, Girl Trouble, the Boss Martians. El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave. E., 262-0482, elcorazonseattle.com. Through Saturday. 8 p.m. $25 adv./$30 DOS. 21 and over.

Seattle heavy-metal trio Sandrider takes its name from the people who ride giant sandworms in (Washington native) Frank Herbert’s Dune series. Appropriately, the band’s sophomore album, Godhead, is just as epic. And like the sandworms, Sandrider’s sound is massive and impossible to ignore. Singer/guitarist Jon Weisnewski and drummer Nat Damm, formerly of Akimbo, and singer/bassist Jesse Roberts, of The Ruby Doe, mix raging vocals, sludge-metal guitar riffs, and classic-rock elements into one brutal package, especially on the nearly seven-minute title track. Expect more ferocity on the band’s upcoming split with post-rock quartet Kinski. With He Whose Ox Is Gored, Leatherdaddy. Sunset Tavern. 9 p.m. $8. 21 and over.

Saturday, Dec. 20

They say “It’s better to give than to receive,” but I say “It’s better to give while also checking out a show with a stellar lineup like the KEXP Yule Benefit.” It’s a little wordy, but you get the point. This show will help the radio station’s campaign to build a bigger live room for in-studio performances. Garage-rock quartet Cabana will open, followed by indie-rocker Jenn Ghetto, formerly of Carissa’s Wierd, who performs as S, and New York rock four-piece Cymbals Eat Guitars. Strand of Oaks, the folk-rock project of Timothy Showalter, will close with tunes from his latest, HEAL. Neumos. 8 p.m. $20 adv. 21 and over.

Held in the Paramount Theatre lobby, A Classic Christmas is a more low-key, but no less spirited, celebration. Soul singer and former The Voice contestant V. Contreras, Mycle Wastman, singer/songwriter Alessandra Rose, producer/engineer Martin Feveyear, and local musicians Jeff Fielder, Rebecca Young, William Stover, and Aaron O’Neill will be on hand to perform tunes from the holiday songbook. The Melodic Caring Project will also be accepting donations of new, unwrapped toys during the show. The Paramount, 911 Pine St., 682-1414, stgpresents.org/paramount. 7:30 p.m. $20. All ages.

Chrome Lakes didn’t waste any time getting the ball rolling after forming in May. After making their live debut at Sunset Tavern playing with Sword for Arrows and Yonder, the rock quintet released a song called “Revolutionaires” and picked up gigs opening for Ohio’s Foxy Shazam at Neumos and The Last Internationale, a project of Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk, at El Corazon. If the band keeps this momentum going, there’s no telling what they could accomplish by this time next year. With My Goodness, Haunted Horses. Sunset Tavern. 9 p.m. $12. 21 and over.

Sunday, Dec. 21

Singer/songwriter David Bazan is perhaps best known for fronting Pedro the Lion and for his two solo albums, Curse Your Branches and Strange Negotiations. With the Passenger String Quartet, led by Andrew Joslyn, the songwriter is reimagining tunes from both stages of his career on Volume 1. Longtime Bazan fans needn’t worry; the songs are not reworked beyond recognition. Instead, the orchestral arrangement elevates what Bazan created. The songs feel fresh without losing the emotion behind his lyrics. Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9951, thebarboza.com. 8 p.m. $20 adv. 21 and over.

Ishmael Butler’s first official Sub Pop signee,

Porter

Ray, is adding another voice to Seattle’s experimental hip-hop sound with his latest, Fundamentals, the follow-up to the trilogy of BLK GLD, WHT GLD, and RSE GLD. On Fundamentals, soul samples accompany Ray as he raps about the highs and lows of life, including his relationships, drug use, and his brother’s death. There’s no sugarcoating, but Ray’s conversational cadence makes each story worth listening to. With Romaro Franceswa. The Crocodile. 8 p.m. $10 DOS. All ages.

Patti LaBelle, aka the “Godmother of Soul,” has earned her title and then some. The singer’s 50-year-plus career includes an extensive discography through work with the BlueBells, as a solo artist, on Broadway and film, and, earlier this year, in American Horror Story: Freak Show, plus numerous awards and nominations for both singing and acting, including nine lifetime-achievement awards from different organizations. But is anyone really surprised that LaBelle has had such a distinguished career? Her voice is unbelievably powerful, yet she makes singing with so much emotion sound effortless. Long live the Godmother. Snoqualmie Casino, Ballroom, 37500 S.E. North Bend Way, 425-888-1234, snocasino.com. 8 p.m. $40 and up. 21 and over.