[DOOM] + FRI., JAN. 3
Brown Angel doesn't play locally often — it only happens a couple times a year. But even that is something of a feat considering guitarist Adam MacGregor has been living in Beijing for more than a year now. The longtime doom-metal trio has been working on new material even with the main songwriter in absentia; right now, though, MacGregor is back on this side of the world, and the band plays a show at Gooski's, with some help from locals Zeitgeist and Outlander. Andy Mulkerin 10 p.m. 3117 Brereton St., Polish Hill. $5. 412-681-1658
[ELECTRONIC] + SAT., JAN. 4
Tonight's show at Brillobox is no run-of-the-mill dance night; headliner Baseck, from Los Angeles, mixes breakcore with melodic electronic dance music to make something at once aggressive, danceable and sometimes whimsical. Imagine violent electronic percussion interspersed with video-game music and even synthesized flutes — you're starting to get the picture. Also playing this one: Detroit duo Fluxion A/D and longtime locals Vasculator, Disheveled and 8Cylinder. AM 9:30 p.m. 4104 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. $7. 412-621-4900 or www.brillobox.net
[ROCK] + SAT., JAN. 4
Right about now is when touring acts slow their roll a bit: Driving around the Northeast and Midwest in January, after all, is a bit of a crap shoot. All the better for those interested in checking into the local scene, though — for example, tonight's headlining show by The Me Toos, a blues-based rock band from the 'Burgh. The no-frills outfit takes its cues from early rock 'n ' roll, with some Delta-blues-style slide guitar laid over a lot of its tunes; tonight, the three-piece plays on a bill with Locks and Dams and Sephus Lee. AM 10 p.m. 56 S. 12th St., South Side. $5. 412-431-4950 or www.clubcafelive.com
[INDIE ROCK] + MON., JAN. 6
There's something about the delivery of Modern Baseball's Brendan Lukens that recalls the vocals of John K. Samson — the even-handedness, the occasional slips into talking. The band is a bit heavier than what The Weakerthans delivered, but it's emo-inspired indie rock that could fit right into the canon from more than a decade ago, if not for the updated references to Internet particulars. Modern Baseball garnered critical nods for its album Sports, which came out just over a year ago, and the band hits the Smiling Moose tonight. The Color and the Sound, Hundred Acre Wood, Unraveler and Fun Home open. AM 6 p.m. 1306 E. Carson St., South Side. $10. All ages. 412-431-4668 or www.smiling-moose.com
