GOATSNAKE

12/15 at 8:30 Local instrumental metal band Pelican headlines this show with label mate Goatsnake (really), the seminal California doom group that has somehow stayed away from Chicago (and the greater Midwest) in its two-decade tenure of gloom. $20–$210. Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport. ticketweb.com

MEAT WAVE

12/12 at 9 These Logan Square garage punks released their beloved album Brother in January, signed with California imprint SideOneDummy in July, and dropped the vicious Delusion Moon just days after playing Riot Fest in September. So if 2015 is a jumping-off year for Meat Wave, expect 2016 to be the year the world catches on. $10. Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western. ticketweb.com

PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS

12/12 at 10 After nearly 20 years in hip-hop, the Los Angeles duo has evolved into a strange hybrid of throwback and innovation—staunchly dedicated to ’90s-era production techniques, such as analog sampling. The upside is that the laid-back beats are as breezy as in People’s heyday. $17–$20. Schubas, 3159 N. Southport. lh-st.com

PERFECT PUSSY

12/5 at 7:30 After a whirlwind 2014 in which this punk-rock band played 200-plus performances behind its lauded LP I Have Lost All Desire for Feeling, it wraps a quiet year with one of Thalia Hall’s “in the round” shows, during which groups perform for fans on all four sides. $12–$14. Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport. ticketweb.com

VINCE STAPLES

12/15 at 8 The 22-year-old MC missed out on his Pitchfork slot due to inclement weather, but he returns this month headlining a concert that’s double the audience he would’ve had. An added bonus for fans: five extra months to digest his complexly bleak June record, Summertime ’06, one of the year’s best. $17–$60. Bottom Lounge, 1375 W. Lake. ticketweb.com

WREKMEISTER HARMONIES

12/17 at 9 This experimental-metal collective (led by Chicagoan JR Robinson) has become famous for its biannual shows at North Park’s Bohemian National Cemetery. This gig won’t be nearly as eerie, but the upside is that Wrekmeister will come bearing its November album, The Night of Your Ascension. $10. Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western. ticketweb.com