Getting closer and closer to Chinese New Year folks – meaning less shows, less liabilities, and an inevitable sense of ‘hell with it’. Get at them while you can. Here’s what’s popping this weekend. Check out the calendar for more.

FRIDAY

School’s Riot! Series returns with another dosage of high-octane punk free of charge and they’ve rounded up some of the city’s feistiest performers including one of my favorite new bands of the year The Diders, along with Discord, The Flyx, and Shochu Legion. An eclectic lineup over at XP with a bit of something for everyone – britpop, post rock, garage rock, post punk – courtesy of Secret Club, Nakoma, Low Bow, and Lonely Leary. American trash metal giants Havok reek mayhem upon Yugong Yishan tonight along with Taiwanese Burning Island, and our own Deathpact and Skeletal Augury – hail pure trash!! It’s youth rock night at Mao Livehouse with 80s era throwbacks Era Rebels, alternative rockers OOC, White Noise, and Yuantu. Lastly, catch bossa nova group Daily Prophet at Hot Cat Club, jazz pop songstress Dimo at the Old What? Bar, funk soul outfit The Groove Collective at Mako Livehouse, and everyone favorite dopplegangers The Beijing Beatles at Jianghu Bar.

SATURDAY 

Two bands heaving some serious musical ground get down to business over at XP – spacey lo-fi dystopian duo Alpine Decline, one of the scene’s unsung heroes, whose fuzz-packed otherworld mad max rock n roll is a breathe of fresh air and psychedldic rockers Chui Wan whose magic carpet ride trance-inducing tunes are a trip for the ears. There’s nothing hotter than a bunch of chicks rocking out. Seriously. Head over to School to get your kicks as a host of female-led bands take stage, including Heat Mark (who I’m kinda dying to see), Free Sex Shop and Lucy. Up and coming britpop outfit V-Day churn out their first EP over at 69 Café, while things get heavy over ta Mao Livehouse with Logic Control, Soma, From Next In, Hua Zi and more. Indie pop sensation Liang Xiaoxiue debuts his latest work tonight with a slew of big guests at Mako Livehouse including A-Si and Hao Zi – expect girls throwing their undies onstage for this one. Finally, catch Red Cash at Hot Cat Club, The Randy Abel Stable at Temple, and The Groove Collective at Jianghu Bar.

SUNDAY

Mao Livehouse feels the love tonight with a host of britpop indie artists including Elenore, Magic Bus and Billow’s Fairy Tale. Or take it easy at the cozy 69 Café where new grunge folk outfit South of Death perform or at Jianghu Bar where indie poppers April and Tony D get back to basics.