Kevin Bronson on December 10th, 2010

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[Holiday parties, holiday shows, holiday shopping … Anybody else want to rewind to Thanksgiving and do the last couple weeks over?]

My favorite holiday specials:

‣ Not only is the annual Christmas Sweater Festival a hoot because of all the cheesy sweaters that emerge, but it’s for a good cause – and we get to see what needlepoint whiz kids the Pity Party (that’s M, above, in his DIY fashion last year) have been doing. Great lineup this year, with hosts the Deadly Syndrome joined by Polls, Signals and Rabbits Rabbits Rabbits. It’s Saturday at the Echoplex.
‣ The FYF Xmas Party on Saturday at the Glass House features No Age, the Soft Pack, Off!, Big Freedia, Crystal Antlers, Tijuana Panthers, special guests to be announced and more.
‣ And the sold-out KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas show goes off Saturday and Sunday at the Gibson Amphitheatre. On Saturday, it’s  the Smashing Pumpkins, Socal Distortion, My Chemical Romance, Bad Religion and Jimmy Eat World, along with Cake, A Day to Remember, the Dirty Heads, Anberlin and Switchfoot. Sunday’s more indie-friendly lineup features Phoenix, Vampire Weekend, Brandon Flowers, the Black Keys, the Temper Trap, Neon Trees, Florence & the Machine,  Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros and Broken Bells.

Other top local outings:

‣ Warpaint does tonight and Sunday at the Troubadour.
‣ “Silverlake in Pomona” tonight at the Glass House boasts a lineup of White Arrows, Superhumanoids, Gliss, Modern Time Machines, Twilight Sleep, Vanaprasta, Stone Darling, Future Ghost, Light FM, Holloys and the Franks.

Also tonight: Aimee Mann’s Christmas Show at Largo; Camp Freddy at the Roxy; Deadbolt and Speedbuggy at the Satellite (f/k/a Spaceland); the Dandy Warhols at Club Nokia; the Bird and the Bee at Skybar; NEEDTOBREATHE at the Music Box; Above & Beyond at the Palladium;  MNDR at the Echo; ParallaxScroll at the Smell; Truly Lover Trio at the Redwood; Hi Ho Silver Oh at Pehrspace;  the Bad Plus at the Mint; Brendan Rivera at the Hotel Cafe; Ivan & Alyosha and Holly Conlan at the Central in Santa Monica; and Seaspin at the Viper Room.

Also Saturday: Madlib, J-Rocc, Flying Lotus, Blank Blue and Mia Doi Todd at Hollywood Forever Cemetery; Peter Hook playing Joy Division’s “Unknown Pleasures” at the Music Box; the Black Crowes at the Palladium; Big Business at the Satellite; People Under the Stairs at the El Rey Theatre; the Fuxedos and Elephant Parallax at the Bootleg; Rockdrive 2010, featuring Aqualung, Cary Brothers, Rocco Deluca, Lady Danville and more at the Troubadour; Aimee Mann’s Christmas Show at Largo; Manhattan Murder Mystery and Spirit Vine at the Smell; Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks doing two shows at McCabe’s; Scott Doherty & Rose’s Pawn Shop at the Hotel Cafe; Abjeez at the Roxy; the Adolescents at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach; and Blonde Summer and Twins Suns at Space 2710 (2710 W. 34th St.).

Also Sunday: Childish Gambino at the El Rey; Night Beats at the Satellite; Aimee Mann’s Christmas Show at Largo; and Marie Digby at the Hotel Cafe.