If you’re a casual music fan, this is the best time of the year to play catchup. Publications around the world are dishing out Best Of lists, which serve as handy CliffsNotes to everything you missed! Start with Rolling Stone’s Best Songs of 2015 list and be cool again.

Monday: Aimee Mann and Ted Leo Christmas Show at Bimbo's 365 Club

Aimee Mann and Ted Leo have toured the country around the holidays together for years, and each year there’s a new intoxicating wrinkle. This year, there’s two: cult figure geek god Jonathan Coulton and self-proclaimed “Pop Star Super MILF” Liz Phair. We could gush about all four brilliant musicians in their own right, but you know the deal —  talent, talent, talent, and more talent.

Tuesday: Charlie Hunter Trio at The Independent

Jazz flows freely through the veins of guitarist Charlie Hunter, and he’s clearly addicted. He now has 20 albums to his name, including his latest release Let the Bells Ring On. Hunter works best in trio mode, particularly with celebrated careerists Curtis Folkes (trombone) and Bobb Previte (drums).

Thursday/Friday: ODESZA at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

ODESZA, which only two years ago was a scarcely known electronic indie phenomenon, is now a worldwide phenomenon. Bands playing atmospheric-leaning electronica rarely experiences such meteoric rises. Then again, few electronica acts are capable of this...

Friday: NOT SO SILENT NIGHT at Oracle Arena

Not So Silent Night is one of the most underrated events on the local music calendar. Be sure to get there early for CHVRCHES, which stole many a heart at this year’s Treasure Island Music Festival.

Friday: Christopher Owens at Swedish American Hall

Former Girls’ frontman Christopher Owens has been doing his own thing for a few years now. Which is good and bad. We really miss the band that put San Francisco back on the indie rock map. But at least we still get Owens, whose literal and figurative voice catalyzed Girls, in raw, fearless, stripped-down singer-songwriter mode every so often. 

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