VINYL-ONLY | D!Z + Tay and Tom
D!Z
Thurs. Dec. 25
9:30 p.m.FreeBlind Tiger

Tay and Tom
Thurs. Dec. 25
10 p.m.
Free
Upper Deck Tavern

Blind Tiger Pub has long been a reliable respite on Christmas night for folks in search of fun away from the fam. This year, Local DJ Charles Dean, a.k.a. D!Z, will turn the evening up a notch with his collection of R&B records. “I’ll be dropping the needle on a wide range of funk and soul 45s,” Dean says. “Some of the artists that will be included are Bobby Byrd, Shirley Ellis, Charles Wright, Dennis Coffey, James Brown, The Soul Children, O. V. Wright, Billy Preston, King Floyd, Wilson Picket, and the list goes on, and on … and on.” D!Z also spins contemporary cats like Charles Bradley, Connie Price and the Keystones, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, J Rocc, and Beck. And while you’re out, make it a Christmas pub crawl and head over to Upper Deck for more vinyl love with DJs Tay McNabb (Party Dad) and Tom Pavlich. “We’re gonna be leaning heavily in the direction of post-punk and minimal wave, with likely some classic indie jams thrown in as well,” McNabb says. Pavlich will also have merch for sale from his tape label, Mirror Universe. —Kelly Rae Smith THURSDAY

SWING JAZZ | The V-Tones
w/ Big Jim Allen
Fri. Dec. 26
8 p.m.
Free
Jack of Cups Saloon

The holidays don’t come to an end once all the presents are opened and the feast is consumed. Dec. 26 can be just as magical as Christmas, especially if The V-Tones of Charleston are part of it. The four-piece comprises Noodle McDoodle (ukulele, vocals), Eden Fonvielle (vocals, ukulele), Jeff Narkiewicz (bass), and Jeff Arnold (guitar). Together for over a decade now, they play jazz and swing standards dating back to the early 20th century that’ll have you cutting a rug faster than you can say, “boogie-woogie bugle boy.” To make Friday’s show extra special, the band will be joined by uke master Big Jim Allen, who the band met through “the ukulele underground,” McNoodle says. From guest musicians to a unique and ever-changing setlist — we once even heard them cover Iggy Pop and the Stooges — one thing we love about The V-Tones is you never know what to expect. “We are working on ‘Who Loves You,’ a standard by Billie Holiday, and fine-tuning our Christmas/Hanukkah repertoire,” McDoodle says. “We’re always researching vintage music for tunes that haven’t been played to death and that we can use for the dance groove and, of course, put our own little spin on.” —Kelly Rae Smith FRIDAY

SOUTHERN-FRIED PUNK | Motormouth Mabel
w/ Gene Revolta and Bath Salts
Sat. Dec. 27
9 p.m.
$5
Tin Roof

Hardcore fans of The Walking Dead may recognize the name Motormouth Mabel. The name, which originates from a Hairspray character, is splashed across the dingy T-shirt of Tara Chambler when she chalks up her first kill with the ever-dreamy Glen by her side during season four, episode 10. Motormouth Mabel’s members are strewn about the country, so they play very little during the year — much to the dismay of their many fans. However, according to YouTube videos of their live shows — featuring crowd-surfing and rowdiness galore — a Motormouth Mabel show is well worth the wait. Lead singer C.J. Ulm sounds like a young Milo Aukerman (The Descendents) going through a snotty puberty, while the rest of his bandmates crank out fuzzy riffs and drums that sound purposely sloppy — and we assure you that we mean that in the best way possible. Motormouth Mabel hasn’t released anything since 2009’s yellow cassette Catch the Fury, but that’s all changing this month. On Dec. 27, Motormouth Mabel will drop a two-song, yellow seven-inch record that can be purchased at the Tin Roof show. The album includes “Permanent Vacation” and, what we hope is a Curb Your Enthusiasm reference, “Stop & Chat.” —J. Chapa SATURDAY

ROCK ‘N’ ROLL ‘N’ SOUL | Dead 27s
w/ The Royal Tinfoil
Sat. Dec. 27
9 p.m.
$10/adv., $12/door
Pour House

The Dead 27s dominated this year’s City Paper Music Awards, winning multiple honors including song of the year, rock band of the year, album of the year, drummer of the year, bassist of the year, and guitarist of the year. The success of their debut Chase Your Devils Down has opened all kinds of doors for the band, including a trip to New York City to compete in VH1’s Make a Band Famous competition.

Help keep the City Paper free.

No paywalls.
No newspaper subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations from downtown to North Charleston to Johns Island to Summerville to Mount Pleasant.

Help support independent journalism by donating today.