Looks like it’s going to be one of those weekends when everything happens at once. Time to bust out the Magic 8-Ball, I Ching, goat entrails or whatever other method you prefer for making tough decisions.

Thursday, December 17 is easy enough. Pop genius and general oddball Jay Crocker will be at the Ironwood Stage, opening for beyond-groovy organ three-piece Sinistrio. I’m harbouring hopes that Crocker will team up with Sinistrio organist Steve Fletcher for some funked-out jams à la their old outfit, Recipe from a Small Planet, but that’d fall into the realm of a Christmas miracle.

Saturday, December 19 is when things get entrail-level difficult. First off, there’s Joseph Blood at the Underground. Blood’s stints in Vancouver mainstays like Bend Sinister, Nim Vind and Jakalope might not scream “country,” but give him an acoustic guitar and a Gram Parsons-loving crew to back him up, and he’ll bleed No Depression-style roots with the best of ’em.

On a mellower note, Edmonton’s Tyler Butler will devastate the crowd at The House Coffee Sanctuary with a set of sombre, soulful acoustic folk. The singer is currently putting the finishing touches on Feral Horse, his new album due out in Edmonton on Old Ugly Recording Co., and the first folk album that label head Joe “The Joe” Gurba has deemed worthy of release.

But Saturday is also Palomino booker Spencer Brown’s 30th birthday, so if you’ve enjoyed any of the shows he’s brought to Calgary in the last year, etiquette practically demands that you stop by. He’s even worked (on his birthday!) to bring a killer lineup to the bar, including rockers The Brenda Vaqueros, indie experimenters Axis of Conversation and the twangy rock ’n’ soul of Edmonton’s The City Streets.

And rounding things off, Sloth Records is throwing a Christmas party for the kinds of folks who’d decorate their tree with shards of broken glass. Thrashers Crystal Mess, scuzz-punks Spastic Panthers, guttural metal-lovers Stab.Twist.Pull and hardcore quartet The Duped will be blitzing around the Christmas tree, with a little help from the always beloved DJewel. Expect the HiFi to get a little more ragged than usual at this one.