Even if you’re the responsible type — that anal-retentive breed that actually has to work the next morning — sometimes, it’s best to get your weekending started on Thursday. Begin at the Palomino, where the expansive, warm indie rock of Winnipeg’s The Details collides with the tender folk of Edmonton’s beloved The Provincial Archive. Or, for louder pastures, head to the Marquee Room to catch the blistering post-rock of Atomis, which performs with Truck. And if neither option works, catch the sophisticated sadness of the whispery Craig Cardiff at the Ironwood, where he’ll headline two nights straight.

On the other hand, Friday, January 21 hosts a different set of delights. For an evening full of singalongs, head to Broken City to catch the snotty whiplash of hometown punks The Browns. Don’t be fashionably late — Mammoth Cave melodic noisemakers Moby Dicks opens, with Throwaways also pitching in on the teenage kicks (see the facing page for an interview). Elsewhere, the Palomino hosts a night of country, pairing the old-school twang of The Bow River with the hyper-kinetic banjo wizardry of Pernell Reichert and the Hard Drinkers. Hard drinking is mandatory, we think.

Next, Vancouver rising songstress Hannah Georgas hits town on Saturday, January 22. Confident and quirky, Georgas will bring everything from jagged, snythy punk gems to rootsy charmers to the Gateway before she heads eastwards. Meanwhile, the evil, all-local troika of Forbidden Dimension, Eve Hell and Cripple Creek Fairies hit the Marquee Room, while Oktoecho brings its Ottoman-infused jazz to Beat Niq. And if you’re searching for the sleazy stuff head to Dickens to catch The Press Club, which combines melodic metal with howling horror punk. The Great Evil open.

Oh, and the all-ages option for Saturday? Local, blissed-out weirdos Friendo play a can’t-miss bill at The New Black Centre with Trash Island and Gretchen. Phew.

Finally, the second hardiest animal-disease band — oh hey, AIDS Wolf! — lands in Calgary when Cancer Bats performs at the Republik on Thursday, January 27. Go for its southern-fried mammoth metal licks, but stay for the Dave Mustaine-approved thrash madness of Ontario’s Baptized in Blood. The crowning jewel of Roadrunner Records, it blends screaming, melodic leads with pure, venomous hatred. And hey, if it’s good enough for Megadeth, it’s good enough for us.