Here are some shows taking place in Minneapolis/St Paul from December 1 to December 3, 2014.

ALLAH-LAS w/ Tashaki Miyaki,
Chatham Rise
at Turf Club
Monday 12/01/14, 7pm
$10: turfclub.net

Los Angeles garage-rock quartet Allah-Las will be bringing the California sunshine to the miserable ice-covered streets of St. Paul December 1st when they make a stop at the Turf Club. Taking a cue from great psych-rock acts like Love and the Byrds, Allah-Las have crafted a sound generous with driving, trippy rhythms and enough distorted guitar licks to make Link Wray smile. The band, together since 2008 and consisting of Matthew Correia on drums, Spencer Dunham on bass, vocalist and guitarist Miles Michaud and Pedrum Siadatian on lead guitar, put out their self-titled record on Innovative Leisure in 2012. In September, they released Worship the Sun, a 14-track electric-folk homage to that mystical land known as LA and all of its wonderful weirdos. Or, in the band’s words, “a teenage symphony to the sun, for all those who know its grace.” Check out their recent singles “501-415,” “Buffalo Nickel” and their freaked-out take on the Frantics’ “No Werewolf.”

Tagging along for the fun are LA peers, Tashaki Miyaki, a dream-pop duo whose shoegaze-y treatment of some notable songs have garnered them lots of buzz. So far the band has only released a handful of original EPs and singles as well as a record of covers that feature gorgeous takes on the Everly Brothers’ “All I Have To Do Is Dream,” Father John Misty’s “Hollywood Forever Cemetary” and Chris Bell’s “There Was A Light”. Most recently, the band released an incredible version of Prince’s “The Beautiful Ones” from his iconic Purple Rain record, which just celebrated its 30th anniversary.

Tour dates:

11/20 Asheville NC ≈ The Mothlight
11/21 Washington DC ≈ Rock & Roll Hotel
11/22 Baltimore MD ≈ Metro Gallery
11/23 Philadelphia PA ≈ Boot & Saddle
11/24 Brooklyn NY ≈ Music Hall ∋
11/26 Montreal Canada ≈ Petit Campus
11/27 Toronto Canada ≈ Horseshoe Tavern
11/28 Detroit MI ≈ Lager House ∇
11/29 Chicago IL ≈ Lincoln Hall
12/01 St. Paul MN ≈ Turf Club
12/05 Seattle WA ≈ Chop Suey

12/06 Portland OR ≈ Star Theater
12/08 Arcata CA ≈ Jambalaya
12/09 Santa Cruz CA ≈ Catalyst Atrium
12/12 San Diego CA ≈ The Casbah
12/13 Santa Ana CA ≈ Constellation Room
12/30 San Francisco CA ≈ The Chapel *
12/31 San Francisco CA ≈The Chapel *

* dates without Tashaki Miyaki
∋ with Savants
∇ with Danny & The Darleans

COLD SPECKS w/ White Boyfriend
at Cedar Cultural Center
Tuesday 12/02/14, 7pm
$12: thecedar.org

Canadian singer Al Spx, otherwise known as Cold Specks, is back on tour, behind a new album Neuroplasticity (Mute Records).

Minneapolis trio White Boyfriend opens.

UPDATE 12/01:
We regret to report that Cold Specks was stranded in the Rocky Mountains by a winter storm. They are now back on the road but unable to make it to their Minneapolis performance. We hope to have a return date soon. Please watch for updates.

Tour dates:

11/21/14 – San Francisco, CA – Brick & Mortar
11/23/14 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge
11/24/14 – Seattle, WA – Barboza
11/25/14 – Vancouver, BC – Imperial Theatre
11/27/14 – Edmonton, AB – Royal Alberta Museum
11/28/14 – Calgary, NW – SAIT’s Gateway
11/29/14 – Swift Current, SK – Lyric Theatre
11/30/14 – Winnipeg, MB – Park Theatre
12/02/14 – Minneapolis, MN – Cedar Cultural
12/03/14 – Chicago, IL – Schubas
12/05/14 – Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace
12/07/14 – Montreal, QC – La Sala Rossa
01/23/15 – Berlin Bi Nuu
01/24/15 – Hamburg Nochtspeicher
01/26/15 – Mannheim Alte Feuerwache

NICK LOWE’S QUALITY HOLIDAY REVUE
at First Avenue
Wednesday 12/03/14, 7pm
$20: first-avenue.com

St Nick, the other Nick, Nick Lowe is bringing his “Nick Lowe’s Quality Holiday Revue” to Minneapolis this December 3rd.

When Lowe’s record label approaching him to produce a holiday album, Lowe reacted, “It was more disquiet and alarm, accompanied by feelings of ‘Do they really think I would wish to sully my good name on this tawdry and vulgar commercialism?’ But that feeling lasted about thirty-six and a half seconds, before I came to and thought, ‘Vulgar, tawdry commercialism? Yes, please, when do we start?’ Seriously, I thought, ‘Wait a minute, this could be really good fun.’”

Also on this holiday show, Grammy-nominated Los Straitjackets and British rock legend Ian McLagan.

Tour dates:

12/03/14 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue

12/04/14 Madison, WI Barrymore Theatre

12/06/14 Chicago, IL Old Town School

12/07/14 Chicago, IL Old Town School

12/09/14 Ann Arbor, MI The Ark

12/10/14 Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom

12/12/14 Alexandria, VA The Birchmere

12/13/14 Collingswood, NJ Scottish Rite

12/14/14 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom

12/16/14 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club