Live music picks for WEDNESDAY December 14 through MONDAY December 19, 2011.

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 14 / ANDY KIM & FRIENDS / THE PHOENIX / 410 SHERBOURNE / $26 / ALL AGES

If you're a fan of Christmas-themed variety shows (and really, who isn't?), you don't want to miss this one. This will be the seventh annual Christmas show put on by Canadian pop legend Andy Kim, and all of the proceeds go directly to Juliette's Place. The lineup includes Kim, members of Broken Social Scene and Finger Eleven, Ron Sexsmith, Sarah Harmer, and more. It's an awesome lineup and a great cause — you can't ask for much more than that.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 15 / ST. VINCENT / THE PHOENIX / 410 SHERBOURNE / $20 / 19+

St. Vincent, aka Annie Erin Clark, has come a long way since her days in The Polyphonic Spree and as a member of Sufjan Stevens' touring band. She recently released her third album, Strange Mercy, to critical acclaim. Her music can be described as a blend of many genres, including pop, math rock, and cabaret jazz. It's nothing if not unique, and she's supposed to have great stage presence, so this one is definitely worth a look.

FRIDAY DECEMBER 16 / DIR EN GREY / THE PHOENIX / 410 SHERBOURNE / $40 / ALL AGES

Fans of Japanese metal, and metalheads in general, will eat this one up. Since forming in 1997, Dir En Grey has released eight albums and slowly made a name for themselves globally. Much of their success has to be attributed to their lead singer, Kyo, whose vocal range is considered by some to be one of the most diverse in music — not just metal, but music, period. That's high praise, but listen to any of their tracks and you'll see why. The Birthday Massacre will open.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 17 / ZEDS DEAD / THE KOOL HAUS / 132 QUEENS QUAY E/ $21.50 / 19+

Over the last year and half or so, dubstep has, for better or for worse, become a mainstream sound. And even if you're not a fan of the wobble, there's no denying that local boys DC and Hooks, aka Zeds Dead, are a great story. The duo made a name for themselves by hosting weekly Bassmentality parties at Wrongbar alongside the Killabits, and in short order established themselves as one of the premier names in dubstep. The Killabits and Omar Linx are also on the bill.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 18 / ABANDON ALL SHIPS / THE MOD CLUB / 722 COLLEGE / $16.50 / ALL AGES

I'm always inclined to include local acts whenever I put this post together, but I fear that I might catch some flak for this one. There are those who will probably say that Abandon All Ships represent everything that's wrong with music today — one look at the comments on their videos on YouTube is proof of this — but there's no denying that they have an audience, and they've gained much success. If you're a fan of metalcore, this one's for you.

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Photo of Andy Kim by ShellyS on Flickr.