What with the holiday season, December is usually a wasteland for live music, and the last week of the month even moreso. Which is unfortunate because for many that stretch between Christmas and New Year’s is either off from work or majorly slack, at the very least (unless you work retail in which case you have my deepest sympathies).

But this year the Drake Underground has seen fit to remedy this with what they’re calling “What’s In The Box”, a solid working week’s worth of live shows. Five bands, every night from the 26th through the 30th and for only $5 cover. Well, at least the stuff I recognize. Can’t vouch for the rest, but the page linked above has links to everyone’s MySpaces so you can investigate for yourself. I’ve got three of the five shows penciled in my calendar and that could easily grow.

Anyway, the lineups are as follows:

December 26, 2006:
Pawa Up First
Liz Powell of Land Of Talk (solo)
Woodhands
We Are The Take
Foxfire Forest

December 27, 2006:
Sunriser
inUniform
Foxes
Stonefox
Ken Reaume

December 28, 2006:
The Russian Futurists
Vitaminsforyou
The Ghost Is Dancing
Fjord Rowboat
Now YR Taken.

December 29, 2006:
Mahogany
Off The International Radar
Detective Kalita
Hexes And Ohs
Sandro Perri

December 30, 2006:
The Coast
Barons & Lengthy
The Rural Alberta Advantage
Graham Wright of Tokyo Police Club
Noyan Hilmi of Five Blank Pages

While the solidity of the lineups is without question, pay particular attention to the 29th when Mahogany will be in town. They’re an exciting young outfit out of Brooklyn that mashes together atmospheric dreampop tendencies with straight-up electro-dance rhythms with a chaser of classic Spector pop for good measure. Marathonpacks has some nice commentary on the first single from their new album Connectivity!, “Supervitesse”, which they’re quite proud of having been produced by Cocteau Twin Robin Guthrie. The album has also gotten a modest Pitchfork seal of approval, for what that’s worth. Check them out, both below and on the 29th.

MP3: Mahogany – “My Bed is My Castle”
MP3: Mahogany – “Supervitesse”
MP3: Mahogany – “Springtime, Save Our Country”
Video: Mahogany – “Supervitesse” (YouTube)
Video: Mahogany – “One Plus One Equals Three Or More” (YouTube)
MySpace: Mahogany

Chart talks to Liz Powell of Land Of Talk, who’s playing a solo set on Boxing Day, the first of the five nights.

The New York Sun eulogizes the soon-to-be-departed Rainer Maria, playing their final shows this weekend in NYC. Via Largehearted Boy.

Emily Haines tells Billboard how her solo work has affected the writing of the new Metric record, namely in mellowing out. And don’t forget I’m giving away a pair of passes to Haines’ Toronto show at the Danforth on January 6 – go here to enter.

The Boston Globe welcomes back native son Evan Dando and his Lemonheads.