Mac Lethal

MONDAY
>> Kansas City isn't exactly known for its vibrant hip-hop scene. That fact, however, hasn't stopped Missouri MC Mac Lethal from planting his name on the map. Rapping over everything from harmonica loops to folky ballads and referencing Wilco and Nick Drake in his songs, it's no stretch to say that Lethal isn't your average hip-hop artist. That said, fans of acts like Atmosphere and Sage Francis will find plenty to love in his introspective, self-deprecating rhymes. At DC9 with Grieves and Soulcrate Music, $10, 9 p.m.

TUESDAY
>> O.A.R. might be "college-rock" of a decidedly frat boy-friendly variety, but that doesn't mean that the local sons shouldn't get at least some props for playing an acoustic show at a tiny venue like the Rock and Roll Hotel. Considering that the Rockville band has managed to sell out Madison Square Garden, it should come as no surprise that the show is long sold out, though there's always Craigslist if you're really desperate. 6:30 p.m.

>> Despite being the subject of near universal critical acclaim in the 1970s, singer-songwriter Elliott Murphy has mostly been forgotten by rock historians in his native America. He's lived as an ex-pat in Paris for nearly two decades now, and though he's been better known as a novelist, journalist and producer in recent decades, he still manages to average nearly an album a year on the side. He'll be playing the intimate Velvet Lounge as part of his first U.S. tour in eight years, likely making him the first artist to play the U Street club who has also recorded with both Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel. With Jann Klose, $15, 9 p.m.

WEDNESDAY
>> It's not much of a stretch to say that Brooklyn's Dub Trio is different from most other dub acts. Instead of basing their sound on the aesthetics of reggae, they construct tunes using metal riffs, crashing cymbals and meaty bass lines. Yes, the members of the band use delay pedals and samplers to "dub" each other during live performances. But dynamically, they've got more in common with progressive metal acts like Pelican than they do with Lee "Scratch" Perry. At DC9 with Outernational and Wax Fang. $10, 8:30 p.m.

THURSDAY
>> You've already heard plenty about D.C./Brooklyn indie-pop four-piece Deleted Scenes (***) in the virtual pages of DCist, but if you've managed to put off checking them out for this long, you've now got the perfect excuse. The band will be playing a CD release show at the Black Cat, to celebrate the completion of Birdseed Shirt, the band's debut LP, which was produced by local legend J. Robbins L. Skell*. They'll be sharing the stage with Exit Clov and La Strada. $10, 8:30 p.m.

FRIDAY
>> Chopping up, rearranging and rebuilding the D.C. sound from the ground up, Imperial China (***) offer a fractured, rhythmically-complex take on post-hardcore that sounds at once comfortingly familiar and entirely new. They'll be at the Velvet Lounge with PRV Trio, The Convocation and Snack Truck. $8, 10 p.m.

>> 'Tis the season for holiday-themed events. The 9:30 Club fires the first shot this week with its Blisspop Holiday Party. Manning the decks will be Tittsworth, Nadastrom and of course, Will Eastman. $15, doors at 11 p.m.

CSS

SATURDAY
>> The Old 97's are about as influential as they come in the alt-country scene, so don't pass up this opportunity to catch frontman Rhett Miller in the relatively intimate confines of the Black Cat. With Joe Pug, $15, 9 p.m.

>> We tried as hard as we could but we just couldn't dislike CSS the last time they played the 9:30 Club. This time around, the Brazilian pop provocateurs will be headlining, so expect even more neon spandex costumes, overstated dance moves and questionable uses of the English language. With Ssion, $20, 7 p.m.

>> If you haven't had your fill of CSS, there's always the official afterparty at the Rock and Roll Hotel, where members of the band will be DJing. The club has also promised a "winter wonderland" on the second floor, along with free gifts and a "naughty Santa." The second floor is free, while the CSS afterparty is $5 with a ticket stub from the 9:30 show and $10 without. Both events kick off at 11 p.m.

SUNDAY
>> Need to do some last minute holiday shopping but really wish you could be at the Black Cat, beer in hand, listening to DJs spinning records instead? Why not have your cake and eat it too? The Black Cat's twice yearly Rock 'N' Shop event will have plenty of handmade goods, used vinyl and vintage gear on hand for your perusal. And unlike the mall, they're guaranteed not to play any muzak. Free, 8 p.m.

>> DC9 might be one of the city's smaller rock clubs, but it looks like their holiday show will be this year's most interesting. "The Nine at DC9" will feature nine singer-songwriters from around the Mid-Atlantic, including D.C.'s own Rene Moffatt, Laura Tsaggaris and Molly Hagen and Arlington's Justin Trawick. $8 or $6 if you bring a canned food item to donate to the Capital Area Food Bank, 7:30 p.m.

>> If you're in the mood for pizza with a side of D.C. rock royalty, head over to Comet Ping Pong tonight for a night with Mary Timony's newest outfit, Pow Wow and Felt Letters, which features Ian Svenonius, Brendan Canty and Tom Bunnell. The latter act will be offering up "a multimedia musical performance of 'What is a Group?' where they explore what happens when aliens visit earth and dissect rock-n-roll and capitalism." Free, 8:30 p.m.

*Correction: The Deleted Scenes' Birdseed Shirt was produced by L. Skell, not J. Robbins. Robbins helped engineer the record.