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Vegas Amplified is a monthly feature highlighting must-see concerts in smaller local venues.<\/em><\/p>\n We know what you\u2019re thinking: If you\u2019ve seen one \u201cback-porch space cowboy blues, swamptronica and electro-twang\u201d group, you\u2019ve seen them all.<\/p>\n But hear us out on Dirtwire.<\/p>\n The San Francisco trio favors a unique blend of antiquity and modernity, merging Old World instruments like the West African kamale ngoni, kalimba, fujara, banjos and jaw harps with 21st-century electronic music tech to form a globe-spanning sound that\u2019s earthy and organic, immediate and experimental all at once.<\/p>\n On their current tour, which hits town Dec. 12 at Area15, 3215 S. Rancho Drive, Dirtwire is pairing up with Kansas City electro-funk duo The Floozies, the two having recently collaborated on sci-fi hoedown \u201cNeon Sundown\u201d (which doubles as the name of the outing).<\/p>\n Seeing the two together promises to be kind of like square dancing on Mars.<\/p>\n Other under-the-radar shows of note for December:<\/p>\n Jiggy Buckaroo<\/strong><\/p>\n Dec. 5, Fremont Country Club, 601 E. Fremont St.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cMy style different, partner,\u201d Jiggy Buckaroo announces early on his self-titled new album, which dropped Friday. And the same could be said of the flamboyant country rapper\u2019s home turf: He\u2019s among the rare hip-hop acts to hail from Wyoming. Musically, he\u2019s akin to the equally eccentric Riff Raff, albeit with far bigger belt buckles.<\/p>\n Catbite<\/strong><\/p>\n Dec. 12, Showcase Theatre at Rockstars of Tomorrow,<\/em> 1181 S. Buffalo Drive<\/em><\/p>\n Coed ska punk up-and-comers Catbite keep good company: Fall Out Boy frontman Patrick Stump guests on their latest EP \u201cDoom Garden,\u201d and the band has teamed up with Against Me!\u2019s Laura Jayne Grace for Operation Ivy tribute performances on numerous occasions. See \u2019em in a small room while you still can.<\/p>\n Madball<\/strong><\/p>\n Dec. 13, Backstage Bar & Billiards., 601 E. Fremont St.<\/em><\/p>\n New York City hardcore lifer Freddy Cricien was just 12 years old when he founded Madball in 1988, the band\u2019s initial lineup basically the same back then as scene pioneers Agnostic Front, but with a preteen singer. (AF frontman Roger Miret is Cricien\u2019s half-brother.) Like his older sibling, Cricien has been synonymous with the most rugged of East Coast sounds ever since.<\/p>\n Eyes Set to Kill<\/strong><\/p>\n Dec. 13, Swan Dive, 1301 S. Main St.<\/em><\/p>\n The early aughts metalcore scene was as heavy on the dudes as it was on the breakdowns. But with Eyes Set to Kill, Arizona siblings Alexia and Anissa Rodriguez countered all the testosterone with a feminine take on metalcore\u2019s meaty, cast iron riffs and lacerated vocal chords. On their current tour, they\u2019re celebrating the 15th anniversary of their fan- favorite third album, \u201cBroken Frames.\u201d<\/p>\n Ariel Pink<\/strong><\/p>\n Dec. 16, Swan Dive<\/em><\/p>\n Ariel Pink\u2019s boundless indie pop spans a little bit of everything, it seems \u2014 doo-wop, art rock, \u201980s-indebted electro, far-out folk, ever farther-out-there funk. You name it, and the incredibly prolific multi-instrumentalist has most likely day-dreamed his way through said genre at some point over the past 30 years, his repertoire as heartfelt as it is expansive.<\/p>\n \u2018A Natalie Cole Christmas\u2019 with Queen Aries<\/strong><\/p>\n Dec. 17, Backstage Bar & Billiards<\/em><\/p>\n Mariah Carey is cool and all, but if you\u2019re looking for some seasonal sounds that are more elegantly understated than octave-hoppingly overblown, check out Vegas R&B chanteuse Queen Aries as she delivers \u201cA Natalie Cole Christmas\u201d with Bobby Rose.<\/p>\n Rushadicus<\/strong><\/p>\n Dec. 19, Grey Witch, 722 W. Sunset Road, Henderson<\/em><\/p>\n Like an open bar or cheese in a can, some things are so wondrously awesome, they just sell themselves. Add Rushadicus to the list. The self-described \u201cinfamous cello goblin from the land of Sneth\u201d is here to make your \u201cMandolin Truckbed Fantasie\u201d come true with some supremely screwy folk\/extraterrestrial psychedelia for anyone looking to experience a peyote trip sans the illicit substances. Hop on the \u201cMagic Potato Carpet,\u201d and let\u2019s ride.<\/p>\n Black V Neck<\/strong><\/p>\n Dec. 26, Bauhaus Las Vegas, 115 N. Seventh St.<\/em><\/p>\n If all you wanted for Christmas was a night of sweaty tech house revelry and Santa left you hangin,\u2019 pout not, for Miami duo Black V Neck will pick up St. Nick\u2019s slack with bombastic dance floor bangers that\u2019ll help burn off any excess holiday calories for good.<\/p>\n High Stakes Fest<\/strong><\/p>\n Dec. 27, A-Lot at Area15<\/em><\/p>\n Describing himself as a \u201csick (expletive) foo on the 1\u2019s and 2\u2019s,\u201d DJ-producer Bolo sure knows how to top a resume. He\u2019s also skilled at crafting relentlessly heart-pounding, Latin-informed EDM. He teams up with Croatia\u2019s San Pacho and New York City\u2019s Westend for a night of high-impact house music with three headliners on one bill.<\/p>\n