As He Likes It: Avid Bookshop will host an evening with Killick Hinds on Wednesday, Dec. 5. Known simply as Killick, the years-long Athens improvisational (as well as many other experimental styles) fixture will do a short live performance and read from his newly published book The World for a Dying Antidote. So, what's the book about? Glad you asked. Killick says via press release, “[The book] is a musical improviser's operating manual and notes from the quantum field: an autobiography moving from personal to universal. It's an attempt to reckon Appalachian trance metal and shamanistic tradition as they adapt to our high-tech interconnectedness.” That's a lot to take in, and if Killick wasn't so damn sincere about the whole thing, I'd probably take it as word salad myself. But he is a constant explorer, who, true to his music's nature, never pretends he's arrived fully—and whose work I've followed and enjoyed for many years—and I'm quite looking forward to reading his book. Avid Bookshop is located at 493 Prince Ave., and this event takes place from 6–7:30 p.m. For more information, see killick.me. If you're out and about the night before, Killick will also perform at Go Bar on Tuesday, Dec. 4, when he'll share a bill with Tom Eisenbraun.

Entertainment, bein' all spooky and junk

The Dark Web: The premier and most inarguably authentic goth band in Athens/Atlanta, Entertainment, was supposed to have an unmastered stream of its new album, Neon Horror, available for a limited time last week over at soundcloud.com/entertainmentofficial/sets. But the stream wasn't available immediately, so there's a chance, albeit a slight one, that the band has extended its limited availability from a mere five days to at least a few more. Which would mean you're in luck and you should go there now. Set to be released via Hollywood, CA's Disaro Records sometime very soon—was supposed to be this month, might be early next year; I dunno, ask the Mayans—and is the first full-length project from the group since 2008's acclaimed Gender, which you can still stream via entertainment.bandcamp.com. The band rarely plays live, so your best bet for keeping up with it is via Twitter @adistantsound.

Beat Me Up, Scotty: Mad Axes will release its new album, You Are the Real Monster, on Saturday, Dec. 1. You'll be able to find it at madaxes.bandcamp.com and at local retail outlets where this type of thing is sold. The hip-hop trio recorded the album with engineer and spiritual advisor Joel Hatstat, and it features appearances from DJ Triz, Craig Lieske (Garbage Island), Tom Television (Future Ape Tapes), S.O.H.I. and Eric McDowell (The Nice Machine). Careful observers will remember that Flagpole really dug Mad Axes' debut album, the appropriately titled Debut Smash, last year, and although the band didn't leak any tracks to me, I have no doubt that this one will up the ante a bit. Did you miss out on Debut Smash? Grab it at the site linked above or at madaxes.com. Word up.

Other Voices, Other Rooms: Newly formed entity Athens Provisions is trucking right along. The purposefully nebulous project has focused much of its effort recently on promoting shows at 399 Meigs St. Oldsters will know this as the former Salvation Army shelter, while newsters know it as the space belonging to New West Records. (The space was completely refurbished during its brief tenure as a fraternity house.) I've only been to one performance there, but I can report that it's a nicely intimate room that is neither stuffily fancy nor claustrophobically dingy. It's quite a comfortable, casual and navigable room with pro baffling and sound throughout. Curious? Well, honcho, the next event to take place at 399 Meigs is a performance by the songwriter's songwriter, Richard Buckner, on Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 8:30 p.m. Now on Merge Records, Buckner first came to national attention during the Americana boom of the 1990s, and his style has since crossed the great plains from dusty-boot existentialism to empty-desert (and crowded-city) desperation, hitting every major point in between. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at 399meigsrichardbuckner.eventbrite.com.

Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah: The most elaborate and expensive New Year's Eve events always happen at the Melting Point. Buoyed by the fact that all a patron has to do to get “home” safely is stumble across a parking lot into one of the rooms at the Foundry Park Inn, the venue is an obvious shoo-in for both couples escaping their children and out-of-towners visiting their children. New Year's Eve at the Melting Point always sells out, too, even though it's a bit pricey. To wit, this year's event will run you $169 for the show and a room or $249 for the show, a room and dinner. I dunno, maybe that's not all that pricey. Featured entertainment this night is Kinchafoonee Cowboys and The Charlie Garrett Band, each of whom you'd have to pay me to see but, you know, to each his own, and 'tis the season, and all that. For more information, please see meltingpointathens.com.