Music briefs 

WXYC TURNS 30
Without much ado, UNC-Chapel Hill's radio station, WXYC 89.3 FM, is throwing itself a 30th birthday party. DJs will include Local 506 owner and former WXYC music director GLENN BOOTHE and Carolina Soul founder JASON PERLMUTTER with 45-minute sets. DJs from WXYC's past will split back-and-forth sets with current station spinners. Archival images will play on a projection screen, and pieces of two turntable cakes will be available for those in attendance. Admission is free, and the music starts at 9 p.m.

BEATS BY THE FLOOR
This month's ELECTRONICA VIVA showcase at Durham's Ringside on Saturday, Dec. 1, looks to be one of the best recent bills for the Signal Festival-sponsored series in a while: Chapel Hill drone artist Promute joins longtime Raleigh guitarist Craig Hilton. Chapel Hill DJ Markus Maerk and several others will be on hand for the three-floor show, too, which starts at 10 p.m.

TREKKY CHRISTMAS II
Trekky Records' second annual CHRISTMAS AT THE CRADLE comes with another stellar line-up: Portastatic, Annuals, The Moaners, Ivan "Rosebud" Howard, Midtown Dickens, I Was Totally Destroying It, Hammer No More the Fingers and host Billy Sugarfix rework yuletide favorites Wednesday, Dec. 19.

SUBLIME FREQUENCIES
Consider this advance notice that on Sunday, Dec. 9, at Carrboro's Open Eye Café, HISHAM MAYET—who has opened American ears to some of the most exciting sounds from around the world with his SUBLIME FREQUENCIES record label—will present two recent films, Palace of the Winds and Musical Brotherhoods from the Trans-Saharan Highway. Important cultural transmitters with ears like satellite receivers, Sublime Frequencies has released music from Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Niger and dozens of other countries. This is a rare treat to hear from one of the men who has made it happen.

DIGITAL FIX
Local agit-rock quartet Boxbomb recently signed to Raleigh label Tragic Hero Records, which has released records by Alesana, Yearling, Called to Arms and a dozen other acts over the last two years. The label will release Boxbomb's debut LP, My Obsession, nationally in February, though it will be available digitally Dec. 4 and at the band's release party Friday, Dec. 14, at the Cat's Cradle.

WORTH THE TRIP
Two fantastic double bills on opposite ends of the state next week: Wilmington's WEEDEATER and Savannah's BARONESS—metal bands who put out two of the year's best records—rendezvous at the Soapbox Lounge in Wilmington on Tuesday, Dec. 4. Then, country-garage-rock-love men REIGNING SOUND meet up with Atlanta's BLACK LIPS at the Orange Peel in Asheville. See you there.