The whiff of pine, gløgg and roasted almonds on Strøget can only mean one thing. Yes, it’s that time of the year again: time to dip into your pocket and make your brands and local shops happy in the name of exchanging material gifts to demarcate Christmas and indeed the birth of a well-known chap around the world, Jesus.

Of course, with the weather being as dim as it tends to be in December (particularly before the solstice around the 22nd), merrymaking, trading goodies and symbolically atoning for one’s misdemeanors over the past year seems like a very good way to pass  time, which for many during the winter consists of going all JRR Tolkien and hibernating in one’s humble abode for as long as possible. Venturing underground, away from the cold through hibernation does have its perks though, some of which are ingrained in the much-discussed Danish ‘hygge’ culture, which denotes different things to many, but in our mind, rekindles fond memories of dim, candle-lit rooms eloquently decorated with boughs of holly and cheery music against a backdrop of falling snow and darkened skies.  So this time round Underground would like to take the liberty of recommending a daily dose of hygge factor over the next few months; you’ll be indoors for a lot of the time anyhow, so why not enjoy it as much as you can while you’re at it – candles, kransekage and all ?

Continuing in the same advisory tone, many may be wondering what’s in store in the way of cultural events over the festive period, and indeed New Year’s Eve, for some a mammoth commemoration of the passing of the bygone year and the ushering in of another. Underground recommends that whatever your plans are for the evening, lay them out long in advance, as venues are packed beyond capacity on the 31st. Culture Box and the meatpacking district are good bets for a fun night out, but be prepared for long queues, hiked prices and the possibility of venues refusing you entry. In the case of Kødbyen, the meatpacking district, one packed club is not an issue as you can move on to another less-filled venue. In the case of Culture Box, Underground would recommend early entry.

With this in mind, when you do choose to leave your boroughs, here is some of what you can treat yourself to.

Happy holidays!

Deer Tick, Ideal Bar; Jan 28; 80kr
Deer Tick’s music is a mix between folk, blues and country, led by the superlative vocal talents of singer-songwriter John McAuley. Hailing from Rhode Island, the quintet will start 2014 on the back of a newly released album, Negativity, a tale of some of the anecdotes of a hard bygone year for the band.  Supporting them will be one of the unsung heroes of the local music scene, Sink Ships – whose music is, for lack of a better word, beautiful.
Julebass/Christmas bass

Stengade; Dec 28; 70kr
All I want for Christmas is a bit of bass. Drum and bass. Just when everyone was ranting on about how the legendary Stengade venue had closed, the city’s best drum and bass crew, OHOI, had other ideas. The grand old man of drum and bass in Denmark, Tim Driver, will be on the scene, accompanied by Anders Meinhardt of the legendary D ‘n’ B crew FUKT, Copy Flex and other big names in the genre.

Polica, Lille Vega; Jan 24; 160kr
Polica are back in town, having performed here back in August, which means that they are obviously quite a popular act in these parts. Synth pop that staggers ever so slightly into the terrain of R & B on occasion is the propellant behind this humble ensemble, who released their debut album this year and will most likely follow through with a successor in 2014. Catch them while they are still hot.

FanFare Ciocarla, Global CPH; Feb 7; 140kr
Fanfare Ciocarla are an orchestra of twelve loons from the remote, humdrum town of Zece Prajinini, Romania. You might recognise their loud, carefree sound from Sacha Baron Cohen’s satirical flick Borat or their catchy Balkan version of the 007 theme song.  There’s no doubting the intent of these brass bandits, who’ve performed across Europe time and again to critical acclaim from many in the music industry. This time around, they’ll be getting Global CPH firing on all cylinders as they kick off the first concert of the year at the multicultural Nørrebro venue.!