Now that the Pixies reunion is finally reaching Massachusetts (see Matt Ashare’s interview with Frank Black in Music), can we complain about how Boston got screwed? New York City gets a week of club dates. Even UMass — Amherst’s Mullins Center (413-545-3001) gets its own gig this Tuesday (which, given the song "UMass," you can hardly begrudge ’em). But a string of Boston club appearances, rumored back in the summer, never materialized. And barring some late-breaking secret club show — à la the one that openers Mission of Burma did upon re-forming a few years back — you’ll have to trek out to Tsongas Arena (978-848-6900) in Lowell on Wednesday or next Thursday.

’Tis the season for holiday radio shows, with modern-rock bands flying all over the country while competing for shrinking playlist spots. Providence’s WBRU kicks off a two-night shindig at Lupo’s at the Strand (401-331-LUPO) on Monday with Papa Roach, Lit, and odd-emogeeks-out Coheed and Cambria. On Tuesday, the ’BRU blowout continues at Lupo’s with the emo drama gig of the season: Taking Back Sunday headlining, with a pair of that band’s estranged members opening in their new band, Straylight Run. The Used, My Chemical Romance, and odd-grungepopsters-out the Presidents of the United States will try to keep the peace. You can also catch Papa Roach’s warm-up gig at the Webster Theater (860-525-5553) in Hartford on Friday, as well as My Chemical Romance’s one-off at the Big Easy (207-871-8817) in Portland on Sunday.

We really never expected to hear a pre-Metallica speedmetal revival in our lifetimes, but the Canadian metalcore outfit 3 Inches of Blood have that shit down to a science, right down to a high-cackling lead singer, dragon-slaying lyrics, and the telltale four-horsemen gallop that went out of style with Helloween. (See Sean Richardson’s review in "Off the Record.") And now they’re on the road with the real thing — bona-fide pre-Metallica speedmetal champs Metal Church! The two bands hit Cabot Street Pub (413-592-4748) in Chicopee on Friday, and Club Fuel (978-458-1288) in Lowell on Sunday. Also look for Mass metalcore’s next breakout stars, Diecast, on tour behind their new Tearing Down Your Blue Skies (Century Media) at the Palladium (800-477-6849) in Worcester on Friday, and at the Living Room (401-521-5200) in Providence on Tuesday.