One-man electronic/ambient/drone-ish outfit After The Thought launches a new EP, I Am No Different, with a gig at Port Mahon in Oxford on Friday 24 January. Entry is free! Free is always good. As well as ATT there’ll be a DJ set from the intriguingly-named Man Of Science. Man Of Faith.

The lengthily-named Upstairs in association with BBC Introducing in Oxford are back with their regular gigs at O2 Academy 2, Oxford, on Saturday 25 January. These gigs are always a good way to get up to speed with a selection of what’s going on in Oxford music right now, and this one is no different. The slick’n’moody Wild Swim will be supported by Beta Blocker And The Body Clock, Theo Bass, Whale And More Whale and The Aureate Act. Where do these people get some of their band names from, eh? Who knows…

Metalheads among you will want to get along to O2 Academy 2 in Oxford on Friday 31 January, as the 7.5-hour marathon of heaviness Skelefest will be taking place. For a long time Skeletor has been Oxford’s finest promoter of metal bands, and they’re celebrating the noise with a huge line-up that includes Bricks & Mortar, Empire Divided, K-Lacura, Retribution, Jabroni Sandwich, Dead Mesa, Crows’ Reign, Lest We Forget, Ignite The Sky and Annero. Whoah! HURRGHGHH! Metal!

Full details of these and loads more gigs can be found in the events calendar.