Our bum-chums at Polaroids of Androids (the most outspoken hive of music-dweebs this side of the Mess+Noise forums) are having a party tonight and you're invited. Come get felt up and leered at inappropriately by the Polaroids crew plus Ernest Ellis and the Panamas (pictured), The Fighting League (Sydney album launch), Unity Floors, and Sean Lockhart (from Collarbones). Cheap brews, annoyingly cerebral Sydney music and a high-chance of daterape. Plus entry is free! WHAT: Polaroids of Androids XMas Party WHERE: Oxford Arts Factory WHEN: Tonight! HOW MUCH: FREEEEE Sons and Daughters by Ernest Ellis

Count to a hundred and play hide and seek with the latest addition to the Sydney small bar scene. To play, first head to Clarence Street. Seek out a deserted alleyway at street number 156. Walk down and follow the directions of a man pointing left. Open the door and go down the steps. If you've made it this far, you better set up a tent in the candlelit confines; you won't be leaving anytime soon. Run by the award-winning Shady Pines crew, The Baxter Inn has all the tell-tale signs of a small bar - dimly lit, no signage and themed. That's where the similarity ends. The focus is the long wooden bar manned by a decent number of dapper bartender gentlemen. Liquor bottles cozily line the wall, nestled among fairy lights. The selection is so epic it requires each bartender to use a library-style booze ladder to reach their desired bottle. Hosting and boasting more than 300 types of whisky, this could be a secret bar from the 1930s (I still have my suspicions that it is). We hand our fate over to award-winning bar manager Lewis Jaffrey of Grandma’s Bar fame. He expertly whips up a concoction that has the perfect balance of freshly squeezed apple juice, (made right in front of you), whisky and unknown additions, a drink not found on the menu. The Continental Sour, the Baxter signature take on a New York Sour, comes highly recommended, made up of rye whisky, egg white, lemon and a sweet hint of Young Blood red wine. Lewis takes us for a short tour into an old bank vault that’s been fashioned into an impressive wine cellar with an even more impressive wine list sourced by the enigmatic Enrique Mendoza. Bowls of pretzels are passed around; you can hear yourself speak over the old school tunes in the background. There are enough tables and booths to sit at and stools lining the bar; sit there and it's likely you will get to know all the bartenders and a few locals too. No detail is left untouched; from large hand cut ice cubes, to sockets lining the bar for phone charging convenience. Having only opened last week, The Baxter Inn has already been attracting a decent sized crowd on a Tuesday night. Decorated with fog horns and old style coin machines, take a trip back in time, but try to do so before the crowds ebb you out. WHAT The Baxter Inn WHERE The Basement, 152-156 Clarence St WHEN 4pm-1am, Monday-Saturday  Sheree Joseph www.twitter.com/flyfromadream

  I'll bet my little sister that you've never eaten anything that tastes so intensely of hazelnut than the hazelnut torte at Woolloomooloo's new bakery, Flour and Stone. The cake, sold in small whole versions or by the slice, is dense and rich but not too sweet, it's like a Nutella cake on steroids, smothered in chocolate icing and topped with roasted whole hazelnuts, and it's your afternoon tea wet dream. There are fresh flowers up on the bench where you can sit and dunk your soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie in a cup of tea from local producers, Rabbit Hole or a cup of coffee from super-roasters Alchemy. Their gingerbread cookies, which come iced in swoon-worthy shapes like clouds, hot-air balloons, snow-capped mountains, ice cream cones and unicorns are worth staying for too, as is the fine apple tart - caramelised apples sliced paper thin and fanned out on a buttery crust. Sandwiches are available, but sell out quick so don't wait around until 2pm to grab your lunch. Bring us back a slice of that torte, too. Cheers! WHAT Flour and Stone Bakery WHERE 53 Riley St, Woolloomooloo, (02) 8068 8818 www.flourandstone.com.au   Sophie McComas www.twitter.com/sophmccomas    

Canyons take to the live arena with style to celebrate the release of their debut LP 'Keep Your Dreams'. Canyons will be premiering their six-piece live band (with saxophone!) at the Civic Hotel Underground on Thursday December 15. Don't know your canyons from your ravines? Canyons - See Blind Through by modularpeople WHAT: Canyons debut Live show w/ Steele Bonus WHEN: Thursday Dec 15th WHERE: The Civic Underground, Sydney CBD HOW MUCH: $10 Adv / $15 on the door

An interesting collaboration between internationally acclaimed photographer and graphic designer Christopher Doyle and local wunderkind The Jezabels will take residence at Mart Gallery from Thursday evening. Chris has been creating The Jezabels' otherwordly, abstract artwork since the very beginning. This exhibition collects all the pieces together, along with unseen and test works. Sam from The Jezabels: “Chris is so important to us. With our releases, he has repeatedly been able to understand the underlying message of our music, as well as our somewhat strange musical aesthetic. He has time and time again come up with beautiful, surreal, sublime and uncanny visual translations of the music we make. We talk about this between ourselves in the band - the way that Chris has helped us define what we do." WHAT: The Jezabels @ Mart Gallery WHERE: 156 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010 WHEN: Thursday Dec 8th - 14th Dec, 12:00pm-5:00pm Daily HOW MUCH: FREE

Domeyko/Gonzalez have been inescapable this year - gigging solidly at parties big and miniscule while adorning local radio like a shiny, psychedlic hood-ornament. 'Sunshower' is the first single from Domeyko/Gonzalez's forthcoming debut album, Exploding the Beauty Myth. It's a three minute burst of psychedelia mixed with Californian surf harmonies over industrial big beat (according to the label PR). To celebrate, Death Strobe Recs are hosting an all-star bash at Spectrum. They'll be joined by local faves Toucan, Rainbow Chan, Lancelot, Nantes DJs and of course the Death Strobe Seizure Jockeys. Grab out the single here, replete with a Jagwar Ma Remix. STREAM: Domeyko/Gonzalez - Sunshower WHAT: Domeyko/Gonzalez w/ Toucan, Rainbow Chan, Lancelot, Nantes, DSDJs WHEN: Friday 9th December WHERE: Spectrum, Oxford St, Darlinghurst HOW MUCH: $12 on the door

Next Thursday, December 15, Showcase Gallery, and The Owl House present the first in a series of pop-up dining events. This Thursday's event coincides with Showcase Gallery’s latest exhibition - Drawing Attention by Barry Patenaude. Menu includes signature dishes like stuffed zucchini flowers and confit lamb shoulder from Darlinghurst’s The Owl House, which was recently awarded “Best Food in a Bar” by the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2011. Throughout the three course dinner, diners can check out the works of Barry Patenaude while enjoying gourmet, tapas-style mean from chef John Rankin, partnered with Argentinian wines. WHAT: Drawing Attention Art Dinner WHERE: Showcase Gallery & Dining, Suite 3, Level 2, 85 William Street, Darlinghurst WHEN: 6:30pm Thursday 15th December 2011 HOW MUCH: $85 - limited to strictly 30 places. Tickets here

Following the sweat-stained success of the GoodGod Birthday Long-Weekender, Jimmy Sing and co are throwing some equally out-there events to celebrate XMas / Eat Everything Day. The GoodGod XMas Party is Thursday December 8. Entitled BOOTY BOOTY BOOTY (ChristmASS Everywhere), expect low-clearance beats and trouser thundering booty rap vibes from two stars US stars - Big Freedia, a cross dressing, gender-bending rapper at the forefront of the New Orleans Bounce scene, and  Juiceboxx, a Milwaukee native mashing indy-punk aesthetics with the seriuz bizness of rap. WHAT: GoodGod XMas Party feat Big Freedia / Juiceboxx / DJ Sveta / Love Kings WHEN: Thursday 8th December WHERE: GoodGod Small Club, Liverpool St, Sydney CBD HOW MUCH: $25 from Moshtix

[gallery] I don't even want to guesstamate at the number of bassike fiends out there. It seem that most of Sydney (boys and girlies) are pretty enamoured with the brand that has its 'cotton' roots (see what I did there...) bedded in Av-town but that sells its fine, natural weave wears from a myriad of stores around Sydney. Last year bassike did a collab with havaianas (another Sydney-style staple) but this year the brand has found inspiration straight from the pebbled shores of the Mediterranean, partnering with Soludos to launch a limited edition range of espadrilles - perfect for Sydney cats who like to venture seaside, city deep and everywhere in between. Both brands are easily defined by an appreciation for understanded luxury, quality fabric and sustainability (the uppers are vegie-dyed!) so it's a pretty logical partnership - with the Soludos X bassike espadrilles retaining the design inclusions that make them a classic style plus a few unique touches for comfort and fit. And if non of the above has caught your eye... they're going to retail for $49.95 - WHICH by my equasion - means you'll end up with a cost per wear breakdown of amazing. Soludos X bassike espadrilles launching December 1, 2011 at bassike stores, David Jones and leading independent boutiques. lee-lee hops

ARIA Award winners Cut Copy are hosting a Cutters Records party this weekend at GoodGod Small Club Cut Copy Djs will be playing alongside Melbourne producer Knightlife, celebrating the launch of his new EP, 'I Want You' Pop down and give the Cut Copy boys and pat on the back before they jet off overseas again. Party starts this Friday night at GoodGod Small Club from 11:00pm KNIGHTLIFE - SERVES YOU RIGHT by Cutters Records WHAT: Cutters Rec Party feat Knightlife, Das Moth, Tunnel Signs (Deathstrobe Records), Francis Chang. WHEN: Friday 2nd December @ 11:00pm TICKETS: $15 on the door

Bondi's Camera Club presents Meet The Locals - an international photographic exhibition of street-style snaps from all over the planet. Twenty of the world's leading fashion photographers and street fashion bloggers have each selected five photos for a paste-up style display in the first globally curated event at The Camera Club. There’s submissions from bloggers as far afield as Malaysia, New York and Beijing plus a healthy contingent of Sydney snapperazi. Check out some profiles on the artists here. The exhibition kicks off Thursday at the Beach Road Hotel and it’s FREE WHAT: Camera Club pres. Meet The Locals WHEN: Thursday, 1st December @ 7:00pm WHERE: Beach Road Hotel, Bondi

Two of Warp Records' best UK exports, Hudson Mohawke and Rustie, head up a double bill at Manning Bar this summer Niche productions have just announced details of a one-night-only show on the 25th of February at Manning Bar, University of Sydney. Part of the current crop of young, UK Futurebass producers, both HudMo and Rustie dropped genre-defying albums in 2011. Tickets are $35 plus booking fee, available from the Manning Bar website right now. WHAT: Hold Tight! Feat Hudson Mohawke and WHEN: 25th February, 2011 TICKETS: First Release $35 from Manning Bar