Fun around town, for $10 or less: Nobody’s Fool: Camp Bette continues with an outdoor screening of All About Eve at the International House (3701 Chestnut), 8PM. Free Jazzy: The Friends of Malcolm X Memorial Park present Barbara Walker at the Summer Heritage Jazz Series in the Park (52nd and Pine), 7-9PM. Free Transform Your Mind: Introduction to Buddhist psychology presented by the Menlha Buddhist Center at the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia (1906 S......

It's a bit difficult for us to convey just how psyched we are for Sunday night's concert at the North Star Bar. Not one, but two of our favorite bands will hitting town to provide some much-needed respite from the 24-7 Olympics coverage we've been drowning in. So some good brew, some good bar food, and some excellent tunes sounds like just what we need to get us out of the house (not to mention......

How about this unseasonably cool weather? Saturday night was pretty much a perfect night for a concert. So our only concern heading into the Maroon 5/Counting Crows show was whether the performers would measure up to the ideal setting. The evening got off to a great start with Sara Bareilles (MySpace). Given that we really enjoyed her most recent album, Little Voice, we had high hopes. And Bareilles delivered. Firstly, the title of her album,......

Fresh off a triumphant performance at last weekend’s Lollapalooza festival in Chicago, in which lead singer Kele Okereke sported a fetching Barack Obama T-shirt, English dance-rock foursome Bloc Party rolls into town tonight to play a sold-out show at the TLA, along with opening act Does It Offend You, Yeah? and its annoying, grammar-check-baffling moniker. This show should be anticipated for several reasons. First, there is the opportunity to see if Bloc Party’s sailor’s-knot-tight rhythms......

English duo The Ting Tings have blasted onto the scene this year with an energetic brand of '80s-reminiscent dance-punk. Their debut album, We Started Nothing, debuted at Number 1 on the UK albums chart, while their song “That’s Not My Name” also reached the top spot on the trend-setting nation’s list of best-selling singles. However, the band should not be taken as an overnight sensation. Singer-guitarist Katie White was part of a defunct girl group......

Is there any band that injects as many catchy hooks into songs about suicide, murder, and all other manners of tragedy as Alkaline Trio (MySpace)? Not that we can think of offhand. Like many other people, we first heard of Alkaline Trio about five years ago, thanks to their ironically anti-establishment mainstream breakthrough, "We've Had Enough." We liked their sound from pretty much moment one, but didn't really get hooked until they rocked our socks......

Generally, we don't listen to the Jimmy Buffett or The Beach Boys in January. We don't listen to the Charlie Brown Christmas album in the summer. (Although, Eric Hutchinson would probably disagree with us.) And normally, we don't really listen to Type O Negative (MySpace) except for roughly a month before and after Halloween. We've seen them twice before on Halloween night, or the night before Halloween, and we believe that time of the year......

It's hot. Balls hot. Only way to cool off is with a nice pint. Tonight take a nice cool draft of electroclash with Ladytron's show at the TLA at the Fillmore. Understated vocals and pulsating electronic beats are a cool salve for your overworked, overheated brain. Plus you haven't made that drunken stumble from Tattooed Mom's to the TLA in a while. Check out the first single from Ladytron's latest album, Velocifero, here, and then......

Some artists seem just born to entertain. They're not gonna wow you with their musicianship. They're not writing the most stirringly beautiful songs. They're just really freakin' fun. And that pretty much sums up Locksley (MySpace). We've really dug their latest album, Don't Make Me Wait, but we still weren't expecting much. Not that we thought Locksley would be bad. We just kinda figured that they wouldn't give us much reason to endorse their live......

Have you ever gotten into a debate about music with a hardcore Rush (MySpace) fan? If not, here's what you need to do. Next time you feel compelled to take your life in your hands, try to convince a Rush fan that Rush is not the greatest band ever. The loyalty they engender in their fans is something unmatched by, well, anyone. We'd always looked on Rush fans' fervor with a grain of salt, no......

When we arrived at the Atlantic City House of Blues in the Showboat casino, we were pretty sure we knew what to expect. And we were going to be damn upset if we didn't get it. After all, sitting in the parking lot known as 676 East on a summer Friday had caused our trip from Center City to take two hours. So we weren't in the best mood, because we had to scramble to......

How's work going for you this week? Are you feeling a little bummed that it's Wednesday? The memory of last weekend has faded, and you've still got a couple days of work to plow through before you get to this weekend, right? You're feeling a little down, and you could really use a bit of a pick-me-up. Luckily for you, you'll be able to get exactly what you need at the Fillmore at the TLA......

These days, Death Cab for Cutie (MySpace) is seeming a little bit more alive. When we heard “I will possess your heart” and other new tracks from the band’s latest album, Narrow Stairs, we thought our favorite music for melancholy moods had been injected with some happy pills. Lead singer Ben Gibbard recently told Gothamist he and the band were proud of this album. “I think it's far more loud and more raw than......

If you missed our interview with Eric Hutchinson, which we ran a couple weeks ago, check it out here. Heading into the Eric Hutchinson (MySpace) show at World Cafe Live, we pretty much knew what to expect from Eric: good banter, strong performance, and a bit of cheekiness that makes you wonder how much of it is shtick and how much is actual ego. It's all part of Eric Hutchinson's charm. We were expecting him......

Everyone has a story. Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, who plays Johnny Brenda's tonight, has a story that reads like a film. His name alone is a mouthful. Then we read some clips. Another singer whose self-destruction was somehow wrapped up in his musical talent, therefore making it okay for his implosion to be public rather than private? Boring. Yet his music transcends the hard-luck hype. His voice is contemplative, yet playful. His descent into darkness......

This week is already insane and it's only Tuesday. If we make it to Friday this time, we're going to reconsider religion. MINISTRY'S C U LATOUR Naming tours might not be their strong suit, but Ministry has been defining industrial rock for almost 30 years. That's a long time and a whole lotta rock. Tonight they will come to Philly for what will presumably be their last visit. These guys made many careers possible—some......

We hope you're already aware that Sara Sherr, Philly's own friendly neighborhood music writer/show booker/show promoter/DJ/karaoke hostess/performer, has a regular event called Sugar Town highlighting the work of lady rockers and DJs, and that the next entry in the series takes place this Saturday night at Tritone. But we wanted to highlight this particular Sugar Town, as it features some folks we've been listening to a lot lately: H*E*R and Alice Cohen. H*E*R is a......

So many singers are known by their voice—Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Carly Simon. Although not as widely known, Mike Doughty is no different. His droning, monotone voice is what characterized every song he played last Friday night at the TLA. Haunting, melodic, and just gosh darn beautiful. Doughty stayed true to his “dude theory”—the idea of making a relaxed record that sounds like a bunch of dudes playing music for the pure joy of......

This Phillyist would like to thank a certain pink-haired girl for introducing me to one of the greatest bands to come out of Southern California in the '90s: The Mountain Goats. Singer-songwriter John Darnielle is pretty much the only permanent member of the band, although he's been accompanied by Peter Hughes for quite a while now, along with a shifting group of other people. The lyrics are powerful, intelligent, character-driven, and literate—but don't worry, there's......

No, this is not a rerun of our recent post of the same title. It's just that we had a chance to see him again so soon and we jumped on it. As you should too, next time he comes to town. Even though the crowd was somewhat smaller at this show than the last time he performed at World Café Live, David Ford was nevertheless singing to the rafters. He opened with his signature......

David Ford...

Fun around town, for $10 or less: The Kids Are All Right: Curtis on Tour, featuring Roberto Diaz on violin, at the Field Concert Hall (1726 Locust), 8PM. Free Bluebond: Bluebond Guitar Night at Raven Lounge (1718 Sansom), 8PM. $5 Open Mic: Free at The Fire (412 W. Girard). Sign up at 8:30PM. (21+) Sing Your Life!: Karaoke with DJ Sara Sherr Mondays upstairs at the Khyber (56 S. Second), 9PM - 2 AM. Free......

Every Tuesday and Thursday, we'll be posting events that are going on sale during the current week. This Thursday post only collects the latest announcements, so definitely check the Tuesday post for any you may have missed. Lee Williams and the Spiritual QC's First District Plaza Sun, 4/13/08, 8PM $30-$40 On sale: Fri, 10AM, Ticketmaster Running Red Lights with Desoto Jones The Trocadero Thu, 5/13/08, 7PM $10 On sale: Fri, 12PM, Ticketmaster Time Again The......

Looks like we're in for some flooding tonight, so bring your galoshes. But don't let the forecast foil your fun. There's plenty to do in Philly tonight, and a good swim is an excellent cardio workout, gets the endorphins pumping, and leaves one feeling fit and invigorated. Or, you could just get a cab home. THE PAUL GREEN SCHOOL OF ROCK ALL-STARS WITH SPECIAL GUEST JON ANDERSON FROM YES You remember Yes, no? Well......

In about a week and a half, singer/songwriter Johnathan Rice is going to be down at Stubb's in Austin, supporting no less a band than R.E.M. at South by Southwest. But luckily for those of us who live up here in Philly and won't be able to make it to the big party in Austin, Rice is currently touring with Matt Costa, and will be a little closer to us tomorrow night, at the First......

It's cold out today, so don't plan on any of that trendy "frolf" you and your phellow Phishers like so much. No, today is definitely an inside day, so we have done our best to bring some most excellent indoor activities in which you may indulge the warmth-loving tendencies of your evening self. THE ENGLISH BEAT AT THE TROC We'll admit that we don't know much about The English Beat, but if they're touring......

Today is another irresponsibly light day when it comes to Can't Miss This! fare. It's not that we don't love you, it's just that we are very popular and everyone wants to spend time with us and, some days, it gets out of control. Like today. So, here's the short-and-sweet skinny on what you should do tonight instead of staying home to defragment your hard drive. Nerd. THE LEGACY OF 1808: THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION......

Entering the empty stage, David Ford began to shake his maracas into the microphone. He stepped away and lowered the maracas, but, as if it was somehow coming from behind the scenes, the sound continued to echo. He then briefly vocalized into the mic and -- same as the maracas -- after the vocalization was over, it eerily continued. At this point, hushed murmurs throughout the crowd could be heard: "What is he doing?" "How......

Looking for something to do tonight? February boring you? Feel a primal need to fight the snow and the ice bearing down on our fair city? Check out The Bravery (with guests The Switches and Your Vegas) at the Fillmore at the TLA. No less than the Village Voice has proclaimed them 'New York's Next Big Thing' and the venerable Auntie Beeb called them 2005's (okay, we know it's 2008) most promising act. We'll see......