Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY: Theme=Red + Black: The 5th Anniversary party for Sex Dwarf, our favorite new wave dance party, at Fluid (614 S 4th), 9PM. Free before 10PM, $5 after Smooth Jazz: Smooth Jazz Summer Nights presents Warren Hill at the Great Plaza on Penn’s Landing (Chestnut and Columbus Blvd), 7:30PM. Free SATURDAY: ACANA: ACANA African Festival at the Great Plaza on Penn’s Landing (Chestnut and Columbus Blvd), 12PM. Free......

Despite their name, NYC four-piece Vampire Weekend (MySpace) is not a shoe-gazing, emo goth band. In fact, their self-titled debut LP, just released at the end of last month, is perhaps best described as "sunny" - the very antithesis of a vampire's idea of a good weekend. This band, beloved of many blogs (including us), performs bouncy, funny, clever, retro indie/punk/pop/New Wave songs about love. Their music is so fun it feels like there has......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY On the Highwire Tonight: Fire Museum Records presents MaryClare Brzytwa, Dominique Leone, and Ashley Deekus at Highwire Gallery (2040 Frankford Ave.), 8PM. $5 The Other New Wave: Screening of Francois Truffaut’s 1959 The 400 Blows at Molly’s Bookstore (1010 S. 9th), 7PM. Free Oh the Drama: The Drama Club, The Grundles, The Peace Creeps, and The Miners at Grape Street (4100 Main St.), 8PM. $10 We'll Remember:......

We can't say we're entirely proud of ourselves for this, but we have to admit we're totally loving Black Fingernails, Red Wine, the third album and latest release from Australian trio Eskimo Joe (MySpace). Sure, it's pop. But it's also totally fun (one might even say irresistible), infectious, danceable pop rock with a New Wave (sometimes almost Depeche Mode-ish) flavor, and a piano often tinkling in the background. Download two of our favorite tracks off......

It's rare that we get to talk about an indie rock show that features more than one band that we're familiar with and impressed by, but we're getting that chance today. Tonight at Johnny Brenda's both Film School (MySpace) and Eulogies will be playing, along with Cloud Minder and Minipop. Eulogies, on their self-titled release, plays a melancholy (but fun) alterna-pop that one might describe as emo - although we'd rather not, since emo has......

Phillyist is pleased as punch to announce our participation in a very cool contest/giveaway. You can check out the web page here, but we'll give you the background: super fun indie trio The Noisettes are on tour, opening for TV on the Radio, and they're coming to the Troc in our own hometown on April 20th (sorry, the show is already sold out!). And after they run across the nation opening for TV on the......

What's new and/or interesting at Philly theaters this weekend. Most Likely to Rule: Venus - Peter O'Toole essentially plays himself - a veteran English actor - except as if he never really hit the big time, and as if he were lusting after his friend's grand-niece (which may or may not be based on reality). Hanging around with the young girl and teaching her about life makes him realize how little he really knows himself.......

Have you heard of these guys Esque, out of Memphis? The name is pronounced like the suffix, meaning "like" or "having the characteristics of." And what are they like? They're only like the best post-punk, New New Wave band we've heard in a long time is what. We've been listening to their 5-track EP Everyone's Playing, and there's not a track on it we don't love (although "The Escape Artist" is a particular favorite). It's......

New Cars Giveaway
11/6/06-11/9/06...

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY New Wave Has a Dark Side? (We Mean Outside the Fashion): The monthly 80s New Wave dance party that is closest to Phillyist's heart has come 'round once again - and since it's the October edition, dancers are invited to come dressed as their favorite New Wave star. Doors open at 9PM, admission is free until $10 and just $5 thereafter. Fluid nightclub (614 S. 4th St.).......

Friday Kilroy: Local musician and (Phillyist friend) Kilroy plays The Khyber (56 S. 2nd Street)with The Mextrosexuals, Gemini Wolf and Misnomer(s) - the latter of which we are told are "2 beautiful sisters from NYC. one raps and the other plays violin! no shit." Expect an interesting evening of music. 9PM. $8. 21+ Procession Came Opposite: Procession Came Opposite with Ritter, Much the Same and Anchors for Arms at The Fire (412 W. Girard).......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: ALL WEEKEND LONG: Free music all weekend at Penn's Landing, including Mary Chapin Carpenter, Buckweat Zydeco and (someone alert all our local McDonald's restaurants) Ashlee Simpson, among others. More info on the Penn's Landing Corporation's website. FRIDAY: Beach Party (sans beach): This month's Sex Dwarf is all about the beach. Go in your "best retro beachwear" and dance the New Wave night away. At Fluid Nightclub (614 S.......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY: An Evening with Billy Plympton: Awesome animator Bill Plympton will be onhand to screen his work at the Franklin Institute (222 North 20th Street) as part of The Franklin Institute Animation Festival. Tickets are $8, and this event is at 8PM. (The Plympton show is being listed as appropriate for ages 10 and up.) In the Franklin Institute's Stearns Auditorium. MilkBattle '06: Four high school bands battle......

by Star Foster and Jim Genzano Sweden's The Sounds are coming to town in support of their new album, Dying to Say This to You, a follow-up to Living in America. The album is an unexceptional but unobjectionable, generally quite fun, vaguely New Wave, pop rock disc, with tracks of the catchy ("Song With a Mission"), sexy ("Tony the Beat"), and indie ("Hurt You") variety. If you haven't heard of The Sounds...well, you should have!......

We at Phillyist like editors. In fact, some of us are editors. So we're pretty excited about the Editors show this Saturday night at the Troc. The Editors are the big news out of the UK these days. They already toured with Franz Ferdinand last year, getting people all across the UK and Europe worked up about the cool New Wave sound on their chart-climbing debut album, The Back Room, so now they've decided......

Between NCAA basketball and liquors of the Irish sort, we're sure it's been one helluva weekend for all of you. Here's what our sister sites have been up to since we left you on Friday. Shanghaiist: Here's a great idea: let's have Mike Tyson, a convicted sex offender, sponsor a club called "Snatch." Gothamist: This is so, so much more compelling than the graffiti in the Penn Library's bathroom debating what makes a JAP.......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Harry and the Potters: Two brothers who both think they're the wunderkind wizard - and who play music. Appearing at the First Unitarian Church (22nd and Chestnut) at 7PM with Uncle Monster Face. This show is $7 and it's all ages. More info at R5 Somebody's Baby with Doug Wallen: Monthly New Wave, '80s, Britpop dance party. This week's guests are U.S. Funk Team & DJ Art Andrews.......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Dan Malloy: Elkins Park musician and "depressing art movie waiting to happen," Dan Malloy plays at Upstairs, Live! (3025 Walnut Street) at noon as part of their Free @ Upstairs Live! series. Starving Artists Monologue Slam!: How much do we love the idea of competitive acting? (We'll give you a hint...it's a whole heck of a lot.) Register to compete for the $25 or the $100 grand prize......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Somebody's Baby with Doug Wallen: Monthly New Wave, '80s, Britpop dance party. This week's guests are U.S. Funk Team & DJ Art Andrews. $3 at The M Room (15 W. Girard). Free! Philly Unplugged: Every Wednesday at the Reef Caribbean Lounge (3rd and South) local artists are highlighted by Philly Unplugged. Doors open at 9PM, show starts at 10PM, and admission is $10. Coffee and Karaoke: Weekly karaoke......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY Free Friday at Noon Concert: At XPN's World Cafe (3025 Walnut Street).  Today's artists are Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3. Admission is free, but RSVP is required. Sex Dwarf: The monthly 80's New Wave Dance party at Fluid Nightclub (613 S. 4th Street).  Doors open at 10, and admission is FREE until 10:30 ($5 cover thereafter).  This month's theme is "Book of Love," so bring your......

Friday night Phillyist witnessed a pretty entertaining quadrilogy of indie bands in the cramped, smokey, bottle-littered confines of the Khyber bar. First up was Remote Islands. Next to their name on the Khyber website, Phillyist had noticed the parenthetical phrase "the Last Show." Remote Islands turned out to be just one guy with an acoustic guitar (and occasionally a kazoo) who apologized for the lack of bandmates (word around the Khyber was that they'd......

Frugal in Philly is a weekly celebration of all things Philly that are fun, frugal (costing $10 or less) or free! Stop here each week to see what Philly's got to offer for those of us who haven't quite mastered the art of becoming Independently Wealthy (although believe us, we're trying). Featured Pick of the Week: Ben's 300th Birthday Party If Philly's favorite Founding Father - Benjamin Franklin - were still alive, he'd be 300......

Frugal in Philly is a weekly celebration of all things Philly that are fun, frugal (costing $10 or less) or free! Stop here each week to see what Philly's got to offer for those of us who haven't quite mastered the art of becoming Independently Wealthy (although believe us, we're trying). Featured Pick of the Week: Holidays in the Slush R5 Productions is offering not one but two all-ages punk rock shows this week at......

Frugal in Philly is a weekly celebration of all things Philly that are fun, frugal (costing $10 or less) or free! Stop here each week to see what Philly's got to offer for those of us who haven't quite mastered the art of becoming Independently Wealthy (although believe us, we're trying). Featured Pick of the Week: Chronicling the Chronicles of Narnia Phillyist knows there are all kinds of controversy brewing about the movie version of......

Frugal in Philly is a weekly celebration of all things Philly that are fun, frugal (costing $10 or less) or free! Stop here each week to see what Philly's got to offer for those of us who haven't quite mastered the art of becoming Independently Wealthy (although believe me, we're trying). Featured Pick of the Week: Harry and the Potters - No One Can Stop the Wizard Rock Sure, the new movie is coming out......

Note: In this review, Phillyist is going to make some musical and pop culture references that we understand some of you may be too young to understand. For those of you, Phillyist would like to say two things. (1) We're including some helpful keywords so you can do follow-up research on Wikipedia, at your local music store, or in your parents record collection (see: LP or Long Playing Record) (2) the fact that some......

Frugal in Philly is a weekly celebration of all things Philly that are fun, frugal (costing $10 or less) or free! Stop here each week to see what Philly's got to offer for those of us who haven't quite mastered the art of becoming Independently Wealthy (although believe me, we're trying). Featured Pick of the Week: Arts and Culture Week Starting this friday, it's Arts and Culture Week in Center City Philadelphia. This means 1/2......

It's no secret that Phillyist loves Sex Dwarf - DJs Robert Drake and Pussy Galore's monthly 80's dance party at Fluid. But tonight's event is extra special; not only can you go and get your dorky dance on (we're sorry, although 80's music is Awesome, it's impossible to look cool when you dance to it), but in celebration of Sex Dwarf's second year, dancers and wallflowers alike can enjoy $1 PBRs, a free buffet from......