Former The Format lead singer Nate Ruess, Andrew Dost of Anthello, and Jack Antonoff of Steel Train have merged into a whirling dervish of a new band. The act is called fun. (Myspace) and fun it certainly is. So fun in fact, that it's one of those emerging bands people lie about discovering first (we know because a certain friend of ours did exactly that not more than 24 hours after we first introduced him to fun.'s music). Their debut album, Aim and Ignite features spectacularly arranged pop songs heavily influenced by the story-telling stylings of musical theater. more ›

If you're anything like us, the only time you ever heard "Irish" and "soul music" used in the same sentence was in reference to The Commitments, the 1991 Alan Parker movie that featured a retro soul band that was surprisingly good enough to have a shelf life beyond that of the film. That was true until 2008, when Rolling Stone named Laura Izibor one of six Artists to Watch in 2008. And watch, we did. more ›

It was gym class at the NovaCare Complex last weekend, as more than four hundred ladies clad in all things Eagle embraced the idea of learning the "X"s and "O"s of America's most coveted game—football. Let's face it, most women in this area know they need to be an Eagles fan (or at least claim to be) in order to survive, but many of them do not understand the fundamentals of how the game is played. There is nothing more boring than watching a game you know nothing about. The Philadelphia Eagles understand your frustration, which is why they created Eagles Academy, a program designed to help women better understand the basics. You will leave there knowing who has the ball and why the other team is chasing them. We promise! more ›

Last I checked, it's a recession. You know, crashing markets, job losses, talented folks sitting at home watching "Law & Order" reruns, going slowly crazy to the CHUNG-CHUNGs. For the record, the unemployment rate in Philadelphia is over the important 10% mark, and New Jersey is hovering just underneath that at 9.8%. more ›

After the delight of both Percy Street and Zahav, Phillyist was intrigued and wanted to know more about the guys behind the curtain, so to speak. We recently had the chance to chat with Chef Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook over a cup of well-made coffee about their restaurant endeavors, as well as why their business partnership works so well and what their plans on the horizon are. more ›

OK, we know pancakes are easy enough to make already, so sue us because we wanted to find an even faster, easier way to stuff our pieholes with pancake goodness. more ›

Hey Action News? This error, which Editor Jenn found, is a little embarrassing, no? Unless some dude named "your" is at risk of losing his job. more ›

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It's pretty much impossible not to admire Andrew McMahon. The mastermind behind Jack's Mannequin, and Something Corporate before that, McMahon has taken the whiny-ness of emo out of autobiographical pop-rock and delivered music that's expressive without being overwrought, thoughtful but not overthought. We've told you all of this before, and advised you to make sure you catch McMahon's Jack's Mannequin outfit whenever the band is in town. So now we're telling you: Jack's Mannequin is in town, or at least, will be on Monday night. The show is sold out, but if you scour craigslist, there are tickets to be had. And trust us, Jack's Mannequin is well worth paying a mark-up for. more ›

With all of the snow days we have had, all of Philly should be finished with Marjane Satrapi's The Complete Persepolis by now. If you're one of the lucky ones, why not tell Phillyist what you thought of the book? more ›

Earlier this month, we reviewed the latest art show at The Slingluff Gallery and encouraged readers to meet the artists (Steve and Dawn Linden) at a happy hour scheduled for last night. Unfortunately, the forecast kept the artists and the featured guitarist out of town. The event—also a Philly Side Arts networking opportunity for area artists and enthusiasts—is now scheduled for Sunday, February 28th. more ›

Playing at... - Trailer - Reviews more ›