Minipop, a San Francisco-based band, is releasing their much anticipated debut album, A New Hope next Tuesday. Lucky for all of us we'll be able to get their new CD this Saturday, a few days early, at their CD Release party at Rickshaw Stop. Minipop is a favorite of LIVE 105, which has played their single “Like I Do” in heavy rotation since its release in late 2006 and said they were "a band......

The Asian Art Museum's monthly throwdown, Matcha, kicks off around 6pm with DJs, tours, workshops and cocktails. The Live Action Cartoonists, a performance troupe that combines comics and theatre, will perform highlights from Science (Fiction) an experimental production that re-interprets Tezuka Osamu’s Astro Boy. 200 Larkin St., SF. Dance away your Independence Day hangover at the Rickshaw Stop! Fleeting Joys(shimmery, Cocteau Twins-esque tunes out of SacTown) Christopher Willits (think Postal Service, but better) and......

Still plenty of shows for the Frameline , SF Improv, and the Hole in the Head festivals.... Inside Storytime, a monthly reading series at the Rickshaw Stop, features five local authors, reading from their latest books. This months theme - metamorphoses. 6:30-8:30pm with a sliding scale entry fee up to $10. 155 Fell St., SF. After the reading, stick around the spot for Girlezque, a glammy burlesque troup from the UK. Dance party with......

Geek out! At Ask a Scientist SF, a monthly lecture slash happy hour with a guest speaker on some sciencey topic. This month's meet-up touches on everything you ever wanted to know about terra incognita, Antarctica, with Kurt Cuffey, a UC Berkeley professor of geography. Get there by 7pm to snag a beer and a seat. Axis Cafe, 1208 Eighth St., SF. If Le Tigre and The Shangri-Las had a British love child, it......

Do you think we can have just one day of bicycling that doesn't devolve into some kind of car-smashing riot, please? This Thursday: Bike to Work Day! A day to hop on your bike ... and then gasp and flounder and struggle, because you only ride once a year. Then, if your boss lets you out early, roll up to the Bike Away From Work Party at the Rickshaw Stop (155 Fell St @......

SF Jenna plays Huey AND Riley tonight! Cuz a little culture never hurt anyone.... Aaron McGruder at the JCC: Ever crack open the morning paper to catch up on the latest exploits of Huey and Riley, adorable inner-city youths exiled to the suburbs in The Boondocks? Even if you haven't read the recently-ended comic or seen the show, you've probably heard of cartoonist Aaron McGruder and the controversy swirling around his oft-politically charged work. Swing......

If there’s one thing we love, it’s the nightlife. There’s nothing better than slathering on some silver eyeliner, donning your black spiky boots and strolling out on a ripe Friday night a long week to get down with other eager, boozy people. If you aren’t up for Ruby Skye but want a little more than your average dive has to offer, shake your moneymaker at one of our top picks for the weekend. ...