-- The A’s: Oakland play at home against the Baltimore Orioles. Game starts at 7:05 p.m. at McAfee Coliseum; $9-$44. -- "Blow-Up": DJ Jefrodisiac and Emily Betty’s "indie-pop-disco-noir" (noir?) monthly dance club brings out hipsters of every ilk. But that doesn’t mean that you still can’t have a good time. Vin Sol & Morse Code, the Lovemakers (DJ set), Codebreaker, and Disco Nat make special guest appearances, and resident DJ Richie Panic and MC......

Update!: We got the contest entry form working (we think) -- sorry about the mixup. Go on, enter now! San Francisco pop darlings Loquat are peeking their heads out from inside their studio tomorrow night to play a rare show at the Independent. They've been working on a new album with friends and producers the Rondo Brothers, who are also playing tomorrow night's show, along with Foxtail Somersault. They played a brief set back......

We know we're saving up our money for countless Halloween-themed events this weekend, so tonight we're all about the free stuff. Funcheap SF is an e-mail newsletter that clues in the city's under-employed, bored and frugal on the best in fun and cheap stuff to do. Tonight they're hosting the Cheap Bastard Fun Happy Hour at EZ5 Bar(682 Commercial St. at Kearny near the Holiday Inn in Chinatown). The event will feature cheap happy......

We're giving thanks today for all the great venues in San Francisco, which attract bands of all shapes, sizes and levels of fame to our fair city. Our show pick of the week is tomorrow night in Hotel Utah's tiny two-floor room with Phosphorescent and Castanets. Phosphorescent's Aw Come Aw Wry is a strong contender for our year end Top 10, and fans of Okkervil River and Neutral Milk Hotel should listen up. Sufjan Stevens'......

Listen up! Two of our favorite indie rock bands are coming to town this week. "Indie" as in they're actually on independent labels ("indie" is not a genre); and "rock" as in crunchy guitars, dirty reverb and gratifyingly dour lyrics. Rock as in, we salute you. Those bands are Criteria and The Constantines, playing at Great American Music Hall on Sunday and Tuesday, respectively. Fire up your devil horns. Enter to win a copy of......

Is your wallet looking slim this week? Fret not; there's plenty of free music to be had. Check out any of Amoeba's stellar in-store offerings, including Prefuse 73, Zion I, locals Six Organs of Admittance, and a rare acoustic performance by Trail of Dead. Local label Six Degrees Records presents Niyaz at Virgin Megastore on Saturday at 2pm. And SFist is giving away a free copy of Citizen Cope's CD The Clarence Greenwood Chronicles (enter......