Ho, ho, ho - it's that time of year again - to celebrate Xmas in July! You can do so this evening at Bourbon & Branch with the wonderfully aggressive beats of NAH and the tongue-in-cheek garage-punk of TWIIN. There will be holiday themed drink specials - Wondermint & Kringle Kream. And don't forget to dig into your closet for their ugly sweater contest - cheers! Bourbon & Branch, 705 N. 2nd. St., 8pm, $10, 21+ - Alexis V.

Simply because an animal appears harmless doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t keep an eye out as it roams in the periphery. The duo of Slow Animal proves it by executing power-pop that shakes the status quo with emotive crashing waves of guitar and percussion smacking down in a reality-oriented awakening technique, establishing a setting for those personal contemplative lyrics to roam. After a recent run of dates with Hop Along, the trio of Thin Lips has returned home, and its latest EP Divorce Year finds Chrissy Tashijan delivering strong-willed, heartfelt vocals, reinforced by consistently catchy pop-punk instrumentation that steadily rolls clean, while hinting at a raw base. Former Deli Philly Featured Artist(s) Poll Winners Twiin continue to impress with their garage-punk aesthetic and their latest single “Anxiety.” The lineup at A House Named Virtue also includes emotive Baltimore rockers Phantom Lanterns, whom instrumentally embrace a well-oiled math-rock precision and the psych-pop combo of Toronto’s Blonde Elvis. A House Named Virtue, (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.), 8pm, $5-$7, All Ages – Michael Colavita

Recent Featured Artist(s) Poll Winners TWIIN performs this evening at 3rd & Girard on a billing that runs four deep. The garage-punk quartet is off to an excellent start with “Sleepover,” a song whose rumbling bass/drum foundation couples with vocals that have a loosely stretched/drawn out sense yet also hints at rage. The raw outer edge with an underlying intensity plays for a dynamic that will be intriguing to watch blossom. Tonight’s slate also includes Abi Reimold, who also works freely in an emotionally dynamic range. Reimold’s vocals grab hold of ones ear with their natural heartache and strength surrounded by a storm of unguarded instrumentation. The quartet of Tangiers kicks in with lo-fi, melodic indie rock that exhibits flourishes of polish, while still retaining that earnest filter-less approach. Peter Gill’s fuzzy folk outlet Friendship rounds this night into a finished form. 3rd & Girard, (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.), 8pm, 21+ - Michael Colavita

Twiin is made up of (non-twin) sister-brother combo, Lauren and Jon Tsipori, Andy Silverman, and Dan Lipshutz. The garage-punk four-piece currently only has one bawdy single available for streaming and download, but hopefully the prizes that they won from our Featured Artist(s) Poll will change all that. Until then, learn a bit more about Twiin from our interview HERE. (Photo by Holli Stephens)