Arts & Culture

Game of the week This week saw more than one noteworthy video game release, but strategy fans and nostalgic gamers will be paying the most attention to XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Developer Firaxis Games, the creative team behind the Civilization franchise, has crafted a loving recreation of the famed 1994 PC classic X-COM: UFO Defense. The […]

Artist: Tame Impala Album: Lonerism Rating: 5 The problem with most music labeled as psychedelic or “spacey” is that too often, the songwriting and instrumentation is stretched thin to indulge in endless solos, meandering suites and tuneless free-form jamming. This is not so for Australian psych-rock group Tame Impala, who keep the druggy vibes of the […]

Mormon mommy blogs: I can’t stop/won’t stop. I’m obsessed. If you’re not a college female, I don’t blame you for not knowing what I’m talking about. Don’t worry — not only do these blogs not affect you in any way, but you can go your entire life without having to think about a growing group […]

Today from noon to 1 p.m., Tumbleweed Wanderers kicks off Entertainment Council’s Fall Quad Show series. This multi-instrumentalist band from Oakland is said to bring a youthful freshness mixed with old soul wisdom. The concert takes place on the East Quad and is free of charge. – ELIZABETH ORPINA

Original sci-fi film breaks tiresome ‘loop’ of Hollywood remakes By ANDREW RUSSELL Aggie Arts Writer Looper is a rare, original treat in the age of cinematic autocannibalism. In particular, there is the tendency for the action/adventure and sci-fi flicks of recent years to resort to a Soylent-Green-style rehashing of dead material for popular consumption. Remakes, sequels, […]

This past week has been extremely busy for all of us, with the start of school and whatnot, figuring out the expectations of our classes, who we want to start or continue friendships with, how to adjust to new situations and most importantly: the new fall television lineup. Let’s be real. I already don’t have […]

Forgive me for the column you’re about to read (hopefully in full, but realistically about halfway through). If you’ve had the pleasure of reading my weekly column last year, then you know that I overexaggerate, overreact and generally talk about anything and everything as long as I can somehow relate it to Arts and Entertainment. […]

Plenty of pre-release buzz has surrounded “The Master” due to its subject matter and the similarities to Scientology. Lancaster Dodd, one of the film’s protagonists, does exhibit many of the characteristics and philosophies of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. But more than anything else, this film is a meticulously executed character study that highlights strange […]

Artist: Grizzly Bear Album: Shields With their last two albums, Grizzly Bear found a happy medium between catchy hooks and more emotional songwriting. That formula hasn’t changed much with the band’s newest record, Shields, but this time around they make a genuine effort to branch out even more with varied instrumentation and complex song structures. […]

ALBUMS How to Dress Well – Total Loss A moody, off-shore weather system of an album consisting of early ‘90s R&B melodies and atmospheric, washed-out effects, this is the sophomore effort of How to Dress Well, a.k.a. Tom Krell. At times, the vocals are tenuous, but for the most part they do a good job […]

Friday, Sept. 14, 2012: There is no prevailing archetype of concertgoer here at the Sunrise Mall in Sacramento. In the enclosed concert venue in the parking lot, old couples sit near the stage, tapping their toes; young punk girls with ripped leggings sway back and forth in the bleachers; parents bounce toddlers on their shoulders; […]

Artist: Matthew Dear Album: Beams Rating: 4.5 Detroit Electronic producer Matthew Dear’s latest album Beams is the perfect complement to the late summer state of mind. Its eleven lush, highly danceable songs add up to a guilt-free, enjoyable experience; yet each track is laced with an underlying nervousness — a twitchy experimentation aspect that reminds one […]