Arts & Culture

Following the wake of the ever-expanding pantheon of Timbaland-aspiring indie scum, we meet The XX: four jaded, sex-obsessed, pseudo-libertine 20-year-old Londonite self-proclaimed musical omnivores. The type when asked, “What are you so apathetic about?”, answers “What you got?” Yeah, those kids.

With an upcoming concert in Sacramento scheduled for sometime in November, I thought it would be appropriate to share with all of you the magic that is Lady Gaga’s album, The Fame. It’s pretty easy to say that Lady Gaga is THE SHIT right now, putting a spell over guys and girls alike with her hopping club beats and banging dance anthems; we’ve all heard “Just Dance,” and we all know what a disco stick is by now. And I’m sure for die-hard fans like me, “Poker Face” has surpassed the 100 mark on your iTunes play count and may have possibly even climbed its way to the top of “Top 25 Most Played.”

Editor’s note:Last Friday,Muse ran a review of Owl City’sOcean Eyes for our online edition.Muse offers a different take on the Owl City album for this online edition,written by Aggie Arts Writer Brittany Pearlman. Ocean Eyes,Owl City’s first label produced LP,makes fans want to burst out chuckling at the initial absurdity,but propels them to investigate into the deeper meaning underneath the fanciful lyrics.After the first shock of the magical beats,fans arrive at something resembling their own secret dreams and fantasies.

MUSIC Laurel Ensemble Today,12:05p.m.,free Mondavi Center,Rumsey Rancheria Grand Lobby Another impressive free noon concert – UC Davis‘ Laurel Ensemble,a faculty-comprised clarinet,flute,viola,cello and piano ensemble,will perform pieces by Beethoven,Rebecca Clarke and Martinu.Visit music.ucdavis.edu/events for parking info,in case you somehow forgot where the Mondavi Center was. Mumlers; Buildings Breeding Today,10p.m.,$3-5 Sophia’s Thai Kitchen Mumlers and Buildings Breeding have seen a lot of Aggie press within the past year or so,but that doesn’t mean we’re tired of them.Mumlers,a San Jose-based outfit,will perform along with Davis/Sacramento-based Buildings Breeding for a nostalgic night,because alas – Buildings Breeding is calling it quits after four more shows.Catch their second-to-last Davis performance tonight. Davis Jazz Artists Festival:Beyond the Beat Generation Saturday,7p.m.,free John Natsoulas Gallery Poetry,art and jazz mix at the Natsoulas Gallery’sBeyond the Beat Generation festival.A reception will be held Saturday night.Read Muse’s article for more information on the festival. Missouri Mule; Leopold and His Fiction Friday,10p.m.,$3-5 Sophia’s Thai Kitchen Davis‘ own Missouri Mule is a country,blues-ish four-piece; Leopold and His Fiction is a San Francisco-based folk group.Join them for an indie evening at Sophia’s. Capybara; Sea of Bees; Fine Steps Saturday,7p.m.,free (donations welcome) 1315L St. Ah,another backyard house show.KDVS is presenting Sacramento performers Sea of Bees and Fine Steps,as well as Missouri’s Capybara,who is currently touring around the area.Check out the event’s Facebook event page for more information,as well as links to each band’s Myspace. Lady A and Her Heel Draggers Saturday,10p.m.,$3-5 Sophia’s Thai Kitchen Don’t you hate heel draggers? Ugh.The noise they make when their shoes drag across the ground is just unbearable.Or is that shoe draggers? Either way,talk about a non-appealing band name.But if you’re into country western swing,this night just might be for you.Check them out on Myspace for a sample of the San Francisco-based band.

Backnbloom Self-Titled EP Self-released Rating:2

In a birthday celebration for longtime patron Barbara K.Jackson,Christine Brewer along with the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra performed pieces fromWesendonck Lieder,CantataandNew Moon – operas renowned for their prodigious level of difficulty.It is safe to say that Sunday’s performance left a profound musical impression on the audience and a curiosity to venture into other genres.

Inside a smoky San Francisco lounge,several avant-garde poets and artists gather together over jazz music to share a cup of coffee.Sipping their caffeine,they brought along something else more important to share – their passions and creativity.Having turned their backs on the mainstream media wanting to profit off of their craft,these rebels clutched onto their expressionism and changed20th century American culture forever,cementing their place in history.

KDVS offers many events throughout the year, but none as unique and social as Operation: Restore Maximum Freedom. Now completing its fourth year running, the day-long outdoor music festival collects and presents lesser known indie groups and interesting features that Davis and its surrounding areas proudly offer.

Pablo Picasso once said “bad artists copy, good artists steal.” Sure. We all know that Led Zeppelin stole from early blues artists like Muddy Waters; that Wolfmother stole from Led Zeppelin and so on. As any musician should know, it’s hard to find an artist that doesn’t “steal,” or better said, “borrow,” from someone else.

For the next two months the Technocultural Studies Department will be parading a series of speakers and artists through campus, showcasing the many ways one can practically and uniquely experiment with digital media. Put together by Craig Baldwin, an avant-garde filmmaker and the department’s new guest faculty member, the series began on Oct. 1 and will continue until Nov. 19 on specified days of the week. All of the speakers can be seen in Wellman 1 from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m.

Vampires seem to have cornered the mythical horror creature market these days, but zombies are staging a takeover. Zombieland, the latest film featuring the undead, turns typical horror movie undertones into overtones, creating a hilarious, gory, active and intellectually sharp zombie movie in a completely new way.

Review of Ocean Eyes, released on Universal Republic Records.