Arts & Culture

There's something in the water in Portland, Ore., the origin of many great folk indie bands. The Decemberists' recently dropped album, The King is Dead, proves to keep with the same grand gesture of dazzled narratives and storylines of folk music.

Even though girl bands that aim for that punk/rock sound carry around a pretty nasty stereotype, this one at least shakes it off completely. The fresh sound of "Gossip Girl" star Taylor Momsen, who writes and sings the tracks, offers something new and exciting to the world of girl punk.

If you've ever wondered what it takes to achieve perfection in anything - sports, music, math - look no further than the Tiger Mom.

HellaCapella is back, and this year it's bigger than ever.

Does the inspiration behind a "starving artist" stem from madness or necessity? The pursuit of life in the art world often provokes many uncertainties and responses. But with each pursuit, there's a journey and incredible story to tell.

THIS WEEK IN DAVIS: 10 Things I Hate About You; UC Davis Symphony Orchestra; UCD's Got Talent Auditions

Glancing at the cold concrete floors smothered white with plaster and wooden chairs that are inked deep with layers of oil paint, you can only fathom what type of madness and art explorations are invented here.

Facebook newsfeeds across the UC Davis network were bustling with more activity than usual at the late hours on Jan. 18.

Who needs Eggheads? Artists are invited to submit their work for public display in three contests. Read on for submission guidelines and deadlines.

Even at 5:30 a.m. last Thursday, I had a quick rush of adrenaline when I heard that a mother horse had given birth just minutes ago - these are the kind of pictures I live for. Not knowing exactly what to expect, I biked to the horse barn on campus trying not to crash in the thick early-morning fog. When I arrived, students were gathered in their pajamas, half awake and in awe. They were peeking through the stable bars at the adoring mother and her new wet foal. Only Joel Viloria, the animal resource supervisor at the horse barn, was allowed in the stable so I was limited to resting my camera in between the bars of the stable. I tried to capture what I could without disturbing the mother and her new baby. With so much going on, it was difficult to capture every little moment - so it was best to use a fast shutter speed. To properly expose, I had to keep my camera at an ISO of 1600 and have a large aperture of f5.6 to capture the movements going on and to get the horses and Viloria in focus. In this image, Viloria is holding the placenta of the mother, which had held the baby just hours before, while she is assisting the foal in his first steps of life.

25th Hour; Social Distortion; Mark Morris Dance Group

Just released on Tuesday, Layzie Bone from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is back with a new album featuring 10 tracks with their signature '90s flavor - both in the sometimes fast-paced or sometimes head-bobbing slow music and in the carefully pronounced quick-witted lyrics. Known for his fast rhymes, Layzie Bone is coming out with two other albums next month that are scheduled for release on the same day.

In a Tuesday full of releases revealing new sounds from artists Iron & Wine and The Cold War Kids that displeased loyal fans, Amos Lee's Mission Bell manages to evolve the singer's sound while still staying grounded in his soulful roots.

In terms of growth, there really isn't any for The Script's second album, but hey, I'm not complaining. The first album was so awesome that a continuation of that unique combination of edgy soul-searching lyrics with unbeatable melodies basically makes this an unmistakable hit.

Every time a movie trailer or poster screams, "In eye-popping 3D!" I die a little inside.