Arts & Culture

MUSIC

Brooklyn's The National released their fifth album, High Violet, earlier this month to a deserved and unsurprising wave of critical acclaim. A

With an outwardly gloomy and eerie feel that seeps into each track, Song for the Ravens snatches onto elements of nostalgia and sad melodies.

The Entertainment Council worked hard this year to successfully bring multiple bands to Freeborn Hall. Whether or not you liked the performances, their efforts to diversify our big shows shouldn't go unnoticed.

What do a ball of clay, a dog named Ollie and a young man running through a cornfield have in common? All were subjects in short films at the 10th annual Davis Film Festival, which took place both May 26 and May 27 at the Varsity Theater.

The pairing of music to invigorating visuals to make a well-executed music video has become its own industry in many aspects. Luckily, thanks to the KDVS Music Video contest, the art form of making music videos is no longer in the exclusive hands of massive industries belonging to MTV, VH1 or other forms of corporate media.

The UC Davis Music Department hopes to begin construction on a new performance building and recital hall in the next couple of years. The facilities will satisfy the department's burgeoning number of students and members, along with its need for stronger acoustics.

Text by Brittany PearlmanPhotos by Liam O'Donnell1. Katie Schleuter sophomore exercise biology major"Super Mash Bros. because I love them, and tickets were easy to...

Gus Seyffert is a multi-talented presence in the music industry. He produces with his own label, Sargent Records, tours on the bass with Norah Jones and fronts Willoughby - the opener for Band of Horses that wowed concertgoers at Freeborn last Thursday.

MUSIC Rovar17, Emese, Sixteen Sixteen, Sagan Genesis Tonight, 7 p.m., $5 Cypress House, 1114 Cypress Ln. Hungarian artists Rovar17 and Emese will perform at the Cypress House along with Sixteen Sixteen from The Closet and Sagan Genesis of Davis' The Womb. There will also be DJ sets in between the performances, so get ready to dance. Band of Horses Tonight, 8 p.m., $30.50

Band of Horses' Infinite Arms has been released just in time for the band's performance at Freeborn Hall tonight, so consider the album your pre-concert required listening. The band of three effortlessly combines country, mellow rock and a little bit of that indie edge. It's a pleasing combo that manages to bring out both the musicality of roots music and the driving force of modern rock. Each song drips with soul, and while Band of Horses has become something of a sensation, its music still retains that homespun feel.

With a dreamy and distorted texture and feel, The Prids take delicate harmonies and instrumental compilations to construct sweet swaying music.

This month, the Davis Cemetery will host an art show inside its office. Itself a work of art with its manicured green lawns, decorative tombstones and grass labyrinths, the cemetery's show is titled "Layers of images, color and texture." The show will feature the artwork of Judith Monroe and will take place the entire month from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. A meet-and-greet with the artist will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on June 13.

There's been a lot of talk about Kentucky Senate candidate Rand Paul in the news recently, and a lot of it is unsavory. Critics and pundits have hounded Paul, the recently hailed Tea Party leader who won the Kentucky Senate primary, after he stated on MSNBC's "Rachel Maddow Show" that he might not have supported certain aspects of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Over 100 students lined up to dance to the music of the Super Mash Brothers on May 20 at Freeborn Hall. But even for first-time listeners, the tunes were familiar. That's because Super Mash Brothers creates mash-ups, or combinations of music originally created by other artists. Musicians, lawyers, corporations and music lovers alike have long debated the legality and legitimacy of the mash-up. And in today's digital age, the argument is still far from settled.