Arts & Culture

Whether or not you've ever been to, heard of or performed at an Open Mic night in Davis, the scene certainly has a lot to offer in the way of creativity and eclectic performance. MUSE profiles SickSpits Open Mic and Poetry Night at Bistro 33.

ART / GALLERY

Looking for a lively outlet that will break the monotony of a typical Tuesday evening? Birdstrike's production of "Birdstrike + Princeton = Nirvana?" takes place at 8 p.m. this Tuesday, January 26 in 1001 Giedt, and it may be the answer you seek.

Spoon's latest Transference is like the return of an old friend. At times robotic, the album airs on the side of experimental - seemingly forgetting its quirky Austin roots. Yet a certain element of dysfunction defines Spoon, and is entirely characteristic of the band's ability to regenerate while remaining familiar with its garage birth 15 years ago. Traditionally jagged and free-flowing songs are sandwiched between the more digitized and clean beats. The transitions between the two Spoon-isms are smooth though. Each song is the last's bizarre step-brother.

SoCal natives Cold War Kids have done it again. Their new EP Behave Yourself is sure to bring another wave of half-hearted reviews of the bluesy punk band. Is the EP particularly good in the sense that it's nothing that you have never heard before? Not really; every song sounds like their previously released music. But after what feels like 10 of the same Cold War Kids songs for the past four years, it feels like a fresh start for the band.

If you thought Heidi Montag was annoying on MTV's show "The Hills," she is simply obnoxious as she attempts to sing. Although the fans of pop are admittedly lax about the quality of songs today, this is simply no excuse for what occurred here. Unlike the reigning Princess of Pop Britney Spears, Heidi Montag has neither the history nor the popularity to carry her through the attempt at creating music.

With the announcement of this year's Coachella lineup - a three-day festival in Indio beginning Apr. 16 - it's hard to balance the pros and cons of spending $269+ for a three-day pass. If you haven't seen the new Coachella lineup yet, the schedule for the festival is available at Coachella.com. Here are some exciting artists worthy of mention.

I'm sure it was someone's new year's resolution to eat healthier this year. It certainly wasn't mine.

Let's face it: Supernatural fantasy is here to stay-and we're not talking about vampires and werewolves anymore. Welcome to 2010.

Philanthropist and UC Davis donor Margrit Mondavi has pledged $2 million for the proposed UC Davis Museum of Art, a project that has been in the works since 2006. The museum would house the university's collection of 4,700 artworks currently in the Nelson Gallery, as well as new collections and multidisciplinary collaborations.

The annual THIRDeYE Theatre Festival, presented by the Department of Theatre and Dance, features works that are written, directed and staged by mostly UC Davis undergraduate students. This year's line-up includes "Empty All the Boxes," "Fools Afloat" and "The Blue Jay's Song" and will be performed on Jan. 27 through Jan. 31 at 8 p.m. on Wednesday and 2 p.m. on Sunday.

The Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts has been home to many dramatic and cultural performances throughout the years. The upcoming performance Spirit of Uganda is no less pertinent.

"Do you want to have a slumber party in my basement?" Or is it summer? Neither of them sound too great/safe anyway. Though her lyrics are so direct and meaningless, Ke$ha insists on offering her own distorted views on love and partying. Ke$ha's debut album, Animal, seems to lack elements of creativity, significance and effort. Clearly she was hungover when she wrote the lyrics for Animal - that's probably why there's so much one-sided dialogue and giggling going on throughout.

MUSIC

After playing a series of nine shows at the 2009 SXSW Festival, Los Angeles-based Local Natives soon gathered a flurry of positive reviews, briefly toured in England with the help of NME and landed themselves on the endearing indie label Frenchkiss Records (The Dodos, Antlers, Passion Pit) in late November. The alternative rock quintet, previously known as Cavil at Rest, released their debut LP Gorilla Manor earlier that month on UK's Infectious Records and look forward to the official US release of Gorilla Manor in mid-February.