Arts & Culture

Editor's note: Last Friday, Muse ran a review of Owl City's Ocean 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, 12:05 p.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, 10 p.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, 7 p.m., free

John Natsoulas Gallery

Poetry, art and jazz mix at the Natsoulas Gallery's Beyond 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, 10 p.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, 7 p.m., free (donations welcome)

1315 L 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, 10 p.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 from Wesendonck Lieder, Cantata and New 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 changed 20th 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. 

MUSIC

KDVS Volunteer Meeting

Today, 6 p.m., free

Wellman 2

Interested in volunteering at KDVS 90.3 FM? Here's a chance to find out about Davis' own independent, freeform radio station (and potentially witness their incredible office space in Lower Freeborn). Visit their website, kdvs.org, for more information about the station.

Stephen Yerkey

Today, 7 p.m., free

John Natsoulas Gallery

Indie artist Stephen Yerkey is this week's special feature at the John Natsoulas Gallery. A guitarist and vocalist based in San Francisco, Yerkey has a knack for bluesy riffs and soulful vocals.

Electro Boogie Down

Today, 9 p.m., free before 10 p.m., 21

Old Ironsides at 1901 10th St. in Sacramento

Head on over to Sacramento tonight if you're into '80s-styled electro funk and boogie. The performers for the night - The Flower Vato, Check McNugal and Dogtones - are each KDVS DJs. Visit the event's facebook page for more information.

Caroline Smith and the Goodnight Sleeps; Dewi Sant

Thursday, 10 p.m., $3-5

Sophia's Thai Kitchen

These bands never fail to amuse me - Caroline Smith, the apparent lead, is entirely separated from the rest of the band in the title. She is not a Goodnight Sleep, but they still agree to play together. Talk about long-lasting divisiveness. Join them and Dewi Sant at Sophia's for another impressive folk night.

Shayna & The Bulldog

Friday, 10 p.m., $3-5

Sophia's Thai Kitchen

Davis' own Shayna & The Bulldog is playing on Friday. Unlike Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps, their name doesn't imply more than two members, but don't be fooled - expect a full fledged, multitalented four-piece. Check them out on Myspace for a preview - "Kids in a Movie" and "Broadway & Demonbreun" are definitely worth a listen.

Operation: Restore Maximum Freedom VIII

Saturday, 2 p.m., $10 ($8 presale)

23944 County Road 98

What the fuck is O:RMF anyway? KDVS 90.3 FM's bi-annual music festival is happening on Saturday, and it's truly a tough decision with San Francisco's LovEvolution happening on the same day. Visit myspace.com/maximumfreedom for more information, including a complete list of the eleven bands scheduled to perform.

Cold Shot

Saturday, 10 p.m., free

Little Prague at 330 G St. (check format)

On Saturday, Little Prague is holding a 15th year anniversary party, and Prague regulars Cold Shot are scheduled to perform a loud and sing-along-able polka set. The band allegedly wrote a new song inspired by Little Prague, which they plan to perform on Saturday.

Knock Knock; Dreamdate

Saturday, 10 p.m., $3-5

Sophia's Thai Kitchen

Knock Knock is playing at Sophia's and Sacramento this weekend. Minimalist pop-punk group Dreamdate isn't. They are from Oakland though, which is pretty cool.

Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration

Sunday, 7 p.m., $6

Freeborn Hall

The Chinese Students and Scholarship Fellowship is putting on its annual event for the Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration. Performances will include traditional Chinese arts as well as modern dances and a violin and piano trio performance. This may or may not mean moon cakes, but either way, this is the event of Sunday night.

After 30 years with Kern D. Holoman, UC Davis passed the baton to conductor Christian Baldini, an internationally acclaimed composer and conductor. In a new era of musical direction, Baldini brings a new ear and fresh take to the symphony orchestra. MUSE sat down to interview him on Tuesday.

It's easy to say that electronic music is falling downhill with seemingly no return. Such a statement is neither unreasonable nor shortsighted, and backing it up wouldn't be hard, either - JUSTICE, autotune and Timbaland come to mind.

But it's also a bit of a paradox that at the same time, writing and composing music is easier today than ever; anyone can download a music program and piece together coherent tunes. Media outlets talk about it all the time: the ease of music creation today is astounding, technology continues to transform the music world, we're getting old, blah blah blah.