MUSIC
1. April 16: Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Mosquito
Removed from both the garage-rock revivalism of their early work and the electropop revelry of 2009’s It’s Blitz, Mosquito, is a stranger, more eclectic venture into darker themes. Murky dub, subway-car samples and bossa nova funk-organ percussion characterize the album’s more adventurous offerings, and fans of the classic YYY’s will be satisfied by the presence of punk jam “Area 52” and moving indie ballad “Despair.”

2. April 16: Tera Melos – X’ed Out
Sacramento-based math rockers Tera Melos have constructed a fully-realized combination of technical rock exercise with tuneful songwriting and smooth vocals. X’ed Out is then a hybrid creature, an appealing indie rock album with the DNA strands of Prog and Experimental which colored their earlier works.

3. April 23: Lilacs and Champagne – Danish and Blue
Sophomore album from sonic shapeshifters Lilacs & Champagne, whose blend of soul, psychedelic, hip-hop and downtempo electronica evokes a sensual nocturnal world of lawlessness, dimly lit cities and enigmatic intrigue. 2013’s definitive headphone-trip album to date.

4. April 16: The Flaming Lips – The Terror
The ‘Lips have achieved a credible longevity, mostly because they have kept their style flexible. After four years or so of unhinged, celebratory psychedelia and abrasive experimentation, they have shed some of the heartfelt optimism that has become central to their style to evoke a chilling sonic dystopia, with the best songs resembling the spacier work of the Gorillaz and Radiohead. The title refers to the fear that life goes on, even in the absence of love; however, after thirty years as a band, the Flaming Lips seem to have lost none of their sincerity and love for adventure.

5. April 16: Major Lazer – Free the Universe
Diplo’s global-mashing production at times seems less transgressive and cutting edge as it did on Major Lazer’s 2009 debut, but the dancehall/electro project still provides a feast for the ears. The guest musicians are legion and varied, from Ezra Koenig to Santigold to Bruno Mars, and while Free the Universe has unfortunately soaked up some of the more vanilla tendencies of mainstream EDM, the reggae and dub-influenced tracks are top-notch.

FILM
1. The Place Beyond the Pines (April 12 at Varsity)
Those who saw director Derek Cianfrance’s 2010 film Blue Valentine will
find his second film unmissable. Ryan Gosling stars as lead character Luke Glanton, a stunt cyclist who begins using his skills to rob banks in order to provide for his wife and child. Bradley Cooper portrays the cop determined to capture him, while the plot follows the detrimental effects of the investigation on the families of both men.

2. Herman’s House (April 19)
Herman’s House is a documentary following the correspondence between young artist Jackie Sumell and Angola Prison inmate Herman Wallace, who has been imprisoned in solitary confinement for over four decades. Sumell’ simple question, “What kind of house does a man in solitary confinement dream about?” becomes an ongoing effort to help Wallace imagine a better existence, as well as attempt realizing the actual construction of his dream house in the hope that more attention will be brought to his plight.

3. In the House (April 19)
A French school teacher is impressed by a star pupil’s insightful essays. After the student’s latest paper is written in secret about the home-life of a fellow classmate and his family, the teacher finds himself in a moral dilemma, and is drawn further into the highly personal information the boy is divulging.

4. Errors of the Human Body (April 19)
A drama with high emotional stakes as well as a scientific thriller, Errors
concerns an American geneticist obsessed with finding a cure for the disease which killed his infant son many years prior. After traveling to Germany to work in an isolated clinic, he and his colleagues stumble across a promising discovery that may also have dire consequences for the world population.

5. Burn (April 16 at The Crest)
This documentary follows several firefighters who work in Detroit, Michigan and shows their utmost commitment to their profession in the midst of their cities advanced urban decay and rampant arson. Although the film itself is a personal character study, it reveals many hard truths about a metropolis in crisis.

ANDREW RUSSELL can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

At least 290,000 people bought Tyga’s last album, despite Tyga’s involvement in its creation. I really hope “Hotel California,” his newest, does not do that well.

The problems with the record begin before the listener even hears the music. The album’s ridiculous cover features a tiger lounging next to a swimming pool with some palm trees in the background, which Tyga believes represents California. It doesn’t fit the music’s sound and it doesn’t fit my beautiful home state.

The beats aren’t much better. While there are some clever samples (such as a song by Tony! Toni! Toné!), it feels like a lot of the beats are constructed from one or two bar samples, which leads to a repetitive sound.

Tyga is the worst kind of rapper. His flow is awful, his lyrics suck (the album’s first line: “T-Raww, fuck y’all, money tall, dick large”), his rhyming is horrendous (on “Hijack” he attempts to rhyme “shooter,” “moolah,” “Koopa,” “hooters,” and “hookah”), and he has lame and boring subject manner. Not only that, but unlike his last album, the guests don’t save him. “Hijack” features one of the weakest 2 Chainz verses yet while “Dope” features Rick “It Wasn’t Date Rape” Ross sounding absolutely deflated.

The worst part about Tyga is his arrogance. In “Hotel California,” which shares a name with one of the greatest rock songs ever recorded, Tyga outdoes his first album title, which implied he was “the last king” of the rap game. Not only does Tyga rap over a Dr. Dre production, but he also attempts to trade verses with TUPAC SHAKUR. While he wasn’t allowed to do so on the album version (which is proof there is a God), the single “Hit ‘Em Up” (named after Tupac’s classic diss song) features a third verse in which Tyga fills in the blanks between some sampled Tupac lines. I can’t believe he even attempted to do this.

Young Money, the rap crew which claimed responsibility for this record, seems to be moving towards the most perfectly awful rap album. “Hotel California” is one step away from being so bad, it’s weaponized. This is easily one of the worst things I’ve ever heard.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I didn’t listen to the last four songs because there weren’t any guests and the thought of 15 minutes of undiluted Tyga frightened me.

SCORE: 0 / 5

IF YOU LIKE THIS, LISTEN TO: Anything but rap music. If you like this album, I’m forbidding you from listening to rap music any more. Go away.

JOHN KESLER can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

The Taste the World series concludes on Friday, April 26 with South African wines.

THe journey will be led by Anita Oberholster, cooperative extension specialist in Enology, who was born in South Africa.

Proceeds will benefit Broadening Horizons, which aims to increase the enrollment of underrepresented students in the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology and Food Science and Tecnhology.

UC Davis students, faculty and staff get a discount — $60 instead of $75 — and can register online here. The tasting takes place in the Silverado Vineyards Sensory Theater at the Robert Mondavi Institute from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

— Janelle Bitker

The sixteenth-ranked Aggies continue to own assert their dominance in postseason play, as four of the UC Davis women’s golf team shot the top four individual scores of the tournament. The Aggies once again claim the Big West title, the fourth straight championship they have won in a row.

The play of seniors Demi Runas and Amy Simanton, sophomore Beverly Vantananugulkit, and freshman Andrea Wong was crucial in the Aggies’ success, as all of them shot extremely well throughout the tournament. Runas finished first overall with a score of one-under 218. She shot an impressive one-under in the first round and from there finished off the tournament going even in the final two rounds.

She beat out second-place finisher, Wong, by 2 strokes. Wong, who shot one-over 220 for the tournament played a solid tournament overall. Her best round came in the final round, shooting a one-under 71. Wong beat out third-place finisher Vatanangulkit, who shot an overall score of four-over 223. Vatanangulkit, last year’s individual champion, shot an amazing first round finishing the day at four-under. However, she was not able to hold on to the lead as she shot eight-over in the second round. Vatanangulkit rebounded in the final round shooting an even par for the day, good enough for third overall.

The Aggies swept the top three spots in terms of individual score, but did not just stop there. Senior Amy Simanton shot a five-over 224 throughout the tournament, this was good enough to notch her the fourth-placed finish. Such dominance by UC Davis, with all four of the top four individual scores, created a wide margin of victory for the Aggies to shoot the best team score as well.
“Winning Big West for the fourth straight year means so much to both Amy and I,” said Demi Runas. “Looking back over the last four seasons, it’s really amazing to see how much the program has grown. We wanted to keep building on the successes of players before us, and now we’ve established ourselves as a top program in the country.

UC Davis was superb as a team, shooting five-over 881 throughout the three-day championship. In comparison, the second-placed Long Beach State shot a combined team score of 34-over 910. The Aggies finished with a 29 shot lead over the 49ers. This was the largest margin of victory since the Big West championship in 2000.

“The team had a great under-par round to conclude the tournament,” said head coach Anna Temple. “This really was a team effort with everyone contributing. Winning conference was one of our goals from the beginning of the season and it’s a great accomplishment for our program to have won our fourth consecutive championship. We will take this win in and get right back to work to prepare for the NCAA Regionals.”

The Aggies now head to the west regional site as they continue their postseason play in the NCAA Regional tournament. The regionals will be from May 5-7 and will be held at Stanford Golf Course.

KENNETH LING can be reached at sports@theaggie.org

The UC Davis men’s golf team placed second at the Winchester Classic this past weekend behind senior Tyler Raber’s sixth place finish in its final tournament before the Big West Conference Championships.

The Aggies shot an 873 total team score, a product of Raber’s 216 total and junior Jonny Baxter and freshman Ben Corfee’s 218 scores that tied them for eighth place. UC Davis also got a 17th and 30th place finish from juniors Matt Hansen and Matt Seramin, respectively, by scores of 222 and 227.

Corfee shot a two-under 70 on the first day, while Raber shot even pars every round to reach his total.
UC Davis came in second behind Cal State Fullerton, whose 868 score came from a clutch 286 total on the last round that boosted them over the Aggies, who put up a 295 in the final round.

The Aggies turn their eyes to the Big West Conference Championships, which will take place at the Country Club at Soboba Springs in San Jacinto, Calif beginning Sunday. UC Davis is seeking its third-straight conference title.

–Matthew Yuen

One of the country’s most powerful political leaders will deliver the commencement address for the UC Davis Law School’s graduating class of 2013.

Nancy Pelosi, Democratic leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, will speak at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, May 17, at 4 p.m. Pelosi was the speaker of the House from 2007 to 2011 and remains the only woman in American history to have held that post.

“I am delighted that Leader Pelosi has agreed to give the commencement address,” said Kevin R. Johnson, dean of UC Davis School of Law, in a press release. “Our graduates will benefit greatly from hearing her perspective as a groundbreaking leader on the national stage.”

— Janelle Bitker

The Emerson Junior High School PTA will be holding a carnival from April 25 to 28 at Cannery Park, Covell Boulevard and J Street.

The carnival will have rides, games and food. Advance purchase all-day passes are $20 and are good for unlimited rides.

Tickets can be purchased at Fleet Feet at 615 Second St., the Davis Food Co-op at 620 G St. and at the Davis Farmers Market.

All proceeds will go to classroom technology for Emerson Junior High and Da Vinci Junior High.

— Claire Tan

On Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Davis Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will provide an unwanted prescription drugs disposal opportunity at the DPD at 2600 Fifth St.  Service is free and no questions will be asked.

This will be the sixth time in three years in order to prevent pill abuse and theft by allowing the public to dispose of their expired, unused and unwanted medication.

— Claire Tan

The Davis Art Center at 1919 F St. is looking for volunteers for programs offered at the center. Possible opportunities include helping out with the Tour de Cluck fundraiser, assisting young children in art classes, clerical work and helping with facility improvements.

Contact edward@davisartcenter.org for more information and to apply.

— Claire Tan

The League of American Bicyclists awarded UC Davis with a Platinum Bicycle Friendly Business (BFB) award for the campus’ efforts in fostering a greener future.

The University will be granted free access to a variety of tools and technical assistance from the League to make the campus more bicycle-friendly.

According to an April 22 League of American Bicyclists news release, UC Davis is the first college to receive the award.

“This was the first application for this honor submitted by UC Davis, which joins an elite group of only eight businesses to receive Platinum recognition in this category since 2008,” the release states.

According to David Takemoto-Weerts, UC Davis Bicycle Program Coordinator, the campus has aimed to create a safe and welcoming environment to encourage campus employees to choose cycling as their preferred method of transportation.

“[It] generally makes for a much more pleasant place to work, learn and do research,” he said.

More information on the BFB program can be found at  bikeleague.org.

— Muna Sadek

Monday marks the first day of KDVS Fundraiser Week. The goal of $60,000, if reached, would help the campus radio station run smoothly for another year.

Although donations are welcome all throughout the year, the money raised this week helps fund two-thirds of KDVS’ operating budget. The fundraiser accepts cash, card and check donations, and each is tax-deductible.

Any and all amounts of donations make a difference, and depending on the amount of each contribution, the station gives back with a variety of premiums. These thank-you gifts include but are not limited to: button/sticker packs, shirts, DJ compilation CDs, vinyls, gift certificates, the opportunity to host your own show and mobile DJ units for your event’s entertainment.

Fundraiser Week includes events that began on Picnic Day and continue throughout the next weekend. Check out the Facebook page for updates on KDVS Fundraiser Week events.

Visit fundraiser.kdvs.org to pledge, or call local number (530) 754-5387 or toll free at (877) 399-5387.

— Elizabeth Orpina

The Food Animal and Reproduction Medicine (FARM) Club at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine received a large animal Easi-Scan ultrasound machine, after winning a national music video competition by BCF Technology.

According to a FARM club news release, the machine is worth over $10,000 and is most often used in bovine medicine for pregnancy diagnosis, but can be also be used to diagnose other conditions.

The club created a spoof video (below), “‘COW’-lifornia Girls,” based on Katy Perry’s California Girls.

“We had a lot of fun creating the music video, and hope everyone had just as much fun watching it! We were proud to able to reach a wide network of closely connected people that love to support local California student organizations,”  said Michelle Sanborn, FARM Club Publicity Commissioner and second year veterinary student in the news release.

15 veterinary student organizations entered the competition. Other finalists included student groups from University of Wisconsin at Madison, Purdue University, University of Pennsylvania and Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.

Over 6,100 people voted, according to the BCF website.

The competition began with a photo round that would capture student enthusiasm, then technical articles on suggested topics were submitted and judged by a veterinary panel, according to the release.

BCF Technologies is a leader in bovine fertility detection using ultrasound.

More informtion on the UC Davis FARM Club can be found at www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/Clubs/farm.

— Muna Sadek