Column: Amateur reverence
Monday marked the 200th birthday of Frédéric Chopin, Poland's renowned Romantic composer. Happy birthday, old man.
The Seagull to premiere next Wednesday
Granada artist-in-residence Katya Kamotskaia directs Russian play
Granada Artist-in-Residence Katya Kamotskaia, with Mark Stevenson, will direct Anton Chekhov's famous Russian play, The Seagull, opening Mar. 10 through Mar. 14. Performances begin at 8 p.m., except for Sunday's, which begins at 2 p.m.
UCD Law graduate triumphs as playwright, writer
Wajahat Ali hailed as fresh voice of Muslim American community
It's been just three years since Wajahat Ali graduated from UC Davis School of Law. Already, the nation is beginning to take notice of the man hailed as one of today's most influential Muslim American artists.
San Francisco Jazz Collective to perform at the Mondavi
Show includes eight performers from diverse backgrounds
The San Francisco Jazz Collective will perform at the Mondavi Center today at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $12.50 for students.
Artistic dissonance
A review of Saturday's show at the Natsoulas Gallery
For over 20 years, the members of Caroliner have dedicated themselves to uniting the dissonance of static and noise with the allure of day-glow, tribal-influenced art. Caroliner is by no means new to the experimental-noise scene. Since their formation in 1982, they've released roughly 15 full-length albums and a dozen or so seven-inch singles. They are occasionally namedropped by music critic bigwigs - namely Alex Ross, the Pulitzer-prize winning music critic in residence at The New Yorker, but for the most part, Caroliner remains virtually ignored by mainstream America.
CD review: Dave Smallen
Rating: 4
The day that Street to Nowhere broke up was devastating for many in the Bay Area local music scene. Luckily, front man Dave Smallen has emerged as a brilliant solo artist with a debut that feels like a soundtrack of his life.
CD review: Sambassadeur
Rating: 4
Following their 2007 release of Migration, Sambassadeur swiftly and carefully developed the skill to adopt sounds from US and UK pop and polish them into their own catchy arrangement. In fact, the Gothenburg-based pop quartet's third studio album, European, seems to be an auricular summarization of all things pleasant in life.
CD review: Rogue Wave
Rating: 3
The well-established Oakland-based indie rock band tries entirely too hard on newly released Permalight. The ill-fated record proves how easy it is to lose yourself in the need to find a perfect hook.
CD review: Almost Alice
Rating: 2
What do Avril Lavigne, Owl City, Franz Ferdinand and 13 other artists have in common? Not much, but according to director Tim Burton they all complement his newest movie, Alice in Wonderland. In this hodgepodge compilation, 3OH!3's "Follow Me Down" appears alongside Kerli's "Tea Party," Plain White T's "Welcome to Mystery" and other fittingly-titled tracks. Clever, right?
