Author Archives: Dan Crossen

One of the perks of attending a top quality university such as ours is the ample opportunity for thoughtful discussion with other students. Whether about politics, science or the arts, you’ll find no shortage of informed peers who are willing to share their shrewd critical insights. There are an abundance of heated, often intelligent opinions, […]

With the specter of war looming larger every day, many UCLA students are joining in protesting U.S. actions against Iraq. America is witnessing the most anti-war activism since Vietnam, and it’s only appropriate that we are also seeing a revival and resurgence of that era’s socially conscious protest music: folk. “There is a lot happening […]

The ringer T-shirt has always been a staple of rock ‘n’ roll fashion. It’s very straightforward ““ simply white with bands of color around the collar and the ends of the sleeves ““ but always ultra-hip. In this sense the ringer T can even be viewed as a metaphor for rock’s musical ideal: simple, but […]

Even though this is only All Tomorrow’s Parties’ second year in the United States, there are plenty of reasons to be scared for its quality. In the recent “Best of 2002″ issue, the Daily Bruin named last spring’s All Tomorrow’s Parties festival the top arts event of the year. This wasn’t surprising, given that its […]

Blevin Blectum describes her music as “stuff that I want to hear that I haven’t heard before.” Anyone encountering her music for the first time can rest assured of one thing: her sparse, dark though strangely warm compositions are unlike most things anyone has heard before. Blectum, who will perform Thursday at The Derby, has […]

A new quarter is starting, and for those of us hailing from the “hella” north half of the state, that can only mean one thing: a seven hour car trip. Fortunately, the sheer boredom can be alleviated by nothing more than a robust CD collection and a passenger willing to DJ. Before you know it, […]