Author Archives: Taleen Kalenderian

For serious writers of fiction, as Mona Simpson calls them, taking a crash course in writing is not nearly enough to become a real writer. But if there was such a course, Simpson’s English Seminar 180.2, titled “Literary Study for Short Story Writers: Finding Your Own Mentor, Dead or Alive,” could be it. “Part of […]

LADYTRON CONCERT Today, noon Bruin Plaza, FREE As far as musical uppers and downers are concerned, Ladytron has found a way to integrate energy on the stage with its electronic mood-based ethos. Hailing from Liverpool, the oft-dubbed electroclash foursome will be playing a free show in Bruin Plaza today at noon, courtesy of UCLA’s Campus […]

If participating in a battle of the bands competition counted as units toward graduation, it would be a college band’s dream come true. Unfortunately, it doesn’t, and balancing school with music can be difficult. But that doesn’t stop scores of UCLA-based bands from playing music and finding outlets for exposure. With online contests such as […]

Thunderbirds Are Now! “Make History” Frenchkiss Records (Out of 5) Thunderbirds Are Now!’s first album, “Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief,” was pure, unfiltered chaos with abrasive, angular guitars and absurd frequencies that could induce a “Mars Attacks”-esque alien brain explosion on any music listener. Song titles such “Not Witherspoon, But Silverstone” and “Babygirl, I Got Ten […]

First the iPod took over campus. After that, the podcast was inevitable. “It’s the equivalent of TiVo for radio,” said Greg Katz, a fourth-year philosophy student and general manager for UCLA’s own campus station, UCLAradio.com. “It’s taken radio out of people’s cars ““ now people are listening to the content on their laptops or iPods.” […]

Whether an independent band needs to coin its own genre or create an entirely new brand of music to get noticed, making it in Los Angeles is no simple venture. But the members of Bedroom Walls seem to be coasting through it and having a great time. The somber, dreamy quintet’s second album, “All Good […]

If turning up Black Sabbath to full blast on an iPod can cause hearing damage, imagine what moshing front and center next to a cranked-up amplifier could do to one’s ears. This spring, in response to concerns about the capability of an iPod’s high volume levels to permanently damage hearing, Apple Computer created a free […]