His contemporaries often mocked French painter Gustave Courbet as an uncouth country bumpkin. Courbet’s exaggerated provincial accent, physical robustness and unwillingness to conform to the Parisian art scene set him apart as an outspoken outsider. Read more...

Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness “Fear is on Our Side” Secretly Canadian Records I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness seems poised for success: The Austin-based quintet already has one of the most recognizable names in indie music, two years of extensive touring and an EP produced by Spoon’s Britt Daniel under its belt. Read more...

Simon Joyner “Beautiful Losers: Singles and Compilation Tracks 1994-1999″ Jagjaguwar Records Below the title “Beautiful Losers: Singles and Compilation Tracks 1994-1999″ on the latest Simon Joyner album is a picture of a grand, effeminate bedroom in which sits a young man, unshaven and with tousled hair. Read more...

We don’t mean to brag, but we think we’ve got ’em right this time. After going 7 for 10 and then 8 for 10 in our Oscar picks of the past two years, we’re predicting this is the year we nail everything. Read more...

Mr. Langtry selected a machete from the shelf and looked back at me. “Call me Denis,” he said. “Please, I’m asking you. You don’t have to call me Dad, just Denis.” His eyes turned back to examine the blade he held between us, and his never-trimmed eyebrows flared like two cats tensing to fight. Read more...

It’s crazy how much UCLA can change over four years. Whenever I talk with current freshmen about my own first year, I can’t help but sound like I was living in an archaic era. Read more...

I hate my iPod. A lot. Let me tell you why. I received my iPod as a high school graduation gift. This was when not many people had iPods, and the only ones who did were wannabe-hipster scads who ran around, iPods clipped to their belts, proclaiming, “Oh Marcus, you must listen to this wonderful band called Guster! Read more...