When Edward Monaghan was 11 years old, he wanted what most adolescent boys want more than anything: to kick some serious butt. “I began (martial arts) when I was a little guy,” said the UCLA theater professor of “Directing for Film & TV: Combat for Camera,” a new course open to all students. Read more...

It is undeniable that Web sites like MySpace have served as catalysts for the growing popularity of smaller musicians over the past few years, providing them with a free method by which to spread word of their music. Read more...

Guillemots “From The Cliffs” Fantastic Plastic Records Maybe this time Britpop’s really dead. Blur’s broken up, Coldplay continues to coast on claims of neurosis and rehashes of old singles, and the Arctic Monkeys have more in common with The Clash than they do with Oasis. Read more...

Ghostface Killah “Fishscale” Def Jam Records It’s bizarre and inscrutable, but certainly overstuffed with more meticulously crafted rhymes and beats than many rap artists lay their hands on in a career. Read more...

I’ve watched an exorbitant amount of television in my 21 years. Of course, we all have. For a lot of us, TV was the ultimate baby sitter. Read more...

Rock stars have always been larger than life. But thanks to the silver screen, that size is becoming literal. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the band Andrew W.K. Read more...

Loose Fur “Born Again in the USA” Drag City Records The title of an album can say a lot about its contents. Pavement’s “Slanted & Enchanted” is just that ““ a blend of skewed pop instrumentation and off-beat vocal delivery so unlikely it never fails to captivate. Read more...