MIA “Arular” XL/Beggars US Pop music hasn’t seen an artist quite like MIA before. Part of it is the storybook child-of-globalization biography that has publicists everywhere drooling: Maya Arulpragasam, born to members of the Sri Lankan rebel group Tamil Tigers, forced to flee to London as a refugee, an art school graduate with a professed love for everything from her local grime scene and New York hip-hop to Brazilian baile funk and Puerto Rican Reggaeton. Read more...

“The Best in Youth” Directed by Marco Tullio Giordana Miramax Films You may think you are just too busy to watch a six-hour Italian movie with subtitles. Read more...

When you come back to Los Angeles from break, you never know exactly how your apartment will look or what your roommates have been up to while you were gone. Read more...

Daniel Gary Busby has been up to some saucy things since leaving UCLA last year, and he’s got a lot more on the way. The former UCLA professor, who taught in the musical theater program, has gone on to take a tenured assistant professor position in UC Irvine’s drama department. Read more...

With melodic clarity and transient style, Christina Nuki has bridged the gap between musical theater and classical opera. Nuki has been pursuing her dream since leaving her UCLA roots. Read more...

While most stand-up comedians sport lighthearted routines that actually flow, Dylan Moran takes a more schizophrenic style. His wandering mouth covers a spontaneously discovered range of topics, from the inherent stupidity of children to a tirade about religion, as he all the while sips on a large glass of wine and drags on a cigarette. Read more...

Up-and-coming musicians know all about sacrificing for their careers. And the guys in The Bradbury Press, who gave up their day jobs in order to do their current tour, are no exception. Read more...