Late-1980s indie rock prophets the Pixies might not be the most obvious band that comes to mind when describing legendary, crowd-pleasing, sold-out arena tours. The group, which is largely credited with having invented a unique blend of punk, surf and pop sounds which would later be taken up by the likes of Nirvana and Alice in Chains, tends to be more often associated with professional heights it never managed to achieve ““ thanks in large part to a well-publicized feud between bassist Kim Deal and lead singer/guitarist Black Francis (aka Frank Black, aka Charles Thompson) that eventually led to the band’s demise in 1992. Read more...

It is all too often that when actors try their hands at being musicians, the results are disastrous. But some actors manage to make the switch smoothly, as in the case of Juliette Lewis, frontwoman of Juliette and the Licks. Read more...

If getting the standard rock-quartet together to practice isn’t easy, imagine preparing 82 students for an orchestral performance. The UCLA Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Jon Robertson, is playing tonight at Schoenberg Auditorium at 8:00 p.m. Read more...

With film score writers battling computer programs to have their music played in a movie, and with their artistic creativity limited both by budgets and the whims of the directors and producers who control their projects, composers may be left wondering in what direction their art is heading. Read more...

If it’s true that art students constantly search for the authentic, they might want to take a break on Oct. 22. In Royce Hall, “Masked Rituals of Kerala, India” might just be the most authentic thing in Los Angeles on a Friday night. Read more...

Some say imitation is the best form of flattery. If this is the case, then Americans have been paying foreign filmmakers the biggest compliment to date. Read more...

Larry Flynt’s office looks as gaudy and flashy as you would expect of a porn king ““ but the mahogany desks are real wood, and the gold leaf isn’t spray-painted yellow. Read more...