Arts & Events

If there was a musical response to Tacoma’s sunless winter weather, it would be gothic-pop princess Zola Jesus’ latest EP, “Conatus”. Zola Jesus, also known as Nika Roza Danilova, was originally trained as an opera singer; however, these days her voice sounds like a fiercer version of Lykke Li…in mourning. Danilova’s tracks drip with lovely string instrumentals meticulously laced into hearty synthetic beats. Despite the heavy emphasis on electronic noises and deep bass, this is not a dance record. Danilova has woven an aura of solemnity throughout the tracks and...

On Thursday, Oct. 6, the sixth annual Tacoma Film Festival began. A celebration of modern independent films, the festival will last one week and include screenings at the Grand Cinema, School of the Arts, the Blue Mouse, Tacoma Art Museum and the University of Puget Sound’s own Rausch Auditorium. The films screening during the festival include both dramatic works and documentaries. Many of the filmmakers will be present for the screenings, which are open to the public for a small entry fee. One intention of the festival is, as stated...

To bone or not to bone? That is the question. More precisely, that is the question many will be asking this Saturday night as they hunker down with a real cutie in a dorm room with all-too-thin walls. I’ll be honest, boys. This week’s article is mostly for the girls. Mostly for us hetero girls who find that sex carries serious stigma. If you don’t do it, you’re a prude. If you do it, you’re a whore. I used to spend much time pondering this while getting down with a...

Assuming you have had any amount of spare time since the late 90s, you have probably logged more than a couple of hours in simple simulations of matching jewels, numbered minefields, virtual crops and cattle or (most likely) green pigs and fowl-flinging slingshots. The upstart industry of “casual gaming” continues to enthrall the masses, mystify the diehards and rake in loads and loads of cash—love them or hate them, “casual” games like “Farmville” and “Angry Birds” have earned both economic and pop culture relevance. From Microsoft’s “Solitaire” and “Minesweeper” to...

After visiting Toronto-based sandwich shop Sky Blue Sky, Wilco’s lead singer and songwriter Jeff Tweedy took to his Facebook page and commented that, “Lunch was really good, but, to be honest, I prefer their earlier more experimental sandwiches.” Critics and fans alike had berated Wilco for playing it safe on their albums after “A Ghost is Born.” The musical quality was still leagues above most of the younger rock bands playing on the radio, but Wilco had set the bar so high with their previous albums that it was difficult...

Living off campus is a bittersweet experience. For once in your college career you may have your first single and do not have worry about your stuff crossing the invisible divide to your roommate’s side, the living room may actually be clean and is a common place to hang out and you may be cooking for yourself. This is my first year in a house and I took the plunge and declined  to buy a meal plan. I cooked for myself all summer, so why would the school year be...

For a woman who looks more doe-eyed and cutesy than Zooey Deschanel, Annie Clark, otherwise known as St. Vincent, has a lot on her mind. At 28 years old, Clark makes it clear on her third album, “Strange Mercy,” that with age comes wisdom and with wisdom comes disappointment. Clark, whose voice sounds like a powerful hybrid of Karen O, Regina Spektor and Corin Tucker, pairs her pipes with fierce guitar licks and nicely synthesized beats. The musical arrangements are spectacular and neatly organized, but it is Clark’s haunting lyrics...