Two and half years ago, Chris Colthart stepped off his plane into the silver sparkle of Hollywood sunshine. With no job, no car and a freshly left-behind band, the 28-year-old guitarist of indie-rock band The Faraway Places had little more than any average newcomer to the land of milk and honey’s biggest dream-propagating city. Read more...

Creme Blush Silverlake Lounge Feb. 18, 8 p.m. Hot girls from New York with new wave haircuts will make you dance and most likely have far cooler shoes than anyone in the club. Read more...

Nikkei Student Union, a campus group dedicated to promoting Japanese American culture, is reaching deep into its pockets to provide an evening of free entertainment. On Monday, NSU will present its 17th Annual Cultural Night, weaving together disparate elements of Japanese American culture. Read more...

“Kitchen Stories” James Bridges Theater Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Catch a free screening of Norway’s submission for this year’s Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. Based on a real study done in the 1950s of the cooking habits of Scandinavian bachelors, the film has been praised for being surprisingly entertaining despite its slow pace. Read more...

While Hollywood producers are flocking to Canada to lessen production costs, one Canadian producer is heading to Hollywood to expand his production. Michael Maxxis is offering UCLA graduate students and alumni the opportunity to direct his second feature-length film, tentatively titled “Boxing With God,” a gritty street drama about a boxer struggling with his wife’s tragic death. Read more...

A group composed of cello, violin, bass, percussion and voice usually conjures the image of chamber musicians. But the four women of Agua de Coco, who perform tonight at 6 p.m. Read more...

The unusual sounds and arrangements of Indian classical music often surprise and fascinate first-time listeners. Although pop artists like the Beatles and Sting have brought the culture’s richly emotional tones into the Western mainstream, many people have still not heard the inspiring art form. Read more...