Since its inception in 2004, FYF Fest has made quite a change. The brainchild of then 18-year-old L.A. native Sean Carlson, FYF Fest has gone from an Echo Park, local-band music party to a full-on, two-day event whose roster reaches well beyond the borders of Los Angeles to include the likes of seminal Swedish hardcore band Refused and the U.K.’s electronic prodigy James Blake.

Anyone looking for an easy, quirky, indie dramedy should stay away from “Dark Horse” and go re-watch “(500) Days of Summer.”

Generally characterized along the lines of indie or experimental, Dirty Projectors has released albums time and time again that keep its genre hazy. Ecstatic, mostly difficult-to-hum-along-to polyphonies are the band’s home turf.

Dirty Projectors’ newest album “Swing Lo Magellan” is maddeningly catchy and weird, boasting more funky thrummings (as in the wonderful track “Gun Has No Trigger”) and intimate songwriting (but no fewer vocal harmonies) than 2009’s “Bitte Orca.” But it is also one of the band’s more listenable ““ aka more pop-sounding ““ records yet.

The temperature hovered just above 50 degrees, and the sky was clear for a San Francisco evening. The Golden Gate Bridge, usually glowing with tiny headlights passing from one end to the other, was completely dark.

Memorial Day weekend is one of the few three-day weekends of the year for students to enjoy. But with an extra day off school comes an extra day to fill with a fun way to pass the time. For students looking forward to the day off but are unsure of how to spend it, here are some exciting festivals and events to consider attending.

In April 1912, the growing momentum of the film industry coupled with the independent studios’ need to battle Thomas Edison’s Trust led to the creation of Universal Film Manufacturing Company. A hundred years later, Universal has been involved in many of the industry’s biggest hits, and operates as the oldest producer and distributor in the United States.

Located a quick 15-minute walk from UCLA’s campus, the Hammer Museum is one of Los Angeles’ cultural gems and contributes to the intellectual life of the university.

The Getty Museum’s new exhibition, “Herb Ritts: L.A. Style,” offers a thoughtfully curated and extensive survey of Ritts’ work from 1984 to his death from HIV complications in 2002. During this time he shot more than 200 magazine covers for publications including Vogue, Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair, and photographed celebrities ranging from Naomi Campbell, John Paul Gaultier and Elizabeth Taylor to Johnny Depp, Britney Spears and Jackie Joyner-Kersee. He is also known for his nudes and photos that incorporate the symbolic and subtle beauties of the natural landscape.

Throughout the school year, UCLA Live invites a medley of popular and critically acclaimed artists and performers to galvanize the stage of Royce Hall with energetic concerts, compelling talks and otherwise engaging artistic performances. All tickets are $15 for UCLA students.

Spring is here, and with the new season comes new music and movies. There are plenty of releases coming out in the next few months, but the A&E editors have chosen some albums and films to be especially excited about heading into April, May and June.