What is a “real” college experience? Do you party all the time? Study like crazy? Go to every football game?

p. According to the protagonist in ABC Family’s newest series, “Greek,” he is seeking “a real college experience.” That means, he says, joining a fraternity. This is the only major problem with “Greek.” The show paints a sad picture of college life; it implies that, in order to have any fun at all, you have to go Greek. The show also represents fraternities and sororities as essentially cliques with houses. I saw that fraternities here at the College are far more open than those portrayed on “Greek.” I suppose it must not be the same at many other universities — making me appreciate the College even more.

p. The show focuses on some students at the fictional Cyprus-Rhodes University, which is considered to be an exceptional school academically, not unlike the College. The main character, Rusty Cartwright (Jacob Zachar), has just arrived and found out that his older sister Casey (Kelsey Grammer’s daughter Spencer Grammer, “As the World Turns”) hasn’t told anyone that she even has a brother — including her boyfriend, hunky Omega Chi Delta president Evan (Jake McDorman, “House”), and her ex, Kappa Tau Gamma president Cappie (Scott Michael Foster).

p. During rush, Rusty accidentally sees Evan having sex with Rebecca (Dilshad Vadsaria), the daughter of a state senator and a pledge at Casey’s sorority. When he tells his sister, she considers dumping Evan, but is cautioned by her sorority’s president that this would severely jeopardize her chances of rising to the office next year. In retribution, she sleeps with Cappie to “make things even,” then decides to stay with Evan. When she tells Rusty, he responds by telling her that the right choice — dumping Evan — is clear; Casey counters, saying relationships aren’t necessarily black and white.

p. Throughout the season, though, Casey is constantly torn between the two. Evan, the heir of a financial empire, represents stability and a plan for the future, but she is still extremely attracted to Cappie, whom she sees as fun and exciting.
Casey’s other major plotline is with Rebecca. The two have begun to feud, and although Rebecca uses the power associated with her father to gain certain privileges, Casey holds her on a leash thanks to a video of her and Evan having sex that was sent to Casey anonymously.

p. Rusty joins Cappie’s fraternity. During rush he meets Calvin (Paul James), who joins Evan’s fraternity because he is a legacy. The two become close, and eventually Calvin confides in Rusty that he is gay — something he hasn’t told anyone else because he had a bad coming-out experience in high school. He begins a loose relationship with Heath (Zach Lively), an in-the-closet member of Rusty’s fraternity, although they break it off when they have a fight and Heath hooks up with another guy. Rusty, fortunately, has better luck in love; Jen K. (Jessica Rose of YouTube’s “Lonelygirl15” fame), a member of Casey’s sorority, reveals that she has a crush on him and they begin dating. In the latest episode, it is implied that they have sex — apparently the first time for both of them.

p. Despite the controversial portrayal of (fictional) college life, the show has many merits. It doesn’t really raise any grown-up questions; instead, it explores situations and problems more likely to be seen in college, by students — having fun, meeting new people and especially finding oneself. Casey’s observation that life is rarely black and white is true in many ways, and the idea is especially important in a society that increasingly values moral relativism. Who’s to say this is right and that is wrong? Can the same rules be applied to the same situation? Her observation has become a major theme for the show, and it brings a freshness to a series that could very easily have been another cliche teen soap opera.

p. Rusty is easy to identify with and is extremely likable; his initial wide-eyed innocence and the eventual realization of the hardships of college is common in many real-life students. Most of the other characters are likable. Cappie, although seemingly lazy, is incredibly intelligent; Evan seems to be truly sorry for cheating on Casey; Jen K. is ditzy and awkward but sweet and loyal (in fact, she sent Casey the video of Rebecca and Evan); Calvin struggles between living a pleasant life and a possibly tormented-but-true life. Don’t worry, there is a character everyone loves to hate: Rebecca. She truly has no redeeming qualities.

p. However, there are some parts that are difficult to believe. For example: How does Rusty have time to study for the intense engineering program? Where do all of these people get their money? Why would anyone put up with such archaic and pointless rituals, like “crush baskets” and candlelight ceremonies?
Thankfully, despite the sometimes dark morality, the show is generally light-hearted, full of many witty quips and college jokes. The characters are anything but one-dimensional. The cast and writing on this edgy (for ABC Family) show make it worthwhile.

M.I.A. is an assassin. She drops bombs of political hardships and violent realities with a brand of fierceness and tact that is unmatched. She produces sonic booms of nihilistic beats that pamper her rap-singing sounds and leave you devastated (with the help of her co-producers). There is no duplication of this 30-year-old Sri-Lankan native — no Nelly Furtado copy leaning on Timbaland’s beefy arms to obtain platinum records.

p. If you thought M.I.A.’s first album, “Arular,” was harmless, her sophomore album, “Kala,” is a brick to the face, smashing you with more grime, more noise and more intensity, with an evocative pinch. She still spits hot fire (like most female rappers do) with bird squawks and gunshots, determined to relay a message: She’s going to say whatever the fuck she wants and thrash powerful lyrics across your ears, leaving some deadly wounds.

p. Her visa troubles when attempting to return to the United States this year turned into a perfect opportunity to travel to different countries such as Trinidad, India and Jamaica, to film music videos and discover sounds and instruments that are rarely heard in the Unites States. The album’s first single, “Boyz,” is an upbeat, playful jingle with grating, rhythmic drums and crowd cheers. M.I.A. takes care to mention a few Caribbean dances (dutty wine) and ask some inquisitive questions about boys’ playtime: “How many no money boyz are crazy? /How many boyz are raw? /How many no money boyz are rowdy? /How many start a war.”

p. She boasts on her first track, “Bamboo Banga,” about being a “big timer” and “coming back with power,” exploding with Baltimore club thumps and whizzing car sounds. A few bad tracks plague the record, including “Hussel,” which features Afrikan Boy, a Nigerian rapper. This dangerous and hypnotic track has M.I.A. secretly whispering about the inner-workings of people who are in survival mode 24/7, caused by corrupt political systems that are chiefly concerned with gasoline and Hershey chocolate, while Afrikan Boy displays his hustling skills with a challenge: “You think its tough now, come to Africa.”

p. “Bird Flu,” which has been on M.I.A.’s MySpace page since the middle of this year, is a tribal bit with extensive, churning drums that rumble the ground. High-pitched hollers sung by little children fill the chorus while various rhythms are jerked back and forth, giving the song a sense of urgency.

p. Another song features a children’s Aborigine hip-hop group, The Wilcannia Mob and M.I.A. takes some time out to give Timbaland a ring, with the last album track, “Come Around.” However, Timbaland hinders the song with detached lyrics (his beats, of course, are well-made). The rest of the album will pulsate your headphones with more crunchy beats and random noises, but “Kala” is a masterpiece and M.I.A. executes her craft brilliantly and deftly, like the music killer that she is.

When I saw the advertisement for the new HBO comedy series, “Flight of the Conchords,” in the New York City Subway hailing the show’s subject as “New Zealand’s fourth most popular folk parody duo,” I giggled a little. When I saw the first episode the next weekend, I laughed my ass off. Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, equal halves of the ridiculous digi-folk comedy outfit, began this summer as relative nobodies, but “Flight of the Conchords” has become a household name.

p. The HBO series has been a huge success — so much so that the group has signed on for a second season. Now, with the season coming to a triumphant close this week (assuming the rumors that there are only 12 episodes are true), the release of “The Distant Future” EP earlier this month and the band in the studio recording its full-length to come out on Sub Pop later this year, the group is at the top of the world, and with good reason.

p. The “folk parody duo” scene is slim, so it’s hard not to compare the Conchords with Tenacious D. In fact, the two faux-bands have similar histories. The D got its start playing comedy shows for friends and then hit it big with a very low budget HBO series. That show, which marked the odd, musical adventures of two losers vying for rock stardom, ran for a grand total of six episodes. It was a cult hit, but was never much of a marketable success. Jack Black and Kyle Gass got a record contract nonetheless, and Tenacious D’s self-titled album was a monster success. “Tribute” and “Wonderboy” are classics, and “Fuck Her Gently” is a mainstay in my roommate’s party mix. Jack Black has gone on to become an uber-successful actor. Tenacious D even got a movie made (whether or not it was any good).

p. The Tenacious D show was, for the most part, a flop. After a mere six episodes, it never saw light again until it was released on DVD years later. I have that DVD. Some parts are good, but other parts are just awful. “Flight of the Conchords,” though, is a hit. For the Conchords, 12 killer episodes were filmed for the first season — each with a number of thematically included hilarious songs — and there’s going to be a second season. Maybe the post-HBO success of the D prompted the premium channel’s pickup of and belief in the Kiwi comedy team. Maybe the marketplace for a parody music group has widened after the D paved the way. But there’s something different about the Conchords: They pull it off better than Kage and Jables did. This show is clever, witty and straight-up hilarious.

p. My roommate heard me playing some of the Conchords’ music off “Distant Future,” and he said they sound like an indie version of the D — which is pretty much on the mark. They take influences from folk, rock, funk, soul, electronic and rap, among others. The mix makes for an indie sound that simultaneously pokes fun at just about every genre you can imagine, while also being really good music with catchy lyrics and melodies. As for the show, another friend of mine (we’re all fans) dubbed it a musical take on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Sure, not everyone likes the awkward brand of humor that Larry David’s HBO comedy series peddles, but those who do absolutely love it. If you do, you’ll like this.

p. So tune in this Sunday to HBO at 10:30 p.m. to catch the (most likely) last episode in this season of “Flight of the Conchords,” and enjoy. If you don’t have HBO — like myself and almost anyone who lives on campus — check YouTube for it in the coming days. Every episode can be found there, and they usually make their way up within a day or so of airing. The legality of this is, well, not entirely straight, but the Conchords themselves have placed a lot of their success on the power of YouTube, and maybe that’s why no episode has been forceably taken down. So enjoy it while it lasts, and look for the record — and an accompanying Flat Hat review — in the coming months.

I first heard Rilo Kiley my freshman year, and fell in love. Not just with the music, though; I fell hard for the group’s beautiful, redheaded lead singer, Jenny Lewis. One of the first reviews I wrote for The Flat Hat was a glowing review of Lewis’s debut solo album, “Rabbit Fur Coat,” released in January of 2006, wherein I explained that the album held up to the best Rilo Kiley albums she had been a part of (while professing my romantic love for the article’s subject, of course).

p. That album was a departure from the indie-pop stylings of Rilo Kiley as Lewis returned to her country roots, crafting a soulful, heart-warming Americana album more in line with a Neko Case or even a Loretta Lynn than with her L.A. band. Now, a post-hiatus Rilo Kiley has clearly taken influence from Lewis’s solo venture, incorporating country aspects with the group’s trademark sound on it’s new album, “Under the Blacklight.”

p. When you listen to “Rabbit Fur Coat,” Lewis’s backing singers, the Watson Twins, play a huge role in giving the music its churchy soul-singing sound. The Kentucky-born singers add bluegrass harmonies to embellish on Lewis’s sweet, twangy soprano for an almost Baptist choir-like effect. Take one listen to “Under the Blacklight,” and it becomes immediately apparent why the songs are larger and more dramatic: The chorus styles of Jenny’s solo shot were transposed directly onto Rilo Kiley’s sound — and it works.

p. My favorite Rilo Kiley album remains “The Execution of All Things,” which is about as close to a perfect album as a band can get. Instead, “Under the Blacklight” is more or less on par with the band’s last album, 2004’s “More Adventurous.” The latter has some of the best songs the band has ever recorded — “Portions For Foxes” is one of my all-time favorite tracks — but it also has a lot of missteps, leading one to believe the band was swinging for the fences and didn’t quite hit it. On ‘Blacklight,’ there’s lots of great material, but the record never seems to run on all cylinders.

p. The opening track, “Silver Lining,” is the best synthesis of the poppy, energetic sound of the band’s new past and the soulful new sounds introduced. Track two, “Close Call,” while not the catchiest song on the album, proves to be sweet in its rolling, country style. But right after coming strong out of the gate, the album stops dead on track three. “The Moneymaker” may be the worst song the band has ever recorded. The lyrics are cliche, the guitar line is horribly overused and the chorus is dry and unoriginal. Sure, the band is probably trying to be ironic — Lewis has always been edgy, but somehow she seems less than sincere growling “shake your moneymaker” — but the joke falls flat. Then, choosing that song as the album’s lead single tells me the band doesn’t have its priorities straight.

p. Part of the problem for “Under the Blacklight” is that it’s top-heavy. With the exception of “The Moneymaker,” the first half of the album is killer. But for all that success, the second half of the record is, for lack of a better word, forgettable. This leaves you feeling unsatisfied. The album peaks early — “Silver Lining” may be the record’s best track — making you wonder if you missed something by the end. Just like “More Adventurous,” whose best few songs are in its first five tracks, “Under the Blacklight” opens with lots of potential, but never quite reaches that timelessness that “The Execution of All Things” did. Still, I can’t help but be happy Ms. Lewis and company are back. I may hate “The Moneymaker,” but I do have to admit one thing I like about it — it’s an excuse for my Jenny-love to give a little shake when I oogle her in concert a month from now. Ah, love.