In catching the first five minutes of any episode in the abrasively hysterical series “Girls,” an average viewer immediately questions their desire to endure its penchant for awkward nakedness, both psychological and sexual.

On its 10th studio album, Centipede Hz, Animal Collective amplifies a mellow soundscape with a jolt of electric mayhem that seems like a sour acid trip.

The buzz of raucous applause reverberated through the Mainstage Theatre at the University at Buffalo on Oct. 18 as American memoirist David Sedaris welcomed local students and his many admirers to a rollicking reading of his humorous, witty writings.

"I like songs that say something, give an emotion," said 54-year-old Karen Baskett, a lifelong champion of music from the Manhattan neighborhood of Chelsea. "I don't have time for Hanson."

If you tune into GSTV at 8:30 p.m. on a Wednesday night, you'll probably stumble upon a music video featuring lively feline and canine skeletons or animations of morphing neon owls.

One of the most highly anticipated films of the season, The Social Network dramatizes the sensational story of computer science mastermind Mark Zuckerberg and his creation of the digital juggernaut known as Facebook.

As thousands of devoted Lady Gaga fans flooded the halls of Madison Square Garden on July 6 - sporting platinum blonde wigs and soda can hair rollers galore - the arena buzzed with speculation about the first of a three-night engagement in the pop star's hometown.