Groove

Enough already. The Times has written two full-length articles on the new adult-alternative rock radio station Channel 103.1 ("For KACD and KBCD, Time Is on Their Side," Nov. 12). Neither of the articles mentioned the devastating loss many L.A. listeners felt for the demise of the former dance-oriented Groove 103.1 radio. I thought the premise of interesting news articles should be about something unique and extraordinary, which Groove 103.1 was, but definitely not Channel 103.1 The new format simply reshuffles many of the same rock songs heard on many other stations in Los Angeles.

AUGUSTA, Ga. - By the time Bubba Watson tapped in for a textbook par on the final hole of his opening round at the Masters, he had that familiar feeling. Watson felt both a surge of energy and a sense of ease at Augusta National, a satisfaction in the patience and precision that paved his way to a three-under-par 69 Thursday. A solid day's work. Three-way tie for second place. One shot off the lead set by Bill Haas. Two years ago, Watson left these grounds with a green jacket, triumphing in a playoff over Louis Oosthuizen with a swashbuckling, crowd-pleasing approach.

Travis Wear has had an unusual final season at UCLA. It started last spring, when Coach Ben Howland was fired. It continued in the fall, when he underwent an appendectomy. But things are going better for Wear in recent weeks. He had 13 points, making six of eight shots, Thursday in a win over California. Heading into Saturday's game at Stanford, he has made 26 of 40 shots in UCLA's last six games. "The beginning of the season was a little tough, coming off the surgery," Wear said.

The worst bullpen in the major leagues could have an All-Star in its midst. Brian Fuentes has bounced back from a slow start in a big way, converting 15 of his last 16 save opportunities. The Angels' closer entered Wednesday leading the American League with 20 saves and had not given up a run in his last seven appearances. "He's found his groove and I think we're seeing the guy we thought we were going to see," pitching coach Mike Butcher said. "I'm happy with what he's doing."

Kylie Minogue has spent much of her time lately in what we might call art-school mode. There was a collaboration with the experimental Icelandic band Múm. There was her appearance in a documentary about Nick Cave. And there was an album of orchestral renditions of her biggest hits. School's out, though, in the Australian pop diva's new single, "Into the Blue," which layers words about running free and leaving it all behind over a thumping disco groove with only one thing on its mind.

Dogs and their owners will unleash their inner grooviness Saturday when the 7 th Annual Balboa Barks: A Day of Peace, Love & Canine Companions kicks off in San Diego . The '60s-themed festival, in Balboa Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., will include activities, contests and food. Proceeds will benefit Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit Oceanside organization that provides assistance dogs to people with disabilities. The event, formerly called "Woofstock,"  will take place at the corner of Park Boulevard and Presidents Way. The entrance fee is $7, with parking free.

Aaron Harang had been the laggard, the one pitcher in the rotation struggling to find his form. The other four starters in the rotation were a blistering 15-5 with a 2.61 ERA. Harang started Thursday 2-2 with a 4.46 ERA. But it is beginning to look like the right-hander wants to join the party, and already has as far as the Padres are concerned, after leading the Dodgers to an easy 8-1 victory in San Diego. While the Dodgers were peppering Edinson Volquez and the Padres bullpen for 12 hits, Harang was holding San Diego scoreless in his seven innings on only four hits.

"We've had people faint and fall on the ground; we've had people throw up . . . ," starts Sky Shivers, manager of the Big Red Barn at the Los Angeles County Fair. He is describing various Southern Californians' reactions to watching a live cow birth. "We've had mothers shield their children's eyes and drag them out of the pen," he recollects with a chuckle and an Oklahoma drawl. Starting Saturday and running through Oct. 4, the L.A. County Fair is expected to lure roughly 70,000 people a day to the Pomona Fairplex for carnival rides, funnel cakes, live music and acres of sawdusty attractions including pig races, chicken hatchings, mini ponies, mammoth donkeys, baby bunnies and a new exhibit dedicated to the goat meat industry.

Who is A-Trak? C'mon, you know him. He's the DJ studiously manning the decks amid hip-hop star Kanye West's intricate stage settings, scratching and cutting with skills so sharp, he conquered all comers in the world of one-on-one DJ-ing and retired from battling at the ripe old age of 18.

Friday night's game was all about Clippers All-Star power forward Blake Griffin dominating the Toronto Raptors, when he wasn't getting in foul trouble. But this game was also about DeAndre Jordan staying the course when he was intentionally fouled by the Raptors and it was about Willie Green providing the Clippers with a spark when it was needed. Griffin, who played just 28 minutes and 19 seconds because of foul problems, had 36 points on 13-for-18 shooting and eight rebounds to help the Clippers to a 118-105 victory over the Raptors at Staples Center.

Little Mix touched down in the U.S. last year with surprising force, scoring the highest-ever chart debut for a British girl group's first album. (Sorry, Spice Girls.) But might success have come too soon for these alums of the U.K. "X Factor"? Where the women put across an up-for-anything spirit on their debut album, "DNA" - most memorably in the effervescent disco-funk jam "How Ya Doin'?" - here they sag under the weight of too many wind-swept piano ballads and booming productions seemingly modeled on Katy Perry's "Roar.

Kylie Minogue has spent much of her time lately in what we might call art-school mode. There was a collaboration with the experimental Icelandic band Múm. There was her appearance in a documentary about Nick Cave. And there was an album of orchestral renditions of her biggest hits. School's out, though, in the Australian pop diva's new single, "Into the Blue," which layers words about running free and leaving it all behind over a thumping disco groove with only one thing on its mind.

Vin Diesel is a Katy Perry and Beyoncé fan. There's the video evidence to prove it. And -- pardon the pun -- it's "Riddick"-ulous. The "Fast & Furious 6" star posted a nearly seven-and-a-half minute video on his Facebook page Tuesday in what we can only surmise is a treat for fans. A treat in which the singer grooves and sings along to Perry's "Dark Horse" and Beyoncé's "Drunk in Love. " He gave it the simple caption, "You know I love music... " The barrel-chested actor welcomes his legion of followers to his alone time with his computer, bopping along to the pop hits in a white undershirt and camouflage shorts, you know, showing off his impressive guns and likely causing a few hard-core fans to go weak in the knees.

On the surface, the members of local quartet Warpaint give the impression they're low-key when it comes to making music. Bassist Jenny Lee Lindberg will tell you she doesn't think about music - she "feels" it - and along with singer-guitarist Emily Kokal, the two will regularly apply words such as "chill," "vibe" and "energy" to the band's creative process. Don't be fooled. With the release of a self-titled second album this week, Warpaint enters a key phase of its career. The band's 2010 debut, "The Fool," sold 150,000 copies worldwide, and its success allowed Warpaint to call on some of the most respected studio technicians in the music industry for the follow-up.

Lady Mary Crawley of post-Edwardian Yorkshire slips into exquisite beaded gowns with the help of her trusted lady's maid, Anna. But Michelle Dockery, the 32-year-old actress who plays the eldest daughter on "Downton Abbey," seeks the assistance of a 21st century queen. "I was listening to Beyonce's new album nonstop this morning while getting ready," said the actress, sporting a structured black and white gown with a plunging neckline on the Screen Actors Guild Awards red carpet Saturday.

CHICAGO - Vernon Wells worked with former Chicago Cubs hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo last winter to fix a swing that didn't work in 2011, when he hit a career-low .218 with 25 homers and 66 runs batted in. Since coming off the disabled list in late July, the outfielder has worked with Angels hitting coach Jim Eppard to improve his rhythm and timing, which have been off in four starts in nine days, in which Wells went 0 for 15 with five...

Four popular characters introduced by East West Players in “The Nisei Widows Club” (2003) and “The Nisei Widows Club Holiday on Ice” (2004) return for a new comic adventure directed by Amy Hill: “The Nisei Widows Club: How Tomi Got Her Groove Back.” The now elderly widows (Nisei are the American-born children of Japanese immigrants) are rallying around Tomi (Jeanne Sakata), whose only son has died. Sumi (Takayo Fischer), Hana (Emily Kuroda) and Betty (June Kyoko Lu) look for new activities that will push all four of them out of their comfort zone.

Raise a Champagne flute to sparkly simplicity, for the notion that bliss can arrive from something so primitive as a groove, that sweat mopped up with Pharrell Williams' shirt may be only a dance move away.  That's the central theme to Daft Punk's new video for "Lose Yourself to Dance," the shimmering ode to the health benefits and human-spirit lifting qualities of coming alive on the dance floor. A clip that feels like a lost outtake from "The Midnight Special" circa 1975, it's pretty straightforward: The helmeted French duo play keyboard and bass, guitarist and "Random Access Memories" collaborator Nile Rodgers strums a clean rhythm and a sunglassed Williams croons front and center.