Lost your password?

Tijuana Nights: Crossing the Border to Porky’s

I forget whose house I told my mom I was spending the night at the first time I went to Porky’s. Someone whose family my mom trusted, I’m sure. I’m also sure that I did not sleep at said friend’s house. We all met and slept at Gabe’s house. Gabe, my friend who always smelled like patchouli and had better hair than any girl I knew. He had a nice home and a loving family who did not mind if loud and obnoxious teenagers came over to throw up in their backyard and pass out on their couch. Or so I think they didn’t mind. Then again, I never asked them. ...
ESSAYSOFF THE CUFF

Netflix’s ‘Bodyguard’ brings back the earnestly fun political thriller

The Golden Globe Awards  are a bit of an odd duck. Presented by journalists covering the film industry for foreign outlets, the Globes mark the unofficial beginning to movie award season, but also recognize excellence in television. And while the Oscars and Emmys might be considered more prestigious, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association does its best to make the Golden Globes stand apart from its glittery rivals. This year’s Golden Globe ceremony brought plenty of surprises, but no one was shocked to see Netflix continue its formidable rise as an award-winning juggernaut. The streaming network’s new comedy The Kominsky Method took awards for best comedy series and best actor in a comedy series, while critically acclaimed Roma won best foreign language film and best director....
FILM & TVREVIEWS

Tribalism in the U.S.A.

My young adulthood consisted of punk shows and community college. I never had a friend that was in a fraternity or sorority. Greek life was a life I only saw played out in Hollywood. Now I see it in real time, a few blocks away from me on USC’s Frat Row. Not really knowing what I was getting myself into, one day I took a stroll down The Row with my audio recorder and decided to talk to some of my fellow Trojans....
CULTUREMUSICPODCASTS

A Night With Tommy Genesis

and
38 minutes after we arrive at No Vacancy on a Thursday night, we're allowed to enter the venue. The bouncer warns us not to take photos until we're in the bar, and we proceed upstairs, filing into a small bedroom where a lone blonde reclines on a twin bed. She launches into a practiced monologue about the unearthly realm we'll be entering as she pulls a lever; the bed slides away from the wall on a hidden track to reveal a staircase beneath. I briefly wonder if the only reason we'd been forced to wait so long before entering is for the setting and resetting of this gimmick, charming but probably overwrought for a sold-out album release party....
MUSIC

James Fugate On 30 Years of Eso Won Books

For nearly 30 years, the Leimert Park bookstore has showcased books by Black authors — the rare, the beloved, and the new. Co-owner James Fugate reflects on his evolution as a bookseller and how Eso Won came to be the city's unofficial literary headquarters for Black writing....
CULTURE

Is Kendrick Lamar the Modern Verdi?

Giuseppe Verdi was an Italian opera composer born in the 19th century. Kendrick Lamar is a Pulitzer-prize-winning rap artist from Compton. At first glance, these two artists have nothing in common. However, when their music is closely examined, we can find a number of similarities between these two musical geniuses. This audio piece explores the commonalities between Verdi's Rigoletto and Kendrick's DAMN....
MUSICUncategorized