AltWeeklies Wire
Distant Karma Catches Up With the Brotherhood's Brenice Lee Smithnew
The wheel of life brings Brotherhood of Eternal Love member Brenice Lee Smith back to OC for a brief stay in jail.
OC Weekly |
Nick Schou |
12-15-2009 |
Crime & Justice
La Santa Cecilia, an 'It' Band and L.A.'s Next Big Genre-Bending Latinonew
Every couple of years, a Latino band emerges from this area who match their neighborhood and times, who transcend Latino L.A. to become a regional crossover hit. La Santa Cecilia is next.
As a Famous Desegregation Case Gets its Historical Due, One Family Feels Left Outnew
Mendez v. Westminster never made it into the official Orange County story, though, existing only in the historical margins of ethnic studies. But this wrong is finally being righted. But one plaintiff family -- the Ramirezes -- feel like they're being written out of this newly filled historical gap.
The Voice of OC Hopes to Turn a New Page for Journalism in Orange Countynew
Has the decline of The Orange County Register created enough media space for the nonprofit news website to put down roots?
Ask a Mexican: Insurance Omissionsnew
"My insurance company tells me 60 percent of accidents in California are with uninsured Mexican drivers. Why don't they just take buses like I did when I couldn't afford a car?"
Can the Colectivo Tonantzin and the ACLU Beat One City's Anti-Day-Laborer Ordinance?new
The Colectivo has concentrated on fighting for the rights of day laborers in a county that has seen cities pass increasingly stringent ordinances against them. And few are more adamant about running jornaleros out of town than Orange, the Colectivo's new target.
OC Weekly |
Gustavo Arellano |
10-06-2009 |
Business & Labor
Anti-Obama Birthers Breaking Ties With Orly Taitznew
Lucas Smith isn't the first in the Obama-conspiracy world to quarrel with Taitz. In May, Pennsylvania lawyer Phil Berg teamed up with his assistant, Taitz's former webmaster and an online-talk-show host to sue Taitz for slander, harassment and privacy violations.
Jay-Z's Latest 'Blueprint' is Still Less Inspired and Less Fluid than the Firstnew
Mostly, the album is Jay's attempt to get hip -- or hipster -- as he enlists a crop of fresh new talent discovered by Kanye West to help him sound relevant. Unfortunately, much like a 40-year-old divorcee who hits the town with her daughter's friends, it's clear that Jay doesn't quite fit in among this crowd, and The Blueprint 3 suffers for it.
Whitney Houston's New Album is Almost Absurdly Gimmick-Freenew
I Look to You sounds out of time, and if one didn't know better, one might suspect it was released a decade or two ago. But the timeless approach works. There's something extremely refreshing about a performer who refuses to kowtow to whatever they're calling the newest generation of brats.
The Clash Between the Black Panthers and the Santa Ana Police, 40 Years Laternew
"I think people want to forget this," former Orange County Black Panther head Daniel Lynem says. "If they could wipe it from the history books, they would. And for the most part, they have."
There's No Doubt That No Doubt Rules Orange Countynew
Even if they hadn’t been around in a while, even if they’re internationally famous superstars, even if some of them don’t live in the area anymore, No Doubt are permanently woven into the fabric of our culture—and unlike consumerism, conservatism or reality shows, they are something to be proud of.
OC Weekly |
Albert Ching |
08-18-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Why is Jack White Playing the Drums for the Dead Weather?new
It's perplexing that in the Dead Weather, White's current project and the most ubiquitously publicized band of 2009, he's playing ... drums? It feels like a novelty for novelty's sake, like Michael Jordan trying baseball.
Tales From Orange County's Taco Trucksnew
The roach coach. Botulism on wheels. Mobile Montezuma's revenge. The humble taco truck, known universally in Latino OC as loncheras, its workers as loncheros, has finally left its mooring as the feedbag for immigrants, construction workers and prescient foodies and become mainstream, even hip.
OC Weekly |
Gustavo Arellano |
07-28-2009 |
Food+Drink
'If Tomorrow Comes ...' Doesn't Really Work as an Albumnew
Maino doesn't have enough variation in his style, too many of the songs sound alike, and the narrative skits throughout are not especially believable or interesting. Still, in an era when the traditional long-version album has all but disappeared as an art form, it's hard to hold these complaints against him.
'Far' Feels More Serious Than Regina Spektor's Previous Albumnew
Sure, this is an album that contains a line about constructing a computer out of macaroni pieces, but sturdy production and easy, memorable piano melodies manage to ground nearly all of the songs.
Tags: Far, Regina Spektor
