Bands bounce back from loss of members


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Paramore, Green Day and MxPx have lost at least one founding member. But these bands have redefined themselves and have emerged stronger than ever. When bands lose a member, they often go through a natural grieving phase but proceed with a willful determination not to disappoint their fans. Maybe the departure was on good terms, […]

Comic prequel receives backlash


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Last week, DC Comics dropped a bombshell by announcing the Before Watchmen line, a set of miniseries designed to serve as a prequel to the landmark 1986 series. The seven titles, plus a stand-alone wrap-up issue, are set for release this year and the announcement set off a flurry of heated discussion among comic book […]

Creative methods enhance seafood


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Traditionally a showcase for pork and beef, charcuterie is a delicious assortment of smoked and cured meats and pâtés, often served with bread, cheese and a pickled veggie or two. But charcuterie is now having a seafood moment. A survey of popular chefs in the Boston Globe determined that seafood charcuterie is the number one […]

New show Smash revives TV musicals


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If you happened to watch NBC on Sunday, you might have noticed a sporting event that  was going on in the interim between on-air promos for the network’s highly touted mid-season launch of a new scripted series called Smash. The media blitz has been relentless in the months leading up to the official broadcast premiere […]

Gallery presents rare glimpses of cultural icons


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Certain figures’ legacies have survived decades of new movies, new hit songs and new famous faces, remaining bona fide icons whose fame continues today despite the passage of time: Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Jimi Hendrix and Mick Jagger. These names and others have managed to stay in the pop culture dialogue. For many Angelenos, the […]

Musical breakups are inevitable but often for the best


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When a band breaks up or goes on hiatus, it can be shocking, even devastating, to its members and listeners. But with the music industry in a slump, breakups are more common than ever. The outlook, however, is not one of despair, but one of hope: Reunions are also starting to spread like wildfire. Fame […]

Horror genre makes comeback within mainstream comics


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It might seem like superheroes are dominating comic books more than ever. DC and Marvel are benefitting from big-budget adaptations, and DC just had a fresh relaunch of its main superhero-focused line, New 52, and Dynamite Comics is focusing on classic pulp stars like The Shadow and Zorro. The genre that has truly been reborn […]

Rising juice trend quenches thirst


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Juicing, a verb that not only describes the process of making juice but also the act of dieting on it, is the first big food trend of 2012. Juice bars have had an impressive presence in Los Angeles for a few years. Now many people take it upon themselves to produce homemade creations. Celebrities preparing […]

Screen Actors Guild Awards plays it safe again


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That magical time of year has once again come and gone — the time when all the good street parking outside of Superior Grocers is taken by stretch limousines and low-flying choppers aren’t looking for fugitives, but a photo op instead. Yes, on Sunday, the venerable Shrine Auditorium played host to the 18th-annual Screen Actors […]

Hollywood restaurant creates new world for LA natives


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Any walk in Los Angeles presents plenty of doors — doors to bars, stores, museums and everything in between. For Angelenos it’s about choosing to walk through doors that will open up a world that transports them from city sidewalks and into completely different environments. And if you’re willing to drive a little, you can […]