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Meet the Young Women Reimagining Taxidermy In L.A.

L.A.'s taxidermists are honoring the wildlife we share our city with—parking lots, high-rises, and all. Union costumer and taxidermist Sparkle Juarez says, “Taxidermy is not just about creating a relationship with an animal by honoring their life, it is about developing a connection with the person who sees your final piece. Maybe it’s a kid that will be inspired to carry on the practice of taxidermy." “It’ll last longer than any of us,” Paloma Strong, the 26-year-old owner of Strong Taxidermy, says.

October 10, 2025

What Are Solidarity Signs and Why Are L.A. Businesses Displaying Them?

Not only do the signs offer practical advice on one's right and secure one's sense of safety, they show solidarity against the illegal actions of the administration as it does away with due process and ignores our rights.

October 9, 2025

The Chicano Psychedelic Scene Has a New Emerging Star

Fueled off a mushroom trip, four kids from East Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley created a psychedelic garage band that would end up touring around the world. Chicano history lives inside each Levitation Room performance whether they're playing in London or Boyle Heights.

October 8, 2025

The Rarest and Weirdest Finds at ‘Rare Books L.A.’

From the first 40 unscratched lottery tickets in California holding potential 1980s fortune to the original "Anarchist Cookbook" pulled from a garage of spiritual texts, this year's fair was a cabinet of curiosities.

October 7, 2025

L.A.’s Kink Pros Are Paying Their Bills and Letting Loose with Leashes, Fire, and Blood

Things get pretty messy in L.A. after sunset. Nonbinary nightlife performer La Frida Lokah said, “The audience wants to watch you explore yourself. It’s the ‘I want to see you watching me, watching you.’” Rubber Bunny, a Latina latex specialist and mother of one said, “ … this isn't something that we're getting white washed out of.”

October 6, 2025

Why Are My Favorite Punk Bands Playing a Trump Supporter’s Festival? Why I’m Boycotting ‘Punk in the Park’

The 'Punk in the Park' ethical dilemma: When punk's anti-establishment spirit funds a Trump supporter amid a Trump-sponsored ICE siege of Los Angeles and terrorizing of immigrant Brown communities.

October 5, 2025

L.A. TACO Mix Series: Bianca Oblivion

The latest installment of the L.A. TACO Mix Series comes from Bianca Oblivion, a DJ, producer, and cultural organizer who has become one of Los Angeles’ most visible links between the L.A. underground and the global club circuit.

October 3, 2025

A Whittier Paradise for Vintage Cookware Nerds

There are antique shops all over Whittier, but as far as anyone can tell, this is the only vintage kitchen supply shop in Los Angeles County. 

September 30, 2025

Revisiting the Urban (L.A.) Dystopia of SE7EN, 30 Years Later

The classic neo-noir psychological horror thriller "SE7EN" wasn't filmed in New York or a nameless city—it was shot in a dystopian version of 1990s downtown L.A. Here's how they hid the sun and palm trees to create a masterpiece.

September 18, 2025

The Complicated Relationship Between Chicano Identity and Mexican Cultural Appropriation

Not all Chicanos appropriate Mexican Culture, but they're more at risk of slipping into it. Beyond the social media apology lies a deeper betrayal: how the journey of huaraches and mezcal from symbols of poverty to luxury items reveals our own community's internalized anti-Indigeneity.

September 17, 2025