People Under the Stairs “…Or Stay Tuned” OM People Under the Stairs has always been a hip-hop group proudly against the bling bling. The duo raps about everyday life instead of big pimping in addition to keeping its music simple too, sticking to a few low-key beats and samples to prop up its flow. Read more...

Does a Chicano band only compose Chicano music with Chicano musicians? According to Quetzal Flores, the founder of one of Los Angeles’ most prominent Chicano bands, the answer is no. Read more...

In today’s culture, real life often gets confused with the “Real World” ““ and to the extent that it seems like anyone can achieve fame. Melissa de la Cruz and Karen Robinovitz set out to prove this is true in their Marie Claire magazine assignment-turned self-help book, “How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less.” Unfortunately for anyone trying to use the book as a guide to engineer their own rise to fame, the authors start their assignment a step ahead of the crowd. Read more...

David Roussève’s work ethic as a performance artist is synonymous with his mission as the newly appointed chair of UCLA’s Department of World Arts and Cultures . Read more...

For Violaine Corradi, the composer behind Cirque du Soleil’s latest production to stop in Los Angeles, “Varekai,” the challenge of creating original music for a Cirque show means more than just finding the right notes. Read more...

What award doesn’t Clint Eastwood deserve? He’s been an Oscar-winning director, one of the most recognizable actors in films, a producer, a military man, a lumberjack and the mayor of Carmel, a small California town. Read more...

Frank Black’s innovative guitar-playing and songwriting skills seem to always be one step ahead of the rest. However, despite his major influence upon the music community, Black appears to have a casual attitude about his musical career and seems content to remain on the fringe. Read more...