Lena Valencia

Lover Come Back

Lena Valencia
I was 11 when I bought my first CD, Aqua’s Aquarium, at Rockaway Records (2395 Glendale Blvd., Silver Lake, 323-664-3232). Rockaway would be there for me for all my musical flings throughout junior high and into high school. I discovered KROQ and bought CDs by Radiohead, Sublime, Bush and the......

Revels Without a Pause

Lena Valencia
Sarah was hooking up with Ricardo in Edwin’s Tercel, which was really lame because it was Maite’s party — not just her party but her birthday, and Maite’d had a crush on Ricardo since freshman year. Lame or not, Maite didn’t seem to care — the DJ had just put......
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Getting The Hookah Up

Lena Valencia
Forget the beer bongs and keggers and toga parties of the past; college kids of the new millennium are far too sophisticated for that behavior. Now, instead of downing Pabst till their livers come up through their mouths, America’s future can be found charring its lungs at the new college......
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Fuck…Maybe?

Lena Valencia
"I told my mom not to worry ‘cause this is, like, the only night all the white people come to Echo Park," said the blond Valley girl in front of me. Clearly, she didn’t come to this side of town much or she would have noticed the nearby vintage clothing......