The Brief

Being a business owner in Alhambra is a full circle experience for Angelle Laigo.

She grew up here, took piano lessons in this neighborhood at Pedrini Music when she was a kid and still sings in the choir at her local church. Her father started a community newspaper here after immigrating to the U.S. from the Philippines.

He called it Street News.

Listen 13:08

Apple

Spotify

Here is the last installment in our series of places in LA that help establish a neighborhood's rhythm. This time we head to Str33t Records and talk to owner Angelle Laigo. 

Finding The Beat: Music and Nostalgia in Alhambra

Here is the last installment in our series of places in LA that help establish a neighborhood's rhythm. This time we head to Str33t Records and talk to owner Angelle Laigo. 

Subscribe

• Apple
• Spotify

And here, on Main Street, is Str33t Records — Laigo’s homage to her father’s newspaper, community and her love of vinyl (Fun fact: the full name of the shop’s logo is Str33t Records ⅓, which is a nod to the revolutions per minute that records spin).

“Str33t Records is the continuing legacy… of my family,” she says. “It’s a family passion project. I really couldn't have done this without my entire family.”

First record store in 20 years

Str33t Records is right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Alhambra's Main Street, snuggled between restaurants, boutiques, cafes and entertainment. The standing chalkboard sign at the front of the shop is an invitation to check out the music inside.

Artwork of Lauryn Hill made out of broken vinyl at Str33t Records.

(

Samanta Helou Hernandez

/

LAist

)

Angelle Laigo flips through records at her store, Str33t Records.

(

Samanta Helou Hernandez

/

LAist

)

The space is cozy. There’s art on the walls, including a Lauryn Hill vinyl mosaic, with players and records everywhere — from Aretha Franklin classics to Beyoncé’s “Renaissance.”

The shop has been here since 2021, and according to Laigo, it’s Alhambra's first record store in 20 years. The most rewarding part of operating here has been bringing music — albums and other items she’s collected over the years — back to this part of the San Gabriel Valley, she says.

There’s examples of funk, soul, rock, indie, pop and the “oldies” the customers seek out, she says. Nearby neighbors also bring in boogie and low-rider music to sell and trade, Laigo adds, giving a nod to the shop’s close proximity to East L.A. and the city’s longtime residents.

Curating music, creating community

One of the unique things at the shop is that local DJs come to check out the 12-inch singles and vinyl to use in their sets. This is one way folks discover classic artists and put them back on the map at shows and parties, Laigo says.

Record stores “are gems in the communities that they're in because they will have music that you won't see” on modern streaming platforms, Laigo adds.

Part of the charm of the record store is that it’s not overwhelming: the genres are labeled and there’s just enough vinyl where it doesn’t feel like a lot. It invites you to pause and browse in a busy corridor of the city.

We’re “in an age where everything happens so fast, and we're consuming so much content,” Laigo says. “I always encourage people to take some time to just slow down and be present.”

Str33t Records in Alhambra.

(

Samanta Helou Hernandez

/

LAist

)

Another way Laigo likes to share music is by hosting open mic events and showcases at her shop. There’s an upcoming event on March 2 that’s inviting folks to sing, play instruments, recite poetry, set up DJ sets, do stand up comedy and more. All artists are “welcome here,” she says.

Parting words from Laigo:

“I think that all artists and all songwriters and producers and everyone involved in making music deserve the royalties and so the best way to support artists is to buy physical formats [and] go to concerts. It's the best experience ever.”

Artist recommendations

Since Laigo is tapped into the music scene in the SGV, I asked her what artists folks should check out to support local talent.

Healing Gems

Pearl and the Oysters

Congrats to Big Bear's celebrity bald eagle couple.

Jackie and Shadow have two new chicks this Easter Sunday. Thousands of fans have been watching their eggs hatch on the popular nest livestream that made the eagles famous.

The first eaglet arrived last night around 9:30 p.m., the second followed around 8:30 a.m.

The nonprofit that runs the livestream, Friends of Big Bear Valley, says dad Shadow showed up after the second hatch and saw his two chicks for the first time.

Mom Jackie is is showing a natural behavior that’s actually a good sign. The nonprofit says she's salivating more — which helps provide electrolytes and antibodies her chicks need.

The two eggs each showed signs of a pip — or first crack — on Friday and Saturday.

Topline:

Why it matters: The new agreement spans four years, as opposed to the typical three-year deal. In a social media post, the WGA said the deal "protects writers’ health plan and puts it on a sustainable path, builds on gains from 2023, and helps address free work challenges."

In a statement posted on its website, AMPTP said, "We look forward to building on this progress as we continue working toward agreements that support long-term industry stability."

Why now: AMPTP and the WGA have been in negotiations since March. The announcement yesterday came a little under a month before the union's current contract was set to expire on May 1.

The backstory: In 2023, contract negotiations broke down between writers and producers, which led to a historic five-month writers strike. That strike ended with the WGA notching huge gains in compensation, streaming residuals and AI protections.

What's next: The tentative agreement still needs to be ratified by the full WGA membership. The union's negotiating committee said union members will receive detailed information in the coming days.

The Hollywood Burbank Airport is advising flyers to arrive at least two hours earlier than usual for the next 60 days because of construction slated to begin Monday.

Road closures: One lane of traffic on the southbound side of Hollywood Way next to Thornton Avenue will be closed during construction. The sidewalk and bike lane on the west side of Hollywood Way between Winona Avenue and Thornton Avenue will also be closed.

When: Construction will occur Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. through June 6.

Why: Airport spokesperson Mike Christensen told LAist crews are building a retaining wall as part of Hollywood Burbank's passenger terminal construction project.

Alternatives: Officials recommend passengers use the Empire Avenue entrance or take Thornton Avenue to get to the airport.

While living in L.A., I’d been hearing about this thing — “the desert.” Seemed a bit odd to someone who lived on the Westside next to the ocean, but OK, you can also see mountains from my house, so why not throw in an entire landscape food group?

A few years ago, I figured it was time to try it out, and my family and I headed to Joshua Tree for the weekend.

We began driving east and were soon in that vast no man’s land around the 10 Freeway. On one side, I could see a moving train, with all those boxcars. I was watching, entranced, waiting to see it go past. And it kept going. And going. It was like a vibrant desert serpent, wending its way through the landscape, each boxcar a different hue. It seemed so romantic, and then I thought “in each one, there’s a whole load of hanging car air fresheners, dental floss and Japanese waving cats” and suddenly the spell was broken. Ah well.

The eerie, alien Joshua Tree.

(

Sean Gallup/Getty Images,

/

Getty Images North America

)

As we got nearer, I said “Huh, what's that weird thing that looks like an alien?” and my husband said, “Yes, that’s a Joshua Tree.”

What? Wait, stop the car. There’s an actual Joshua Tree? First, who knew, and second, that is no tree. That, sir, is a weird misshapen cactus, with multiple crooked arms reaching into the air, each with its own spiky fur muff. Kinda like one of those waving inflatable guys if they were static. (Ah, I've been in L.A. too long).

Bougie smores

The vast desert sky.

(

Steve Holtzman

/

Courtesy Suzanne Levy

)

We finally arrived at our destination, a campsite — OK, a glamping campsite, a whole bunch of airstream trailers laid out with firepits. I knew it was bougie when I went to buy a smores kit from the shop and came back with 70% dark chocolate, artisanal graham crackers and single origin marshmallows. (I made that marshmallow one up, but it really is just a matter of time).

We made a fire, marveling at the gorgeousness of the sunset, the morphing colors and the vastness of the sky. I sat afterwards watching the flames, the cold air on my skin, under a blanket of stars. Tears pricked my eyes.

In the morning we headed to Joshua Tree National Park. When we got out of the car, the vista hit me, with that bright, bright sun, strange looking rocky outcrops, and nothing but Joshua trees as far as the eye could see. I thought: I have never seen anything like this. I couldn’t have even imagined something like this. In London, if you go on a day trip, you can go back in time, say to the thatched roofs of the Cotswolds — but not to a different planet.

What an extraordinary continent this is, I think. I am awestruck by its endless, varied landscapes — the plains, the Rockies, the oceans and the forests. And there’s something particular about the desert — its simplicity, its reduction to just three or four elements, which relaxes you, chills you out.

I remember heading back to L.A. after the weekend, happy and mellow, smiling as we drove west into the setting sun. It’s a cliche, but the desert does call you back. And I hope to get back there very soon.