Janky Smooth

Stayin’ Alive: Giorgio Moroder’s 78th Birthday At The Globe Theater

Robert Cohen May 8, 2018

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about who we become as we grow older. For all the hype the vitality of youth gets in our society, the shedding of the layers of bullshit that age affords people of all ranks is equally liberating and deserves its time in the

Snow Blood On The Leaves: Alice Glass, Zola Jesus, And Pictureplane At Teragram

Aria Silva-Espinosa May 7, 2018

Before catching the first night of the Snowblood Tour, I had these artists placed at two very different ends of the darkwave spectrum. At one end is Alice Glass; a brash, angsty counterculture icon with an unmistakable approach to music and at the other end is Zola Jesus; a classically-trained

Shred And Sensitivity: The Smoking Popes At The Viper Room

Rob Shepyer May 2, 2018

The week leading up to The Smoking Popes‘ return to Los Angeles at the Viper Room was filled by my reacquainting myself with their music. I remember the first time I heard of the Popes, from a friend who described them as pop punk meets big band, which is a

Crusty Anthems and Salty Sing-alongs: The Distillers Return to Orange County

Rob Shepyer May 1, 2018

I remember The Distillers as a band on the periphery of my hesher upbringing in the early 2000’s. They were on MTV back when pop-punk was still sweeping the airwaves and amassed a large following even though their music wasn’t your run-of-the-mall, American Pie movie soundtrack drek. The Distillers were

Heaven or Coachella?: Django Django And Tank And The Bangas At The Fonda

Aria Silva-Espinosa April 30, 2018

Much like the eye of a tropical storm, Los Angeles enjoyed a few days of eerie tranquility in the weekdays between the first and second weekend of Coachella. If you don’t have the patience to deal with drunk teenagers and a few thousand dollars worth of disposable income to make

Between Coachellas, Brazilian Boogarins At The Echo

Rob Shepyer April 24, 2018

As I continue my education in psych rock, I start seeing these shows as lectures and the artists as professors in preparation for my “thesis” at this year’s Desert Daze. That said, it was refreshing to get an international take on the genre with Boogarins, a band that hails from

From The Bay To L.A. Classic Metal Burns Bright: Hell Fire At Echoplex

Rob Shepyer April 20, 2018

With my recent concert-going escapades seemingly devoted to punk, in all its forms, it felt like I had forgotten my first love: heavy fucking metal. And, in attending the Echoplex’s Metal Monday showcase, it was as if the prodigal son had returned to church. In a sense, I mean this

The Murder City Devils at Teragram or: How Spencer Moody Learned to Love The Stooges

Rob Shepyer April 19, 2018

After seeing The Murder City Devils for the 2nd time on Sunday at the Teragram Ballroom, I spent a great deal of time contemplating the band’s sound and impact. During one especially thrilling interlude, lead singer Spencer Moody told the story of how he was born in existential crisis, wondering what

In the City of Sad Angels: Loma and Jess Williamson At The Bootleg Theater

Aria Silva-Espinosa April 17, 2018

Jess Williamson brought a brand new album and a newly-assembled band to The Bootleg on Sunday evening. Originally from Texas, singer/songwriter Jess Williamson recently made the move to Los Angeles. Her forlorn and sorrowful music has a bit of a country feel, an obvious product of her Texas roots. Her

Video Premiere: Plasmic “Validation Nation” Janky Smooth Exclusive

Janky Smooth Central Command April 17, 2018

Ever since she tore the house down at El Rey for Sex Cells’ Divine Ball, we here at Janky Smooth have developed a deep fondness for the Orange County sparkle-queen known as Plasmic. Her take on pop brings to mind greats from Cyndi Lauper to Ariel Pink to Devo and