Search Results for: the echo

Janky Fresh Friday: New Releases From A$AP Rocky and Sleaford Mods

Janky Smooth Central Command January 16, 2026

The beginning of each year can often feel a bit stagnant for new albums with many artists waiting until the Spring or Summer to release their work to the public, especially in genres based around youthful party cultures such as hip-hop. With how crazy the world feels in 2026 however, there isn’t a better time to completely subvert audience expectations and act as a trailblazer within your genre. The world needs art more than ever, and it’s needed as soon as possible. Thankfully, we have two very unexpected hip-hop releases to kick off the year with A$AP Rocky and Sleaford Mods blessing us with two albums full of unpredictable excitement just when we need it the most. A$AP Rocky: Don’t Be Dumb (released January 16, 2025): AWGE, A$AP Worldwide, RCA Records Hip-hop is almost completely unrecognizable from the 2010’s when A$AP Rocky first rose to prominence. At the time, it was almost hard to keep up with new releases every month from both veteran rappers and brand new artists seemingly coming out of nowhere. In 2025 however; this is nowhere near the case considering the major gap between Gen Z’s Soundcloud generation and the DatPiff mixtape culture that came

Oi My God: Cock Sparrer at The Palladium

Danny Ryan November 28, 2025

On November 22nd and 23rd 2025, legendary Oi band, Cock Sparrer played two sold out shows at the Hollywood Palladium. Have you ever experienced something that you felt you “weren’t supposed to”? Whether it’s something paranormal, shocking, surreal, from another dimension, or like you accidentally found yourself having traveled back in time? While there is a rising scene of newer Oi bands like The New York Hounds and The Chisel, seeing an original band from the 1970’s movement is nearly unheard of nowadays with legends from founding groups like Angelic Upstarts and The Business unfortunately passing away in recent years. related: LA Still Believes In Anarchy – The Exploited at The Regent Of all the original boot-boy skinhead Oi bands from 1970’s England; few have even come close to reaching the cult status that Cock Sparrer has in modern times. Hell at this point, the term “Oi” is almost unanimous with Cock Sparrer nowadays and especially their 1983 no-skips masterpiece of an album Shock Troops. Returning to Los Angeles for the first time in 25 years to completely take over The Hollywood Palladium on November 22nd and 23rd like it was a coup run by unruly ‘77 Rude Boys, this

Melt Banana Rain Harsh Noise in Los Angeles at Teragram Ballroom

Janky Smooth Central Command November 27, 2025

Revisiting the vibrant streets of Los Angeles, California on November 13 on behalf of their “2025 SlinGShot Tour,” Melt Banana crusades across the west coast of the United States in celebration of their latest album, 3 + 5. 11 years of pure creative flow led to the birth of their ninth LP (3 + 5) in 2024, which channeled in raw elements including hardcore punk, noise rock, and experimental electro themes. Joining the duo on tour are Deaf Club and Dream_Mega – both honorable features that beautifully complemented the energy Yako and Agata curated on stage at the Teragram Ballroom. The initial chaotic rush left by the presence of the opening acts left the crowd hungry for more action. A lingering sense of exhilaration fills the venue as crowds of rabid fans flood the scene in classic punk-rock regalia. Overhanging strobe lights and the smell of rebellion energized every individual who dared to attend. Words by Max Molina Photos by Auburn Sky click to expand truncated photos related: Three One G Radiation – Deaf Club at The Echo As Yako and Agata aka Melt Banana made their way on stage, fans erupted in a flurry of excitement, laced with mosh

Hong Kong Fuck You at 1720 by Taylor Wong

Powerviolence is Back: Nothing Less Mini Fest w/ Hong Kong F*ck You at 1720

Danny Ryan November 19, 2025

Most JankySmooth readers are likely familiar with the recent “hardcore renaissance” that music outlets have been raving about post-Covid with the rise of bands like Turnstile, Drain, Scowl, and Knocked Loose; but less talked about are the current revivals of punk subgenres that have not quite yet received the same level of media attention. LA’s underground is deeply familiar with the excitement surrounding the rising popularity in Oi, street punk, and more recently: powerviolence. During the 2010’s powerviolence and the incorporations of genres like noise and power-electronics were much more common than you see in the hardcore scene nowadays, but there is a rising scene of artists hoping to bring the avant-garde abrasive elements of anarcho-punk back to the forefront. related: Sound And Fury 2025 – Everybody Spinkick! Hong Kong Fuck You (HFKY for short) are among the leaders in blazing this trail, and their dedication to the art of noise is so unique in the modern landscape that LA’s staple promoter for the rare vinyl side of hardcore punk, Nothingless Booking, decided to host a mini-festival at 1720 Warehouse on November 7, 2025 around this concept. It was an absolutely stacked bill including Azusa’s powerviolence legends ACxDC, the recent

ADULT. at Substance 2025 by Chris Molina

Substance Festival 2025: The Post Pandemic/Post Punk Era

Danny Baraz November 14, 2025

Substance Festival in Los Angeles has become a right of passage in this city and this past November 7th and 8th we attended the 2025 installment in the festival’s return to the Belasco Theater. Approaching this Substance Fest review with any overt enthusiasm would be antithetical to the spirit of the way we revel in the morose nature of this art- the oddly mesmerizing decay of destruction/creation approached with a somewhat detached dreariness that is direct in it’s aloofness. But also… the fucking horrific beauty of it all… or whatever. related: Cloak And Dagger Fest- The Heart Of Los Angeles Bled From Dusk To Dawn Even with the orbits and cycles of pop culture and music circling back to black lipstick among the masses, the mainstream attention can cause a scene to go into lockdown and it’s members more discerning on where they spend their show dollars. So for Substance Festival, it was important to pull in the beating heart of the scene at the increased ticket price. related: Sextile At The Novo- The Most Important Band in Los Angeles? A touch for curation in the dark arts is what scene loyalists look for most and their return to the

Patriarchy by Albert Licano- Janky Fresh Friday

Janky Fresh Friday: Record Release Shows for Spiritual Cramp and Patriarchy

Janky Smooth Central Command October 24, 2025

Welcome to Janky Fresh Friday- the busiest day of the week for artists and labels to drop newly released music. Check in every Friday for a fresh squeeze. As part of Janky Smooth’s Janky Fresh Friday series, we’ve been comparing two albums that come out on the same day and seemingly have nothing in common- for the sole purpose of discovering the wealth of similarities between two disparate things. related: Janky Fresh Friday – New Albums from Tame Impala and Militarie Gun This week we mix things up a bit to examine two new albums with late-October 2025 record release parties in LA. Spiritual Cramp’s free show sponsored by Marshall at Zebulon on 10/21 reminded us of what rock music should be all about; and Patriarchy’s upcoming record release party at The Lodge Room on 10/26 is about to be one of the creepiest and most gritty dance-parties you’ve ever been to, just in time for Halloween. Author Danny Ryan gives his review of Spiritual Cramp’s RUDE, with photos by Taylor Wong from the Zebulon record release show. Author Rob Shepyer breaks down Patriarchy’s new album for us in preparation of their upcoming Lodge Room performance. Spiritual Cramp: RUDE (released

Sextile At The Novo: The Most Important Band In Los Angeles?

Danny Baraz October 22, 2025

A bold question. What elements create rank of importance in art? It’s easier in a music scene. Sextile played The Novo on October 11, 2025 and they left a lasting impression for anyone who was there to witness it. Walking into the venue that night felt like stepping into a vortex where underground club culture, raw post-punk perfection, and Los Angeles local band chaos fused into something futuristic. I’ve seen Sextile before, but this was different. This was a band leveling up in real time, playing like they were headlining a festival the world hasn’t invented yet. And Los Angeles showed up to The Novo, hard. The Novo was already buzzing the second I walked in, bodies packed shoulder-to-shoulder on the floor, the balcony filling fast with goths, punks, ravers, skaters, fashion kids, and aging industrial heads who looked like they’d been waiting 20 years for a band like this. Sextile draws tribes. And when a band pulls that many subcultures under one roof, you know something important is about to go down. related: Dark Entries- Bauhaus at The Palladium related: The Lost Coverage of Substance Fest 2022 – Los Angeles Theater The night kicked off with the kind of

Tommy Meehan Interview at Beyond The Streets by Taylor Wong

Seducing Tommy Meehan At The Gwar Museum-Janky Smooth Sessions

Danny Baraz October 20, 2025

Awhile back at the Osees show, I ran into Tommy Meehan. Tommy’s band Squid Pisser was main support for Dwyer and his band of merry thieves that night and I said hi to him at the merch table after their set. related: Osees At The Teragram- A Rose By Any Other Name We caught up briefly and I found the short chat so intriguing that I asked Tommy Meehan out on a date… and he accepted. We were to meet at the museum, or rather, the Gwar exhibit at Beyond The Streets Gallery in Los Angeles. Tommy walked me through every Gwar artifact at the installation that is running through November 2nd, 2025 where the label owner, scene impresario, band leader, innovative guitarist, animator, satirist and historian revealed his life long obsession with Gwar- I instantly fell in love with the fact that this man is in the midst of all his dreams coming true. It’s intoxicating to be around and Tommy Meehan is an easy guy to like and root for. This was our conversation: Background on Tommy Meehan Tommy Meehan is one of the most quietly influential figures in the Southern California punk and hardcore underground—a

Smashing The Status Quo With Fleshwater at The Fonda Theatre

Aria Silva-Espinosa October 20, 2025

Fleshwater and Chat Pile at The Fonda. October 11, 2025. Doors at 7:00, show at 8:00. Knowing full well that on-time arrival was going to translate to late arrival, I dipped directly from work for The Fonda without going home to change into something more camouflaged for the occasion. Whenever I arrive at the function, I’m always immediately clocking what everyone lined up down the block is wearing. Among the standard all black outfits and LA’s current favorite branded workwear I notice a series of band tees – Turnstile, Bauhaus, and Pig Destroyer logos and graphics featured on the chests and shoulders of the queue forming along the Walk of Fame. Before the algorithm, your best bet for ‘suggested artists’ would be the merch of the other people at the show. The aforementioned time crunch between the end of my day job and the door call at 7:00 PM now has me in a cardigan, long floral skirt and heels in the foyer of the venue – now both feeling awkwardly overdressed and freezing cold under the blasting AC vents, an effort to combat the anticipated body heat from an active packed house. Words by Aria Silva-Espinosa Photos by Evan

L7 Celebrate 40 Years w/ Lunachicks and Friends at The Belasco

Danny Baraz October 7, 2025

The Belasco’s air was sticky, buzzing, electric- like static before a tornado on Friday Oct 3rd. L7 and Lunachicks had a gig in Downtown Los Angeles. Those bands shared the stage again, for the first time in decades, in what felt like a life event for everyone involved for L7’s Fast and Frightening 40 Years Anniversary show. As much as I love Riot grrrl scene, the L7 legacy always stood on it’s own and I never appreciated pundits who would lump every hardcore girl under the Riot grrrl label. L7 had their own brand of feminism which included the Rock For Choice festivals that spanned over a decade and I include the times I saw them perform on the lawn of the Federal building in Westwood for causes that varied from saving rainforests, to legalizing cannabis at a time when people were still doing long prison sentences for the plant. But what I appreciated most about L7 was that they fucking shred. Say everything and anything else you want about them, every single one of them, at the top of their craft amongst their peers. And that was still the case as of October 3rd. related: L7 Stop Pretending They’re Dead

The Lost Coverage Of Substance Fest 2022- Los Angeles Theater

Janky Smooth Central Command October 1, 2025

With Substance Fest 2025 quickly approaching on November 7th/8th in it’s return to The Belasco, it has forced us to look back. Amidst the exponential increase in the volume of content this year, in the scramble to preview this year’s Substance, we uncovered the unpublished coverage from a special year of the festival- Substance 2022. Laying in the debris of the pandemic, in the smoldering ashes of this music blog were the photos of Albert Licano- mostly unseen by the outside world. As we all rise again to attend or cover Substance 2025, let us not forget the elation and gratitude of the after years in which we thought live music would never be the same again. This was one of those years. Between October 21-22, 2022, Los Angeles played host to Substance Fest 2022, aka “LA’s Dark Underground Festival,” a two-night celebration of post-punk, industrial, darkwave, goth, synth pop, and ebm, et al. Held at the majestic Los Angeles Theatre, the fest brought together a collective lineup of established underground legends, emerging acts, DJs, visual art, and immersive environments. In this look back, we’ll break down the experience: the venue, lineups, standout performances, production, crowd vibes, strengths, and areas

Circle Jerks Throw Birthday Party For Keith at The Hollywood Palladium

Danny Baraz September 29, 2025

On Friday, September 19, 2025, the Circle Jerks played a show at the Hollywood Palladium in honor of Keith Morris’ birthday and he invited some friends. The Circle Jerks, Ceremony, Negative Approach, and Rocket From The Crypt- a nice final touch for connoisseurs. It’s the kind of lineup that makes you shake your head and laugh at how good we have it when a night like this comes together. The story of the night was celebrating the birth of Keith Morris with all his friends and his band, the Circle Jerks. Somehow, at 70 years old, there is no noticeable decline. In fact, the eye test reveals that he’s thriving. It would be illogical to suggest he doesn’t suffer from some unseen ailment that comes with wear and tear on the human body. But… if his shoulder hurt, his hemorrhoid was flaring up, his arthritic pinkie knuckle burned, or he had to piss every 20 minutes at the age of 70- there was no hint of any of that. As far as I could see, his feet were planted firmly, his diaphragm engaged, and there was no pee-pee dance. But there was most definitely joy. related: Janky Smooth Interviews Keith Morris

Osees at Teragram Ballroom by Albert Licano

Osees at theTeragam- A Rose By Any Other Name

Danny Baraz September 5, 2025

I had still only seen Osees under 10 times the first time I thought about missing one of their shows- I think I was offered free Lakers tickets- good seats. But the team wasn’t that good that year so I opted for the gig- which was the last time I saw Thee Oh Sees at The Teragram Ballroom. What I realized that night was that unlike the Lakers, every Oh Sees show is just as good as the first- I’ve never seen any composition of the band under any name have an off night. How is that possible? related: The 4th Wave Of Garage Rock- A Retrospective Sometimes, I imagine John Dwyer in a basement beating his drummers when they get off tempo. Like some Rock and Roll Kobe Bryant not allowing anyone who works with him to show any less passion than he in his preparedness for perfection and greatness in his craft. An artist and a scientist, taking the mathematics of art and doubling down to provide a more powerful experience. An endless human algorithm of DIY spewing content. He is not a prototype but he is a prolific model. related: Thee Oh Sees And The Practical Application

United States of Horror at The Shed-Echo Park

The 4th Wave of Garage Rock in Los Angeles-A Retrospective

Brent Smith September 3, 2025

Those of us lucky enough to be in L.A. for the 4th wave of garage rock in the 2010s suddenly find ourselves mourning the fact that it’s gone … long receded. We hardly even noticed. What the fuck happened? words: Brent Smith related: Ty Segall And The Secret Show- A New Tradition in Los Angeles I see them around- skulking the Zebulon smoking patio or pounding cheap beer at the Taix bar in motorcycle jackets and old band shirts (that their friends are in) and black denim and dirty Chucks. The weary look of defeat in their bloodshot eyes as we see each other (through the endless, bobbing sea of Benson Boone clones) and head-nod and ask if we met at that one Desert Daze when Iggy headlined. I see them around. The Echo Park refugees of the 2010s wave of garage rock. related: Over 10 Years of Desert Daze Archives And yes, this is my declaration that the 2010s merit a mention in the annals of American garage rock — ’60s, ’80s, ’00s … ’10s. The Fourth Wave. If you’re some music nerd who disagrees you can go fuck yourself. You couldn’t swing a dead cat on Sunset without

Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs at The Lodge Room by Lexi Bonin

Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Launch North American Tour at Lodge Room

Rob Shepyer August 27, 2025

Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, OR Pigsx7 launched their North American tour from the Lodge Room in August, staining the sacred planks of the venue with more sweat and abandon than bands are typically used to expelling throughout a set. For those not in the blissful know, Pigs x7 are a beloved heavy band that’s been adopted by the LA psych scene, one able to discharge hallucinatory spores from their pores during their intense performances that induce pure rock and roll rapture. Their songs breakdown the same way your body does when in their crosshairs. And just when you’re completely destroyed and a pile of rubble before them, they find a way to engineer your rock and roll rebirth in their image. How this crossover from psych to metal took place was a mystery for me and the inspiration that made me trek out to their show in the hopes of catching an earful of insight into what sonic sinew connected their sound to the standard Desert Daze LA hipster. Somewhere between Sabbath worship and The Doors, Pigs x7 managed to straddle the line of two fanbases that, while sharing some DNA, rarely overlap this seamlessly. related: Desert Daze

Mason Manson Self Releases First Full Length Album: Masonic Guide

Janky Smooth Central Command July 28, 2025

Who is Mason Manson? Have you seen him? What is Masonic Guide? Mason Manson and his first full length written, produced, performed and self released album dropped this past Saturday, July 26th. It’s called Masonic Guide and it is has something that very few artists are able to produce in the modern era- it is a complete body of work from start to finish with theme and continuity in every track. MASON MANSON · MASONIC GUIDE Mason Manson is a young producer we started following after we heard one of his beats on the Dirtybutt album, Analog Horror Core released in 2022. Since then, he has dropped multiple drum kit patches and presets with his signature distorted and dystopian sound. Some call it extreme trap, some people call it rap core or incorporate the term “emo” into it’s naming convention. Whatever you want to call it, it appears that Mason Manson also has something to say and he says it in this language. On the periphery of the Deathnote Inc scene, we hope to see him play live in that context soon. related: Nature World Night Out- Bridging the gap between hip hop and hardcore Accompanying Masonic Guide is the video

ALL LEATHER - Amateur Surgery On Half-Hog Abortion Island (Double LP anthology)

ALL LEATHER- A Post Punk Re-Release By THREEONEG Out Today

Janky Smooth Central Command July 11, 2025

ALL LEATHER – Amateur Surgery On Half-Hog Abortion Island (Double LP anthology) the remixed, remastered and updated anthology of the band’s music to be re-released TODAY, July 11th on Three One G Records. Originally released by Dim Mak almost 20 years ago with a studio budget of $7,000, Justin Pearson told idioteq.com that a dispute over royalties had arisen after after one of the tracks had sold nearly 2 million downloads and Dim Mak, owned by Steve Aoki stopped reporting royalties. Was this exciting Justin Pearson project squashed before it’s full impact was felt? Stream- ALL LEATHER: Amateur Surgery On Half-Hog Abortion Island (Double LP anthology) “The band’s debt to Dim Mak for our recording has doubled over the years of not being accounted to, just after we had one of our songs sell 1,940,000+ downloads (not streams, download digital sales, as it was pre streaming). However, the accounting showed that we got $320 for that one track’s sales, yet still owe the label $14K, twice the budget we started with” Justin Pearson explained to us in an email. related: Swing Heil- Anti Fascist Hardcore Punks Swing Kids Return to Los Angeles related: Three One G Radiation- Deaf Club at The

Tune-yards at the Bellwether by Lexi Bonin

tUnE yArDs Light Up Los Angeles Past Curfew At The Bellwether

Janky Smooth Central Command June 19, 2025

On June 11, 2025, the art-pop rebels known as tUnE yArDs lit up The Bellwether in Los Angeles with a performance that was equal parts dance party, peaceful protest rally, and spiritual awakening in a swirly ice cream cone. The sold-out show was a centerpiece of the band’s long-awaited 2025 tour in support of their sixth studio album, Better Dreaming—a record that is already being hailed as one of their most powerful statements yet. But the tone of the city outside couldn’t help but seep it’s way into the minds of everyone inside the venue. The voice and the conscience of tUnE yArDs, Merrill Garbus spoke for the audience when she expressed solidarity with Los Angeles and how good it was that we could all be together, to dance together and let go for a few hours. Prophetic gratitude, indeed. related: Youth Code Break The ICE at The Echo- Yours, With Malice The Bellwether Show: A Night of Radical Joy Taking the stage just after 9 p.m., Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner launched into a hypnotic, high-energy set that spanned the full arc of their discography—from the raw chaos of early work to the groove-drenched anthems of their latest LP.

Youth Code Break The Ice At The Echo: Yours, With Malice

Danny Baraz June 12, 2025

This past Saturday, June 7th, the post-punk industrial outfit, Youth Code, returned to The Echo in Los Angeles for their first headlining show in this city in 9 years. L.A. is the city from which Youth Code spawned so, that hiatus is enigmatic on its own. Why has it been so long and why now? The latter, easy to answer — Yours, With Malice, the new EP released last month on May 16th by Sumerian Records. Spoiler alert: It’s a fucking banger. In the shadow of the ICE raids and protests happening downtown and all over the city, Youth Code and their supporting act, Sweat played a show- one of the best club shows I’ve seen all year and it was fitting it was at The Echo for many reasons. I knew nothing about the band Sweat but they announced their presence with authority. Sweat are a hard-hitting hardcore-punk trio from Los Angeles, formed in 2019 by veteran SoCal scene members Tuna Tardugno (vocals), Justin Smith (guitar/bass), and Anthony Rivera (drums), formerly of outfits like Graf Orlock, Dangers, and Dogteeth . With razor-sharp riffs, metallic hardcore energy, and an unhinged and frenetic live show by their ringleader, Tardugno, they channel influences ranging from Cro‑Mags

Model/Actriz at The Roxy: A Queer Sermon in Noise Rock

Taylor Wong May 16, 2025

I first stumbled into the world of Model/Actriz by accident. It was a few years back at Sound & Fury Fest, and I was assigned to shoot them. I didn’t know their name, didn’t know the music, didn’t know what I was about to walk into. I just knew I had a lens in my hand and a job to do. What I got instead was a conversion. Right out the gate, they hit the stage with a mix of post-punk, industrial noise-rock, and pure unfiltered gay energy. The kind that doesn’t ask for permission. The kind that vogues and spits and bleeds. Cole Haden—Model/Actriz’s frontman and spiritual conjurer—was bouncing across the stage like a punk rock ballerina. Limbs flying, chest heaving, eyes wild. And then, mid-set, he leapt into the crowd and performed most of the set among us, singing to our faces, brushing against shoulders, dissolving the barrier between performer and observer in a way I hadn’t seen since… ever. That show stuck with me. And like all things that feel a little too intense to be real, I wondered if I’d built it up in my head over time. Cut to last night at the Roxy Theatre

Negative Spaces In A Hyper Poppy Atmosphere At The Wiltern

Danny Ryan May 8, 2025

Poppy is certainly an anomaly in the heavy music world, almost resembling an overall brand or abstract concept more than just a simple musician as she further blurs the line between influencers and artists. While many people are familiar with her through her days of bizarre Youtube videos where she took on the role of a robotic AI humanoid spouting nonsense, she has come a long way from the novelty of being a subject for reaction videos and has really proved herself as a refreshing forward-thinking figure in heavy metal. Fresh off of her newest album “Negative Spaces” and recent collaborations with Knocked Loose and Bad Omens; Poppy brought her blend of bubblegum catchy melodies, glitchy industrial effects, and brutal metalcore breakdowns to The Wiltern for a night of pure chaotic poppy energy. With Los Angeles being the last date of this tour, Poppy went all out in transforming The Wiltern into her own signature bizarre, twisted world that converted any stubborn metalhead in the room to a believer in her vision for the genre’s future. related: Different Shades of Black and Blue – Knocked Loose at 1720 The opening act Chinese American Bear was an interesting choice for the

Together Pangea at El Rey by Taylor Wong

Together Pangea and Prison Affair Tear Up Coachella Side Show at El Rey

Taylor Wong April 28, 2025

In between their Coachella Weekends 1 and 2 sets, Together Pangea and Spain’s Prison Affair stopped off in Los Angeles for a sold-out show at the El Rey Theatre — a sweaty, cathartic night that offered fans a more intimate taste of the chaos they’d just unleashed in the desert. While both bands came with buzz, they offered two very different flavors of punk-adjacent mayhem — one a homegrown institution, the other a rising international cult. Together Pangea has long been synonymous with LA’s garage rock underground. Formed in 2008 when frontman William Keegan began sharing songs from his dorm room, the band quickly found footing in the DIY circuit before crashing through with 2014’s Badillac. Known for their explosive live shows and slacker-meets-sleaze songwriting, they’ve become a staple of Southern California’s indie rock scene — the kind of band that’s always on someone’s “you had to be there” list. And while their El Rey set was classic Together Pangea — wild, gritty, and tight — there was a warmth to it, too. Maybe it’s the fact that Keegan and his partner Kelsey are expecting their first child soon, a new chapter that adds a subtle sense of joy and

Memoirs Of My First Acid Bath Show…

Jessica Moncrief April 28, 2025

After a 28-year hiatus, legendary sludge metal band Acid Bath returned to the stage this past weekend with their first show on April 25, 2025, at The Fillmore in New Orleans. The performance was a seismic event for fans, blending raw energy and haunting melodies that captivated the audience. Acid Bath’s return not only rekindled the fire of their loyal fanbase but also showcased their enduring influence in the metal scene. This milestone event marked a powerful chapter in the band’s storied legacy. A story that is part of my story, as well. The year was 1995. I was 15 years old. My mom had just gotten clean and decided to move us from San Diego to Panama City Beach, Florida. In her heart, I think she believed that putting distance between us and our delinquent friends would somehow make it easier to manage my sister and me while she got her shit together. Boy, was she wrong. Finding new friends to get in trouble with was super easy—and one thing was for sure: Floridian delinquents in the ’90s were a whole different level of crazy compared to San Diego kids. It felt like a dream. We lived at the

Beth Gibbons at The Orphuem: Outgrowing Your Own Creation

Rob Shepyer April 23, 2025

Beth Gibbons at The Orpheum Theatre was more than just a showcase of new music, it was a showcase of a new Beth Gibbons for all Los Angeles to enjoy. When you think Beth Gibbons and Portishead, you think of a specific sound. An elevated, urbanized jazz that pairs well with a Bond movie, maybe, or you think of the trip hop moniker developed by her band and other English groups like Massive Attack. Beth Gibbons’ solo work, and especially her 2024 album Lives Outgrown doesn’t so much as develop on the song she help originate and cultivate though, it outgrows it with a new evolution in her artistry that includes influences from folk, psychedelic, medieval, and world music sensibilities. Driving to the Orpheum theatre on a drowsy Thursday evening, her new album gave my trip a surreal feel, making each beat of time pass by with more meaningful reflection, and each tree outstretching over the freeway walls more tranquilizing with the nature-vibes captures on songs like “Floating on a Moment” or my favorite on the album, “Whispering Love”. Skimming through the tracklist now and looking back on the show, I see both as a statement on identity, lost and

Top Ten SHOWS of 2024 Rated by Contributors

Janky Smooth Central Command December 31, 2024

Shows have always been Janky Smooth’s bread and butter. Our contributors are willing travel far and wide for the right show, willing to abandon their families and face every obstacle to get there in time to see a compelling opener with any legit hype. This list will feature shows all across Los Angeles, California, and the whole of the United States. It will feature festival sets and intimate evenings with. It’ll list out shows with mosh pits and intimiate seating. Every musical experience under the sun, our contributors have seen it and are using their expert curation skills to give you the best of the best of 2o24. Publisher, Danny Baraz Ministry at Cruel World Ceremony and Infest at The Hollywood Palladium The Original Misfits at No Values Power Trip at The Fonda HEALTH, Panther Modern, Pixel Grip at The Music Box Tyler, the Creator at Camp Flog Gnaw Boy Harsher at The Glass House Primus, Puscifer, A Perfect Circle at Hollywood bowl The Black Angels at The Lodge Room Front 242 at The Mayan Editor, Rob Shepyer Trash Talk at Echoplex Ceremony at Hollywood Palladium Swans at Lodge Room Ministry at Cruel World Tool at Crypto.com Arena Queens of

Earth’s Crust: CY Fest 2024 at the Belasco

Rob Shepyer November 6, 2024

What does a typical LA punk want out of a festival? Given that Los Angeles is the most prominent live music hub in the USA, and the world, the average LA punk attends enough shows to make any given concert, no matter how badass, still leaving something to be desired. From my personal experience, that thing LA punks are left desiring from their scene is to have their minds, tastes, and boundaries expanded. I want to see something different, new. I want a band to show me something I didn’t think was possible. The best way to do this is by assembling bills with bands of various styles from various parts of the globe, and no festival has gathered more international acts in Los Angeles than CY Fest 2024. It was the World Cup of punk, with heavy representation from Sweden, Spain, Japan, Italy, Mexico, and so many more countries. Topping off the festivities, the USA’s contribution to the lineup came in the form of a rare Dropdead co-headlining performance before the reunion of Portland’s female-fronted crusties, Detestation. related content: Set The Animals Free: Wolfbrigade and Dropdead at 1720 With a few bands of the upcoming CY Fest 2025 already

HEALTH at the Grammy Museum- photo by Taylor Wong

HEALTH at The Grammy Museum- Making It In The New Music Industry

Danny Baraz October 18, 2024

So here I am for the first time at the Grammy Museum in Downtown Los Angeles to see HEALTH perform a half set in a small 200 person theater with seats, and to live premier their latest song collaboration- “Ashamed” featuring Lauren Mayberry of CHVRCHES. Prior to the performance was a less awkward than I imagined Q and A with Nic Harcourt and the band that focused heavily on the creation of the 2023 full length release of Rat Wars. Singer/Songwriter and HEALTH guitarist, Jake Dusik was much more chatty than I expected for someone with such a catalog of sad bastard, isolationist song credits. Dusik spoke in great detail about that despair, which peaked during the pandemic lock down. The birth of his child during this bleak time and the death of society conceived their most critically acclaimed HEALTH album, to date. HEALTH co-founder and ambassador John Famiglietti, always bringing levity to the band described a completely different lock down experience that didn’t always shelter in place and was echoed by HEALTH drummer BJ Miller. HEALTH were asked their thoughts on who was the quintessential Los Angeles band and the answer given was The Doors. I found that to

Ceremony at The Palladium by Albert Licano

Ceremony Gets Their Flowers at the Hollywood Palladium

Rob Shepyer March 4, 2024

As 2024 launches into orbit, I see our Los Angeles music scene and its veterans coming full circle as the year’s trajectory begins to take shape. Ceremony’s epic Palladium show celebrating the anniversary of 2010’s Rhonert Park EP was the biggest headlining show of their career, performing in front of 3,700 people. It was a moment created completely by the organic devotion of their fans and not by a music industry needing new rock stars. It was the moment Ceremony received their flowers. related content: If Ever A Band Was My Home: Ceremony’s HOME SICK Festival at the Phoenix Theater For as long as Ceremony has been my favorite band, I’ve considered them an underground darling. Their shows were more energetic than seeing a major rock band. You’d go to a show and think “everyone who loves live music ought to see this at least once”, yet people just assumed hardcore couldn’t break the ceiling above any underground music act. Sound and Fury, though, could imagine otherwise. The festival had been the engine behind Ceremony’s Southern California icon-status, giving our hardcore scene unforgettable sets with the band like their 2016 Regent set, their 2018 headlining Belasco set, their Your Life in

JANKY SMOOTH Top 10 Shows of 2023 Rated By Contributors

Janky Smooth Central Command December 31, 2023

Live musical entertainment is the lifeblood of Janky Smooth, that’s why we’re so blessed to be in the best concert city in all the world, bar-none. Los Angeles hosted so many of the year’s greatest bangers, it’s quite impossible to recall them all, however our contributors have compiled their top ten most incredible memories of 2023. For years to come, they will be able to say they were there in regard to so many moments that will live on much longer than the year. Whether it was Siouxsie performing in Los Angeles for the first time in decades at Cruel World, Skinny Puppy’s final shows, the return of Ladytron or Cynic or Saetia, or brand new festivals we won’t ever forget like Sick New World or Darker Waves. Take a moment to breeze through these lists and remember those shows if you were there. Publisher, Danny Baraz Siouxsie Sioux at Cruel World Iggy Pop at the Regent Obituary at the Fonda Run the Jewels playing RTJ2 at the Hollywood Palladium Angel Du$t at Echoplex Skinny Puppy at Belasco Depeche Mode at Crypto.com Arena Ladytron at Belasco Sparks at Hollywood Bowl The Adicts at Belasco Editor sometimes, Rob Shepyer System of

L7 Continue Bricks Are Heavy Tour at The Glass House

Danny Baraz June 14, 2023

What can I or anyone else at Janky Smooth say about L7 that hasn’t already been said? There’s only so many times I can describe the raw power that transcends genre, gender and other topical paradigms without being redundant. This is my 2nd time seeing L7 perform Bricks Are Heavy in it’s entirety and it has yet to bring about any fatigue for that body of work. In fact, it has been re-energized. I took my daughter to see L7 perform their seminal album at the Glass House. It was her first show with a pit and the first show to blow her ears out- everything a young girl needs to be corrupted by empowerment and progress. Donita, Jennifer, Suzy and Dee delivered an air tight performance in Pomona and reminded me why I’ve seen L7 live more than any other band. Joshua Alvarez was there too, to take some sick photos. Check out our photo gallery and our past coverage of L7 below. related: L7 Stop Pretending They Are Dead at The Echo (2015) related: 30 Years of “Bricks are Heavy” at The Regent words: Danny Baraz photos: Joshua Alvarez

Siouxsie Sioux at Cruel World 2023 by Albert Licano

Cruel World 2023- Redemption and Romance at The Rose Bowl

Danny Baraz May 26, 2023

One of the definitions of the word “Cruel” is, “to cause pain and suffering”. As much unintentional cruelty as Cruel World 2023 inflicted on the psyches of so many attendees by abruptly shutting the festival down half way through Iggy Pop’s set on Saturday, festival promoter and corporate media juggernaut Goldenvoice offered an olive branch of redemption by giving those who didn’t have to leave town on Sunday what most of us came to see- Siouxsie Sioux playing her first set in L.A. in 15 years. The build-up to Cruel World 2023 was palpable- not only for the 1000’s of out of towners that took time off of work, booked airfare, hotel and budgeted all year for what was for many, their annual vacation but also an elusive enthusiasm from Angeleno music fans who are jaded and spoiled by their residency in the music capital of the world. It would’ve been tough for any festival to live up to the magick we witnessed at Cruel World 2022 which peaked on the 2nd day of the festival where we witnessed Bauhuas bloody the stage and make the moon disappear but somehow, Goldenvoice rode 2022’s wave into the shores of excitement and

HEALTH at the Music Box by Becky DiGiglio

HEALTH/Author & Punisher at The Music Box: Let The Ceremony Begin

Danny Baraz April 20, 2023

Last time I saw HEALTH in San Diego was opening for Crystal Castles in May 2011 at the now defunct Fluxx Nightclub. Last Saturday it was HEALTH who were headlining The Music Box in San Diego as the last stop on their Dark Territory tour, and the only thing that HASN’T changed in the nearly 12 years since that show is that HEALTH completely shredded the stage. related: HEALTH at The Echo- First L.A. Show in 3 Years Delivers There were multiple story lines unraveling in through the evening and indeed, the complex and cryptic folds of the universe itself. Returning back from ceremony in Mexico on the day of the show, HEALTH was also the band me and my partner saw on our first date the night I touched her for the first time at 1720 a year ago. I love you Jules (fuck face). All that along with promoter Modern.Wav calling out the San Diego goths to convene in their own ceremony and indulge their kinks with an epic lineup that also featured Author & Punisher and openers Matte Blvck and Straight Razor, whom I woefully missed. Luckily, photographer Becky DiGigglio did not. We walked in during

Photo Recap: Onyx at The Echoplex

Janky Smooth Central Command April 11, 2023

If you’ve ever been in a mosh pit or slam danced at a hip hop show, you can thank Onyx for that type of singular release of tension. Something that is so common place now started with this group from South Jamaica, Queens in New York City. And regardless of Rick Rubin’s early rock influence in the beats he made for Run DMC and Beastie Boys, Onyx were one of the first to truly fuse metal and rap, ala the soundtrack for the movie Judgement Night . On March 29th, 2023 Onyx returned to play a show at The Echoplex in Los Angeles. Photographer Greg Flack was there to document the occasion.

Jane’s Addiction- Hollywood Royalty At The Palladium

Danny Baraz March 16, 2023

Jane’s Addiction playing the Palladium in Hollywood in 2023 resonates deeply with music fans who grew up in Los Angeles. Jane’s Addiction is the quintessential L.A. band of their era. Wedged snugly between the hair metal era of the 80’s and the grunge era of the 90’s, Jane’s had that guitar hero grit with the angry, sad bastard swag that followed the vacuous and shallow vortex of sunset strip glam rock. As excited as I was about this show, I had questions and concerns. Last time I saw Jane’s on their tour with Nine Inch Nails at the now defunct Irvine Meadows Amphitheater, everything seemed sub par- from Perry Farrell’s range to the vibe and banter on stage. Also, the absence on this run of guitar hero Dave Navarro and his signature sound concerned me a little. Not having Navarro is ALMOST like the Rolling Stones gigging without Keith Richards- almost. One thing I will say is seeing Porno for Pyros at the end of 2022 at the Belasco Theater gave me more confidence that Jane’s Addiction would play a show worth remembering. related: Porno For Pyros At The Belasco- A Time Capsule of Sound and Cultural Concepts I have

JANKY SMOOTH Top 10 ALBUMS of 2022 Rated by Contributors

Janky Smooth Central Command December 24, 2022

It’s hard to fathom underground music survived, thrived and broke new boundaries only two years since the pandemic’s peak-year. In the heat of that fire, stuck at home, people suspected that the dire circumstances we were all living under would have some great inspiring effect on the artist community. At first, some might’ve mistakenly changed their minds, pessimistically losing all hope in artists returning to purer vision, but now, in 2022, we’re finally beginning to see the true fruits of this brave new artistic world. Some of our favorite artists like Adult., Spike Hellis, Soul Glo, Wormrot and Boy Harsher all released work that evolved their sound, image, and identities in ways none could’ve predicted. Every year, Janky Smooth loves sharing our top-ten albums lists with our audience, 2022’s lists are especially bizarre for all you beautiful weirdos. Publisher, Danny Baraz Spike Hellis – Spike Hellis Deaf Club – Productive Disruption Soul Glo – Diaspora Problems Beach House – Once, Twice, Melody HEALTH – Disco 4:: Part II Ho99o9 – SKIN Kumo 99 – Body N. Will Candy – Heaven Is Here Adult. – Becoming Undone King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Omnium Gatherum Editor, Robert Shepyer Wormrot –

JANKY SMOOTH Top 10 SHOWS of 2022 Rated by Contributors

Janky Smooth Central Command December 23, 2022

On this eve to Christmas Eve, we at Janky Smooth have done our due diligence in accounting the year’s most profound concert moments. Found herein is the top ten shows lists of our contributors. Give them a peep and let us know if you were there too! Publisher, Danny Baraz Bauhuas at Cruel World 2022 Gogol Bordello at the Belasco DAIS Records 15 year anniversary at The Belasco Substance LA at The Los Angeles Theatre Desert Daze 2022 Metz, Kowloon Walled City, Deaf Club at Teragram Ballroom HEALTH at 1720 Twin Tribes, Light Asylum, Spike Hellis at El Rey Lie Detector Weekend Adult. at The Lodge Room Editor, Rob Shepyer Gorillaz at Youtube Theatre Mercyful Fate at Psycho Las Vegas Nine Inch Nails at Primavera Sound LA Rixe at Lie Detector Weekend Meshuggah at The Hollywood Palladium Kraftwerk at the Shrine Auditorium W.A.S.P. at The Wiltern Danny Elfman at the Hollywood Bowl Molchat Doma at The Roxy Pavement at The Fonda Theatre Photographer, Albert Licano Rixe at Lie Detector Weekend Nick Cave & Warren Ellis at The Shrine Auditorium Electric Frankenstein at Alex’s Bar S.H.I.T. at Zebulon Spy at Manic Relapse Subhumans at The Sardine Mercyful Fate at Youtube Theatre

All Hallow’s Melt: Halloween Meltdown 2022

Janky Smooth Central Command November 11, 2022

Words by: Gloria Velez Photos by: Workhorse Studios Halloween Meltdown spin-off to its summer time counterpart, “Mosswood Meltdown” (Formally Burger Boogaloo), thrown by Total Trash Productions and hosted by the “Pope of Trash” him self, John Waters, returned to Oakland’s Mosswood Park to kick off October with some spooky punk festivities. related content: Glorious Leader, Kim John Kill: Mosswood Meltdown 2022 The two day music festival with a halloween twist and a D.I.Y. feel, served up a stellar line up with headlining acts like Amyl and the Sniffers, Shannon and The Clams, The Spits, Lydia Lunch and Kid Congo Powers. The festival also featured a Haunted House designed by local musician and horror artist, Rob Fletcher and costume contest where attendees got a chance to win a $500 prize. Keeping in the Halloween Meltdown spirit all weekend, festival-goers and local music lovers stayed busy with a series of perfectly curated afterparties that sold out night after night. The afterparties, lead by Bay Area lo-fi garage punk legends The Mummies, and thrown at Oakland’s historic dive The Stork Club, where the perfect add on to the already fun weekend of Halloween Meltdown. Excited to be back in Oakland with fellow music

Photo Recap: Otoboke Beaver at The Echo

Janky Smooth Central Command October 27, 2022

Otoboke Beaver‘s first two concerts in LA took place at the Echo and over the course of these two performances, the band made LA music history, with their unique and original brand of Japanese power punk. We consider ourselves lucky enough to have a photographer there to document the evening of October 20th’s show. As you can see in these photos, the band is relentless and the audience reciprocates by giving them every ounce of energy. Otoboke Beaver is perhaps the most important punk band of this generation, transcending any status as a gimmick or an import or as a girl band. Photos by: Chris Molina Otoboke Beaver

Nitzer Front: Cold Waves LA at The Mayan

Danny Ryan October 12, 2022

The number of different types of artists and sounds that fall under the banner of “industrial music” is incredibly wide, ranging from full bands with live instruments to solo artists with only a backing track behind them. While industrial influences can be found in scenes such as goth, noise, metalcore, psych rock and different forms of electronic music; the origins of the movement are not always credited as often as the artists who took these influences. Cold Waves Festival at The Mayan Theater focuses on bringing the roots of the industrial live experience to a modern audience, showcasing rare performances by international artists from all different eras and sounds within the genre. Cold Waves Festival is truly a one-of-a-kind event, as it’s rare to see a festival so dedicated in paying respect to a genre’s history while equally hosting upcoming artists that carry the torch for its future. Leathers was the first performer of the evening, being the solo project of Shannon Hemmett from the post-punk band Actors. The project has a lot of 80’s synthpop influence in its instrumentals, with the echo effects on Hemmett’s voice creating an element of distance in its sound to stand apart from these

Cyber-Core: Vein. FM at the Echoplex

Danny Ryan September 22, 2022

Vein.fm’s signature blend of emotionally driven post-hardcore and ferocious metalcore with unpredictable glitchy electronic-based samples transformed the Echoplex into a violent cyperpunk apocalypse with their recent headlining performance. With the show starting at 6pm, they hosted a nearly festival-sized lineup of upcoming hardcore punk bands from all different sounds that shared a common theme of having intense, ass-beating breakdowns that inspire spin-kicks throughout the room. As hardcore punk gains more prominence with current trends, bands like Vein.fm and co-headliner Candy are beginning to break into the audiences of other heavy music scenes more than ever. If you’re a fan of punk rock, metal, or even heavier electronic IDM scenes at all, then Vein.fm should absolutely be one of the top bands on your radar. With the show starting at the incredibly early time of 6pm, the first opening acts of the night were Twist of Cain, Living Weapon, and Momentum. Each band brought their own unique brand of hardcore to the lineup, with Twist of Cain starting things off sounding raw as all hell with their lack of effects or electronics compared to the rest of the bands that evening. Twist of Cain has an incredibly down-to-earth hardcore sound with

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Vein.FM at The Echoplex

Janky Smooth Central Command August 30, 2022

Vein.FM returns to Los Angeles to rip things up with the most jagged, visceral, noisy hardcore music you’ve ever heard. Joining them will be Candy, who know all about raising the stakes of heaviness in hardcore. We’ve got two tickets to their show at Echoplex and want you there to witness the madness. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS‍ HERE or ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO VEIN.FM SEPTEMBER 3RD AT THE ECHOPLEX Step 1- Join Our Newsletter (look for pop up every time you arrive at jankysmooth.com) Step 2 – Tag a Friend in the comment section of our INSTAGRAM or FACEBOOK VEIN.FM Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON SEPTEMBER 2ND AT 1PM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Porno For Pyros at Belasco- A Time Capsule of Sound and Cultural Concepts

Danny Baraz July 20, 2022

When I saw Porno for Pyros pop up on a concert calendar for the Belasco on July 7th, my heart skipped a beat. Not quite as prolific or ingrained in the American pop culture psyche as Janes Addiction, this pure, West Side of L.A. band and their iconic first album came out when I was 17 years old and offered something different but just as sacred to me as Nothing’s Shocking- and I had yet to see them live. Perry Farrel, Peter Distefano, Stephen Perkins and Martyn LeNoble created a unique, percussive, groove oriented and angsty soundtrack from a band in a decade that didn’t exactly fly under the radar but certainly not given their proper due in a decade filled with legends. related: Heaven on Earth: Perry Farrel’s Kind Heaven Orchestra at Teragram Ballroom So how has the world changed since 1993 and subsequently, the narrative in the concepts of their songs. Porno For Pyros offered commentary on gender roles, depression, humanity, the female orgasm, war, politics and cultural divide- all topics that are timeless but many that have been defined and redefined since the beginning of time. In the vast legacy that is still being built by Perry

Ringleaders of the Underground: Teenage Wrist at the Echo

Danny Ryan June 22, 2022

Words and Photos by: Danny Ryan Teenage Wrist’s range of influence is incredibly wide with their embrace of grunge-era angst seamlessly blending into moments of blissful shoegaze breakdowns. With how large and atmospheric the band’s sound is, the modest stage presence rooted in their DIY background complimented the small venue atmosphere of The Echo amazingly. Their newest album “Earth is a Black Hole” signifies a drastic shift in the band’s sound, with a new vocalist and a much more punk-influenced sound than the emo roots of their previous works. Teenage Wrist has consistently been dedicated to their evolution with exploration of incorporating new genres throughout their career, which was clearly represented with the contrasting musical styles of each opener. The exciting feeling of seeing promising up-and-coming bands that could eventually take over the world was felt throughout The Echo that night, and Teenage Wrist came across as ringleaders of the underground with how much unique charisma that could be felt in each performance. Equally important to the blend of genres in Teenage Wrist’s headlining set at The Echo, the band curated an excellent lineup of diverse sounds from different underground backgrounds with the 90’s college rock influence of Soft Blue

…And the Battle Continues: RX Bandits at the Fonda

Rob Shepyer June 13, 2022

RX Bandits will always hold a very special place in my heart. At my high school, only a specific few bands and genres bled into our campus from mainstream culture and RX Bandits were beloved by the grade above mine, the class of 2004. The fans of this band were my elders and among them were the most beautiful girls I always had a crush on. From that crush, I developed a shared love for the band and carried that love to various friend groups through high school, then college and beyond. I would smoke pot with college friends, hot boxing my van during road trips to USC just to see RX Bandits play for free. Though we were strangers to the elite campus, we felt like the in-crowd for being true fans of the band. Their best album, “…And the Battle Begun” came out in 2006, one year after I graduated high school but I always wished it came out two years earlier so I could see how those songs could’ve swept the student body. To lay beside your crush listening to that album, would put any two teenagers in the mood to make out. Few bands are able

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Teenage Wrist at The Echo

Janky Smooth Central Command June 3, 2022

Teenage Wrist is one of few young bands leading the way for shoegaze and alternative music for a new generation. They bring a harder, more capturing element to the music than other bands of the same ilk. It’s no wonder hardcore kids and punks gravitate to the band. Their Sound and Fury set from years ago still sticks in my mind as one of the greatest alternative sets to ever transpire at that festival. We’re giving away two tickets to their show but also a cherry bomb vinyl record of their latest release, 2021’s Earth is a Black Hole. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS‍ HERE or ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO TEENAGE WRIST + EARTH IS A BLACK HOLE CHERRY BOMB VINYL JUNE 8TH AT ECHOPLEX Step 1- Join Our Newsletter (look for pop up every time you arrive at jankysmooth.com) Step 2 – Tag a Friend in the comment section of our INSTAGRAM or FACEBOOK TEENAGE WRIST Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON JUNE 7TH AT 1PM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Together Pangea opening for The Replacements

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Together Pangea at Regent

Janky Smooth Central Command May 30, 2022

Together Pangea are one of Los Angeles’ seminal garage rock bands. Their upcoming show at The Regent is set to be a rager, so we’re giving away two tickets to the show. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS‍ HERE or ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO TOGETHER PANGEA JUNE 3RD AT THE REGENT Step 1- Join Our Newsletter (look for pop up every time you arrive at jankysmooth.com) Step 2 – Tag a Friend in the comment section of our INSTAGRAM or FACEBOOK TOGETHER PANGEA Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON JUNE 2ND AT 1PM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Photo Recap: Ethel Cain at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever

Janky Smooth Central Command May 22, 2022

Ethel Cain is the singer/cult mother of the Daughters of Cain, a southern-based cult inspired by all things American gothic and the darker tones of Judeo-Christian belief. Adorning her head like a crown of thorns are the tattooed Hebrew letters that anoint them as divine. Gender, regardless of debate, exists firmly in the realm of humanity, while Ethel Cain is deity and living mythos. Much like Ismael (a woman cast in a male role) in Ingmar Bergman’s great film, Fanny and Alexander, Ethel has the power to spread the echoes of their energy throughout the many layers of reality. Ethel Cain, through her voice and music, can cast spells and bound curses upon those she wishes simply by the enchanting sounds that escape her magick throat musculature. Her latest album, Preacher’s Daughter, has already skyrocketed her into new territories of collective consciousness. And like any good hive mother, the daughters and sons of Ethel Cain will feed her until she devours the world. Her show at the Masonic Lodge was one of two album release shows in high-demand and sold out beyond capacity. It was an initiation rite, filled with symbolism, love, and danger. Photos by: Michelle Corvino

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Dance With The Dead at Echoplex

Janky Smooth Central Command May 3, 2022

We’re giving away tickets to the darksynth rave of the year with Dance With The Dead bombing into the Echoplex for a night of ripping, hard beats. If you dance to the death, you’ll be dancing with yourself, at Dance With The Dead….see what I did there? Joining them will be Magic Sword, only adding to the retro trip. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE or ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO DANCE WITH THE DEAD MAY 5TH AT ECHOPLEX Step 1- Join Our Newsletter (look for pop up every time you arrive at jankysmooth.com) Step 2 – Tag a Friend in the comment section of our INSTAGRAM or FACEBOOK DANCE WITH THE DEAD Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON MAY 4TH AT 1PM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Two Nights of Emotional Body Music: Boy Harsher at the Belasco

Rob Shepyer April 26, 2022

Boy Harsher‘s rise from underground dance music phenoms to one of the most in-demand goth duos in music, is not just a tale of triumph over cookie-cutter culture, but also a testament to the power of pure emotion and sensuality over pop, glamour, and the mainstream. Boy Harsher’s music is coined Emotional Body Music, a play on Nitzer Ebb’s Electronic Body Music which is a play on Electronic Dance Music. The three of these acronyms dance around each other in a story that has Boy Harsher, Jae Matthews and Augustus Miller, as its protagonists. On the softer side of taste that industrial and goth fans usually enjoy, Boy Harsher appeals to everyone that wants to spend the night losing themselves to irrational movement. To become a total extension of your emotions, to let your body lose control for the sake of release and resurrection by the end of a set, it’s hard not to care how you appear but if you can start moving incrementally harder, you may be able to redefine yourself as the person thats surpassed your previous self’s problems. related content: The Sound Of Sex: Boy Harsher Seduces The Echoplex I remember seeing Boy Harsher at Substance

Analysis of a Slavic Heart: Molchat Doma at the Roxy

Rob Shepyer April 21, 2022

It is my personal mission to spread the creed of Molchat Doma far and wide across the So-Cal internet airwaves. I feel so compelled because like me, these three men are of Slavic descent, them from Belarus and myself, the child of Russian-Ukrainian immigrants. More than that though, my father was a Ukrainian musician that immigrated to America, hoping to make it in the music industry. He never accomplished this dream but Molchat Doma’s success is a vicarious victory. If they can break out through the (former) iron curtain and into the international mainstream to play Coachella then it’s almost like they fulfilled my father’s dream and so, I will do whatever I can to uplift these three dreamers. related content: Super Saiyan Sasami At The Teragram Ballroom My background doesn’t just make me empathize with and root for this band, it helps me understand them. I understand what elements make a Slavic heart and the textures of Slavic emotion. Much of this is hard to put into words but for the length of this article, I will do my best. Eastern Europeans feel melodrama in a way Americans simply don’t, at least not on the surface. We might be

Your Baroness’ Majesty: Baroness at The Echo

Dillon Vaughn April 20, 2022

John Baizley and co. rolled through Echo Park recently for “An Evening with Baroness.” Pitched as a special “by request” tour, the Your Baroness run has given fans in each city the opportunity to vote and select ten songs from the band’s rich catalogue to form the first half of the extended setlist each night. related content: Hell or High Roller: Psycho Las Vegas 2021 John’s work as an illustrator has always given an interesting picture of how his brain perceives the world around him. The Appalachian roars of Baroness’ earlier days served as the defining framework of the “Savannah Sound” – something nearly inseparable from John’s contemporary art-nuveau cover art. Those lush depictions of flora and fauna drifting weightlessly across countless LP covers have seeped into the music more and more over the years as the songs themselves have become increasingly melodic, anthemic, and dare I say uplifting. On stage these days it’s clear Baizley and his bandmates take great pride and meaning in their music as they play every note with a balance of grace and heaviness. Their strength definitely lies in their range: skillful restraint as they perform sleeper tracks like “Cocainium” and “Little Things” versus palpable

Take This: Win Two Tickets to THICK at the Echo

Janky Smooth Central Command April 13, 2022

Real recognizes real here at Jankysmooth and Brooklyn pop punk band, THICK are real and ready to make big waves. These gals are only starting to take over and we want you in on the scoop before they blow up. That’s why we’re giving away two tickets to their upcoming show at the Echo. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE or ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO THICK APRIL 15TH AT THE ECHO Step 1- Join Our Newsletter (look for pop up every time you arrive at jankysmooth.com) Step 2 – Tag a Friend in the comment section of our INSTAGRAM or FACEBOOK THICK Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON APRIL 14TH AT 1PM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Ho99o9 at the Echoplex

Rob Shepyer April 12, 2022

Our favorite dynamic duo are back in Los Angeles to kick your ass and play songs off their latest album SKIN. Ho99o9 never disappoints and neither do we. We’re giving away two ticket to see them at the Echoplex for y’all to fight over. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE or ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO HO99O9 APRIL 15TH AT THE ECHOPLEX Step 1- Join Our Newsletter (look for pop up every time you arrive at jankysmooth.com) Step 2 – Tag a Friend in the comment section of our INSTAGRAM or FACEBOOK HO99O9 Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON APRIL 14TH AT 1PM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

A Place To Bury Strangers Interview at Levitation 2021- Janky Smooth Sessions

Grace Dunn February 11, 2022

Janky Smooth Sessions sat down with A Place To Bury Strangers for an interview at Levitation 2021. Among the topics Grace Dunn and Scott Urian discussed with Oliver Ackermann, John Fedowitz and Sandra Fedowitz were the new APTBS album, “See Through You” released by Dedstrange in 2022, the creative process and both the moral and practical challenges of touring during a global pandemic. Related Content: A Place to Bury Strangers Make Ears Bleed at The Echoplex Video and Editing: Grace Dunn Interview: Grace Dunn and Scott Urian

20 Years of Background Music: American Nightmare at the Fonda

Janky Smooth Central Command January 25, 2022

Words and Photos by: Veronika Reinert To kick off 2022, American Nightmare returned to Los Angeles to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their iconic debut record, Background Music. They brought along supporting up-and-comers from both coasts: Chemical Fix (Philadelphia), and Scowl (Santa Cruz). related content: Midnight Massacre: American Nightmare At The Echoplex American Nightmare’s long-anticipated return to Los Angeles was met with major enthusiasm, albeit sparse attendance. COVID rates had skyrocketed, leaving many laid up on the couch at home or wary of being in large, indoor crowds. Those who did make it to the show were respectful of the venue’s mask requirement, and the venue did offer a large outdoor lounge with the entire show projected onto a 20-ft wall. I’d been seeing Scowl’s name on a lot of big bills over the last several months and was excited to finally see them live. I’d have to wait a little longer though, as their start time kept getting pushed back that night. When the band finally took the stage, singer, Kat Moss, sauntered over to the mic fully glamorized in chic sunglasses and mid-length fur-lined coat. She crooned a slow, melodic introductory song to start the night off, then

And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Death Valley Girls at Lodge Room

Danny Baraz December 29, 2021

I discovered … and You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead from their Relative Ways EP less than 30 days after the attacks on the World Trade Center and subsequently their first 2 releases on Interscope Records, in a newly, Post 9/11 world. As hard as the Source Tags and Codes album hit me, it was dwarfed by 2005’s Worlds Apart in how close to my heart a record could be. So when Trail of Dead played “Will You Smile Again?” toward the end of their set at the Lodge Room, I had quite the mixed emotional response of crying and headbanging. On top of all this, Death Valley Girls were opening for Trail of Dead on this tour and their 2020 album, Under the Spell of Joy got me through the dystopian days of a post quarantine, pre vaccine landscape. Death Valley Girls Glow in the Dark at The Echo Record Release Party So here I was, at the Lodge Room, about to intersect past trauma and current disillusioned malaise with the magick that helped me through them both. It also happened to be the first time I was seeing Death Valley Girls with a new battery.

Trash as a Virtue: Surfbort at the Lodge Room

Danny Baraz August 31, 2021

Dani Miller, lead singer of the band Surfbort walked along the line to admit ticket holders into the Lodge Room moments before the doors opened and the words, “Rainbow Vampires” flashed in my mind. She walked the length of the line, glowing with gratitude, admiring and complimenting people’s mullets, liberty spikes and band t-shirts. A seemingly accidental but extremely willing ambassador to an underground garage/trash punk music scene that lives in venues, on vinyl and is powered by the internet. related content: Surfbort Shake-Up Dave’s Shit Show At Resident This was my second time seeing Surfbort. I knew what to expect and I was excited to see it at the Lodge Room. Not only did Surfbort exceed every expectation with a powerfully energetic, command performance but every band on the bill was well rehearsed and the energy in the room was kinetic, cathartic and joyful. First up was was Shamon Cassette, a departure from the punk vibes of the rest of the evening…or was it? The eccentric MC vibes of Shamon Cassette smacked of Kool Keith/Dr Octagon, both in vocal cadence and eccentricity. The band was more difficult to pigeonhole but no less formidable. People who came to slam dance began

40 Years of Fire of Love: Sex Beat at Zebulon

Janky Smooth Central Command August 27, 2021

Words by: Juan Perez Photos by: Taylor Wong As we near closer & closer to the end of 2021 it is clear that Pretty But Wicked doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon. Already responsible for so many great shows this year, Wednesday night was no different. Many talented musicians gathered at Zebulon, celebrating the re-release of Fire Of Love. Going back to 40 years ago, it was the debut album from legendary post-punk band The Gun Club. The main act, Sex Beat, are a group with one time drummer, Terry Graham. On this night they performed songs from the aforementioned record in it’s honor. But, more on that later. A new band being showcased at a PBW show is to be expected. Setting the tone for the night for their first show ever, Rugburn will be a name to know. This is a band that definitely could have played at CBGB’s in the late 70’s, early 80’s. Perfect blend of that early punk sound and modern post-hardcore. From the beginning, the vocalist brought a charismatic presence to the stage. Take bands like Jefferson Airplane, The B-52’s, Cat Scan and Shopping, mix them in a blender, you get Rugburn. Check out their

Three One G Radiation: Deaf Club at the Echo

Rob Shepyer August 20, 2021

Three One G is a very special record label. With roots spreading across genres like DIY hardcore, anarcho politics and aesthetics, art rock, and noise, they’ve created a rich roster and a signature that ensures a few things out of their output–satirical high art extremity. With Three One G’s supergroup of underground West Coast heavyweights, Deaf Club, the label took over the Echo for a very special matinee. related content: Dominant Noise: Daughters at the Regent Secret Fan Club called this meeting to order with their bombastic rock assault. They sound was thick, jamming but also jeering, going in directions no one would expect but every body was somehow able to instinctively follow. Made up of only two members, Sal Gallegos on drums and John Rieder on bass, this demonic duo somehow achieves a maximal sound with a minimalist setup. There is no band made of just a drummer and bassist as raw and demented as this one. The music of Geronimo could not have been formulated in a sane mind. It’s the sonic interpretation of pure chemical imbalance. This chemical imbalance though, somehow perfectly balances musical pleasure and pain. I think it’s lovely. Almost like progressive noise rock, this

Morning Stars Over Lodge Room: King Woman’s “Celestial Blues” Release Party

Janky Smooth Central Command August 4, 2021

You’ve never heard an album more Chthonian than King Woman’s Celestial Blues What do I mean by that? I don’t mean this is the most raw, underground punk sounding album ever. What I’m saying is that with “Celestial Blues” King Woman has lent a voice and story to all the mysteries working beneath the surface layers of reality around us, be they the internal workings of the body, the mysterious processes of the Earth, the unfathomable cycles of birth and destruction in the cosmos, or the interplay of good and evil magic with everyday life. When King Woman closed out their Sunday night Celestial Blues album release party with a cover of the Stone Roses’ “I Wanna Be Adored”, I thought some kind of mind reading must’ve been at play because after seeing a full set of Kris Esfandiari’s doomy siren songs, my main takeaway was being genuinely impressed with how much she is utterly adored by her fans. They seemed to have her back unconditionally and after every song when the band let it all hang loose, the audience was there to catch them in rounds of applause, whistles and cheers. All that was missing from the evening was a

PHOTO RECAP: Mike Jones at Echo Flex

Janky Smooth Central Command July 23, 2021

The last concert before Los Angeles’ mask mandate was put into effect had to be LA’s premiere 90’s hip hop party, Echo Flex at the Echoplex where late into the evening fans got up close and personal to each other to romp and dance to hip from the greatest era of the genre’s history, only to top it off with a rare performance from one of the OG’s himself, Mike Jones. Photos by: Rodney Campos Mike Jones

Sweat Therapy: Dumb Fucks and Niis at the Echo

Janky Smooth Central Command July 21, 2021

Words by Juan Perez Photos by Paula Jean On the night before the mask mandate went into effect, Pretty But Wicked put together a showcase for the ages, bringing together an eclectic crowd to witness some of the best acts Los Angeles has to offer. From young kids still in high school, to old heads who have been around, this last ditch effort to party before we’d be forced to wear masks showed how much power the love of music has. Playing their first live show ever, Smirk is a project formed by frontman Nick during the pandemic. What started off as something just for fun turned into one of the new best acts in the scene. Old school punk, with something a little bit more obscure added into the mix. The crowd responded very well to the set, stage diving and circle pitting. It was a nice, little warm-up for the madness to come. Just hearing the conversations afterwards tells me how much of an impression the band made for their first time. Next up was Downside. Gaining a huge reputation in the LA punk scene for rowdy shows, the crowd really brought it for these guys. The fans were so

First Show After The Great Reset: Patriarchy at The Lash’s Reopening Party

Rob Shepyer June 23, 2021

I’m assuming our audience watches alternative media and not corporate news so the words “Great Reset” call to mind this pseudo-conspiracy theory based on smatterings of elite water cooler talk at world economic forums and other such patriarchal happenings that the global economy will reset into a new system as a result of technological advent, reaction to catastrophe and pursuit of sinister agendas. related content: Janky Smooth Top 25 Artists To Watch In 2020 Where does Actually Huizenga fit in all this? Well, I consider the Great Reset more than a conspiracy but a cultural phenomenon that changed Los Angeles’ underground music scene forever. Without any bands to play for over a year, our once thriving and impressive live concert circuit was completely reset. The kings and queens of 2019 had their scepters and crowns stripped and their thrones vacated. With a clean slate to play with, Actually Huizenga intends to take that throne by making a name for herself as Patriarchy. related content: Photo Recap: Patriarchy At The Echoplex This was the first concert I attended since seeing Madball in March 2020 and coming down with Covid soon after. Even after all this time though, I never lost my

The Road to Psycho Las Vegas

Rob Shepyer June 12, 2021

Later this month, I’ll attend my first indoor concert since March 2020. People will not be wearing masks or social distancing. I’ll have dipped my toes into the cultural soup I’ve swam in the majority of my adult life, relearning all the in’s-and-out’s of concert going. Stage-dives and mosh pits have been relegated to my long term memory banks awaiting to be unearthed. Although most metalheads will be breaking their concert fasts soon (if they haven’t already), Psycho Las Vegas is the spiritual grand re-opening of the metal scene in the wild American west. As the first large festival to take place since the beginning of the pandemic, Psycho is a test much like the ones Hunter S. Thompson indulged in with Ken Kesey’s Merry Pranksters. Our senses may have been perverted, inverted, dulled and destroyed by lengthy quarantines but our imaginations are in better shape than ever and if I can imagine Psycho Las Vegas being the most insane heavy metal summit of my life, then I can will it into being. related content: A High And Beautiful Wave: Psycho Las Vegas 2019 Before the world shut down, Psycho’s 2020 lineup was one of the most anticipated slates of

Dark Art Brings Levity: Body / Negative’s Andy Schiaffino Discusses “Fragments”

Audrey Kemp October 20, 2020

In a time that seems to fray the very fabric of our social lives, Andy Schiaffino finds comfort in the hiss of a disintegrating cassette tape. Body / Negative is the transgressive solo project of the 23-year-old non-binary artist and producer, who utilizes minimal equipment, multimedia experimentation and creative camaraderie to actualize their haunting, abstract soundscapes. Drawing on their own journeys through the dark and dire, Andy delivers a primal, sensitive and serene seven-track album, Fragments, to shelter us from the storm. Audrey: Andy, thank you so much for joining me this afternoon to discuss the impending release of your solo drone project, Body / Negative’s first full-length album, Fragments, which comes out October 23rd on Track Number Records! The LP, limited to only 500 copies, looks stunning on that marble gray vinyl. Could you tell me a bit about your journey creating your most extensive work yet? Andy: Of course, thank you! It took a really long time to finish Fragments. I started it last spring, and since then, production has been very stop-and-go–losing and rediscovering motivation. I don’t like to force myself to work on music if I’m not feeling it, because I feel like that creates mush

Punx Undead: Phantoms Book Launch: The Rise of L.A. Deathrock Presented by Lethal Amounts

Rob Shepyer February 26, 2020

Los Angeles has always had an obsession with death. Our city’s celebrities and socialites have a habit of perishing in the most dramatic and mysterious fashion, Rozz Williams of course being no exception. It’s no surprise that from out of punk rock would come a death obsessed, black clad, sorrowful, mournful form of expression and rebellion known as deathrock. To celebrate the launch of Mikey Bean’s new 600 page encyclopedia of deathrock called Phantoms: The Rise of Deathrock From The LA Punk Scene, Lethal Amounts and Release the Bats held a photo exhibit and concert celebrating the genre’s Los Angeles heyday. You need this bad boy on your coffee table. related content: Sex Cells’ Divine Ball At El Rey: The Filthiest People Alive Among the attendants at the gallery showing and concert were the likes of 45 Grave singer Dinah Cancer, LA experimental artist Ron Athey, Don Bolles, and many more. With walls adorned with Rozz’s likeness as well as all the show flyers of the scene, the gallery captured a mood, a time, and a place that were quintessentially gothic, dark, and exploding with creativity. Following the book signing, the gathering moved to Monty Bar where numerous bands took

Down the Rabbit Hole: Bad Rabbits at the Echo

Rob Shepyer February 9, 2020

I’m gonna go out on a limb and state very matter-of-factly that Boston’s power funk band, Bad Rabbits, are the best concert you could ever see in a club. This opinion isn’t based on the high that I’m still running on since their Echo performance for the 10 year anniversary of “Stick Up Kids”, my favorite of their albums, it’s based on simple addition. Their style, energy, songs, vibe, feel, audience, looseness, tightness, synergy, chemistry, the artists they booked as support, the venue they chose, everything added up to make this show incredible. They sounded so good, in a way that tickled your nerve endings to dance and vibe along, because this music was undisputedly cool. Bad Rabbits’ recorded material has so much swagger and substance and live it translated to a crisp, clean sonic experience that down right SLAPPED. The live versions of these songs were not far departures from the records but in the best way, it still felt spontaneous and present, with the freshest vocals and riffs. Bad Rabbits chose the supporting acts to represent the different sides of their own music. The night began with Chicago singer Nikki Hayes injecting the evening with some R&B. Nikki’s

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Bad Rabbits at the Echo

Janky Smooth Central Command January 20, 2020

Bad Rabbits are an incredible band. Their mix of funk, R&B and hardcore make for some of the most passionate performances you could ever see. To celebrate the 10 year anniversary of their EP Stick Up Kids, the Band is playing only a few select dates including The Echo with straight edge LAHC band Dare. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR: ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO BAD RABBITS JANUARY 31ST AT THE ECHO Step 1- Join Our Newsletter (look for pop up every time you arrive at jankysmooth.com) Step 2 – Tag a Friend in the comment section of our INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, or FACEBOOK Bad Rabbits Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON JANUARY 27TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Lets go do Some Crimes!: Career Suicide at Five Star Bar

Rob Shepyer December 29, 2019

The most important ingredient in a good hardcore punk band is live energy. There has to be something special about how the band stirs up a raw, chaotic, spontaneous feeling in the venue that makes every punk one inch away from committing a crime, from vandalism to violence, whatever your fix. Only a couple bands truly and organically summon this feeling in all its purity, and one of them is certainly Toronto’s Career Suicide. I feel like if they were an American band, they would be considered canon hardcore punk. I certainly feel that way. If Black Flag, Circle Jerks, FEAR, Bad Brains, and Minor Threat were canon hardcore bands of the 80s; Career Suicide, Trash Talk, and Ceremony are today’s. Career Suicide often feels like a modern Circle Jerks. related content: For The Children 2017 At The Echoplex: Hardcore Is The Gift That Keeps On Giving Throughout the night, Eighty-Four booking treated us to some of Los Angeles’ most relentless punk bands. As far as I’m concerned, I think this is the best booking company in town, not just because of the range of bands they bring to town, all of which broaden punk horizons, but because they seem to

Janky Smooth Top 25 Artists to Watch in 2020

Janky Smooth Central Command December 28, 2019

We have reached the end of the decade and to usher in this new epoch, we have chosen 25 artists that can be your guiding light through the darkness and confusion. We might reach catastrophe but with this soundtrack, we can at least ease your nerves to make the trip a little more enjoyable. We’ve picked something for everyone, from the dark to the light, from the heavy to the soft, the happy to the sad, and every sound and emotion in between. Some artists are based in LA, some are international, but all 25 artists should be watched closely because they will make a mark on 2020. related content: Janky Smooth Top 25 Artists To Watch In 2019 Acrylics Ever since we first covered their set at Home Sick, we’ve had high hopes for Nor-Cal hardcore outfit, Acrylics. They might have the most vigor of any young band out there. The music exhibits much more nuance than typical hardcore though, with a garage sensibility beneath the steamrolling core. This is made clear on their 2019 release Sinking In. The music is just as off-balance, thrilling, and a roller coaster on record as it is live. Acrylics is underground and

Janky Smooth Top 10 ALBUMS of 2019 Rated by Contributors

Janky Smooth Central Command December 24, 2019

2019 was a year full of fresh faces releasing undeniable breakout albums and veterans making their returns to grace. Even though it may seem like singles are the logical way to release music in 2019, it would turn out that people want full and cohesive artistic statements with emotional twists and turns. Don’t believe the hype, all the devices we’ve surrounded ourselves with and all the information flooding our minds, we’re still human, the nature of our hearts has not changed much. Artists like Lingua Ignota with Caligula and FKA Twigs with Magdelene bore their souls onto record and the reception reciprocated their love and passion because this was their year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2j4vJWLz2E As much as our current culture emphasizes the importance of youth and the irrelevance of the old, a few veterans showed they had so much more fuel left in the tank. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds came back with a vengeance with Ghosteen, a return to the mournfulness that made him a goth God in the first place. Leonard Cohen released Thanks For The Dance posthumously, haunting us from the grave as if he can’t rest until we’ve really, truly learned everything we can form the old poet.

Janky Smooth Top 10 SHOWS of 2019 Rated by Contributors

Janky Smooth Central Command December 23, 2019

This decade saw numerous paradigm shifts that laid the groundwork for a future where people basically become some form of android. That’s nothing to fear, though…we’re still safe….Many predict we’re seeing the fall of the American empire or some kind of apocalypse…hopefully they only mean in the sense that we’re entering a new chapter in humanity’s being….Still, no sweat, right?…We can handle this….In 2019 Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” become the most successful song of all time….Code red! Abandon ship! Get your kicks in before the whole shit house goes down in flames! related content: Janky Smooth Top 10 Shows of 2018 Rated by Contributors Every genre of music saw scene defining moments but I guess that ought to happen every year. What was special about 2019 though, was all the reunions that went down. It’s as if when a band decides to get back together, Los Angeles is the first place they think to play just so all their artist friends can attend the show. A few examples of such reunions were: Bauhaus at the Hollywood Palladium, Heart to Heart at Sound and Fury, Stereolab at Desert Daze, The Locust at Desert Daze, Limp Bizkit at the Troubadour

The Preacher Man Cometh: Wovenhand at the Echo

Rob Shepyer November 9, 2019

David Eugene Edwards has always struck me as a maverick in the current musical landscape. Not just in his current band, Wovenhand, but in every project he’s been a part of. I first discovered him from watching a 16 Horsepower video where I saw him play the accordion with more soul stirring spirit than I’ve ever seen anyone. With that band and with Wovenhand, he’s found a way to make music that incorporates so many different sounds and ideas from across the world and across time periods while maintaining a quality that is positively American. His music and presence is ripe with beautiful contradiction, the good kind, symbols that are often considered in conflict find harmony within Wovenhand. Americana and Native American imagery and culture, East vs West, Christianity and glam, David Eugene Edwards paints his face and nails like a Native American warrior but with silvery colors as if he’s also the reincarnation of David Bowie. related content: A High And Beautiful Wave: Psycho Las Vegas 2019 Perhaps the strangest thing about Wovenhand is David’s stage presence. If he wasn’t onstage, perhaps you’d think he was schizophrenic with his wild gestures to invisible characters and his speaking in tongues. What

Becoming the Night: Substance 2019

Rob Shepyer November 7, 2019

Taking every kind of music into account, the genre that best fits Los Angeles has to be post-punk, or better yet, goth. Why exactly? Perhaps it’s the way the shadows hit the concrete, or the loneliness of a city where people think being neighborly only causes more trouble, maybe it’s the genre’s long tradition from the Sunset Strip to the barrio. Goth has always stayed strong whether it’s the biggest scene in the city or not. Given all this, an annual goth festival where people can wallow and dance the night away is a necessity. In previous years, Cloak and Dagger was the go-to festival for such affairs but as of 2019, Restless Nights and Spaceland’s Substance festival which took place at the Los Angeles Theatre, is now the premiere goth festival in Los Angeles. What I found most interesting about this festival, beyond the actual music, was the fact that every major goth promoter had a hand in it. Along with Restless Nights; Part Time Punks, Das Bunker, and Lethal Amounts were also in the mix. The common threads between all the bands present at the 2 day event were darkness and electronics. Everyone wore black. related content: Cloak

Grey Skies Above, Mosh Pits Below: $UICIDEBOY$ at the Shrine

Rob Shepyer September 7, 2019

I had been meaning to see $UICIDE BOY$ for a few years. To me, these two New Orleans born, Gen-Z rappers are the best talents of their crop. The face-tatted, nihilistic, drinking and drugging lyrical miracles that you might see on Rolling Loud have nothing on these two. Their flow, their beats, their song structures are a cut above the rest, white, black, or otherwise. And their success has matched their talent. Perhaps there’s been no better evidence of just how popular they are than two sold out two nights at the Shrine Expo Hall on a tour that was absolutely stacked. With all the nu-metal inspired hip hop blending with hardcore music on this stage, this is as close as 2019 can come to the the Family Values tours in the 90’s. related content: Rolling Loud SoCal 2017 Doses The Youth With The Latest Opiate Of The Masses The Grey Day tour included young gun rap stars and duos such as City Morgue, who took the Shrine to fever-pitch right from the get-go with their visceral hardcore horror rap and Slipknot covers; Shakewell, the big boy with a flow that’s lightning fast and gets everyone jazzed, juiced, and jumping; Germ,

A High and Beautiful Wave: Psycho Las Vegas 2019

Rob Shepyer August 31, 2019

“So now, less than five years later, you can go up on a steep hill in Las Vegas and look West, and with the right kind of eyes you can almost see the high-water mark—that place where the wave finally broke and rolled back.” ~ Dr. Hunter S. Thompson With the country’s current political climate putting its populous in divided disarray, one has to wonder if the American dream has remained intact and not fallen by the wayside as so many once credible ideas and institutions have. Dr. Hunter S. Thompson performed a drug fueled pilgrimage down the mainline vein of the country, the dusty connective highways between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, in search for the heart of the American dream and like a lethal dose of adrenochrome, he came bursting on the scene. What the good doctor found was both life and death, decency and depravity, all wrapped into one gaudy American nightmare churned out by the 24 hour fantasy machine of Vegas. Today, if Thompson was alive, he would think Psycho Las Vegas was the climax of the dream he was looking for, a wellspring of underground music taking over the Mandalay Bay Casino & Resort, a

I Don’t Have a Curfew: Dirty Penni Fest IV at the Echo/Echoplex

Jonathan Reyes July 16, 2019

The kaleidoscope of sound heard at the fourth iteration of Dirty Laundry TV and Penniback Records‘ collaboration, Dirty Penni Fest, could best be described as pleasantly confounding. While there was a thread of teen angst sewn through every band, the final product being a disorderly quilt collaboratively sewn by neo-cumbia, acid metal, and traditional punk bands. Walking through this festival made of think of listening to the radio in one room and the TV in another while smoking weed in the bathroom so mom doesn’t smell it. related content: Dirty Penni Fest: A Rock And Roll Romper Room For Young And Old Can you describe something as walking through a sea of teenagers? The patio stage was constant and rowdy, Think “The Smell” without the scared straight element. When I wasn’t getting elbowed in the back I was enjoying Kuromi rip it up. What a band. I watched a lot of kids scream and thrash into instruments but they had something that was lacking in some of the other bands, a point to the fury, they screamed and they bashed and they captivated. Sabrina is Not in This Chat Sabrina is not playing loud enough, for the first couple songs

Bay Area Blitzkrieg: Old Firm Casuals at 1720

Rob Shepyer July 10, 2019

The Bay Area is such a special place. The art, specifically the punk, that came from that golden strip of California, has had such a profound impact on my life that not only compares to Los Angeles but in many ways it surpasses it. Whether it be the boys in Rancid that called 924 Gilman Street home or the Dead Kennedys, CRIME, and this young band called Spiritual Cramp, I see so much truth organically coming from those bands. A Hard Times tour with these two bands, rounded out with Section H8, made for a show that brought together so many flavors of music and spellbound 1720 Warehouse. related content: A Tsunami Of Hardcore Kids: Fury’s “Failed Entertainment” Record Release At The Observatory I don’t miss a Spiritual Cramp show. Every time I see them, I find something new to love about their sound and performance. The energy is the first thing you notice, Michael Bingham’s kinetic stage antics, his jumping and swinging arms are the perfectly-paced cardio routine that leaves him drenched, pouring out all the anger and revolutionary spirit we need. This time around, I found the guitar and bass work absolutely incredibly, the tone is so reminiscent

Take This: Win 2 Tickets to Dirty Penni Fest IV at the Echo/Echoplex

Janky Smooth Central Command July 2, 2019

Dirty Penni Fest is back for it’s fourth installment and Dirty Laundry TV and Penniback Records are collaborating once against o bring you one of the best garage punk lineups your young bodies can pogo to. This year, legendary surf guitarist and rock and roll innovator, Dick Dale, will be commemorated with a tribute by the Buttertones. Make sure to catch Perfection too! YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR: ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO DIRTY PENNI FEST IV JULY 6TH AT THE ECHO/ECHOPLEX Step 1- Join Our Newsletter (look for pop up every time you arrive at jankysmooth.com) Step 2 – Tag a Friend in the comment section of our INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, or FACEBOOK Dirty Penni Fest IV Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON JULY 4TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Support the Underground!!!: Hospital Productions Showcase at Zebulon

Rob Shepyer June 22, 2019

If you dabble in every genre of music, especially the underground, you would know that there’s nothing quite as unique and special as a good noise show. Using electronics, artists can flex their psychic powers as if putting the beasts living inside them on full display. It’s not about melody, lyrics, structure or even songs, what it’s about is creating an atmosphere and manifesting chaos itself into a material thing, if sound can be considered material. Dominick Fernow of Prurient and Vatican Shadow created Hospital Productions for all things noise and though their home is New York, Eighty-Four booking was able to wrangle a bunch of their artists for an unforgettable showcase. For two days, we shook the foundation of Zebulon and mangled our minds with noise. related content: 84 Ways To Die: Horrendous At The Echo Up until this point, I attended fair share of incredible noise shows. Eric Wood of Bastard Noise, Drew McDowell, Russell Haswell, David Scott Stone, all these guys wow’d me but still, after these two nights, those past shows felt like they were only preparation for this showcase. related content: Berserktown 3: The Craziest Festival On Earth I was there from the first artist’s set

Garage Guitar God, Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds Melts the Echo

Rob Shepyer June 17, 2019

La Puente’s own, Kid Congo Powers is one of punk rock’s most venerated and legendary guitarists. With stints in the Cramps, the Gun Club, and Nick Cave’s Bad Seeds, some of rock and roll’s most important and influential bands, Kid Congo not only infused their sound into his but he infused his sound, personality, and energy into those bands. With Echo Park being garage rock’s ultimate So-Cal hub and stomping ground, where bands like the Cramps and Gun Club still influence the music, attitude and fashion, Kid Congo Powers gracing the stage at the Echo is like a patron saint blessing a church, this church though, is the church of Southern California punk. related content: Forty Years Of Youth: Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds At The Forum Perhaps the most understated part of Kid Congo’s career is his solo work with the Pink Monkey Birds and their albums on In The Red Records. In fact, during this performance the work off those albums stood out and felt more riveting than Cramps or Gun Club songs he played. For this performance in particular, Kid Congo was celebrating 10 years of the album Dracula Boots, an album which encapsulates the themes

Allin Family Values: Murder Junkies at the Viper Room

Rob Shepyer June 13, 2019

For as long as I’ve loved punk rock, I’ve loved the Jerry Springer show. For as long as I’ve loved Jerry Springer, I’ve loved GG Allin, where I first saw this punk rock saint preach his manifesto to his followers on national television. Then for as long as I’ve loved GG Allin, I’ve loved Todd Phillip’s first documentary, Hated. The story of GG Allin is that of a martyr, someone that lost their life, sacrificed it really, for art but more specifically, rock and roll. If you watch Hated, you would know that the Murder Junkies, GG’s final band, played just as pivotal of a role in his rise to iconic status. Merle Allin, GG’s older brother and the closest thing he had to a protector, and Dino, his eccentric drummer, have still been piloting the Murder Junkies since GG’s death and all this time, they’ve provided a kind of punk rock that is unique from all others. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UR2Y94gmgU&t=585s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMgDdYV74T0&t=818s Murder rock and the murder punks that follow it are a separate breed. Where as punks walk around Los Angeles with Discharge shirts and patches, these kids wear Manson patches, Ed Gein shirts, and maybe have a Night Stalker sticker

Outlaws of Goth: VR SEX “Human Traffic Jam” Record Release at Echoplex

Rob Shepyer May 20, 2019

The common misconception of goths is that they’re sad, poetic, and wear black. And though the second two descriptors might be dead on, there’s nothing sad about a band of outlaws, ransacking stages and breaking the post punk mold with undisputed attitude and badass style. Great things come in threes and VR SEX sure are great. Riding black horses, these three gents carry the Dais records flag for yet another incredible record, “Human Traffic Jam”, the release of which we celebrated at the Echoplex with a performance no one in attendance is ever going to forget. This was the last show I saw at Echoplex before the venue was sold to Live Nation, so one could make the case that where these ghostriders go, death follows. related content: Drab Majesty Return To Los Angeles After Taking Europe By Storm Opening the show was fellow Dais record-mate and one-woman noise conjurer, Pod Blotz who created digitized thunder that shook the Echoplex and made every heart in the audience beat faster and more anxiously. The mind wanders strange places as Pod Blotz displaces the air molecules around you with sonic stabs. Incorporating a long, winding metal sheet to make sounds machines simply

Catch One Hell of a Night With Integrity and Pageninetynine Presented by Psycho Entertainment

Rob Shepyer April 29, 2019

This night at Catch One was easily one of the most extreme, craziest nights of music that will occur in 2019. The entire night, every room at Catch One was booked to perfection with diverse bands going on in time slots that allowed you to catch every flavor of heavy music if you had the right credentials, which was the case for me. Jesus fucking Christ, I got to see Integrity and Pageninetynine in the same damn night. It was one for the history books. I had been waiting to see Integrity live for years, bitching and moaning on their social media pages for them to play Los Angeles. Leave it to Psycho Entertainment not only to make my dreams come true but exceed my expectations with a lineup that featured amazing bands that would each draw me to a show if it was just them playing. They weren’t the only promoters that made this night happen though, this shit was so insane that Midnite Collective and Church of the 8th Day had their hands in the pot too. related content: Midnite Communion V: Los Globos Doom Spa With Bongzilla And Bongripper My night began with Graf Orlock, the perfect

84 Ways to Die: Horrendous at the Echo

Dillon Vaughn April 28, 2019

Eighty-Four has quickly become a brand indicating quality booking of local, national, and international acts alike and the recent Horrendous + Of Feather and Bone mini-tour kickoff at the Echo showed no signs of that changing any time soon. Local support acts for the evening were some of LA’s top up and coming underground acts including the buzz-worthy Mortal Wound, mean as hell two piece Encoffinized, and the pummeling rifflords Kommand. Of Feather and Bone are an excellent introduction to the Denver scene and a perfect example of the difference in style between the mile high city and LA. Their set at the Echo was concise and crushing: a clear result of a well refined act marking their place by giving the uninitiated a no holds barred beating. In a genre so focused on being the most extreme, bands like Horrendous stand out as a breath of fresh air. There’s a clear progression in style and complexity in their recorded material that’s allowed them to reach their current pinnacle with 2018’s Idol. In a live setting the songs are fully realized with an added layer of infections excitement; it’s clear they’re truly having fun performing. Without a doubt these guys are

Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, Unrequited at Echoplex

Rob Shepyer April 22, 2019

As I’ve said previously, emo-trap represents a shift in music that will be mimicked until the whole art form changes. The same repurposing that made it possible for emo to become a one man show is now being used in country with Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” reaching number 1 on the Billboard charts. The virus is spreading. It’s no surprise to me that this ripple effect began with emo simply because at it’s heart, emo is love poetry, and hip hop is poetry. White boys singing about unrequited love while plucking flowers to ask the universe she loves me, loves me not; the power of these sentiments is enough to change the world even if they feel rather weak and lowly when you keep them to yourself. related content: Gothboiclique Represent: Lil Tracy At The Observatory This is evening at the Echoplex was dedicated to emo-trap ala Gothboiclique regulator and Tigers Jaw alumni, Wicca Phase Springs Eternal aka Adam Mcllwee. The night began with Mirsy, a singer with a powerful and mesmerizing voice that floats heavenly atop a hybrid of trap and post punk, as opposed to trap and emo. She was the most goth of the lineup and

Photo Recap: Patriarchy at the Echoplex

Janky Smooth Central Command April 17, 2019

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve been seeing Patriarchy coming up from the underground and making the beginnings of what might become a huge splash in Los Angeles. Patriarchy, the musical brain-child of avant-garde filmmaker and fashionista, Actually Huizenga, is one of the most symbolically powerful acts hitting the clubs right now. Playing with gender roles, Actually takes many forms from princess to warrior and combines their animus in every artistic breath. You’ll be seeing and hearing a lot more from Patriarchy in the near future, so we thought it would be wise to catch her recent Echoplex display of power. Also, check out her films, this artist is part of some new wave of which she is at the forefront. Pics by: Lindsay Arth

Punx With Junk: Club Scum 3 Year Anniversary at the Regent

Janky Smooth Central Command April 6, 2019

Photos by: Anthony Mehlhaff Club Scum turned 3 years old last week and we couldn’t be more proud of Los Angeles’ Latinx baby because with each year, every anniversary seems to be more epic, filthy, and unforgettable than the last. This year’s featured a special Hunx and his Punx reunion show and all the drag and punk rock you could swallow. related content: Fierce Fiesta: Club Scum’s 2 Year Anniversary W/Limp Wrist At The Echoplex Check out all the pix below: Club Scum Hunx and his Punx Drag Queens Trap Girl Remorseless Argument? Cremalleras

Down Home Ho Down: Roots Roadhouse 2019

Rob Shepyer April 2, 2019

Within moments of walking into Roots Roadhouse at the Echoplex and seeing BBQ pits, haystacks, cowboy hats and boots, I realized that this is one of the best festivals in Los Angeles, it’s a hidden gem. If you follow Janky Smooth, you certainly won’t see much country on our blog but for some reason, even though I was moshing at Gorilla Biscuits the night before, this music felt more like home than metal, punk, hardcore, or industrial to me. After listening to a few acts and thinking about why this is, I realized that the soundtrack to being a rocker would have plenty of country in it. The way outlaw country tales about being broke, losing love, chasing love, doing drugs, and getting drunk, relates to me more than other kinds of music. Part of the reason for this lack of country coverage is simply awareness. In Los Angeles, no one knows these artists but across the rest of the country, they all have huge followings, mostly because of relentless touring. With Roots Roadhouse, Los Angeles gets a taste of how the rest of America listens to music, whether it be Nashville, Texas, or Louisiana, the heart of America was

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Horrendous at the Echo

Janky Smooth Central Command April 2, 2019

84 is the new promoter on the block and so far their booking has been flawless. Bringing some of the gnarliest bands in underground music to the right venues, their latest show is Horrendous and Feather and Bone playing the Echo. Hailing from Philadelphia, Horrendous makes some of the most brutal, gnarliest extreme metal bands bringing together grind, prog, and doom into one blackened musical abomination. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR. ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO HORRENDOUS APRIL 17TH AT THE ECHO Step 1- Join Our Newsletter (look for pop up every time you arrive at jankysmooth.com) Step 2- Tag a Friend in the comment section of our Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook Horrendous Posts WINNER WILL BE WILL BE SELECTED ON MONDAY APRIL 8TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Roots Roadhouse at the Echo & Echoplex

Janky Smooth Central Command March 18, 2019

We know that Los Angeles doesn’t do the best job of giving its people their country music fix. Every once in awhile there’ll be a show but there ain’t no scene for people to come and wear their cowboy hats and boots to. Roots Roadhouse is of course the exception in the room, turning the east side into the old west for a cool Sunday where patrons can walk between the Echo and Echoplex, beer and barbecue in hand, to catch some old country crooners on either stage. It’s a hoot and a half. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO ROOTS ROADHOUSE MARCH 31ST AT THE ECHO & ECHOPLEX Step 1- Join Our Newsletter (look for pop up every time you arrive at jankysmooth.com) Step 2- Tag a Friend in the comment section of our Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook Roots Roadhouse Posts WINNER WILL BE WILL BE SELECTED ON MONDAY MARCH 25TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Red Bull Music Festival Begins with San Cha’s Epic Tragedy at Vibiana

Rob Shepyer February 11, 2019

Telenovellas are a medium of storytelling very telling of Latino cultural values. Staying true to classical themes in literature like revenge, love, and rebirth, this genre of television is a staple to Latino culture because its classical narrative themes reflect the classical values of Latino people. What made San Cha’s Telenovella inspired performance at Vibiana for the opening of Redbull Music Festival so brilliant was how she wielded traditional values to empower ideas that don’t conform to tradition but rather represent progress. Passionate romantic love is a value often attached to Latin culture and it was that love that led to San Cha’s symbolic downfall. Expert and unique curation is the mark of Red Bull Music Festival and this festival-opening show was tailored just for the Latin community with a former Catholic church as a venue and a vibrantly colored, flowery telenovella bedroom set for people to take pictures in the Church’s courtyard. After enjoying a few palomas at the open bar and eating various Latin Hors d’oeuvres like Spanish octopus and tiny fluatas, I made my way into Vibiana and immediately felt a rush of divinity flow through me. The glory of God shooting out from every crevice of

Punx Not Dead in Petaluma – Home Sick 2 at the Pheonix Theater

Nicole Verto January 30, 2019

“Is punk dead?” I’ve typically found this refrain loathsome and lazy. Despite my ongoing aversion to the utterance, it was front and center in my own (traitor) brain during the week leading up to Home Sick 2. You see, after almost forty years, the punk institution known as Maximum Rocknroll announced that the zine would cease printing in 2019. The notion hit me hard. I recalled being fourteen and seeing MRR for the first time as a young teenager and traced from there to the first time I saw the rows and rows of green-taped records myself. It felt like a death. I went to three other shows in the days between the announcement and attending Home Sick 2 but HS2 was the one that really shook me out of my cynicism. Of course punk is not dead. Of course the community is still growing and reaching folks of all ages. Even better: those of us already in too deep seem to be better than ever at welcoming other sounds into our spaces. The curators behind Home Sick (none other than headliners Ceremony) managed to again create a space both familiar and refreshingly representative of this constant evolution happening within

Wesley Eisold of Cold Cave Interview: Love & Pain One & the Same

Rob Shepyer January 26, 2019

Wesley Eisold of Cold Cave and American Nightmare has proven to be a significant artist in my life as someone I’m inspired by and whose music finds its way into real moments of my life. With his focus on the gothic dance music he makes as Cold Cave, he’s playing two sold out shows at Hollywood Forever for Valentine’s Day and his birthday the following night then embarking on a tour with Adult. and Sextile ending with their Los Angeles date at the Theatre at the Ace Hotel. There was so much I wanted to ask Wesley because he represents two genres of music and thus two states of mind to make art from. Of all the interviews I’ve done, Wesley’s experience as a writer and avid reader made his answers precise, articulate, powerful, and deep. related content: Cloak & Dagger Fest: The Heart Of Los Angeles Bled From Dusk Till Dawn RS: Your two upcoming sold out Los Angeles shows fall on Valentine’s Day then your birthday. What’s it been like having to celebrate those holidays consecutively? WE: Not to sound overdramatic but I always had a negative connotation with Valentine’s Day. I was expecting to experience this high in

Trip-hopping into 2019: Tigercide at the Echo

Aria Silva-Espinosa January 10, 2019

It takes a day or two to get your bearings in a new year. It was hard to find the motivation to leave the comfort of my heated apartment but we headed out to The Echo on the second day of 2019, drawn by the allure of some dark, brooding electronic music to match the early sundown city vibe I’ve been feeling lately. Something about the residual Christmas lights still adorning a few random houses and the dying pine trees collecting on the sidewalks reminds me that the festivities are over and it’s time to come back to the usual grind. I needed a good show to start the year off right so the ethereal, trip-hop duo Tigercide seemed like an obvious choice for my first show of the new year. related content: Los Angeles On Mushrooms: Infected Mushroom At Exchange LA Before the show, vocalist Shexist and accompanist Saint Brended chatted amicably with us on the green room couches. Optimistic about the upcoming year but still feeling the pre-show jitters, Shexist inquired about the audience size. It’s hard to draw people out of hiding after the holiday season and even the biggest bands have trouble filling a venue when

The Legend of Magic Sword at the Echo

Dillon Vaughn January 7, 2019

Los Angeles has no shortage of synth-wave acts rolling through the city: venue calendars are littered with events hosting artists both well known and up and coming, but the quality is sometimes questionable in a genre that so easily falls into one-note nostalgia. Not too long ago, I didn’t care for the sub-genre much but I’ve since seen the light and witnessed quite a few acts that truly blew me away. I’d heard quite a bit about Magic Sword from (mostly metalhead) friends who praised their intense live show and use of live instruments and knew this would be an event I had to see for myself. related content: The Protomen: Mega Men on a Mission at the Echoplex The night began with a set by one of the most surprising acts I’d seen all year: the local one woman project Death Hags. Self described as “hypnotic art-pop,” Lola Jean’s act beautifully mixed elements of trip-hop with synth-wave through a gentle minimalist lens. Shifting from synths to bass guitar and more all while singing in both english and french, it’s hard to believe Death Hags isn’t yet a household name in the city. related content: Decibel Metal & Beet Fest After Party: Ghoul At El

Los Angeles on Mushrooms: Infected Mushroom at Exchange LA

Rob Shepyer December 30, 2018

I have a long history following Infected Mushroom as a fan. I used to see them all the time, from EDC back when it was in L.A., to New Years Eve at the Hollywood Palladium, to Christmas Eve at Avalon, to Vegoose music festival watching them against a glossy Las Vegas desert background. Most of these shows were a decade ago and at that moment in music, EDM was taking over America. Infected Mushroom, with their live band component and Israeli sensibility, offered a unique style of trance that was exciting, metallic, and electrifying to inspire more than just dancing. Infected Mushroom was like the musical realization of the greatest video game ever that has yet to be made, it’s like Castlevania meets Zelda meets Mario meets Final Fantasy… on mushrooms. related content: The Protomen: Mega Men On A Mission At The Echoplex Most Jews I know hold a special place in their heart for Infected Mushroom, the most successful Israeli group of all time. When you travel to Israel and come to know the people, you can see how Infected’s sound could’ve only come from that culture. It’s a sound that has an appreciation for all others cultures, whether

Janky Smooth Top 25 Artists to Watch in 2019

Janky Smooth Central Command December 29, 2018

Ah, the much anticipated and revered artists to watch article, how we’ve awaited you. The artists on this list vary in genre, age, ethnicity, region, and popularity. What they all have in common though, is that between January and December of 2019, something special is expected to happen to each of them. This list is not just to identify the smaller bands you need to know about but also to point out the bands you know and should be watching closely. Think of these artists and bands as heroes in their own stories, in the year 2019, a pivotal narrative moment will occur in each story. The Manx The Manx put on a show you couldn’t forget if you tried. Combining all sorts of styles from rock, to zydeco and polka, The Manx stir this musical stew until its reduction doesn’t resemble any of the ingredients used to create it, winding up with a mutant sound that’s totally original and shocking. With oddball instrumentation that utilizes banjo and accordion, the Manx don’t have any problem getting nude and covering themselves in multi-colored slime so that the show is a off-the-wall as the sound. This band is so strange that the

Janky Smooth Top 10 SHOWS of 2018 Rated by Contributors

Janky Smooth Central Command December 27, 2018

What a year for shows in Los Angeles 2018 was. This is undoubtably the best city in the world for live music, so consider each list by our contributors 10 reasons why. Reunion shows alone were off the chain, Burger Boogaloo featured two comeback sets, Devo and Le Shok. Both performances were wild and unforgettable, making much deserved appearances below. Lets not forget about Stray Cats reuniting at Viva Las Vegas or Helloween’s epic Pumpkins United at the Palladium or Bleeding Through at the Observatory or My Bloody Valentine at The Shrine either. related content: The De-Evolution of Burger Boogaloo So many promoters delivered the goods in 2018. Das Bunker brought Covenant to 1720, Part Time Punks gave us Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel at the Echoplex, Church of the 8th Day sold out the Teragram with Napalm Death, and Lethal Amounts sold sex at Sex Cells with Hercules and Love Affair. Each of these shows are among the many these promoters held that were rare highlights of the year. related content: Groveling Before The Gods Of Grind: Napalm Death At The Teragram Punk rock represented hard, especially out of the Latin sector of Angelino culture. Club Scum held an

… And We’ll Pretend it’s Christmas Day at the Roxy with the Garden

Rob Shepyer December 25, 2018

The Garden‘s popularity with Los Angeles’ young and woke is a phenomenon that cannot be understated. I had yet to see the band before this 2nd show they held at the Roxy to close out the venue’s Jingle Bell Roxy series. I knew though, that this was a band I had to see if I wanted to understand the scope of rock music in this decade. The line was thick, long, and underage, running down Sunset boulevard as I approached. They all dressed and dyed their hair within the subtle mythology ascribed to the woke philosophy. The way wokeness is a deconstruction of normalcy, the Garden’s music is a deconstruction of rock and roll. Twin brothers, Wyatt and Fletcher Shears play instruments but often find themselves rabble-rousing all over the stage, prancing around violently, dramatically, and without a care. The music doesn’t stop when the playing stops though, the band realizes grabbing onto true freedom on stage supersedes actually playing at any given moment. That’s not to devalue their instruments though, when Fletcher’s behind his kit, he’s an absolute beast. When Wyatt’s on strings, he grabs an audience and doesn’t let go. related content: NSA Fundraiser and Launch w/The Garden

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