Danny Baraz, Author at Jankysmooth

Danny Baraz

PPL MVR surprise performance at Red Bull’s screening of Spinal Tap

Danny Baraz November 19, 2014

Who the hell are PPL MVR and where did they come from? All gimmickry and showmanship aside, their music is pretty fucking awesome. They are a metal version of one of my favorite, new bands, Fartbarf and the first time I saw them at the Sunset Strip Music Festival I was skeptical but intrigued. No one knows who they are or why Atlantic Records signed them to a record deal with no established presence or fan base to speak of. One thing is clear- Someone is banking on them and sinking a lot of money into making sure that people are exposed to this band of yeti like creatures with metal guitars and vocoder vocals. PPL MVR were the “surprise guest” at The Electric Dusk Drive In Theater for a screening of one of my favorite movies, This is Spinal Tap. This was yet another interesting special interest event that was a part of the diverse, 30 Days in LA by Red Bull. It was a beautiful night and setting in Downtown L.A. I set up a beach chair on the astro turf in front of the movie screen. Red Bull promised a special performance at an intermission and part

Tetema- Geocidal: A new project by Mike Patton and Anthony Pateras

Danny Baraz November 19, 2014

Tetema-The new project from Mike Patton and Anthony Pateras is nothing short of an abstract, conceptual masterpiece. There are no hooks here. This will receive no radio play- except, possibly from the least commercial, college radio stations. This album, “Geocidal”, came directly from the loins of Patton and Pateras with the only desire being to create the most pleasing and haunting sonic landscapes. Patton proves that his virility to plant his musical seed in the least inseminated musical wombs is still alive and well and has been reborn into a child named, Tetema. If I had to reference a Mike Patton influence to paint a picture then I would summon the non-sensical and tangential interludes found in between, inside and around the g spot of Mr Bungle songs. An expansion of a non idea, pulled from a nebulous thought and turned into something substantial . The only track resembling anything like a traditional song structure is the cut, “3-2-1 Civilisation”. This track actually has a verse that is distorted and heavy and is set to a drum and bass like arrangement with the most pleasing bleeps and digital hiccups. What’s more intriguing is that Pateras insists that all the parts

Death From Above 1979 at The Regent Theater

Two Nights of Death From Above 1979 and MSTRKRFT in L.A. and The O.C.

Danny Baraz November 16, 2014

Death from Above 1979/MSTRKRFT: Night 2 in LA. Within the 20 minutes between opener, Hustle & Drone leaving the stage and Death From Above 1979 taking it, the house went from sparse to capacity. The night was filled with false fire alarms and a few sound issues of the newly opened and opulent Regent Theater in Downtown Los Angeles- A gorgeous venue that is still working out the kinks. The P.A. was filled with the sounds of Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and other old country classics as a surprisingly eclectic and beautiful crowd filed in to witness a show by the experimental thrashers from Toronto. I myself discovered DFA in 2008- a good 2 years after they had already broken up. O.G. DFA fans love to separate their fan base into a B.C and A.D. category- a snobbishness I have been guilty of myself on many occasions. Now it appears there is a third category of fans that have discovered the band after their more, commercially friendly, reunion release of The Physical World in September of this year. This was my first time seeing DFA live after devouring the catalog for the past 6 years with no satisfaction or release

Run The Jewels: Taking Hip Hop Back at The Echoplex

Danny Baraz November 14, 2014

It’s been years since anyone in hip hop has released an entire album of “destined to be classic” tracks, much less two. Over the last couple years rappers like Danny Brown, Ab-Soul and Schoolboy Q have released some classic tracks but the entire body of work leaves much to be desired. Weak beats and lazy lyrics dominate the landscape in the mainstream and the underground. B-boys have all but disappeared in this era of club bangers. Graffiti is now called “street art” and dance crews now have large shows in Las Vegas. Then on April 9th, 2013 a self-titled album called “Run the Jewels” dropped and changed the game. Jaime Meline, a.k.a. El-P is not only a dope M.C. but the beats he produced with Little Shalimar and Wilder Zoby are the foundation of not one but two instant classics- Run The Jewels and Run The Jewels 2. On Thursday, November 13 El-P and Killer Mike played the Echoplex as Run the Jewels for Day 13 of Red Bull Sound Select’s, 30 Days in LA. The anticipation was thick moments before Run The Jewels took the stage. There was a buzz of speculation on some special guests and the Echoplex

Reignwolf at the Mint: Madman of Rock ‘n Roll

Danny Baraz November 13, 2014

Jordan Cook sat on a drum throne with a drum stick in his picking hand, a guitar in his other and the mic chord wrapped around his neck. Just minutes earlier he moved the entire drum kit from the stage to the middle of the floor at The Mint in Los Angeles. The time it took to set this up was inconsequential to everyone but the sound guy because when Reignwolf plays your venue, you should be prepared for every boundary of your audio system to be stretched to it’s limits. Microphones rubbing against guitar strings that are boosted by overdrive, sustain pedals, octave pedals, body parts and sweat. Foot on the kick pedal, pumping rhythms, one hand on the fret board playing licks and the other tapping the snare as an audience member unwraps the microphone chord from his neck and hold it up to Cook’s lips. Then he gets antsy again and stands on top of the kick drum and makes way for drummer, Joseph Braley and all-around utility man, Stitcx. In an instant, the entire band is melting faces again, surrounded like Baptist preachers on a soapbox in the middle of a barren swampland, surrounded by congregants.

Bad Religion at The Mayan: Hardcore Punk Lives On Through a Soft Generation

Danny Baraz November 11, 2014

It’s been interesting to attend every night of Red Bull Sound Select’s, 30 Days in LA– and exhausting. I’m a music mutt so I would probably attend at least 15 of 30 days even if I wasn’t covering them but this weekend, I went from Warpaint to Bad Religion. Now that’s a swing of emotion. I went from being brought to tears to wanting to make someone cry. Red Bull was labeling Sunday as an all punk night and claims like that are when I start to get really snobby. There is no denying the influence Bad Religion has had on hardcore punk but I was worried that they might bust out acoustic guitars for a show like this because their releases over the last 10 years have certainly lost their edge. I walked into The Mayan in Downtown L.A. and immediately became worried when I heard Foo Fighters playing over the P.A. I didn’t do my usual homework on the Red Bull bands opening for Bad Religion. I prefer letting the live show do the talking but it’s always nice to have a point of reference. I had heard The Scandals from New Jersey but had no idea what

Warpaint at the Echoplex: Bringing Grown Men to Tears

Danny Baraz November 9, 2014

I need to write a review but I want to write a love letter. I can hardly think straight. My head is still spinning from Warpaint’s two hour set last night at The Echoplex. I am completely infatuated with the ladies of this band. Not just because they are all beautiful but because nothing is more attractive than women that are in command of their craft. Powerful, mesmerizing and unbearably sexy, Warpaint were coming off an extended tour and were effortlessly locked in with each other and their songs. Bass player, Jenny Lee Lindberg and Drummer, Stella Mozgawa start on the 1 with a just a quick look and one bar into the song, they smile and make eye contact, understandably proud of themselves. I’m not sure I witnessed Stella count in even once throughout the entire set and I never saw the band miss a beat the entire night. This is the best show I’ve seen the band play and I’ve seen them play quite a few times. Warpaint cannot simply be described as chick rockers because that would be minimizing the extent of their greatness. One cannot remove that aspect, though, because for women, they are an inspiration

The Julie Ruin at The Troubadour: Vagina’s and Surprises.

Danny Baraz November 7, 2014

Kathleen Hanna is an icon. She is the nut crushing, vagina wielding, punk singing, ear ringing legend of a once, DIY militant feminism. A militancy that was absolutely necessary in a 90’s era of violent, male dominated, testosterone injected dominance of the American punk scene. Her band, Bikini Kill, not only gave girls a voice in that void of misogynistic obliviousness but insisted on “Girls to the Front!”. On Thursday, November 6th, her band The Julie Ruin headlined night 6 of Red Bull’s 30 Days in L.A. at the Troubadour. The irony of looking at the big, corporate Red Bull logo behind Hanna all night was not lost on me but if Nirvana could start from the Kill Rockstars record label, to Sub Pop and eventually end up on Geffen, then The Julie Ruin could certainly play a gig with Red Bull Sound Select and retain their integrity. Bookings like this give Red Bull’s music division more and more street cred every day. I arrived at The Troubadour just before Red Bull band Bad Girlfriend took the stage. I was in a foul mood. I was fucking exhausted after covering 5 out of 6 of the 30 Red Bull dates

Two Nights with Mariachi El Bronx: An intimate record release and a sold out show

Danny Baraz November 7, 2014

It’s a big week for Mariachi El Bronx. They dropped their third album of the beloved, white boy mariachi music that has become a major draw for fans around the world. I was lucky enough to attend both the record release at Sonos Studios on Tuesday and their headlining show at El Rey on Wednesday with Tijuana Panthers as the opening act. There were no paisa’s injured, or present, for that matter at either of these locations. One thing that stood out in their performances at Sonos and the El Rey was the utter joy on the face of Matt Caughthran throughout the entirety of each show. This is a man who seems to be completely satisfied with what he’s doing and why shouldn’t he be? Since the formation of their punk rock outfit, The Bronx, in 2002, there has been nothing but a positive response from critics and fans alike for anything Caughthran and crew come up with. They have a legion of rabid fans that follow both nylon and steel string versions of The Bronx and Caughthran has the ability to tap into the lover and the fighter within himself without being rebuked by purists- a rare accomplishment for

Courtney Barnett and San Fermin Find Magic and Common Ground at the El Rey

Danny Baraz November 6, 2014

Last night at the El Rey might’ve been the best night of Red Bull Sound Select’s, 30 days in LA, so far. Even though the lineup was a bit mismatched, Courtney Barnett, San Fermin and Phox all brought something beautiful and completely different to the table. Phox, from Baraboo, Wisconsin not only brought all the small town charm and quick wit that lead singer Monica Martin could muster but they also brought some complex arrangements and made them seamless. There is a great chemistry in this 6 piece band that undoubtedly comes from their long time connection to each other. They attended the same high school and now all live together in the same house in Madison, Wisconsin. Fresh off a performance on the Conan O’Brien show and a trip to Disneyland, they were the first band to take the stage on Tuesday night and showed us all why comparisons of the band range from Feist to Fever Ray. Any band on this bill could’ve easily headlined the night, including Phox. Next up was San Fermin. Just wow. San Fermin is the brainchild of composer and keyboardist Ellis Ludwig-Leone; A true prodigy. I didn’t know much about this band

The Damned and T.S.O.L at Irving Plaza Made Halloween in the City Bearable

Danny Baraz November 4, 2014

Halloween. Sorry but it just is not my favorite holiday. Well, not since I was 12. However, Halloween in New York Fucking City at Irving FuckingPlaza, featuring the likes of The Briefs, T.S.O.L. and The Damned was a treat, rather than a trick. (yes, i know -shut the hell up). They all delivered in typical fashion. The Briefs donned friendly Casper sheets to start a tight, fast and loud set from start to finish, which got this somewhat tame Manhattan crowd mobile. By the time TSOL got started, “Banana girl” and “Chicken Suit Dude” were in full swing. Yes, that was the catalog of mosh proof costumes that I witnessed and i think they worked. One gal i met got an elbow to the forehead and it was a good one. She did not enjoy the same insulation as the banana and the chicken and her lack of Halloween spirit ultimately led to her demise. TSOL live is always awesome and never complete without front man, Jack Grisham’s standup comedy action–“People are throwing candy on stage..my mother always tells me not to eat anything like this and i always listen to my mom–she pays my bills..” New drummer Matt Rainwater

Ms Mr show “it” off at The Roxy

Danny Baraz November 3, 2014

Sunday, November 2nd was night 2 of Red Bull Sound Select’s, 30 days in LA. The venue was the Roxy on Sunset and the line up featured headliner, Ms Mr and Redbull bands, Feathers and The Electric Sons. On Saturday Red Bull treated attendees to tacos and on Sunday, they provided pizza to make sure we weren’t drinking on an empty stomach. There was also a temporary hair dye station set up where the VIP guests usually kick it. Going to Red Bull Sound Select events is like hanging at your best friends pad who has the cool mom that lets you smoke pot in the house. The challenge that Red Bull bands have during these 30 Days In LA is turning on new fans to their up and coming bands, fans who probably just came to see the headliner. This is not a unique plight for opening acts but I’ve noticed that these people are a bit of a tougher audience for whatever reason. As Janky Smooth attempts to cover all 30 days, the bands that step up and move the crowd will be a sub-plot that we follow very closely. After all, Red Bull is taking on this