Category: FEATURES

Neil Fallon of Clutch Interview: Dog Ears in the Book of Bad Decisions

Rob Shepyer September 13, 2018

Having just released their 12th studio album with Book of Bad Decisions, Clutch is back on the road to bring their hard rock boogie to a city near you. I spoke to Neil Fallon from the band to get his take on the record and ask him a few questions about the current state of the union. Rob: The fifth track on the new album Book of Bad Decisions is “In Walks Barbarella”. Can you comment on what specifically about that movie inspired you to write a song about it? What other films have inspired your music in the past? Do you consider yourself a movie buff? Neil: I would consider myself a movie buff. That song I wrote as part 3 after “X-Ray Visions” and “Firebirds”. To me one of the most iconic female sci-fi figures is Barbarella. Yeah, it’s a campy movie but growing up in the 70’s and 80’s reading Heavy Metal magazine, that’s sort of a preoccupation of mine that I’ve carried on into later-life. Rob: You mention “Weaponized funk” in the song and I was wondering with George Clinton retiring from touring this year and because I’ve seen you wearing Parliament Funkadelic shirts, how has

Featured Song: Luke Top “I May Never Leave”

Janky Smooth Central Command September 11, 2018

Serving up the dreamiest surf maladies you’ve ever heard, Luke Top has a new track to serenade us with. Balancing sad lyrics and a cool-cat vocal cadence, “I May Never Leave” is perfect for crying in a dark bars, frolicing on the beach, or film scores. As a member of Fool’s Gold, Luke was able to meld styles such as pop, African, and Middle Eastern music to create a sound that was both cinematic and low key. He’s now taken this same approach to blend surf rock with a troubadour folk feel that harkens greats like Leonard Cohen or Nick Cave. “I May Never Leave” is the first single of Luke’s upcoming EP “The Dumb Show” set to be released October 19th.

Song Premiere: Microwaves “Via Weightlessness” Janky Smooth Exclusive

Janky Smooth Central Command August 28, 2018

Are you a fan of spazzcore? Do you like instrumentation and arrangements that are as obscure and wildly creative as they are musically brilliant? Well, do we at Janky Smooth have your latest obsession to fix you up with: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s Microwaves makes music that takes you places, only they use the most jagged and bumpy roads to get you there. Their winding guitars are enough to make a feeble-minded, casual music fan wind up in a straight-jacket, but I’m sure if you’re reading this, you must now be thinking, “finally… a cure!“. The band is comprised of drummer John Roman (formerly of The 1985 and currently Night Vapor and Brown Angel), guitarist/vocalist David Kuzy, and bassist/vocalist Johnny Arlett. Microwaves’ new track, “Via Weightlessness” exemplifies the radioactive noise sound that has always made the band a force to be reckoned with. Combining Prog precision with No Wave impulsiveness and Thrash riffage, this track will override your nervous system until your feet mosh at the music’s will, not your mind’s. Gone are the effects-heavy sounds on previous records and introduced is a cleaner, heavier Microwaves than ever before. Microwaves’ newest LP “Via Weightlessness” is being released by Three One G Records on

New Name, New Video – ZOOLUXX (Formerly Solar Sons) Release “Finally Be”

Janky Smooth Central Command August 24, 2018

For years, ZOOLUXX, formerly known as Solar Sons, has been the quintessential soundtrack for night’s out in Los Angeles. From their residency at Good Times at Davey Wayne’s to being a fixture in all the best underground house parties, everybody in L.A. knows these guys. You’ve thrown back beers to their music, hooked up to their music, danced to their music, and now, with a new name and an EP produced by legendary saxophonist Karl Denson, they’re stepping into a new era in their musical tenure. Denson, who’s played with everyone from The Rolling Stones to Lenny Kravitz, produced ZOOLUXX’s 2017 debut EP and their single “Finally Be”. ZOOLUXX has always had the uncanny ability to transport any room they play straight into boogie town. With awesome grooves and psychedelic landscapes, the band makes every party feel like a funky sci-fi exploitation movie. Consisting of vocalist and guitarist Troy Vincent, bassist Ned Casual, percussionist Bertie Paradise, and drummer Princess Frank, each member contributes to a sound that is infectious, magnetic, and undeniably primal at its core. All thought is lost to dance when a ZOOLUXX tune grabs you and has its way with your feet. I liken ZOOLUXX’s place in

New Song Premiere: The Dividing Line – “Deadbeat”

Janky Smooth Central Command August 20, 2018

We all know that special someone that drags down the group and sometimes those people need to learn their lesson the hard way, or rather in this case, the hardcore way. if there was ever a song to get someone to reform there ways it would be The Dividing Line‘s “Deadbeat”. New Age Records’ The Dividing Line create some of the most aggressive and unhinged hardcore you can hear in 2018 and their latest banger “Deadbeat” brings the pain on every level. The slam dance part is crushing and filled with plenty of bounce for you to get those punches and kicks flying. This is the kind of confrontational songwriting that gave hardcore it’s reputation as both music with balls and music for the people by the people about real shit. The Dividing Line just finished recording their 7″ to be released on New Age Records in late summer 2018 called Turn my Back on the World.

Janky Smooth Exclusive: A Scene from The Icarus Line Must Die

Janky Smooth Central Command July 25, 2018

The Icarus Line were an unique and quintessential Los Angeles band filled with much internal conflict and turmoil that inspired the creation of great rock and roll. Filmmaker Michael Grodner set out to capture the band’s history and its member’s personal journeys of death and taxes through Los Angeles in his film The Icarus Line Must Die. In this exclusive scene, Icarus Line lead singer Joe Cardomone finds himself in a struggle that every musician must be familiar with and that’s trying to make good money making music. It feels like a conversation we’ve all had, in a place we’ve all been, only Joe seems totally original. The Icarus Line Must Die is now available on VOD from Google Play, Youtube, iTunes, and Amazon. You can watch the film’s trailer here: Joe Cardamone released his first album as a solo artist this year. Holy War delves into the world of dark electronics to make what some people are calling “industrial soul”. Utilizing a powerful array of symbols and a dangerous singing style, the mystery to this artist seems to thicken the more we learn about him. You can check out Joe Cardamone’s solo album Holy War here:

Smokin’ Grooves Spotlight Artist: Lion Babe

Aria Silva-Espinosa June 29, 2018

One of the first and most anticipated acts we caught was Lion Babe, comprised of vocalist Jillian Hervey and producer Lucas Goodman. Since the success of their 2012 hit ‘Treat Me Like Fire’, the NYC-based duo has developed a unique formula for creating music together. We caught up with Jillian and Lucas right on the waterfront for a quick interview later in the afternoon following their performance. related content: Black Is Beautiful: Smokin’ Grooves Festival At The Queen Mary “Post-Coachella, we’ve just been getting into the festival season so we have a couple shows coming up but they’re all kind of spread out,” says Jillian of their next two scheduled stops on the East Coast. Lion Babe will be playing the Merriweather Post Pavillion along with Nas, Anderson .Paak and Method Man in the beginning of August before circling back up to New York for a show in Brooklyn at the end of August. After their collaboration with international chart-topping U.K. artists Disclosure, Lion Babe found themselves on the U.K. top 100 charts with their song ‘Hour Glass’. Since they’ve been so well received overseas, I was interested to see if Lion Babe would be aiming to play more shows

Video Premiere: Plasmic “Validation Nation” Janky Smooth Exclusive

Janky Smooth Central Command April 17, 2018

Ever since she tore the house down at El Rey for Sex Cells’ Divine Ball, we here at Janky Smooth have developed a deep fondness for the Orange County sparkle-queen known as Plasmic. Her take on pop brings to mind greats from Cyndi Lauper to Ariel Pink to Devo and by the sound of her latest music video for “Validation Nation” it seems she’s got just as much style as those greats but perhaps even more substance and depth. It’s so damn refreshing to hear good pop songwriting in 2018. related content: Sex Cells’ Divine Ball At El Rey: The Filthiest People On Earth With imagery that harkens the upbringings of so many American girls, the video feels like if Harmony Korine directed a Tonya Harding movie. With music that has just as much jazzy swagger in the vocals as dream pop and electro-glitter-punk trash in the production, the song feels like a beautiful monster of sorts and from the song’s main lyric: “I don’t want to be a person anymore“, this might be exactly what Plasmic’s going for. The image of her swiveling on one figure skate while holding her keyboard in slow motion, as her hot-pink hair flows

Video Premiere: Baronen & Satan “Why Does The Blood Never Stick To Your Teeth” Janky Smooth Exclusive

Janky Smooth Central Command March 9, 2018

Calling all garage punks, psych rockers, and Luciferian Satanists, we have a band from you straight out of the gothic darkness of Gothenburg, Sweden. The Swedish have always given the world some of the most insane music, think Brainbombs and Bathroy, and Baronen & Satan are no exception. Melding psych rock and garage punk with ear-splitting distortion and reverb that harkens bands like Destruction Unit, this band’s latest video for the single “Why Does The Blood Never Stick To Your Teeth” is sure to make you sharpen your fangs. related content: Berserktown 3: The Craziest Festival On Earth This quartet led by Phillippe Sainz and Linda Rydellius is signed to Dirty Water Records and is ready to invade the divide consciousness of the United States. With music produced by Detroit Legend Jim Diamond, the buzz on this band is only beginning. Check out the video, if you Kenneth Anger films, liquid light, and altered states of mind you’re sure to like the visuals. If you like heavy rock with soul then you’re sure to like the music.

Janky Exclusive: Rudy De Anda Premieres New 7″ “Abrasive” w/ Interview

Janky Smooth Central Command September 22, 2017

Janky Smooth is proud to premiere two new tracks from the forthcoming 7″ ABRASIVE by the incomparable, Rudy De Anda and FREE DOWNLOAD OF THE TITLE TRACK- “Abrasive” (limited time only) “Think of Rudy De Anda as a lost diary. I learn secrets and private thoughts of this person but somehow they’re still a stranger- there’s more to learn but only if he wants you to. I don’t feel like it was coincidence that we arrived in a bookstore to sit down and chat with the man with the stories.” – Jonathan Reyes Check out Jonathan’s Interview w/ Rudy De Anda embedded in this post The new 7″ “Abrasive” by Rudy De Anda will be released digitally on Jazzcat Records on Friday, October 6th 2017, with a limited edition, lathe cut 7″ to follow soon after. The title track/ a-side is called “Abrasive” and is sure to lift your spirits, chill you out, and have you feeling the groove. The b-side is called “Helado” and uses the kind of unique, latin inspired instrumentation that makes Rudy De Anda and his band worth following. Janky Smooth has been following Rudy’s career for quite some time now and featured De Anda as one of Janky