Category: FEATURES

Touche Amore at the Regent by Taylor Wong

Touche Amore Play 4 albums in 2 Nights at the Regent Theater.

Taylor Wong March 27, 2023

Touché Amoré brings a certain level of nostalgia for most, myself included. When I was in high school I had the chance of seeing Touché at our local teen center. They were pretty much my intro into something a little more hardcore than punk music. I was blown away. Flash forward 15 or so years and here we are- Touché Amore is headlining 2 sold out nights at the Regent Theater and playing 4 albums in their entirety. This has been a new trend with bands over the past year as they hit 10 to 20 year anniversaries. I love these kind of shows because you know what you’re going to see. So many times I’ve gone to a show and been disappointed by a set list. For the show I attended on night one they played Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me and Lament. The only thing that could have made this a better show for me, would have been trading Lament for Stage Four which was played the next night. Touché came out heavy starting out with “PSBBM” with the first song- which may be my favorite Touché song. They played straight through the first two songs then

Take This: Win Two Tickets To John Waters Easter w/ Peaches by Lethal Amounts

Janky Smooth Central Command March 22, 2023

This Easter Weekend, Lethal Amounts returns to the Madonna Inn with a performance by Peaches and John Waters to mark the 50th anniversary and restoration of Waters’ cult classic, Pink Flamingos at the iconic Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo. related: Burger Boogaloo 2017: The Ballad of John and Iggy Janky Smooth is giving away two tickets to this historic and delightfully filth laden event which includes: April 7th performance by Peaches April 8th PINK FLAMINGO movie screening with John Waters and Mink Stole conducting live commentary and a Q&A April 8th Janky Smooth EXCLUSIVE meet and greet with the man himself, John Waters To purchase tickets now, visit Lethal Amounts To be entered to win, simply go to our page on Instagram and/or Facebook, like the post and tag a friend. That’s it. Winner will be announced Monday April 3rd at high noon. related: Sex Cells Divine Ball at El Rey- The Filthiest People Alive

FIDLAR at The Observatory is STILL a Vibe

Janky Smooth Central Command March 21, 2023

There is little more that’s as iconic in the last 10 years of the SoCal indie music scene than FIDLAR playing at The Observatory in Santa Ana. It brings back memories of the golden age of the now defunct label that shall not be mentioned- but it rhymes with “Zurger”. related: An Interview with Zac Carper from FIDLAR Ticket holders wasted no time filling up The Observatory for the opening acts. Fans flooded the pit, full of raw energy and not holding anything back for Reckling. The set came with fast, high energy that had the fans crowd surfing, singing along and of course, moshing. Reckling opened the night strong and set the bar high. Not to be outdone, Liily came out just as powerfully and kept that energy going, if not elevating it to the next level. From their catchy songs to the electric performance of frontman Dylan Nash and the nonstop, chaotic energy of bassist Charlie Anastasis, all combined to make for one hell of a show. The crowd was warmed up, stretched and sweaty for FIDLAR to come out and destroy and they did just that. FIDLAR came out firing on all cylinders with “ Wake

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

Drab Majesty- Dais 15 Year Anniversary at Belasco

DAIS Records Celebrates 15 Years Of Seminal Releases At The Belasco

Danny Baraz February 22, 2023

In the last 15 years, DAIS Records has had an output of quality music that should be the envy of any independent record label. From alumni such as Psychic TV, Cold Cave, Youth Code and Pink Turns Blue to current artists such as Drab Majesty, Adult., Choir Boy and Riki– DAIS records is a veritable cornucopia of post punk, experimental music and a great soundtrack to any Samhain celebration. On this night 2 of 2 of the anniversary celebration at The Belasco Theater in Downtown Los Angeles, it was the aforementioned list of current artists that headlined the night. I missed almost everyone else including Death Bells, which I hate but was overcome with dark, sad vibes that made me happy with what I did witness. We missed Night 1 of 2 at Zebulon that featured VR Sex, Tempers, Cold Showers and more. I missed a lot but we’ll fill you in on what we did see. related: DAIS Records 10 Year Anniversary Party: The Dark Fruits of Persistence Choir Boy- Honeysuckle sweetened notes wrung out of the body of Adam Klopp with each twist and ache; his muscles contracted and his stomach wrenched violently as glossolalia possessed the Choir

Resonant Sound Baths: Sunn O))) at the Lodge Room

Todd Anderson February 15, 2023

Having never heard SUNN O))) before, I had no idea what I was in for as I waited at the back door of the Lodge Room in Highland Park. I purposely didn’t look them up or listen to them. Sometimes I like going into a show totally blind and open to something new. And last night was something new, for sure. I’m either the worst person in the world to write about this, or the best. See, I thought I was going to see a metal show, a rock show, a show that fit into the box I had constructed that contains everything I thought I knew about a musical act. On stage the semi-circle of 10 stacks of amplifiers only spoke to it being loud but nothing else. Last night was a beautiful, profound, and absolute assault on the senses…. Almost spiritual in nature. When the first vibrations of deafening sound hit me I nearly panicked …I wanted to run, leave get out as quickly as I could … I closed my eyes and gave into the loudest droning guitars I had ever heard in my life It was an electronic exorcism performed by two cloaked figures wielding guitars

Detention With Danzig at The Montalban

Vanessa Burgundy February 14, 2023

Still seething with bliss from the uproarious decadence of Danzig Sings Elvis at the Hollywood Roosevelt on Devil’s Night 2021, we set our ticket alarm and grabbed 4th row for our second chance at seeing the dark King of Rock n Roll. Another historic Hollywood theater, The Montalban was an odd choice but we, and a sold out crowd, were there for it. Parking was a breeze next door and we stepped over the teenage, junkie living in the stairwell of the structure and headed down to the theater. The marquee was set with several, larger-than-life, close-up portraits of Danzig á la Elvis headshots that served as photo ops out front of the theater and in the lobby, as there were several reminders of no photography or recording inside the theater (more on this later…much, much, more). The crowd poured in, many excited first-timers, a mix of black-leather punks, leopard-print rockabillies, and even a few, tired, parents with their children. Let’s be honest, this was a predominantly over 40 crowd…which made it all that more confusing as to why we were treated as though we were in trouble at a high school assembly. Between the emails, signs, and repeated loud

Deafheaven at Lodge Room- A Perfect Marriage Of Time

Danny Ryan February 8, 2023

Deafheaven astonishingly achieved fitting their enormous, atmospheric sound into the intimate setting of The Lodge Room for 2 sold out nights, hosting different lineups and playing different setlists for each of them. As heavy metal further evolves with its experimentation and hardcore punk is currently seeing a revival in its popularity, artists that were early to adopt this innovative nature, like Deafheaven, are now seeing the respect that they deserve for breaking ground within these movements. With the environment of Night 2 shifting from their classic black metal influenced material to the shoegaze and emo sounds of their newest album Infinite Granite, Deafheaven showcased the importance for legendary bands within modern heavy music scenes, to continue to explore and evolve as these genres do alongside them. While Deafheaven is known for bringing a massive and theatrical presence to the audience with their live performances, Spiritual Cramp creates a completely different atmosphere with their upbeat, groovy sound that inspires pogo dancing in all directions within any room that they play. Spiritual Cramp is one of the most distinctively unique bands to come out of the punk genre in recent years, having the spirit of classic ‘77 punk rather than the hardcore

Janky Smooth Sessions: INVA//ID at Bar Sinister

Danny Baraz February 5, 2023

Goth, Industrial, EBM, Dark Wave, Post Punk, et al, born in the shadows, is having it’s moment in the sun- to the dismay of some of its denizens. But to Industrial acts like INVA//ID, the spotlight is deserved and somewhat welcome. After all, bands want people at their shows. On this Saturday night at Bar Sinister in Hollywood, there was no lack of patrons. Janky Smooth got a chance to speak with Christopher Rivera and and Krz Greenhaw of INVA//ID about their music, the state of the scene and the sounds and places that have influenced them. One of those influential places is Boardners/Bar Sinister and it’s constant presence in Los Angeles post punk and other scenes and genres cannot be understated. So it was fitting that this was the setting for both the show and our interview. Keep an eye out for the next single from INVA//ID dropping on Feb. 14th with the full length expected in July 2023. INVA//ID: Bandcamp Instagram Videographer: Chris Shaibi Video Editing and Words: Danny Baraz Photos: Jessica Moncrief

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

Desert Daze 2022: 10 Years In The Evolution Of A Music Scene

Danny Baraz November 8, 2022

Walking into Lake Perris Recreational Center took on new meanings this year after last year’s Desert Daze served to exorcize the ghosts of a global pandemic, to teach us that “Nothing that has happened so far has been anything we could control” and heal our mind, body and souls with drum soul-os. While 2021’s pared down Desert Daze was a cautious delight in a sea of dreck on earth, Desert Daze 2022 was a perfectly curated reckless abandon of people having sex in the lake again and breathing all over each other- in through the nose, out through the mouth. The headliners captured 10 years in the evolution of a music scene, the ascent of previously buzzworthy bands into icons celebrating a decade of seminal albums and a new wave of artists that might also one day celebrate the recently released albums they are currently touring on. For some people, Iggy Pop pulling out of the festival before he could impregnate us with music was a deal breaker but luckily, I received so much Iggy sperm the last 6 years that I was ready to bear my Beach House baby. related: Desert Daze 2021- Music, Magick and Medicine 2022 was