Tag: desert daze

Take This: Win Two Weekend Passes to Desert Daze 2017

Janky Smooth Central Command August 29, 2017

Janky Smooth is proud to announce our Desert Daze 2017 ticket giveaway for the 3rd year in a row. Have you already gotten tickets for our favorite annual festival in one of the most magickal and mysterious places in the world? Desert Daze returns to the Institute of Mentalphysics for it’s second year stationed in this location. Almost a year since the last DD, it rules supreme as the most meaningful interactive live music experience for all Janks that attended in 2016. related content: Desert Daze 2016- Quantifying the Physics of a Good Time The latest additions to the festival such as Iggy Pop, Ty Segall, Sleep performing the Holy Mountain album in it’s entirety and more have elevated the 2017 lineup to the 2016 roster of performers. One can only assume that the sense that you were at a party in the massive living room of your favorite friend that possesses immaculate taste will only be enhanced by the comfort the folks at Moonblock and Spaceland Presents now have with the Institute designed by Frank Lloyd

Ty Segall Saves The Smell at Teragram Ballroom

Desert Daze Finalize 2017 Lineup: Iggy Pop, Ty Segall, Sleep, & More

Janky Smooth Central Command August 1, 2017

You could have seen Iggy Pop this year at Punk Rock Bowling or Burger Boogaloo or FYF Fest but nothing will compare to the Street Walking Cheetah taking the stage amidst the dry, hot sheen of the California high desert at Desert Daze 2017. And he’s joined in this latest lineup addition by some other great artists too, Garage Rock’s golden boy Ty Segall and Trap Jazz bad boys Badbadnotgood, are now listed on this stellar new lineup poster. And check out the art on that thing, Desert Daze seems to be harkening back the Native American cultures that may have roamed those deserts hundreds of years ago. Makes sense seeing how Iggy Pop is all our spirit animal. Oh, did I mention that Sleep will be playing Holy Mountain in it’s entirety? Yeah. Related Content: Desert Daze 2016: Quantifying The Physics Of A Good Time related content: Ascending The Holy Mountain- Sleep at The Fonda Theater Ty Segall is already scheduled to perform with his incredible side project called GØGGS and we don’t begrudge him his double dip in the least. related content: GØGGS Is Damn Good Gravy On The Ty Segall Catalog Tickets for Desert Daze 2017 can

Desert Daze Takes It’s Caravan On The Road

Danny Baraz March 15, 2017

Here we are, almost 6 months after the Desert Daze festival took place at The Institute of Mentalphysics in Joshua Tree and we still can’t stop thinking about it. It’s the type of experience that AEG exits are made of. A festival that is rich with so many memories of once in a lifetime sets and lifelong friendships that began that weekend are burned in our brains forever. related content: Desert Daze 2016- Quantifying the Physics of a Good Time The folks at Moonblock are not your stereotypical musicians and artists. You know, the ones from paradigms past that lived off their stripper girl friends and never had a job. No, they are part of this new, global artist community renaissance that is characterized by entrepreneurship and hustle. They fill the vacuum left in the ruins of the major record labels with a balance of bands, indie record labels and booking agencies like Phil and Julie Pirrone have with Desert Daze, The Space Agency and their respective bands, JJUUJJUU and Deap Vally. They are filled with family. It’s in this vein that the Pirrone’s put together the Desert Daze Caravan that has been touring since February and are currently stopped in

Bonnie and Larry of Death Valley Girls by Josh Allen

Death Valley Girls in a Desert Daze Disneyland- Janky Smooth Sessions

Danny Baraz October 25, 2016

Death Valley Girls front woman, Bonnie Bloomgarden aka Bonz Doomgarden is no stranger to the unexplained mysteries of what lay just beyond the logic of the material world. Death Valley Girls axe man, Larry Schemel stands guard at the gates of sanity to guide his friend and artistic collaborator through the challenges of channeling other dimensions and both friendly and diabolical deities that look to walk through the doorway of this domain. Does that sound hyperbolic? Have you met Bonnie? Larry and Bonnie joined Janky Smooth Sessions and Danny Baraz at Desert Daze 2016 to discuss the magick of the festival and the significance of ending their nationwide tour supporting their impressive sophmore LP, Glow in the Dark at what so many that attended the fest agree is one of the most significant festival experiences of their lives. Alien abductions, fan sing alongs, corporatism, Desert Daze founder, Phil Pirrone vs Disneyland founder Walt Disney and attempting to quantify the magick that surrounded Desert Daze under the blood red, hunters super moon that enveloped the Institute of Mentalphysics in Joshua Tree California. Read more about Death Valley Girls: Buzz Bait: Bonnie of Death Valley Girls on Music, Magic and Metaphysics Death

Watch Primus Perform Jerry Was a Race Car Driver at Desert Daze 2016

Danny Baraz October 24, 2016

Primus. Love em or hate em, if you are over 30 years old then you already know. If you are under 30 then you probably associate Primus with South Park or Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver. On Saturday night at Desert Daze 2016, Les, Tim and Larry convened on a stage, in a patch of dirt, on a piece of land called the Institute of Mentalphysics in Joshua Tree for the first time in 8 months. Word on the street was that they hadn’t even rehearsed or played together in that entire time and if you aren’t very familiar with Primus and their arrangements, that might not be that remarkable. But if you understand what Les Claypool does on a bass guitar, then you’ll know that Larry LaLonde might’ve been the only guitarist that could’ve possibly been the lead guitar in a band like Primus. But not rehearsing those songs before a music festival that is representative of a young scene seems like an ill advised decision that Primus more than rose to the occasion of. Given that most of my friends and associates in this music scene are somewhere in the early 20’s, there were many who were on the fence

Desert Daze 2016: Quantifying the Physics Of A Good Time

Paige Vreede October 19, 2016

It has been a common sentiment amongst those that I’ve questioned about their time at Desert Daze 2016, that it was the most meaningful festival experience they’ve ever had. Same question. Same answer. Young, old, audiophiles, casual music fans, frequent festival attendees and those that loathe the format. Almost every person I spoke to this weekend gave me a variation of the same answer to my question- “Desert Daze 2016 is the best festival I’ve ever been to. And no, I can’t quite explain what it is or what makes me feel that way.” But given that I’m a writer and my actual purpose here is to attempt to take a photograph of this festival with my words, I will make an attempt to do so. My fear is that attempting to quantify the sentiments could steal some of it’s magic, almost like the Native American belief that if someone takes a photograph of you, it steals a piece of your soul. How would you describe the onset of love or a faith in G-d or religious ideology- It just is. And if you’re saying to yourself that is a bit over the top or hyperbolic, you’re right.. To describe the how or the why,

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard on Moshcam

Watch King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard LIVE on Moshcam From Sydney

Janky Smooth Central Command October 6, 2016

As a part of the buildup to Desert Daze 2016, we wanted to share a link to King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s performance caught by Moshcam from last night in Sydney Australia. It’s impossible to say which one band we’re most excited to see at Desert Daze but King Gizzard is DEFINITELY one of them. Take This: 2 three day passes to Desert Daze 2016 Desert Daze 2015: Festival for 21st century Their shredding riffery and tonal tugging, ear bugging, flim flamming, joint jamming rock and roll tributing trickery is just what the doctor ordered to tease away the time between now and Desert Daze. Enjoy!

Take This: Two 3 Day Passes to Desert Daze Festival 2016

Janky Smooth Central Command September 26, 2016

Have you already gotten tickets for the most anticipated festival of 2016? Desert Daze has booked what looks to be the best festival lineup of the year and moved the event to a virgin location- The Institute of Mentalphysics in Joshua Tree. Desert Daze And Deap Vally Interview for Janky Smooth Sessions The sudden loss of Suicide’s, Alan Vega was not just a big hit to the delicate balance of a festival lineup but it was a HUGE loss to the music community at large and to those that loved him. While it seems a bit petty to discuss the death of a human in terms of the effect it had on a music festival, Suicide might’ve been the single most buzzed about band performing at Desert Daze 2016. Desert Daze rose to the immense challenge of filling the massive and gaping hole that was left in the wake of the death of Alan Vega by adding King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, METZ and Godspeed You! Black Emperor to the already stacked lineup that features: Primus, Television, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Thee Oh Sees, Washed Out, Toro y Moi, Deerhunter, Foxygen, The Black Angels playing Passover in it’s entirety.

Temples Mad Alchemy Backdrop in London by Tyler Loring

Mad Alchemy Drip Liquid Light Shows Live: Interview w/ Lance Gordon

Janky Smooth Central Command August 29, 2016

The art of liquid lights is continuing to drip onto stages across the globe and is being revitalized by one of its original visionaries. The iconic displays originated during the heyday of San Francisco 60’s counterculture, and utilize various dyes and oils that are swirled between glass plates. Using an overhead projector, the liquids are then beamed onto screens behind live musicians, creating a hypnotizing multi-sensory wonderland. Unlike material relics of retro-mania, this art form offers an immersive and interactive experience that coexists with modern melted sounds and invites the audience to become a part of the canvas. One notable artist currently operating is Lance Gordon, aka Mad Alchemy. After becoming active during the original emergence of light shows, he has found new inspiration performing with acts such as King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Real Estate, Toy, Radio Moscow and Temples. The living art is inspired by stained glass windows as much as Jackson Pollock paintings, and has become a point of attraction for festivals and interesting venues. The Mad Alchemist discovered the art in the early 70’s through a former member of prominent Bay Area projecting crew The Brotherhood of Light, and went on to cut his teeth

Desert Daze 2016 Announces Lineup And New Location

Rob Shepyer May 25, 2016

Desert Daze is back and bigger than ever in its fifth year. This groovy happening has moved to the Institute of Mentalphysics in Joshua Tree for three days and nights of music in the hallucinatory high desert and what better music to hear in that dry, barren landscape than exactly what this lineup offers. Proto punk, avant garde legends Suicide will perform for their first West Coast show in over a decade and one can only imagine how perfectly their electronic hum will marry the desert night’s vibration. Other acts include the Brian Jonestown Massacre, garage rock veterans The Sonics, Deerhunter, The Black Angels performing their album Passover, Thee Oh Sees, Deafheaven, and many more and this is just the first wave of announcements. Phase two of the lineup will be announced in June. Desert Daze will feature three outdoor stages for bands, an indoor stage for alternative programming, vendors, bars, food trucks and more. Tickets for Desert Daze go on sale this Friday 5/27, capacity is limited so scoop your tickets up while you can. Attendees will be able to stay in onsite cottages designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, standard camping and RV packages are also available. Check out

L.A. Hustle at SXSW 2016: Bands, Labels, Promoters & Publications

Danny Baraz March 23, 2016

Artists, agents, publicists and partiers come from far and wide to take part in one of the largest music and networking events in the world. Fans attending SXSW in Austin ,Texas view it as a diverse display of music in which they can recreationally party and enjoy bands they love and bands they discover throughout the week long musical portion of the conference. The aforementioned groups of art producers and opportunists view the conference much differently than the fans or even the way they themselves typically view playing a regular show or festival. With a somewhat intimate knowledge of the bands in Southern California and their proxies, it was fascinating to watch it all unfold in front of me. From Burger Records to Lolipop Records, iHeartcomix to Desert Daze, the Los Angeles and greater Southern California area musicians and business’ were very well represented at SXSW 2016. Janky Smooth was proud to see the members of our scene thriving in such a competitive environment and of course, to make our own stamp on the events surrounding the conference in our very first SXSW experience as a publication. On the band side, there were L.A. bands like one of our low

Desert Daze Video Recap- Dazed in the Daylight/Evening Shade

Danny Baraz June 4, 2015

Janky Smooth presents a video collage from the Desert Daze Festival this past May. This two part series let’s the music and imagery speak for itself. Shot and edited by Travis Moore. Part 1, Dazed in the Daylight features the music of Kim and the Created and beautifully captures the sights and sounds of the day time hours of Desert Daze in the unrelenting Desert sun. Along with KATC, Part 1 features footage of White Lung, Plague Vendor, Wyatt Blair and Feels. Part 2, Evening Shade features the music of DIIV and captures the relief and freedom from the punishing solar onslaught of the cruel desert daylight. Along with DIIV, Travis captured footage of Warpaint, Deap Vally, Chelsea Wolfe and Mr Elevator and the Brain Hotel. Check out our complete review of Desert Daze 2015 Desert Daze 2015: Festival for the 21st Century Check out our intimate interview with the founders of Desert Daze/Moon Block and the founders of the bands Deap Vally and JJUUJJUU Janky Smooth Sessions: Deap Vally and Moon Block Family Photo gallery shot by Taylor Wong