Tag: featured

Photo Recap: Bob Mould at Teragram Ballroom

Photos by: Albert Licano One of the innovators of American underground music, whether in alternative or hardcore circles, is Bob Mould. He recently brought his brand of beautiful noise to the Teragram Ballroom and his band jammed out hard, with a set consisting of songs from his 2020 album, Blue Hearts and his most recently released compilation, Distortion. Sprinkle in a few Husker Du classics and you have the kind of punk show that dreams are made of. Opening for Bob’s band was Moaning, an LA alternative trio off Subpop. These new school cats have kept the torch passed down to them blazing bright. Here are some awesome photos from the show: Bob Mould Moaning  

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Fuzz Play Charity Event shot by Johnny Ramos

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Fuzz at Teragram Ballroom on 10/10

Ty Segall’s most metal, sludgy, stonery band, Fuzz is take the Teragram by storm in this latest residency and we’re giving away two tickets to see this power trio dominate on 10/10. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE or ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO FUZZ OCTOBER 10TH AT THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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 FUZZ Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON OCTOBER 8TH AT 1PM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

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Late Night Brekkie: Japanese Breakfast at the Regent

Words and Photos by: Dave Unbuckled When Michelle Zauner took stage Saturday night at the first Japanese Breakfast show in LA since the pandemic, the frenzied crowd hurled applause that rivaled any audience I can remember at the Regent Theater. Moments later, as she hit a gong to bring in “Paprika”, the opening track from Japanese Breakfast’s new album Jubilee, the lights fluttered blue & pink and I am CERTAIN that her applause was LOUDER than any show ever held at the Regent. This was my first real indoor show since March 2020, and ironically, covering Japanese Breakfast in Holyoke, Massachusetts, was supposed to be my next assignment when the world turned off. Zauner, better known to her fans as J. brekkie, entangled the audience in an 18-song career-spanning set that featured nearly all of the tracks from Jubilee, as well as set highlights, “The Woman who Loves You”, “Heft” and “Roadhead”. It was no surprise as I watched the dominantly multi-racial crowd lock into first time LA performances of “Savage Good Boy,” “Slide Tackle” and “Be Sweet”. Jubilee is getting praise from all angles, and each of Zauner’s songs seem crafted in their own unique way. Zauner exudes joy

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Anti-Flag

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Anti-Flag at Lodge Room

It has never been more necessary to say “fuck the government” and coming to the rescue to host a sing along of those three immortal words is anarchist punk legends Anti-Flag. We’re giving away two tickets to this rare intimate appearance at the Lodge Room and we want you in on the fun. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE or ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO ANTI-FLAG OCTOBER 7TH AT THE LODGE ROOM 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 ANTI-FLAG Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON OCTOBER 6TH AT 1PM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION    

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Dream Jams: Arooj Aftab at Lodge Room

I don’t know what first compelled me to attend Arooj Aftab‘s show. I had no idea how her music sounded, I just knew I would like it somehow. It must’ve been some urge to be unique, to prove to myself my taste wasn’t basic. I always loved “world music”, whether it was old world or new but when you think about it, that genre-classification is rather reductive and othering of whole slews of artists that don’t fall under the umbrella of western music. Is the west not a part of the world? I can say though, I’m becoming a fan of Pakisani musicians because there seems to be a trend happening right now, not just with Arooj Aftab’s more classical approach but also bands like Aurat who I saw opening for King Woman at the Lodge Room in August. related content: Morning Stars Over Lodge Room: King Woman’s “Celestial Blues” Release Party There was some dreamy quality to the evening, even before the music started, the streets in Highland Park were empty and many of the most popular shops were closed. Usually, when I go to the Lodge Room, all these places are bumping with music and chatter. The Lodge

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Take This: Win Two Tickets to Bob Mould at Teragram

Alternative rock and hardcore legend Bob Mould of the one and only Husker Du returns to Los Angeles to perform songs off his 2020 album, Blue Hearts! and his most recent release, Distortion. Mould is not staying quiet and has plenty left to say as an elder-statesman of punk. This is a must see show for all the real ones out there so we’re giving away two tickets hoping you can win them and become a real one too. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE or ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO BOB MOULD OCTOBER 2ND AT THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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 BOB MOULD Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON OCTOBER 1ST AT 1PM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

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The Sound of Summer, the Fury of Fall: Fiddlehead at 1720

It’s been two years since the last Sound and Fury festival and without it, the Los Angeles hardcore scene lost its vital summer summit. The scene is still alive and strong but without Sound and Fury, it seems to be less alive, less self-aware. LAHC’s growth was stunted in a sense but now with the first Sound and Fury show since 2019 happening at 1720, the scene picked up right where it left off, with bands like Fiddlehead and Spiritual Cramp killing it as if we didn’t just lose two years of our youth. Sound and Fury was always the perfect encapsulation of youth culture and music. It illustrated the peak of summer–the sun’s heat against the downtown concrete–youthful style combinations of shorts, tattoos and band tees–easily healed bodies being destroyed in the pit only to stride out and rejoin the party as if nothing happened. So, with all these things missing for two years, it was only right that Sound and Fury returned with the catharsis of melodic post-hardcore. related content: Boston Calling: Sound And Fury 2019 I entered the building as Object of Affection was wrapping up but the tail end of their set I witnessed was riveting

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Japanese breakfast

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Japanese Breakfast at The Regent on 10/2

One of the biggest underground sensations in all modern music is Japanese Breakfast. Michaell Zauner’s music is autobiographical, touching, and beautiful. And mostly everyone seems to agree and finds something to connect with. We got two tickets from our underground connection for the first of her two night stint at the Regent on October 2nd. And we are going to give them away because we want others to party just as hard as we do. THIS SHOW IS SOLD OUT ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO JAPANESE BREAKFAST OCTOBER 2nD 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 JAPANESE BREAKFAST Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON OCTOBER 1ST AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

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Overdose on Dance: Kelly Lee Owens at Lodge Room

Words by: Rebecca Cuellar Photos by: Manuel Arredondo Listening to Kelly Lee Owens on record, I put her in this box of minimalist, electronica that borders on ambient. Yet, I got this vague sense that I was only hearing half the picture, that there’s much more to KLO I could only know seeing her perform. This turned out to be true because in-concert, her music tickles every serotonin receptor in your brain to send all that joy juice shooting into every limb so you can dance with complete abandon. This is exactly the phenomenon I witnessed and took part in during her first of two sold out shows at the Lodge Room. The night hosted two ambient openers to center everyone and tranquilize them enough that their third eyes could voluntarily blossom, instead of pry, open. The first of these artists was Olive Kimoto, a genius who’s neon hair complements the vibrant life inside her heavenly vocals and music. The tones she summoned from the direct connection she fosters between heart and voice held within them a deep emotional range that spoke to the audience in various vague hints of love, passion, joy and reverie. This coupled with the trippiest

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Mdou Moctar

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Mdou Moctar at Lodge Room 10/2

One of the most anticipated shows of the year is gonna go off without a hitch, a lot of other artists are having trouble getting into the Stares from abroad right now but Mdou Moctar is on his merry way. We have two pairs of tickets to giveaway for his first night of two at the Lodge Room and this is probably your only chance to get in since they’re both sold out twice over. THIS SHOW IS SOLD OUT ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO MDOU MOCTAR OCTOBER 2ND AT LODGE ROOM 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 MDOU MOCTAR Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON OCTOBER 1ST AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION    

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John Waters

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Halloween Meltdown

From the ashes of one of NorCal’s greatest festival’s comes the spookiest two days of music Oakland has ever known: Halloween Metldown. John Waters to returns to his old stomping ground of Mosswood Park and he’s bringing his familiar compadres The Mummies with him. That’s not all though, just the fact you can see The Gories and OSees at this fest should be enough to get your ass to Oakland. As always, we are devoted to Total Trash productions, so Janky Smooth will be present and hopefully so will you because we’re giving away two tickets to the festival. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR: ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO HALLOWEEN MELTDOWN OCTOBER 16-17 AT MOSSWOOD PARK, OAKLAND 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 HALLOWEEN MELTDOWN Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON OCTOBER 8TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION  

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Love in the Time of Covid: Baltra at Don Quixote

It seems like nothing can stop humanity’s innate compulsion to connect, to converge, to coalesce.  Nothing has solidified this to me more than those of us that did so the Friday night of August 6th 2021 at Don Quixote to do the Delta variant dance for Minty Boi’s presentation of Baltra. The masked, unmasked, vaxxed and un-vaxxed came together as one writhing, collective consciousness in the midst of the polarization found on any platform that sends and/or receives a signal.  This “new normal” gives people watching an entire pre-programmed context that has taken on new dimensions since the global pandemic began.    One thing was clear the moment I walked into the missionary-esque celebration hall known as Don Quixote while Miley Serious were throwing down her set: People were ready to de-program, de-contextualize and connect with others or even better still, with themselves.  With the lockdown of live, non-streaming music looming on the horizon once again, people hurled themselves onto the dance floor with reckless abandon- and at each other. French DJ and 99cts Records label owner, Miley Serious threw down a high energy, set of electro-magnetic music that moved the collective.  Breakdowns were aplenty and beat drops were always

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