Tag: featured
Echo and the Bunnymen Mesmerize Suburbia at The Observatory
Jessica Moncrief
October 3, 2016
September 30, 2016 not only marked a rare black moon, but a “Killing Moon” as well for the fans that had the honor to see new romantic icons Echo and the Bunnymen grace the stage that evening at The Observatory in Orange County. From my experience, sometimes seeing older bands that you love ends up leaving you feeling burned, disillusioned and wishing that you still maintained the unblemished vision of what you imagined them to be in their prime. I wanted to know what I was in for, so the weeks leading up to the show I found myself browsing YouTube for Echo and The Bunnymen concerts, new and old. With each video … starting from early 80s to present day, there may have been changes in line-ups and set lists but one thing that has remained a constant over the decades is the solid musicianship and mind blowing performances. By the day of the show, my anticipation was at its peak and I was fully ready to mark another one of the greats off my bucket list. Ian McCulloch made his way to the front of the stage with his shades and impeccable fashion. His sultry presence commanded all
Read More
Low End Theory: 10 Years of Music At The Airliner Bar In L.A.
Danny Baraz
September 30, 2016
Driving up the 110 freeway past Dodger Stadium, my friend Liz turns the music down for a minute and asks, “Exactly where is Lincoln Heights?” It seemed odd to me that she didn’t know but I guess not everyone in LA. has partied at The Poor Kids Mansion for their legendary back yard punk rock/thrash metal parties. Most L.A. folks haven’t driven up Broadway on a Wednesday night to hit up the Low End Theory at it’s home at The Airliner bar and that’s how I like it. Lame free Lincoln Heights is in a part of Los Angeles that has only just begun to feel the effects of gentrification even as I begin to realize that 10 years from now, Lincoln Heights might be virtually unrecognizable. Like the face of a little old lady in Beverly Hills, you can always tell on the first glance that this ain’t the original coat of paint. In the last 10 years, Low End Theory not only restored the former glory of the beatmakers and b-boys in L.A., but it saved the starving children around the world from the lack of nutritional value in EDM. related: Low End Theory Festival Wobbles the Shrine Auditorium
Read More
How Riot Fest Chicago 2016 Survived The Misfits Subpar Performance
Danny Baraz
September 28, 2016
I’ve been to A LOT of music festivals this year and last. Truth is, I’m getting kind of burned on them. I almost always end up having a great time but the enthusiasm I used to feel the weeks building up to them is almost gone. I wasn’t planning on attending Riot Fest again this year but once it was announced that The Misfits would be reuniting at the festival along with Dave Mother fucking Lombardo on drums, I knew I COULDN’T miss it. The Misfits are my favorite band of all time and if this festival set affects me anything like Doyle joining the Danzig Legacy Tour a few years back, then I was sure to find the perfect combination of tears of joy and the blood of strangers soaking my clothes. I died a little on the inside seeing some of the footy of The Misfits from the Denver stop of Riot Fest 2016. Not entirely because I missed their first show back but that was definitely a factor. I’m not sure if knowing what to expect from the stage props, the set list and the performance was a good or a bad thing. This year’s Riot Fest
Read More
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.
Read More
The Misfits at Riot Fest Chicago 2016: Bats In The Press Tent
Danny Baraz
September 21, 2016
Moments before Danzig, Doyle, Jerry and Lombardo (as well as Acey Slade, ex Murderdolls axe man on 2nd guitar) took the Riot Stage at Riot Fest Chicago as The (original) Misfits, I looked up to witness a single bat flipping and fluttering around the press area of Douglas Park. In hindsight, I cannot recall seeing any bats anywhere at the park on Saturday, the day before. I cannot recall seeing any bats on Friday. And even though it’s been a year, I cannot recall seeing any bats during Riot Fest 2015. Was this bat Glenn Danzig conducting reconnaissance in his ultimate form, taking the temperature of a group of people he has shunned and resented more than any other? Or was it simply one of the many minions of the Satanic Elvis? I thought I heard the bat giggling at us but I could be wrong. I can’t be sure of anything after all the hype and hoopla leading up to what I expected to be the most momentous concert experience of my life. Those same damn expectations that made the moment fall flatter than the one thing that had to be perfect; Glenn Danzig’s vocals. related content: Janky Smooth
Read More
Subhumans At The Observatory: Old Songs, New Decade, Same Problems
Jessica Moncrief
September 20, 2016
If you think punk’s dead, then you don’t know Dick! From Wiltshire pubs in 1980 to present day Southern California clubs, Subhumans have been consistent with inciting anarchy and pushing their non-conformist ideals for over 36 years. Friday night’s packed Subhumans show at The Observatory was a great representation of this, with a multi generational crowd ranging from 2 to 70 years of age. Seeing the varying age groups really put the Subhuman’s history into perspective. The elders of the punk scene seemed to be rehashing teenage nostalgia while newcomers simultaneously were experiencing this punk rock rite of passage for the first time. Subhumans were also joined by Kicker and Raukuous on this tour. related content: OG’s, Toddlers and Whiskey for The Weirdos and Adolescents With all the perils of the world and an exceptionally ridiculous election season, so many feel like the world is more fucked now than it ever has been. Truth is, it’s always been fucked! As Dick Lucas segways his songs through short political rants covering everything from wage inequality, animal rights, racism, and of course the evil two party system governing America, I couldn’t help but think how his shows were probably very much the
Read More
The Rally To Save The Smell And The Horrid History of DIY Venues in L.A.
Danny Baraz
September 15, 2016
This past Saturday night Ty Segall headlined a sold out benefit show at The Teragram Ballroom. Save the Smell was organized by the two 19 year old musical entrepreneurs of Penniback Records. Penniback represents the 3rd wave of scene kids that have had their DIY awakening at The Smell and with the help of Julian Montano and Luis Ho and so many others, it MIGHT just ensure that the legend of the humble but vital venue continue to be written. But even with the outpouring of support that recently extended an extra year for The Smell community to save itself from being demolished, the ambitious strategy to do so is to raise $1.4 million to buy a permanent home somewhere in a close proximity to it’s current iconic Main Street location. Some scoff, some scowl, some cry foul but The Smell has such few haters for a DIY venue of it’s kind. The kind that always seems to spawn legions of outsiders that feel scorned or slighted. Because those folks are so few and far between, maybe that can explain why the Smell is in the midst of an unprecedented run. If history has taught us anything it’s that DIY
Read More
Pussy Bang Bang Grindhouse Burlesque Show Grinds On Harvelle’s Long Beach
Jessica Moncrief
September 8, 2016
The first night of a 3 part residency at Harvelle’s in Long Beach went off with a BANG! A Pussy Bang Bang that is! The Pussy Bang Bang Grindhouse Burlesque Show is the brainchild of performer/model/actress/producer Olivia Bellafontaine. She has incorporated cult classic grindhouse movies, punk rock, sin and beautiful women to create a tantalizing and visually stimulating experience. Each sexy act throughout the night was inspired by movies such as Planet Terror, Death Proof, Jackie Brown and more. Clips from classic and more recent grindhouse films were projected on screen in the background while the performers danced to The Misfits, The Stooges and other bad ass punk bands. One stand out performance was “nunsploitation” inspired, where the performer brilliantly executes the story of a nun who succumbs to the temptations of sin. During a brief intermission, audience members were blown away by a guest appearance by Heather Henderson, as she belted out a stellar rendition of “96 Tears” by Question Mark and the Mysterians. And then it was back to the gyrations, gesticulations and anatomical manipulations. I wouldn’t call this feminism but then again, it seemed quite empowering for the women on the stage. Harvelle’s is a speakeasy style
Read More
FYF 2016: Everything You Never Wanted to Know And More
Danny Baraz
August 31, 2016
If art imitates life then isn’t a local music or art scene the most accurate reflection of life in that city? The sound of the music and the meaning of the lyrics, the images created by the brush and the musings, whether etched in pencil or poked in on a keyboard, all are inspired by an artists’ surroundings- and the crowd that supports it represents that the artist has connected with the collective experience; something true and authentic. And if you can accept that premise then you can also accept that Sean Carlson’s once fledgling music festival, Fuck Yeah Fest, continues to represent and imitate life in Los Angeles. FYF 2016 has gone from the twinkle in the eye of a dreamer to the crown jewel of Goldenvoice in Los Angeles. Wait, what’s that you say? You hate festivals? Oh, you hate on Los Angeles too? How original. I understand you spent those 6 months living in Chatsworth and Ubering to auditions and that spending all your time around low level industry wannabes has skewed your perception of the landscape and the denizens of my city. People often project all their shortcomings, failures and low self esteem onto the city
Read More
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
Read More
Summer Happenings at The Broad: The Perfect Excuse To Hit The Museum
Danny Baraz
August 26, 2016
Last week, I got an email from a publicist named Jonathan who invited Janky Smooth to come cover the third installment of Non Object(ive), Summer Happenings event at The Broad Museum in Downtown Los Angeles. I became pretty excited. Not because of the lineup of DJ’s and performers that were scheduled to perform such as Vampire Weekend’s, Rostam or Sparkle Division but because I have yet to experience The Broad Museum since it opened in September 2015. Yes, begin your culture shaming now. It’s not as if you need media credentials to view The Broad’s permanent collection of postwar and contemporary art but you do need to make reservations that are backed up by 2 months and also, pay extra to view the Cindy Sherman exhibit, attend the Summer Happenings show and have access to all areas of the museum. So covering some music I only had a mild interest in wasn’t a big price to pay to walk all areas of The Broad. Last month, Summer Happenings featured a reading by Richard Hell and a dark wave DJ set by Sky Ferreira so I was more than a bit interested to see the scene that was developing amongst the
Read More
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Releasing 12 Solo Albums in 6 Months. For real.
Brent Smith
August 23, 2016
With a stoic stare through horn-rimmed wayfarers, framed with a short mane of dark, wild hair, sporting a button-down against a beaten brick wall on some street, Omar Rodríquez-López invokes Bob Dylan’s iconic 1966 visage—the most elusive and most possessed of Dylan personalities. López’s output is just as inexhaustible too; no doubt inspired. Never mind his work with Mars Volta or At the Drive-In, his solo work in the last decade is enough to make the likes of Ty Segall shake in his boots (mind the age gap), and apparently he’s nowhere near finished. His latest solo effort upholds the current indie dictum: be prolific or die. In an unprecedented move to release twelve (that’s 12) albums from now until the end of the year—one every two weeks—López, in collusion with Ipecac Recordings, looks to bombard us with his pure, unadulterated schizophrenia. Three of the twelve LP’s are already out (and streaming on Spotify, you broke motherfuckers), with the release of the fourth just days away. They very much speak to his forays in acid jazz, space rock, poetic-spitting vocals, and sentimental pop soundscapes. Sworn Virgins is experimental without being hardcore. It has a postpunk sheen, darkly textured with effects,
Read More