Tag: psychedelic

Melody's Echo Chamber at The Lodge Room by Grace Dunn

Melody’s Echo Chamber at The Lodge Room: Dancing On A Psychedelic Planet

Rob Shepyer May 11, 2023

Melody Prochet and her solo project as Melody’s Echo Chamber have always been a much revered group in the world of psych rock since their inception. Able to fuse together so many of vintage rock’s most powerful musical signatures; from disco-dancing to space rock zero-g guitars, the band can just as easily fill an audience with stoner haze, Fleetwood Mac feels or mindblowing bombast at the snap of Melody’s fingers. It wasn’t just the proposition of having your brain melted that mesmerized Los Angeles into selling out three Melody’s Echo Chamber shows at the Lodge Room, these performances were symbolic of much more to the artist herself. related: Desert Daze 2022- 10 Years In the Evolution of a Music Scene If you want to make a comeback, Los Angeles is the best place to make an impact and the Lodge Room is the best venue to ensure sanctuary, spirit and an endless feedback loop of mana between artist and witnesses. Supporting her 2022 album Unfold, Melody’s Echo Chamber was back doing what she does best, and with tears in her eyes and sonic keys of euphoria in her voice, Melody unlocked the minds of every sparkling-rainbow soul inside the Lodge

Kevin Parker at Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Tame Impala: Tie Dye in the Sky at Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Danny Baraz August 8, 2015

There was tie-dye in the sky Thursday night in Los Angeles. Fluffy clusters of clouds blanketed the sky overhead and in the west, off in the distance, The fire of sunset in the clouds over the Pacific Ocean was the perfect backdrop, as I made my way over to Hollywood Forever Cemetery to see Tame Impala play the first night amongst the dead. I was a bit nervous. Tame Impala has been one of my favorite bands for the better part of a decade but my love for the band has been put to the test with the release of their latest LP, Currents. The over produced album under delivered on the epic and anthemic arrangements I have come to love and expect. While I love the risks that were taken, I’m not in love with the final product. How would these new songs play live and how many songs I love will be bumped from the set list? The power of the perfect setting for a concert cannot be overstated. As we walked down the main path of the cemetery, we were surrounded by the concrete and asphalt tombs of Hollywood royalty, such as Valentino, Mickey Rooney and Cecil

Jacco Gardner at The Echo shot by Julien Kelly

Jacco Gardner at The Echo: Psychedelic Scientist

Lawrence Rengert July 3, 2015

I remember the first time I saw the band Sleep play in San Francisco. There they were in all their glory, long before the 2nd, 3rd or even 4th wave of psychedelic, heavy or stoner rock got a foot hold. What was amazing about them is I kept wanting to say “wow this band is just like Black Sabbath,” but then correcting myself I realized, “no this band IS Black Sabbath.” From their Green Amps made for Sleep (just like the Orange Amps made for Black Sabbath) every aspect of their music, appearance and presentation screamed Sabbath and they did not disappoint. In the exact same way, the first time someone put on the music video for ‘Clear the Air’, the first single by Jacco Gardner on Excelsior-Recordings, I was convinced it was the second coming of Pink Floyd. Not just as an influence, but as a reincarnation; conjured into existence from the UFO Club in London, 1966. In fact, Jacco Gardner looks a tiny bit like a smaller, younger and more attractive Roger Waters. From his spectacular colored light show to the Farfisa-esque harpsichord via modern day Korg synthesizer, Jacco takes you directly back to the earliest days of the

New Album Review: Jacco Gardner- Hypnophobia

Brent Smith June 30, 2015

I could talk about the baroque baroqueness of the Jacco Gardner electro-prog aesthetic. I could talk about how his sound puts you in Kubrick’s psychedelic record store scene from A Clockwork Orange. I could talk about how his near-prodigious use of retro, ornate, and esoteric instruments like Wurlitzer electric/Steinway upright pianos, harpsichords, Optigans, and Mellotrons would send anyone over 60 into a kaleidoscope time-warp back to the ‘Me Decade’ that flaunted things like paisley shirts, shag cuts, hip-huggers, mood rings, and bunk weed. Sure, I could talk about all that 10-Reasons-Why-Some-Particular-Decade-Is-Back drivel you read on popular sites, but truth be told, the Jacco Gardner sound is his own, and his time is now. His new LP Hypnophobia out on Polyvinyl Records is more than just a cool word about fear of sleeping. It’s a trip with anesthetic effect. I don’t mean anesthetic like physical numbing, I mean like what anesthesia does to the mind—puts you into a tripped-out state between waking and sleeping. Its 10-track reverie doesn’t veer off on tangents. Your mind may wander, but the sound stays true to its whimsical between-space. Don’t confuse that with the recent sleep paralysis horror that’s spreading across the internet. The first track

California Surf Rock Summer Night: Corners,The Abigails & The Pesos

Janky Smooth Central Command June 24, 2015

There is a distinct sound to Southern California’s Beach Goth/Surf Rock scene that you will not find or hear as authentically anywhere else but here and especially in the Constellation Room at the Observatory in Orange County. Nothing can quite compare to the strung out guitar strokes that resemble and embody the sounds of our ocean waves. Yan Pessino, the lead singer of The Pesos, indoctrinated us into this show with his haunting vocals. Intoning, “hola, hola, mi amora, hey, hey my, my sweet desire”. He set the mood through melody. The tune, “Hey, hey” romanticized & roused the crowd to dance & sway to the rhythm of this seaside ballad. The Pesos continued their sweet sounding set with the song, “Cumdown”, glamorizing a youthful yet blue drug induced lifestyle. The girls held hands & twirled their long beachy waves & high waisted shorts and boys nodded in their shaggy surfer cuts & band tees. Popping open a few blue ribbons was a successful way to transition to The Abigails. Alcohol might actually be the perfect metaphor for this band. Warren Thomas was stoked as he began the bands set by telling us “I want to fucking party with you, that’s what

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

Corners Homecoming at The Echoplex

JustinThomas May 15, 2015

“Where are we captain”, Corners bassist, Bill Changer, asked last night to an all aged audience. The answer was obvious; we were in Echo Park congregated to see Corners homecoming show after a lengthy tour consisting of 80 shows spanning from California to Lithuania. A tip of the hat goes off to Crap Eyewear and What Youth for putting together a rad line up of bands. Each of which complimented each other quite nicely, and the crowd, which unsurprisingly dressed in mostly black, was extremely receptive and got increasingly looser as the rainy night persisted. I stumbled into The Echoplex in somewhat tardy fashion around 9 PM (I blame Southern California’s tendency to suck ass at driving in the rain) just in time to see popwave rockers, Popheart. The appropriately named four-piece, Popheart, played a nice blend of; you guessed it, pop. The four-piece performed their poppy ballads with an eerie hint of Joy Division-esque darkness. Their groovy sound warmed up the rain-drenched crowd nicely. Next up was Tropical Popsicle, who in my humble opinion wins the award for dopest band name. The four-piece, lead by Timothy Hines, are fresh off a two year hiatus, and I for one, am stoked

Desert Daze 2015: The Festival for the 21st Century

Danny Baraz May 5, 2015

It was 4:30am on Saturday morning. I pulled the Janky Smooth RV into a dusty parking lot. I had been driving this carbon spewing behemoth since 1am, after the hour it took to load it up with instruments, sound equipment and beer- The essentials that would push me through a crazy 36 hours in the Mojave Desert for Desert Daze 2015. There were hints of blue shading the dark desert sky at the edge of the horizon that peaked over some sleepy mountains. A sense of dread washed over me at the sight of this beautiful event. It meant I only had a few hours to get a little bit of sleep before setting up the DNA Vapor sponsored, Janky Smooth Jam Lounge in preparation for our open jam after party. I knew I shouldn’t have taken that dab before loading up all that gear. After being led to our lakeside cabana by a sleepy eyed angel named Art, it became clear that we were the first ones to plant our flag in this particular patch of land. By the time I woke up a few hours later, the deserted road I parked our camper on was swarming with

Panache Spring Fling at The Echo: Jacco Gardner, Ultimate Painting, The Entrance Band and more…

Lawrence Rengert April 2, 2015

Two nights ago I was at one of the most unglamorous dive bars in Ventura, a show organized for label mates of Jacco Gardner, The Miseries. The place was dark and smelly with dartboards and bikers, prostitutes (I may have only imagined them), a guy even took off his pants going full frontal and a bartendress showed up late, but just in time to direct security around the bar as girlfriends threw Q balls at boyfriends heads. Los Angeles garage sensations The Cigarette Bums were opening up but there was something special about that night and the willingness of the bands to play a show there, in that semi-dangerous and remote spot. There was something special about it because nothing was being handed to anyone and each band would have to work the crowd (most of whom knew nothing about these bands or the musical styles they played), fight to be heard, deal with the worst sound equipment imaginable, everything was running late and it was still an unknown if the last band of the evening would even have enough time to play. There was something tragic, yet beautiful and romantic about it, it was a great show. Today I

A Seminal Performance by The Growlers on Valentines Day

Danny Baraz February 17, 2015

Could there be a more perfect Valentines Day show than The Growlers? Last night at The Hollywood Palladium , lovers, clubbers, surfers, stoners, loners and large, roving packs of single women descended upon the historic Los Angeles venue to pay homage to the most famous band to ever come out of Dana Point California. Like most Growlers shows, it was a complete freak show of costume clad customers and an overflow of amazingly beautiful women. My wife and I Uber’ed around town so that we could get sloppy and sexy whenever the moment called it for it. We got to the venue and were met by Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe and a heavy set Dorothy who would not break character. The Palladium was filled with sounds of old swing and big band records being played over the P.A prior to the Growlers arrival. You could almost see the ghosts of flappers dancing through the overflowing crowd. The stage was adorned with huge paper hearts and there was a rather large net of pink and white balloons hanging from the ceiling. The band took the stage to one of the most enthusiastic welcomes I’ve seen from a Palladium audience in a

Moon Block: Party in Orange County w/ Crazy After Party in LA

Taylor Wong February 17, 2015

Moon Block has done it again. On Sunday night I made my way out to Fullerton for yet another great Moon Block Party. The show took place at The Continental Room, not to be confused with The Constellation Room at The Observatory in Orange County. This, according to the people at Moon Block, is a common issue when booking bands. As soon as I entered the tiny space known as The Continental Room, I noticed Troy and Sleazy P of Death Hymn Number 9 behind the bar. Not only do these guys kill it on stage but they can also make a killer drink. First band on the line up, and one of my all time favorites, Them Howling Bones, ended up not having a chance to play last night do to miscommunication with their bass player, Mondo. Aside from that, the show ran smoothly as Isaac Rother and The Phantoms quickly took the stage. I was surprised to see such a large band fit on The Continental Room’s tiny stage. Isaac and the Phantoms played a few songs before Isaac shared the unfortunate news that his dog had passed earlier that morning. He honored his dog by playing an old folk

The Warlocks and Weed Smoke Don’t Mix at The Bootleg

Danny Baraz February 12, 2015

I was excited to see The Warlocks for the first time. Attendees of Wednesday’s show at The Bootleg Theater in L.A. were treated to a stacked lineup of opening acts in both rooms of the venue. It was a well crafted build up to a band that helped define the modern day psych genre. I walked into the venue to the sounds of Gun/Her. Gun/Her are a two piece band from Los Angeles. The simple but tight bass playing of front woman Xe serves to accentuate the raw and soulful sounds that emit from her esophagus. The musical arrangements are a potpourri of post punk and blues goodness while Xe’s vocals summon the ghost of Janis Joplin. It’s a killer mix. I made a visit to the main room to check out Dream Boys who have a big, surf/indie sound like a polished sonic diamond. I opted to go back to the muck and rawness of Gun/Her before they vacated the stage for the glamorous, Blood Candy. I couldn’t really tell if Blood Candy was any good because lead guitarist Cliff was turned up way too loud. I heard the potential in there somewhere and I almost walked up to