Tag: punk

Crusty Anthems and Salty Sing-alongs: The Distillers Return to Orange County

Rob Shepyer May 1, 2018

I remember The Distillers as a band on the periphery of my hesher upbringing in the early 2000’s. They were on MTV back when pop-punk was still sweeping the airwaves and amassed a large following even though their music wasn’t your run-of-the-mall, American Pie movie soundtrack drek. The Distillers were dirtier, more raw, in both sound and image. Like if Hole was supped up with a hotrod engine and covered in prison tatts. And Brody Homme, then and still Brody Dalle, was a role-model for punks and normies, men and women, simply based on the merits of her talent. That was then. And close to 10 years later, seemingly everything, sans the band, has changed. MTV is long-past relevant, pop punk is almost shameful to enjoy, and nostalgia for what came out of that decade is often laughed at. And yet, after only seeing them once, I know that The Distillers are not part of that bygone decade. It became quite obvious to me and virtually everyone in attendance at this particular show, that the band and music were timeless. Distillers songs still sound fresh, with songwriting so good, that it could only come from a time before we all

Fierce Fiesta: Scum’s 2 Year Anniversary W/ Limp Wrist At The Echoplex

Rob Shepyer March 28, 2018

There was something queer about March. Even the month’s name conjures up the image of boys with chiseled jaws in uniforms and leather boots. Or maybe it was the number 3 that was symbolic; of a third chromosome? A third gender? Or a third nipple or partner? Whatever it was, this merry month’s man-on-man madness began with me seeing Fischerspooner at the Fonda, where myself as a straight, life-long fan of queer cinema and music, got to see a myriad of males half naked on stage, sweaty and throbbing. Then after attending sCUM’s 2 year anniversary show at the Echoplex with Limp Wrist headlining, I got the sense that East Los could be the new Weho and that LGBTQ punks have ideas to express, verbal and non-verbal, that straight punks can neither access nor fathom. With Lethal Amount’s Sex Cells Divine Ball approaching on the 31st, who knows, I might start behaving in ways I never thought possible in February. I don’t think I’ll be going cruising but hell, I might try to suck my own. related content: Los Crudos Play The Echoplex Right When L.A. Needed It Most sCUM is a party for queerdos of color at Club Chico created

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

Pussy Bang Bang at Harvelle's Long Beach

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

Janky Smooth’s Top 20 Artists to Watch in 2016

Danny Baraz January 15, 2016

In identifying Janky Smooth’s Artists to Watch in 2016, there were a number of factors to take into consideration. There are different levels and plateaus musicians can ascend to in their careers. There is the release of their first EP/7”. There is the release of their debut album and of course, the all-important sophomore LP. Any predicted success after those milestones is hardly a prediction unless it involves a comeback. When we define our artists to watch in 2016, it is using any and all of these criteria to identify buzz worthy bands. We want to help our readers get the jump on artists before corporate money corrupts their artistic process too much. While there are bands in this list based in cities other than Los Angeles, LA is our home base and seeing these bands live is a part of the process of selection. If you can’t do it live, you can’t do it! This is Janky Smooth’s List of Artists to Watch in 2016 20. Cavanaugh- Collaboration between Open Mike Eagle and Serengeti Time & Materials by Cavanaugh (Open Mike Eagle & Serengeti) 19. So Pitted- Punk/Post Punk Seattle Group on Sub Pop Records neo by

Year in Review: Top 10 Albums of 2015 Rated by Contributors

Danny Baraz December 14, 2015

10 years from now, we might look back at the Top 10 Albums of 2015 as the year the “new music industry” became a viable business model. As the battle rages to fine tune some of the sticky points around streaming services, vinyl sales soar at the same time bands and artists offer free downloads, surrendering the traditional model and entrusting their legacy to future generations. With so many different ways to deliver musical products to consumers, our Top 10 Albums of 2015 list will include LP’s, EP’s and Mixtapes. We are not a hive mind at Janky Smooth so you will find albums we didn’t publish favorable reviews on in our contributors top 10 list. We here at Janky Smooth feel blessed to stand on the precipice with you and gaze upon the vast landscape of music that is exploding from all corners of the world. Top 10 Albums/EP’s/Mixtapes of 2015 Johnny Ramos- Photographer: Top 10 Albums of 2015 Tame Impala – Currents Beach House – Depression Cherry Alabama Shakes – Sound & Color Death Grips – The Powers That B Toro Y Moi – What For? Turnover – Peripheral Vision Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Multi-Love Hot Chip –

Jason Finazzo of The Birth Defects at The Troubadour

Birth Defects Unleash Debut Album at the Troubadour alongside Fuzz and Carletta Sue Kay

Brent Smith July 21, 2015

Sandwiched between killer sets by Carletta Sue Kay and Fuzz, The Birth Defects album release bash for “First 8 Mistakes” at the Troubadour was one for the books. Everyone who was in the sold-out, jam-packed, iconic venue got slapped with an array of musical talent many, or just I, wouldn’t expect from a West Hollywood show on another Thursday night. It’s an endangered time for relics of bygone eras like the Troubadour—an attic-like setting that incubated the legendary statuses of Jim Morrison and Axl Rose alike (even Cheech and Chong were discovered there by Lou Adler). Nudged between the border of Beverly Hills and where Ron Jeremy and Bret Easton Ellis were eating dinner next door at Dan Tana’s, the Troub stands like an old ruin among the gated anti-communities of WeHo; a stark juxtaposition to the Laurel Canyon days of magical hills, liquor corner store blues, and free-lovin’ gutter artists. If this were the 80s, I would’ve hated it for being such a glam rock establishment whore house (and I probably would’ve lived in New York anyway). But in 2015, I’m just happy the Troubadour is still around, and not yet in the hands of some ‘starchictect’ like Thom

L7 Shreds Final Night at The Fonda with Skating Polly

Vanessa Burgundy July 19, 2015

I stepped off the plane from Mexico, into an Uber, dropped my suitcases at home and drove directly to The Fonda Theatre in Hollywood to catch night 2 of L7 playing Los Angeles after their first European tour in almost 20 years. I have gone into countless tirades in the past about why I prefer any night but night 1 of multiple date stands by popular bands in Los Angeles but this time, my preference had everything to do with the opening band, Skating Polly. My love for L7 is well documented, so rather than go fanboy and write about them for the second time in a month and a half, I’ll focus on Skating Polly and let one of the baddest bitches in L.A. tell you about the baddest bitches in rock music, L7. The first time I saw Skating Polly play a show was in January of this year when they opened for legendary Los Angeles band, The Flesh Eaters. I know the real thing when I see it and since then, I have become mildly obsessed with their 3 records; and I’m not the only one. Every iconic punker that sees them live seems to want to

Barb Wire Dolls Kick Off 2 Month Residency at The Whisky a Go Go

Danny Baraz July 7, 2015

Last night, Taylor Wong and I met at The Whiskey A Go Go to check out Barb Wire Dolls, Clepto and Tartar Control. Really, I was interested in Clepto and Tartar Control but after all the years of buzz, great reviews, touring and an endless stream of sexy photos, I decided to finally check out Barb Wire Dolls– a band that hit the punk scene as hard and fast as a Japanese Bullet train. Up to this point, nothing I had heard from the band had really resonated with me but I decided to watch and listen with an open mind. As we approached the Whiskey, Taylor informed me that he had never seen a show there. I was blown away. It shows just how irrelevant The Whisky has become that this 24 year year old music fan and journalist was entering the Whisky for the first time in his life. This historic venue that has helped launch the careers of acts like The Doors, Van Halen, Sonny and Cher, Guns and Roses and thousands of other bands has sustained itself on the pay to play model for about 15 years now. Almost every show I’ve seen there over the

Television is Flawless at The Teragram Ballroom

Danny Baraz July 6, 2015

Tom Verlaine and Co. casually walked onto the stage as if they were walking into their practice space. They picked up their weapons, turned on their amplifiers and took a good 3 minutes, casually confirming that their instruments were indeed in tune, seemingly oblivious to the fact that there was a sold out crowd standing right in front of them at The Teragram Ballroom. We were there to see their band Television play, most of us for the first and most likely, the last time. This was a momentous occasion even though 99.999999 percent of the world doesn’t know about them or their band. Almost every self respecting music lover is aware of a place called CBGB and the art that erupted out of that tiny, urine soaked corner of the world. It’s one of the places that the word Punk was defined and it’s also the place that it first became misunderstood because by today’s standard, the band Television doesn’t fit the narrow definition. Blondie, Talking Heads, The Ramones, Patti Smith, The Dead Boys and The Cramps (just to name a few), all CBGB bands that had a different sound but a similar spirit of independence. They were given

Ho99o9 at Mystery Box photo by David Evanko

Ho99o9 EP Release Party at Mystery Box: An Initiation

Brent Smith June 20, 2015

What began as a harmless Ho99o9 show at Mystery Box in the outskirt bowels of DTLA ended in orgiastic ritual sacrifice, which will ensure ultimate hegemony of their newly-dropped EP Horrors of 1999. (free download) Okay, nothing about Ho99o9 is really harmless to begin with—the experimental punk rap group who have lit the underground on fire, and who recently proved far too bloodcurdling for Warped Tour. There’s a reason shows like these, hosted by i Heart Comix and Family Artists, are thrown in L.A.’s industrial limbo, which didn’t seem to drive fans away. In fact, the line was already down the block when I arrived. I entered the massive space, complete with foyer, main room with a sick stage, and spacious outdoor smoking patio where the bar was. I met up with Danny, Taylor, and David of Minivan who was snapping pics; and the four of us were met with inflatable sex dolls strung with nooses, graffiti, barbed wire, and most horrifically of all, only two porta-potties (It got ugly pretty quick). The opening band No Parents didn’t come on until close to midnight, along with the laser lights, black lights, strobe lights, and fog machines. For the next few hours, our

Hanni El Khatib: The Last First Friday of 2015 at Natural History Museum

Justin Cornwall June 7, 2015

The last First Friday event at the Natural History Museum brought out in-the-know Los Angeles music lovers, young and old, together for an amazing summer kickoff. This lineup featured Hanni El Khatib, Chicano Batman, Avid Dancer and DJ’s Raul Campos (KCRW) + Captain Planet – all local talent. The evening was filled with different genres, hitting and missing different marks, but altogether the night smoothed out well. The Natural History Museum was PACKED, lines at pretty much every one of the 7 (there were more) bars that I counted and all tickets for the night were SOLD OUT. The weather cooled off quite a bit, but the crowds stuck it out for the performances on the new outdoor stage the museum had erected especially for this event. Food trucks, multiple full bars and the opened portions of the museum kept the crowds entertained till show time. Raul Campos played a radio friendly filler set leading up to Avid Dancer’s opening performance. I didn’t know much about Avid Dancer prior to the night, but I’m glad I was able to catch their set to build my own opinion on them. After some research, I discovered that the band was initially a