Tag: squid

The Sounds of Spring in Summer: Primavera Sound LA 2022

Rob Shepyer September 22, 2022

On the surface, Primavera Sound LA appeared to have an almost perfect lineup. There was something for everyone. Legendary rockers like Kim Gordon or Nine Inch Nails, extreme acts like Mayhem, exotic and rare imports like Arca, Drain Gang or Chai, young bands on the verge of greatness like Amyl and the Sniffers or Dry Cleaning, or massive millennial bands like Cigarettes After Sex and Fontaines D.C. For those who fancy themselves adventurers across the modern musical landscape, this was a necessary expedition. I checked many bands off my must-see list all in one weekend and these weren’t even the headliners. If Primavera Sound could be defined by two things though, they would be expert curation of international artists and an unforgettable set by Nine Inch Nails. related content: Stroking to LCD: This Ain’t No Picnic Prior to Primavera weekend starting, I checked out Dark Side‘s Hollywood Forever show, their first performance since 2014. It was a mind-bending musical experience, transcendent of whatever it is we call psychedelic rock into something beyond genre or ideals. With this in my rear view mirror, I had high hopes for their performances finishing Primavera’s opening day on Friday along with the rest of

Creatures of the Night: Substance LA 2021

Rob Shepyer December 15, 2021

Substance has always been Los Angeles’ premiere post-punk festival. Celebrating all things goth and clad in black, the scene wouldn’t be quite the same without it. No festival embodies the true spirit of “LA” more than Substance. There’s something urban and dreamy about the whole episode. You get such a range of feels, some bands appeal to your heart then others purely to the body. Spanning all night, the fest goes late into the evening to make you feel like the real nightcrawler that LA is supposed to make you feel like. I came to see Nitzer Ebb but my greatest takeaways were the smaller bands who’s performances left a mark. Here are my five favorites from each day. Day 1 Pixel Grip Chicago-based industrial dance music is a beast of its own breed. Pixel Grip began the festival for my gang and might’ve left the biggest impression of any band for the entire three nights. They commanded their audience with so much attitude, mystique and power, they could’ve headlined the day purely based on the merits of their charismatic performing. Listening to them on records, many of the songs expanded my idea of what an industrial band ought to

Squid, it’s Whats for Dinner at Moroccan Lounge

Rob Shepyer November 22, 2021

I can’t recall the last time I was shocked at how good a band was live. I had high expectations for Squid after listening to their new record, Bright Green Field, but I had no idea they would become one of the tightest, most precise, and perfect live bands I’ve seen as a journalist. I honestly couldn’t believe what I was seeing or hearing. The vocals and the instrumentation was so on-point, it feels like it couldn’t possibly be happening in real time, before your eyes. But there they were, five young men from the United Kingdom that are going to change the face of music. As a music critic, sometimes I proclaim a band is going innovate too often, sometimes hyperbole like that loses meaning in music journalism, but Squid is different. I don’t see how Squid doesn’t become the biggest band of the 20’s. related content: Alien Boys And Girls: George Clanton And Magdalena Bay At 1720 Their supporting acts are usually eclectic like Harry the Nightgown for their second sold out show at the Moroccan Lounge. With just Spencer Hartling manning the electronics and Sami Perez on guitars and vocals, the music took a bit of time

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Squid at Moroccan Lounge on 11/17

Janky Smooth Central Command November 15, 2021

Brighton, England’s Squid seems to have exploded onto the scene and made a huge impact on Los Angeles with two sold out shows at the Moroccan Lounge and an upcoming appearance at Substance fest. Because Jankysmooth has their finger on the pulse, we know exactly how bad you want these tickets. So we’re giving away a pair for the show on the 17th. This band is going to go places, they already have; I mean listen to their 2021 album Bright Green Field. It’s so fresh and explosive. People call this a post punk band but they’re something larger to me, something new altogether. THIS SHOW IS SOLD OUT or ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO SQUID NOVEMBER 17TH AT MOROCCAN LOUNGE 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 SQUID Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON NOVEMBER 16TH AT 1PM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION