Tag: surf rock
Year In Review: Top 10 Concerts of 2015 Rated by Contributors
Danny Baraz
December 18, 2015
Since the beginning of time, mankind grabbed whatever it could find to tap out and amplify the rhythm in our souls. From the most tribal roots of humanity, those rhythms brought us to our feet and inspired us into spastic soliloquies and baby making motions. Before the advent of the recording studio, there was only one way to hear music- LIVE. For true music snobs and purists, if you can’t do it live, you can’t do it. That is my segway into Janky Smooth’s Top 10 Concerts of 2015. Janky Smooth contributors attended 100’s of shows this year. Selecting the top 10 concerts of 2015 was quite a challenge. Most of the concerts we attended were in Los Angeles so while new labels, venues and promoters are taking advantage of the music explosion taking place all over the globe, Los Angeles continues to be it’s music capital. I often complain about the low energy of concert attendees in the city of my birth and while a handful of bands have been skipping Los Angeles on their tour schedules for this reason and opt for Pomona or Orange County, there’s no denying that if you hype up a Los Angeles crowd, you
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Cayucas Record Release Party for “Dancing at the Blue Lagoon”
Janky Smooth Central Command
June 26, 2015
With the June 23rd release of their sophomore album, “Dancing at the Blue Lagoon,” Los Angeles natives, Cayucas, threw a private, invite-only album release party and Janky Smooth was fortunate enough to get the invite. Head North up Fairfax Avenue and there, sandwiched somewhere between the multiple bars and restaurants you will find a hidden venue. Or maybe you won’t find it because there is no name for the place. Literally meaning, your Instagram geotag will show up as “No Name.” Not that Instagram is actually relevant considering photographs were forbidden even though we got approval prior to our arrival at the venue. Fortunately for us, our stealthy and badass photographer, Taylor Wong, managed to snap some shots. This “No Name” venue contains exposed white brick walls and rugs that looked like they were directly imported from India — a hub for hipster elitists. It seemed as though the interior designer was devoted to purchasing anything that slightly resembled an avant-garde piece, and the hipsters are appeased with walls embellished with records by The Grateful Dead and The Beatles. The Edison bulb chandeliers and exposed piping that veined through high wooden ceiling was quite impressive, I must admit. However, as
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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
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