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Obituary At The Bellwether: 35 Years of Cause Of Death
This past Saturday, April 26th, in the year of our Lord, 2025, Obituary, along with Nails brought their tour celebrating 35 years of Cause of Death to The Bellwether in Downtown Los Angeles. Tampa Florida’s Obituary released their second album, Cause of Death in 1990—35 years ago. I was a freshman in high school. I had never heard anything like it and I found out pretty quickly that NO ONE else had heard anything like it, either. My teenage feelings of suffering and despair and confusion and anger finally had a soundtrack. I was just getting into thrash metal and hardcore punk and picking up a guitar for the first time. My preferences leaned toward frenetic chaos with a high bpm. Fast and hard. But Obituary and Cause of Death showed me a new way—grinding, low tempo, heavy riffs that slowly dragged bodies across the floor. Sludgy breakdowns building to blast beat eargasms that changed my life forever. Slayer and others showed them the way but it was Cause of Death that had that mix of thrash and sludge that really got me off. That cassette lived in my Walkman for a good 3 months, uninterrupted. It formally introduced a

Together Pangea and Prison Affair Tear Up Coachella Side Show at El Rey
In between their Coachella Weekends 1 and 2 sets, Together Pangea and Spain’s Prison Affair stopped off in Los Angeles for a sold-out show at the El Rey Theatre — a sweaty, cathartic night that offered fans a more intimate taste of the chaos they’d just unleashed in the desert. While both bands came with buzz, they offered two very different flavors of punk-adjacent mayhem — one a homegrown institution, the other a rising international cult. Together Pangea has long been synonymous with LA’s garage rock underground. Formed in 2008 when frontman William Keegan began sharing songs from his dorm room, the band quickly found footing in the DIY circuit before crashing through with 2014’s Badillac. Known for their explosive live shows and slacker-meets-sleaze songwriting, they’ve become a staple of Southern California’s indie rock scene — the kind of band that’s always on someone’s “you had to be there” list. And while their El Rey set was classic Together Pangea — wild, gritty, and tight — there was a warmth to it, too. Maybe it’s the fact that Keegan and his partner Kelsey are expecting their first child soon, a new chapter that adds a subtle sense of joy and

T.Y. Ojai: Ty Segall at Ojai Valley Women’s Club
With MTV’s Unplugged catalogue hitting Paramount+ recently, I’ve been on a bit of an acoustic kick. When a popular artist goes acoustic, it’s a sign of a deeper appreciation and commitment to their fans and music than standard touring, writing, and recording cycle an artist goes through. Choosing to go on an acoustic tour, like the one Ty Segall and King Tuff are currently collaborating on throughout California, presents a challenge to a musician that really tests their artistry. It strips them of all the bells and whistles fans expect from their songs and live show, forcing the artist to compensate with pure charisma and sonic bravado. Both King Tuff and Ty Segall exhibited powerful charisma as acoustic artists, taking advantage of the silence between and around their songs to amplify the meaning of every lyric and note. The result of which is that audiences that were lucky enough to catch these shows may not have had their socks rocked off like they would in a Ty Segall and The Muggers show, or a Witch (King Tuff’s metal band) show, but we did experience the full fleshed out power and message of Ty’s songs like no other fans ever have.

Top Ten SHOWS of 2024 Rated by Contributors
Shows have always been Janky Smooth’s bread and butter. Our contributors are willing travel far and wide for the right show, willing to abandon their families and face every obstacle to get there in time to see a compelling opener with any legit hype. This list will feature shows all across Los Angeles, California, and the whole of the United States. It will feature festival sets and intimate evenings with. It’ll list out shows with mosh pits and intimiate seating. Every musical experience under the sun, our contributors have seen it and are using their expert curation skills to give you the best of the best of 2o24. Publisher, Danny Baraz Ministry at Cruel World Ceremony and Infest at The Hollywood Palladium The Original Misfits at No Values Power Trip at The Fonda HEALTH, Panther Modern, Pixel Grip at The Music Box Tyler, the Creator at Camp Flog Gnaw Boy Harsher at The Glass House Primus, Puscifer, A Perfect Circle at Hollywood bowl The Black Angels at The Lodge Room Front 242 at The Mayan Editor, Rob Shepyer Trash Talk at Echoplex Ceremony at Hollywood Palladium Swans at Lodge Room Ministry at Cruel World Tool at Crypto.com Arena Queens of

Cruel World 2024: A Legacy Forms in Year 3 at The Rose Bowl
It’s very rare for a music festival to have a storied legacy to live up to after just 2 years. But after a total lunar eclipse that turned the moon blood red before completely disappearing during Bauhuas for Cruel World 2022 and inclement weather and lightning that thwarted Siouxsie Sioux from performing on Saturday in 2023 and adding a 2nd day on Sunday, it felt like raising the bar could be quite dangerous. For a moment, it looked like the massive storms on our star might cause the Aurora Borealis to materialize for a SECOND night in Southern California for Cruel World 2024. Was there some type of deal with the devil to manifest this excitement, pleasure and existential angst? Maybe a collab with the folks at CERN to find the physics of the post punk genre through the mysteries of particle colliders? Alas, we could not view the Northern Lights here in the southland but the stars fell from the sky and landed on the 3 stages, Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for yet another celestial Cruel World experience. related: Cruel World 2023- Redemption and Romance at The Rose Bowl Fandom has always been weird, wonderful and

3Teeth at The Teragram: Industrial Dystopia
Love for gothic industrial and nu-metal aesthetics seemed nonexistent for a while, being almost universally seen as cringe and outdated as indie rock and trap music dominated the airwaves in the late 00’s and early 2010’s. With political tensions rising after the 2016 election however, angry and darker music came back in a massive way that can be seen with festivals like Sick New World selling out quickly and the industrial scene feeling as relevant as ever again. 3Teeth is a band that took full advantage of this shift in attitude, bringing the angsty edge of 90’s greats like Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson to a new audience that’s just as wild at live concerts. In celebration of their newest album EndEx, 3Teeth transformed the Teragram Ballroom into a cyberpunk wasteland and hosted a late night of industrial sounds from every era; with ear-piercing distortion, infectiously dancey synthesizer melodies, and leather as far as the eye can see. With Skold, Straight Razor, and 8mm as surprise openers for the evening, there was a treat for all fans of industrial music no matter what their preference may be. Straight Razor’s performance began with an eerie but blissful ambient intro, almost

Cruel World 2023- Redemption and Romance at The Rose Bowl
One of the definitions of the word “Cruel” is, “to cause pain and suffering”. As much unintentional cruelty as Cruel World 2023 inflicted on the psyches of so many attendees by abruptly shutting the festival down half way through Iggy Pop’s set on Saturday, festival promoter and corporate media juggernaut Goldenvoice offered an olive branch of redemption by giving those who didn’t have to leave town on Sunday what most of us came to see- Siouxsie Sioux playing her first set in L.A. in 15 years. The build-up to Cruel World 2023 was palpable- not only for the 1000’s of out of towners that took time off of work, booked airfare, hotel and budgeted all year for what was for many, their annual vacation but also an elusive enthusiasm from Angeleno music fans who are jaded and spoiled by their residency in the music capital of the world. It would’ve been tough for any festival to live up to the magick we witnessed at Cruel World 2022 which peaked on the 2nd day of the festival where we witnessed Bauhuas bloody the stage and make the moon disappear but somehow, Goldenvoice rode 2022’s wave into the shores of excitement and

DAIS Records Celebrates 15 Years Of Seminal Releases At The Belasco
In the last 15 years, DAIS Records has had an output of quality music that should be the envy of any independent record label. From alumni such as Psychic TV, Cold Cave, Youth Code and Pink Turns Blue to current artists such as Drab Majesty, Adult., Choir Boy and Riki– DAIS records is a veritable cornucopia of post punk, experimental music and a great soundtrack to any Samhain celebration. On this night 2 of 2 of the anniversary celebration at The Belasco Theater in Downtown Los Angeles, it was the aforementioned list of current artists that headlined the night. I missed almost everyone else including Death Bells, which I hate but was overcome with dark, sad vibes that made me happy with what I did witness. We missed Night 1 of 2 at Zebulon that featured VR Sex, Tempers, Cold Showers and more. I missed a lot but we’ll fill you in on what we did see. related: DAIS Records 10 Year Anniversary Party: The Dark Fruits of Persistence Choir Boy- Honeysuckle sweetened notes wrung out of the body of Adam Klopp with each twist and ache; his muscles contracted and his stomach wrenched violently as glossolalia possessed the Choir

JANKY SMOOTH Top 10 SHOWS of 2022 Rated by Contributors
On this eve to Christmas Eve, we at Janky Smooth have done our due diligence in accounting the year’s most profound concert moments. Found herein is the top ten shows lists of our contributors. Give them a peep and let us know if you were there too! Publisher, Danny Baraz Bauhuas at Cruel World 2022 Gogol Bordello at the Belasco DAIS Records 15 year anniversary at The Belasco Substance LA at The Los Angeles Theatre Desert Daze 2022 Metz, Kowloon Walled City, Deaf Club at Teragram Ballroom HEALTH at 1720 Twin Tribes, Light Asylum, Spike Hellis at El Rey Lie Detector Weekend Adult. at The Lodge Room Editor, Rob Shepyer Gorillaz at Youtube Theatre Mercyful Fate at Psycho Las Vegas Nine Inch Nails at Primavera Sound LA Rixe at Lie Detector Weekend Meshuggah at The Hollywood Palladium Kraftwerk at the Shrine Auditorium W.A.S.P. at The Wiltern Danny Elfman at the Hollywood Bowl Molchat Doma at The Roxy Pavement at The Fonda Theatre Photographer, Albert Licano Rixe at Lie Detector Weekend Nick Cave & Warren Ellis at The Shrine Auditorium Electric Frankenstein at Alex’s Bar S.H.I.T. at Zebulon Spy at Manic Relapse Subhumans at The Sardine Mercyful Fate at Youtube Theatre

The Sounds of Spring in Summer: Primavera Sound LA 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

Talkin’ Limp Bizkit, Kevin Smith and Hardcore: Scowl Interview
Fresh off the heels of an iconic Sound and Fury set, we caught up with Scowl‘s rhythm section, drummer Cole Gilbert and bassist Bailey Lupo, on the night of their show opening for Destroy Boys at the Teragram Ballroom. Apart from an incredible set that night, they shared amazing insights on hardcore, touring with Limp Bizkit, and Kevin Smith movies. related content: Risks Make Better Memories Than Nostalgia: Sound And Fury 2022 Interview by: Danny Ryan So I saw your guys’ set at Sound and Fury Fest this last weekend… Cole and Bailey: Oh, hell yeah (at the same time) It was one of my favorite sets of the entire weekend. Cole: Dude, thank you! I knew it was going to be a lot of fun, but I just didn’t know it was going to be that wild. It was really fun, really cool. Especially being from California. It was like, damn, you all really like us huh? Bailey: It was an honor, growing up and going to Sound and Fury thinking “Man, it’d be crazy to play this someday”. I think the last Sound and Fury right before Covid, I don’t know if Scowl was quite a band yet

Porno For Pyros at Belasco- A Time Capsule of Sound and Cultural Concepts
When I saw Porno for Pyros pop up on a concert calendar for the Belasco on July 7th, my heart skipped a beat. Not quite as prolific or ingrained in the American pop culture psyche as Janes Addiction, this pure, West Side of L.A. band and their iconic first album came out when I was 17 years old and offered something different but just as sacred to me as Nothing’s Shocking- and I had yet to see them live. Perry Farrel, Peter Distefano, Stephen Perkins and Martyn LeNoble created a unique, percussive, groove oriented and angsty soundtrack from a band in a decade that didn’t exactly fly under the radar but certainly not given their proper due in a decade filled with legends. related: Heaven on Earth: Perry Farrel’s Kind Heaven Orchestra at Teragram Ballroom So how has the world changed since 1993 and subsequently, the narrative in the concepts of their songs. Porno For Pyros offered commentary on gender roles, depression, humanity, the female orgasm, war, politics and cultural divide- all topics that are timeless but many that have been defined and redefined since the beginning of time. In the vast legacy that is still being built by Perry

Photo Recap: Swamp Dogg at Teragram Ballroom
For longer than most have been alive, Swamp Dogg has been an underground music hero. He’s outlived musical fads and seen the landscape of culture change, experimenting with music all the while but still remaining the same old Swamp Dogg. He’s played everything from blues, to funk, to R & B, even hints of disco, because the story of Swamp Dogg is the story of American music. To celebrate this legend’s 80th birthday, he performed a career spanning set that touched decades of releases at the Teragram Ballroom in an epic and unforgettable performance for all those in attendance. We sent a photographer out to the show to capture the magic and memories so that they may never be forgotten. Photos by: Todd Anderson Swamp Dogg

Take This: Win Two Tickets to A Place to Bury Strangers at Teragram
Psych rock never sounded so dark, demented and wild as when A Place To Bury Strangers takes the stage and starts ripping. It’s so heavy, noisy, fuzzed out and chaotic, this band is the envy of all the most extreme genres. We’re giving away two tickets to their show at Teragram Ballroom in the hopes it splits your brain. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE or ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS MAY 17TH AT TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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 A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON MAY 16TH AT 1PM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

In Amyl We Trust: Amyl and the Sniffers at Teragram
I feel a bit late to the party. By now, Amyl and the Sniffers aren’t underground punk darlings from Australia anymore. At this point, the band hasn’t just cemented themselves as one of the most dynamic and electric acts in the entire genre, they’ve gone on to influence numerous bands and a whole damn scene within punk to boot. I’m lucky enough to be early to a different party though, that one hosted by C.O.F.F.I.N. the Aussie rockers that Amyl brought on tour with them. These guys rip in undeniable fashion, harkening back the sonic sex appeal of AC/DC but with a harder edge. It’s through a band like C.O.F.F.I.N. that AC/DC will go in history as proto-punk someday. related content: Amyl and the Sniffers at the Teragram Ballroom Amyl and the Sniffers have been getting incredible praise for a long while now. People were saying this band resurrected the classic punk sound but with a hint of glam. The sort of punk or hardcore shows I frequent are usually devoid of the feminine energy that Amyl has in loads. And I don’t point that out because Amy is a woman, I mean the sound itself balances masculine and feminine

Photo Recap: Sleaford Mods at Teragram Ballroom
The UK’s most dynamic working-class duo of artists returned to Los Angeles for two shows at Teragram. There are few acts that are able to grip audiences with such minimalist approaches to music. Sleaford Mods’ brand of punk rock slam poetry is truly a testament to how one person can be capable of enormous artistic expression if they simply think outside the box and have another person there to drop the dopest beats behind them. Opening for the band was Sorry, English indie rockers with the perfect attitude to ride along with the Mods. Sleaford Mods Sorry

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Amyl and the Sniffers at Teragram
One of the most desired pack of Aussie retro punks, Amyl and the Sniffers, has returned to Los Angeles to pack the Teragram ballroom with a bunch of wild blokes ready to drink, pogo, pit and stage dive the whole night long. Who’s going to drink a beer out their shoe this time? Any takers? We’re giving away two tickets to the show, get in out now! YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE or ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS MAY 4TH AT TERAGRAM 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 AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON MAY 3RD AT 1PM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Analysis of a Slavic Heart: Molchat Doma at the Roxy
It is my personal mission to spread the creed of Molchat Doma far and wide across the So-Cal internet airwaves. I feel so compelled because like me, these three men are of Slavic descent, them from Belarus and myself, the child of Russian-Ukrainian immigrants. More than that though, my father was a Ukrainian musician that immigrated to America, hoping to make it in the music industry. He never accomplished this dream but Molchat Doma’s success is a vicarious victory. If they can break out through the (former) iron curtain and into the international mainstream to play Coachella then it’s almost like they fulfilled my father’s dream and so, I will do whatever I can to uplift these three dreamers. related content: Super Saiyan Sasami At The Teragram Ballroom My background doesn’t just make me empathize with and root for this band, it helps me understand them. I understand what elements make a Slavic heart and the textures of Slavic emotion. Much of this is hard to put into words but for the length of this article, I will do my best. Eastern Europeans feel melodrama in a way Americans simply don’t, at least not on the surface. We might be

Super Saiyan Sasami at the Teragram Ballroom
Those who attended Desert Daze’s legendary 2019 installment will never forget Sasami‘s set. It was sweet, tender and psychedelic. Sprinkled with her signature screeches, the band separated themselves into a different league than the rest of the lineup. It was clear to me that Sasami Ashworth was willing to take risks the rest of the LA indie scenesters weren’t dabbling with. That was in a different world though, now, after so much global turmoil, Sasami has evolved into a different artist altogether. Her latest album, Squeeze, has heavy metal, industrial and hardcore moments that are so potent, that instead of being the outlier of the LA indie scene, the scene changes to the music. The Nagas serpent woman that adorns the cover represents Sasami’s anime-esque character arc where a hero or villain needs to show their true form to stand a chance in battle. Slithering, coiling, and constricting with four arms on each side of her serpentine tail, Sasami reminds me of the light version of Naruto’s Orochimaru mixed with a bit of Takashi Miike cinema. related content: Silver Lake Perris: Desert Daze 2019 The concert in question at the Teragram Ballroom was the last stop on Sasami’s tour. This

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Sasami at Teragram
Sasami has always been a darling of the indie and psych scenes but with her most recent album, Squeeze, we expect the metal kids to start digging her too. We’re giving away two tickets to her upcoming Teragram show and can’t wait to see you there. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE or ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO SASAMI APRIL 13TH AT THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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 SASAMI Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON APRIL 12TH AT 1PM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Choir Boy at Teragram
Dais records is bringing together two of our favorite of their label mates for a show at Teragram ballroom we think you can’t miss. Choir Boy makes some of the most beautiful, depressing and emotional music of any artists today. Who needs emo when the music of Choir Boy exists. Riki is everything beautiful and banging about 80’s singer/songwriter synth-pop through a modern lens. We’re giving away two tickets to their show together. Roll through. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE or ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO CHOIR BOY APRIL 9TH AT TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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 CHOIR BOY Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON APRIL 8TH AT 1PM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Guided By Voices at Teragram Ballroom
We’re giving away tickets to see legends this time around. Absolute legends. I wish we had as many tickets to giveaway as this band has albums, but we don’t have 30, we only have two. The lofi kings of rock are back in Los Angeles and I’m taking bets that this show will be around 3 hours long. Guided By Voices at the Teragram Ballroom. We’re giving away two tickets. How can you not enter this giveaway? YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE or ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO GUIDED BY VOICES APRIL 1ST AT TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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 GUIDED BY VOICES Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON APRIL 1ST AT 1PM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Monolord at Teragram Ballroom
All the way from Sweden, we’ve got one of stoner doom’s greatest, loudest bands returning to Los Angeles to make the Teragram Ballroom vibrate with fuzzy, slow riffs for days. We’re giving away two tickets to see Monolord and want to see you there to lose your damn hearing. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE or ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO BREAKBOT MARCH 27TH AT TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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 BREAKBOT Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON MARCH 26TH AT 1PM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Love at the Lodge Room: Habibi in Highland Park
There was a time in the early 2010’s when the worlds of garage rock and psychedelic indie music were still male dominated arenas. Of the few bands that broke the gender mold in garage rock and made fans want to see more women in the spotlight at these low lit shows, New York’s Habibi is both one of the most important and under-recognized outfits. Combining Iranian romance and cool with lo-fi East Coast indie rock was always a recipe for uniqueness and trendsetting. related content: Dream James: Arooj Aftab at Lodge Room The word Habibi, which means “My Love”, signals warmth and acceptance. Just the vibes their shows emanate, especially this one at the Lodge Room, which showed a chiller, more laid back side to garage rock than many in Los Angeles are accustomed to. Our garage rock is heavy and fuzzy while New York’s is more atmospheric. Habibi’s realness felt like New York, the music had no inclination to rush anywhere and was firmly grounded in the moment. They’re much more The Velvet Underground than The Doors. The Lodge Room was the perfect venue to host this event. Something about the sacred imagery and architecture becomes very beatnik under

Desert Daze 2021: Music, Magick and Medicine
The road to Desert Daze 2021 was a long and winding way that spanned greater than the material distances of the 10, 60 and 215 highways between Lake Perris and Los Angeles. Everyone’s road was different, from festival organizers, Moonblock and co. and those in attendance. Not everyone’s road was paved with isolation and misery since the last installment of Desert Daze in 2019 but certainly everyone can agree that there has been a paradigm shift in the dynamic of living, or the collective consciousness, or whatever you want to call it, on Planet Earth. related content: Desert Daze 2016- Quantifying the Physics of a Good Time Music, Magick and Medicine beckoned far and wide but intimate attendance (low ticket sales) and a revamped vibe in the typical Desert Daze lineup brought only the most loyal and adventurous of past attendees and in my own conversations in the camp site, many first timers. It shrunk the festival grounds to a one stage operation on the banks of lovely lake Perris, in one of the most beautiful weekends to grace this Fall season in Southern California. Nevertheless, vibrations reverberated like signature sitar tones, like a butterflies wings, causing ripples across space

Take This: Win Two Tickets to X at Teragram Ballroom
Long before the Teragram stood in Los Angeles, X were the kings and queens of punk rock in southern California, owning the Sunset Strip to Chinatown. And now, these icons are playing the Teragram to cement their everlasting importance and relevance that brings them to the biggest and freshest spots of music’s newest gen. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE or ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO X DECEMBER 3RD AT THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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 X Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON DECEMBER 2ND AT 1PM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Spooky Psych Sounds: Levitation 2021
Words by: Scott Urian and Grace Dunn Photos by: Grace Dunn I had no idea what to expect on my way to Levitation 2021. It was my first Levitation experience. Damn – it was also the first time I had been on an airplane, travelled out of state, or seen a single show with a crowd of more than a hundred people in the past two years of surprises and confusion. My overall takeaway from this experience was more surprises, more confusion, and absolutely no doubt that I will be back next year. My navigator of all things bizarre in Austin was none other than Grace Suzette. Photographer of the psychotic, Levitation veteran, and devout member of all things loud. With her confidence and my wide eyes began a four day melee of music at various venues in the Red River District that would have killed me had I not been having so much fun. related content: Psych & Fury: Levitation 2019 Thursday Angelica Garcia at Stubb’s Angelica’s deserved a much denser crowd. Those who planned their night around Crumb can’t be blamed, but missed out on a showcase of pure talent that started the momentum of the whole weekend.

Heavy on the Cool: Dry Cleaning at Teragram Ballroom
Raybans, iced coffee, and cigarettes high atop Manhattan on a gloomy day spent people watching on a fire escape. A Jim Jarmusch movie plays on mute in the living room while the last Dry Cleaning vinyl, New Long Leg, spins in your bedroom. You jot down lines of poetry that don’t rhyme or make sense but you feel inspired and accomplished behind your shades and thin, unmovable lips. This scene, which I just imagined, plays out in black and white, an experimental piece of imagination meant for celluloid and inspired by the sounds of Dry Cleaning, a band with the New York spirit of No Wave and South London post punk heart. You hear shades of Television, Joy Division, Portishead, Talking Heads, The Modern Lovers, Lydia Lunch, Iggy Pop’s more recent stuff, Sleaford Mods, and Kim Gordon. related content: Chicano Batman Bring A Crumb Home To The Shrine Dry Cleaning is all the rage. Before I committed to covering the show, a friend asked if I was going to see that band everyone likes right now at Teragram. When I asked which band he was referring to, his reply was simply “Dirty Laundry”. When I saw the hype around Dry

Chicano Batman Bring a Crumb Home to the Shrine
Chicano Batman must’ve hit such an intense crescendo on their current tour when they reached the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Nov 10th to play night 1 of 2 sold out dates for their proud, gushing home town crowd. I have to be honest, after opening band Crumb finished their set, I thought I was going to make the word count in this review tilt toward the psych-rock outfit from New York but silly rabbit, Chicano Batman reign supreme in L.A. related content: Texis Or Treats: Sleigh Bells At Teragram Ballroom It was a case of one of the best bands in indie music opening for one of the best bands in indie music. A classic gorge fest of immaculate songwriting meets prodigious musicianship and the line to get through security was still around the block by the time Los Retros took the stage. I wasn’t there to see it for myself but I heard Mauri Tapia of Los Retros broke a guitar string and with no back up, he made the best of it with his wurlitzer tone on keys and classic retro rock croons-manship. I was inside and well placed while the changeover crew set Crumb

Texis or Treats: Sleigh Bells at Teragram Ballroom
Sleigh Bells guitarist and arranger in chief, Derek E. Miller has come a long way from Poison the Well to meeting Alexis Krauss while waiting on her at a restaurant- and an even longer way from Treats to Texis. A wave of nostalgia came over me as Krauss referenced playing El Rey in 2011, because it was one of the shows that got me back into going to shows. Of course, at El Rey, it was just Miller, Krause, some hardware and a literal wall of Marshall cabinets that stretched from the floor of the stage to the rafters. On Thursday, Oct 21st at The Teragram Ballroom, Miller ditched the wall of cabinets but his affinity for tube amps remained in the form of a one piece Marshall. There was plenty of room for Krauss and Miller to add a live drummer, Chris Maggio and synth/ backup singer, Kate Steinberg. My feelings on the changes were mixed, along with the arrival of new album, Texis but before I get into all that, it is crucial for me to give opening band, Kills Birds a proper spot in this review- because they are a revelation. related content: This Ain’t No Reset,

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Tokyo Police Club at Teragram Ballroom
It’s time Janky Smooth embraces more indie music. And not just indie music but Canadian indie music. That’s why we’re throwing a giveaway to see Tokyo Police Club the best Canadian Indie band around. The band is celebrating the 10th Anniversary of their album Champ, an album that features all the highs and lows that comes with eternal youth. So come out and celebrate, bring a date or a friend–someone that needs a little escape. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE Or ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO TOKYO POLICE CLUB NOVEMBER 6TH AT TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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 TOKYO POLICE CLUB Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON NOVEMBER 5TH AT 1PM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Squirrel Nut Zippers at Teragram Ballroom
Swing has never been more punk than in the hands of Squirrel Nut Zippers. With a new record in the works and plenty of old records to celebrate, this show at Teragram Ballroom is already sold out but we got your hookup. So enter for your chance to hear them perform their entire debut album and then some. THIS SHOW IS SOLD OUT ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS OCTOBER 30TH AT TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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 SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON OCTOBER 29TH AT 1PM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Sleigh Bells at Teragram Ballroom
One of the most unique, noisey and heavy pop bands of all time, Sleigh Bells, is playing two nights at Teragram Ballroom and we’re giving away tickets to see them on 10/22. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE or ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO SLEIGH BELLS OCTOBER 22ND AT TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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 SLEIGH BELLS Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON OCTOBER 21ST AT 1PM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Photo Recap: Fuzz at the Teragram Ballroom
Photos by: Grace Dunn You’ve heard of Sabbath worship but Jankysmooth is guilty of the latest craze the kids are all into, Ty worship. We brought you coverage of his last residency at Teragram only a month ago and now we bring you a photo recap of his sludge metal band Fuzz, ripping up the Teragram Ballroom along with fellow Los Angeles phenomenon, Prettiest Eyes. Fuzz Prettiest Eyes

Photo Recap: Bob Mould at Teragram Ballroom
Photos by: Albert Licano One of the innovators of American underground music, whether in alternative or hardcore circles, is Bob Mould. He recently brought his brand of beautiful noise to the Teragram Ballroom and his band jammed out hard, with a set consisting of songs from his 2020 album, Blue Hearts and his most recently released compilation, Distortion. Sprinkle in a few Husker Du classics and you have the kind of punk show that dreams are made of. Opening for Bob’s band was Moaning, an LA alternative trio off Subpop. These new school cats have kept the torch passed down to them blazing bright. Here are some awesome photos from the show: Bob Mould Moaning

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Fuzz at Teragram Ballroom on 10/10
Ty Segall’s most metal, sludgy, stonery band, Fuzz is take the Teragram by storm in this latest residency and we’re giving away two tickets to see this power trio dominate on 10/10. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE or ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO FUZZ OCTOBER 10TH AT THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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 FUZZ Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON OCTOBER 8TH AT 1PM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Bob Mould at Teragram
Alternative rock and hardcore legend Bob Mould of the one and only Husker Du returns to Los Angeles to perform songs off his 2020 album, Blue Hearts! and his most recent release, Distortion. Mould is not staying quiet and has plenty left to say as an elder-statesman of punk. This is a must see show for all the real ones out there so we’re giving away two tickets hoping you can win them and become a real one too. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE or ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO BOB MOULD OCTOBER 2ND AT THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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 BOB MOULD Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON OCTOBER 1ST AT 1PM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Ty in Morning, Ty in the Evening: Ty Segall at Teragram Ballroom
Words by: Danny Baraz Photos by: Albert Licano On Monday night, Sept 13th, I went to see night 3 of 4 of Ty Segall’s stand at The Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles. Monday day I skated up to the Venice Skatepark, blasting Ty Segall on my Bluetooth speaker, and ran into… Ty Segall. WTF? What can we at Janky Smooth say about Ty Segall that myself and many other contributors haven’t said before? How about this- Ty Segall and his incredible band of wizards spanned their entire, lengthy set list, didn’t play one song that I absolutely “had to hear” and it was still one of the best shows I’ve seen in while. Forget the songs- just the intro to songs, the spatial feedback vibrating the perfect acoustics of the Teragram Ballroom and everyone in it were enough of a show on their own. No small feat for a song writer. But Ty Segall dispels the myth that I’ve heard many espouse, that good song writers aren’t usually prodigious musicians, into the recycle bin of conventional wisdom. Ty’s latest studio effort, “Harmonizer” was touted as a surprise album but how could it surprise anyone who has followed his massive catalog

This Ain’t No Reset, It’s A Misdirect: An Evening With Between The Buried And Me At Teragram Ballroom
Sometimes I go to concerts without knowing anything about the band I’m about to see. In the case of Between the Buried and Me, I knew they were a prog band but because of the time they grew in popularity, part of me lumped them into the metalcore side of the New Wave of American Metal. On my drive to the Teragram Ballroom, where the band was hosting an “Evening With” concert, I treated myself to a listen of their 2021 release, Colors II, which I fell in love with very quickly. I almost felt a sense of shame having not delved into BTBAM until that moment. This album was the sequel to what is widely considered their most important record, 2007’s Colors. Although this album would be touched upon in the first part of BTBAM’s set tonight, the 2nd half of the evening would be devoted to their album after, 2009’s The Great Misdirect. related content: When A Band’s Lyrics Become Real: Megadeth At Fivepoint Amphitheatre The Great Misdirect seemed like a rather esoteric choice to play from start to finish to many in the audience. There is so much going on thematically, lyrically and musically in that record, that you could spend

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Ty Segall at the Teragram Ballroom on 9/6
Two ticket giveaways to Ty at Teragram back to back. Ty Segall‘s residency is sweeping the city with a fever. Get down with the sickness and join him at Teragram for the 2nd show of the residency. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR: ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO TY SEGALL SEPTEMBER 6TH AT THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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 TY SEGALL Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON SEPTEMBER 4TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Ty Segall at the Teragram Ballroom on 9/5
The Teragram is back! Ty is back! Ty Segall is doing a fucking residency at Teragram! We are giving away tickets to every night of that residency! This giveaway is for the first of four shows on the 5th! Ahhhhh! YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR: ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO TY SEGALL SEPTEMBER 5TH AT THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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 TY SEGALL Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON SEPTEMBER 4TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Rock and Roll Shit Show: King Khan & BBQ Show at the Teragram Ballroom
Rock and roll still reigns supreme as the wildest, most fun form of music you can make when you plug in an electric guitar. The father of so many subgenres, true rock and roll, in the vein of Chuck Berry and Little Richard, is the real punk rock. You realize this the moment King Khan and Mark Sultan start riffing away together. It’s an old sound but it’s more unchained and crazed than this younger generation knows how to tap into. A certain level of sloppiness heightens the experience, we want to see the artist let loose, even at the cost of professionalism. related content: King Khan And The Shrines Bring Fans To Their Knees At Echoplex The show was presented by Cretin Hop, LA’s resident rock and roll and garage dance night that takes place at the Short Stop every third Saturday of the month. This is the best place to dance, hear Don Bolles DJ, and meet fellow rockers. It’s the closest thing So-Cal has to a Burger Boogaloo vibe. The cretins were out in full force for the first band, Covina’s The Night Times who were a rock and roll dream come true. Every member pushed themselves to

Janky Smooth Top 10 ALBUMS of 2019 Rated by Contributors
2019 was a year full of fresh faces releasing undeniable breakout albums and veterans making their returns to grace. Even though it may seem like singles are the logical way to release music in 2019, it would turn out that people want full and cohesive artistic statements with emotional twists and turns. Don’t believe the hype, all the devices we’ve surrounded ourselves with and all the information flooding our minds, we’re still human, the nature of our hearts has not changed much. Artists like Lingua Ignota with Caligula and FKA Twigs with Magdelene bore their souls onto record and the reception reciprocated their love and passion because this was their year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2j4vJWLz2E As much as our current culture emphasizes the importance of youth and the irrelevance of the old, a few veterans showed they had so much more fuel left in the tank. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds came back with a vengeance with Ghosteen, a return to the mournfulness that made him a goth God in the first place. Leonard Cohen released Thanks For The Dance posthumously, haunting us from the grave as if he can’t rest until we’ve really, truly learned everything we can form the old poet.

Janky Smooth Top 10 SHOWS of 2019 Rated by Contributors
This decade saw numerous paradigm shifts that laid the groundwork for a future where people basically become some form of android. That’s nothing to fear, though…we’re still safe….Many predict we’re seeing the fall of the American empire or some kind of apocalypse…hopefully they only mean in the sense that we’re entering a new chapter in humanity’s being….Still, no sweat, right?…We can handle this….In 2019 Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” become the most successful song of all time….Code red! Abandon ship! Get your kicks in before the whole shit house goes down in flames! related content: Janky Smooth Top 10 Shows of 2018 Rated by Contributors Every genre of music saw scene defining moments but I guess that ought to happen every year. What was special about 2019 though, was all the reunions that went down. It’s as if when a band decides to get back together, Los Angeles is the first place they think to play just so all their artist friends can attend the show. A few examples of such reunions were: Bauhaus at the Hollywood Palladium, Heart to Heart at Sound and Fury, Stereolab at Desert Daze, The Locust at Desert Daze, Limp Bizkit at the Troubadour

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Monolord at Teragram
Call it doom, call it stoner, or call it sludge, Monolord is one of Metal’s most brutal and crushing bands. When those walls of fuzz hit that Teragram sound system, mother fuckers are bound to come away with tinnitus. ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO MONOLORD NOVEMBER 27TH AT THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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, TWITTER, or FACEBOOK Monolord Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON NOVEMBER 26TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Taking out the Trash: Municipal Waste at the Teragram Ballroom
Thrash has always been the subgenre of heavy metal to inspire the most partying, whether that takes the form of drinking, moshing, or crowd surfing, the marriage of punk and metal created a way to have fun that was unparalleled by any other kind of music. The greatest practitioners of this way of life are a little band known as Municipal Waste. With lyrics that almost parody heavy metal’s classically gory tropes in songs like “Headbanger Face Rip” or “Terror Shark”, this band was able tickling your funny bone just as much as it was bashing your face in. Headlining one of the best metal tours of the year, Municipal Waste brought Napalm Death, Sick of it All, and Take Offense along for the ride with two pit stops at the end of the tour at the Teragram Ballroom. The sound system is so pristine at the Teragram that heavy metal audiences are driven to new plateaus of insanity that they never knew existed, seeing as they’ve never heard a live band sound so crisp and clean. First up to bat were Crossover kings Take Offense, who as always give off the perfect hardcore bounce while satiating every punk and

Take This: Win Two Tickets to EYEHATEGOD at Teragram
This is going to be one of the best shows on 2019 because it just features an all star lineup of bands ranging in genres but each of them so gnarly in their own right. Each band has a legendary component to their music and following but for me personally, I can’t wait to see Sheer Terror and The Accused AD. EYEHATEGOD and Negative Approach are incredible every time they perform as well… obviously. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR: ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO EYEHATEGOD OCTOBER 28NTH AT THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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, TWITTER, or FACEBOOK EYEHATEGOD Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON OCTOBER 26TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Mikal Cronin at Teragram
The same venue that brought you Ty Segall’s epic residency is now bringing you a night with his longtime collaborator and fellow mad rock and roll genius, Mikal Cronin. This singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist is synonymous with Los Angeles garage and psych and he’s going to show us why on October 25th. Here’s your chance to score tickets. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR: ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO MIKAL CRONIN OCTOBER 25TH AT THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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, TWITTER, or FACEBOOK Mikal Cronin Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON OCTOBER 23RD AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Municipal Waste and Napalm Death at Teragram ~ 10/24
Holy shit, can you believe this show is happening? Can you believe it’s happening twice. Of course you can, it was so in demand that they couldn’t just sell the house out at Teragram for one single evening. This lineup is so insane it had to be repeated for the metalheads in Los Angeles. For that same reason, we have to give away tickets to Municipal Waste and Napalm Death at the Teragram Ballroom. I’m a huge fan of Napalm Death but I don’t mind seeing them open for Municipal Waste because I know the kinds of pits that band conjures up. This one is going to be a thrash fest, murder in the front row. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR: ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO MUNICIPAL WASTE AND NAPALM DEATH OCTOBER 24TH AT TERAGRAM 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, TWITTER, or FACEBOOK Municipal Waste Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON OCTOBER 21ST AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Neon Indian at Teragram
Neon Indian‘s stand alone single “Annie” has brought him back on the road playing a select few shows including the Teragram Ballroom. With the Teragram’s sound system giving you the full Neon Indian experience, we’re sure this show will change whoever’s lucky enough to win our tickets. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR: ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO AGAINST ME! OCTOBER 16TH AT TERAGRAM 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, TWITTER, or FACEBOOK Neon Indian Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON OCTOBER 14TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

OC Rots Slow: Obituary, Abbath, and Midnight at the Observatory
For the longest time, I was consumed with the debate on who should be considered the best death metal band of all time. The usual suspects always make the list of the death metal big four: Death, Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, and then the last spot seems to fluctuate between a myriad of bands. Taking their current status in the scene in regard, I thought Possessed had surpassed Cannibal Corpse and Morbid Angel, earning them the top spot. They still sound incredible live and put on wild shows that nearly topple the venue. However, after their sold out show at Orange County’s Observatory, I’m sorry but the top of that list is a spot reserved only for Obituary. You can take the band’s history as a partial reason why, they’ve been “slowly rotting” for 3o years now but for me, it’s all about the sonic power and how they make me feel. Having seen all the competition, nothing compares to Obituary. related content: The Battle Of The Bays: Obituary & Exodus Clash At Teragram Ballroom This was one of most anticipated tours of the year for metalheads, with a stacked lineup that featured Devil Master on first. Having witnessed their

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Ty Segall and Freedom Band at Teragram ~ 9/27
This is it, the final Ty Segall and Freedom Band residency show at Teragram. If you don’t enter this contest then fuck you. If you win this contest then congrat-u-fucking-lations. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR: ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO TY SEGALL AND FREEDOM BAND SEPTEMBER 27TH AT THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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, TWITTER, or FACEBOOK Ty Segall Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON SEPTEMBER 26TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Ty Segall & Freedom Band ~ 9/20
As September’s finish looms over Los Angeles, so too does the end of Ty Segall‘s Teragram residency. I have a feeling he’ll be saving his best stuff for his last shows so you don’t want to miss this or the next Ty giveaway. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR: ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO TY SEGALL AND FREEDOM BAND SEPTEMBER 20TH AT THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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, TWITTER, or FACEBOOK Ty Segall Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON SEPTEMBER 19TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Ty Segall and Freedom Band at Teragram ~ 9/13
What better way to spend the cursed Friday the 13th than with the musically blessed Ty Segall and Freedom band as he continues his some day legendary Teragram ballroom residency. For this show Ty is playing First Taste and Manipulator in full. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR: ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO TY SEGALL AND FREEDOM BAND SEPTEMBER 13TH AT THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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, TWITTER, or FACEBOOK Ty Segall Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON SEPTEMBER 12TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Ty Segall and Freedom Band at Teragram ~ 9/6
The residency continues into September. It’s really too epic for words, how a man can sell out a show every fucking Friday night he plays. Cheers to you Ty Segall and cheers to the winner of this giveaway. For this show he’s going to play First Taste and Emotional Mugger in full. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR: ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO TY SEGALL AND FREEDOM BAND SEPTEMBER 6TH AT THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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, TWITTER, or FACEBOOK Ty Segall Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON SEPTEMBER 10TH AT 5AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Torche at Teragram
Florida metal band, Torche, has one of the most nuanced sounds of any heavy band in the last decade. These guys have crossed genres and made fans out of people that usually wouldn’t stray into the metal world. Backed by the awesome power of the Teragram sound system, Torche is going to play an unforgettable show to highlight their latest album Admission and we’ve got your hookup for tickets. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR: ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO TORCHE SEPTEMBER 10TH AT THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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, TWITTER, or FACEBOOK Torche Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON SEPTEMBER 10TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Subtle Like A T-Rex: The Murder City Devils in So-Cal
Almost every time I have seen The Murder City Devils in the past, it has been with some indie or experimental band opening that is not even close to the same vibe as theirs. On one hand, they are opening up their fans to a broader perspective of music they enjoy. On the other hand, many of their supporting bands, in my opinion, have missed the mark in building up the energy before the headlining set. Those who were fortunate enough to make it to Vegas this year for Punk Rock Bowling had the chance to see MCD with fully punk line-up including Le Butcherettes and The Flytraps. While I was sad I couldn’t make it for such a glorious event, I was please to find that punk/indie alumni, The Intelligence, would be joining them for their 2 night stint in Southern California. The mic-deep throating started at The Observatory in Santa Ana the first night and the insanity continued at The Teragram Ballroom in DLTA the following evening. As much as I enjoyed the presence and energy, I wouldn’t be reporting accurately if I didn’t mention that the sound mix was off during MCD’s sets both nights. Spencer’s vocals were

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Ty Segall & Freedom Band at Teragram ~ 8/30
Ty Segall‘s fifth night at the Teragram in August has him playing First Taste and for the first time of his residency, Emotional Mugger in full. This is not a show you want to miss, so enter our giveaway and don’t. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR: ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO TY SEGALL AUGUST 30TH AT THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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, TWITTER, or FACEBOOK Ty Segall Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON AUGUST 29TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Take This: Win Two Tickets to MC50 at the Teragram Ballroom
Punk began when the MC5 first said “Kick out the jams, mother fucker!” From there, an entire sonic revolution can be credited to their contributions to noisy guitars and political dissidence. Perhaps there is no greater time for the MC5’s Wayne Kramer to be celebrate 50 years of music with MC50. This teragram show will inspire you to raise your fist in the air and join the revolution. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR: ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO ENJOY AUGUST 27TH AT THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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, TWITTER, or FACEBOOK MC50 Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON AUGUST 26TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Take This: Win Two Tickets to 3TEETH at the Teragram Ballroom
Industrial music hasn’t been as popular and in the public eye since Nine Inch Nails. It’s still a very underground genre. However, one band that seems to be breaking out and reaching mainstream rock and roll fans is 3TEETH, a band that often gets the NIN comparison. They put on a great show and with an opener like Author and Punisher, this night is gonna be off the wall. We have to do a giveaway for it. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR: ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO 3TEETH AUGUST 17TH AT THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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, TWITTER, or FACEBOOK 3TEETH Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON AUGUST 15TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Ty Segall at Teragam ~ 8/16
Not once, not twice, but thrice times the Ty Segall. Another week, another giveaway in the August of Ty. For this show he’s play First Taste and Goodbye Bread. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR: ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO TY SEGALL AUGST 16TH AT TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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, TWITTER, or FACEBOOK Ty Segall Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON AUGUST 15TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

The Ultimate Residency: Ty Segall & Freedom Band at Teragram
The second night of Ty Segall‘s MASSIVE 10 week residency at The Teragram Ballroom was a perfect juxtaposition of the now classic, simple songwriting and garage riffs of 2010 paired with the refined and experimental material of a maturing artist. related content: Ty Segall & The Freedom Band Blows Minds At Secret Show At The Griffin Backed by an ensemble of familiar LA musicians performing as The Freedom Band, Ty and Co. set the evening in motion with a blazing rendition of the entirety of the recently released album First Taste. The Freedom Band (consisting of Mikal Cronin, Charles Moothart, Emmet Kelley, and Shannon Lay [perfectly adding six strings to the press-buzz generating “guitarless album”]) cast new light on an already new release by significantly boosting the energy of every single track. A swelling electric rendition of the a capella Ice Plant, now complete with percussion and strings, stands out as a highlight of the evening and a prime example of the power of live performance. Feeding upon the excitement of the audience and playing harder or with more feeling is the cycle that makes it more than just “songs from the album, but live.” It’s the entire purpose of seeing music in person and

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Murder City Devils at Teragram or Observatory
We got your hook up to get at tickets to see one of Janky Smooth’s favorite bands: The Murder City Devils. A band that perfectly blends garage, punk, and American horror rock into something totally original and real. What makes this giveaway special is that you can pick your poison, Orange County or Los Angeles. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS TO THE OBSERVATORY HERE OR THE TERAGRAM HERE OR: ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO THE MURDER CITY DEVILS AUGUST 12TH AT THE OBSERVATORY AND THE 13TH AT TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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, TWITTER, or FACEBOOK Murder City Devils Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON AUGUST 9TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Ty Segall & Freedom Band at Teragram ~ 8/9
The second Ty Segall residency show at Teragram deserves the 2nd Ty Segall giveaway of the month. On this show he’ll be performing First Taste and Melted in their entirety. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR: ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO TY SEGALL AUGUST 9TH AT THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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, TWITTER, or FACEBOOK Ty Segall Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON AUGUST 8TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Ty Segall & Freedom Band at Teragram ~ 8/2
Our generation’s renaissance man and golden boy of garage music, Ty Segall is playing a slew of shows at the Teragram in August and we are giving away tickets to every damn one of them. He’s playing all his albums consecutively and this show will feature a set of songs from First Taste. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR: ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO TY SEGALL AUGUST 2ND AT THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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, TWITTER, or FACEBOOK Ty Segall Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON AUGUST 1ST AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Amyl and the Sniffers at the Teragram Ballroom
Opening a show for a band like Amyl and The Sniffers seems like it could be somewhat intimidating, but adding a legend like Alice Bag to the bill seems like it could make it downright terrifying, however that didn’t seem to be the case with Moss! The quartet of young musicians made their way to the stage first. There was an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes before their set started and the smaller crowd of obvious fans and curious early birds that had trickled in, stood staring blankly at the stage waiting for Moss! to start performing. It wasn’t long before these guys would prove the reason why they were added to this insane bill. related content: Surf & Sniff: Amyl & The Sniffers At Soda Bar Moss! is no 3 chord act. While they embody everything that we all love energetically and stylistically about Punk, their arrangements are much more intricate varying from bluesy and surfy to punchy and aggressive and even melodic at times. It wasn’t long before the room filled up and bodies were moving. Their set served as a great reminder of why it’s important “get there early” to catch opening bands. Next up was

Take This: Win 2 Tickets to Amyl and the Sniffers at Teragram Ballroom
One of the hottest punk bands on the scene right now is playing a special performance at Teragram Ballroom and it’s sure to kick plenty of ass. We’re talking about Amyl and the Sniffers, perhaps Australia’s current most wildest, fun import. We’ve got to tickets to giveaway for their show with Alice Bag and damn it, you know you can’t miss this one. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR: ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS JULY 7TH AT THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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, TWITTER, or FACEBOOK Amyl and the Sniffers Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON JULY 5TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Photo Recap: Princess at Teragram
It’s been three years since Prince left this planet but his impact still resonates with so many people. For everything he’s done as a mega talent, genius songwriter, and iconic performer, he’s created a lasting imprint on music that can neither be denied nor forgotten. Whether man or woman, Prince made music that shook you to your core and made you dance the night away, providing the soundtrack for some of life’s most important moments. His birthday, June 7th, was only days before Princess’ return to Los Angels for a sold out show at the Teragram ballroom. For those of you unfamiliar, Princess is the ultimate Prince cover band made up of SNL’s Maya Rudolph and singer/songwriter Gretchen Lieberum. The duo’s charisma, humor, and knowledge of all things Prince make them the best party hosts you could ever imagine and so, it’s no wonder this show sells out every time. We had to be there and capture the event on camera, so our own Jessica Moncrief attended the show to capture these images: Princess

Scream Team Hits Pomona: The Hives and Refused at the Fox Theater
Sweden produces some of the craziest art in all of Europe but with bands like The Hives and Refused, the craziest thing about them is that they’ve taken two American styles, garage punk and hardcore punk, and perfected them better than any Americans ever did. I am such a huge fan of Refused that I have a hard time believing they found a band they could open for on a tour but The Hives impressed me enough to think they earned the coveted closing spot. I always remembered the Hives as the band who’s music video for “Walk, Idiot Walk” was something I obsessed over in the heyday of MTV2. It was just so catchy and kinetic. The Hives were one of the many new wave of garage bands to take over that moment in mainstream music. While the Strokes and Whites Stripes were everywhere, The Hives were this Swedish import that had songs just as groovy to be lumped in with names that huge. related content: Albert Hammond Jr Strokes The Teragram Ballroom With these two bands combining forces for a single tour, their stop at Pomona’s Fox Theater after Punk Rock Bowling was an essential gathering from any

As Real as Punk Gets: Bouncing Souls and the Bronx at the Fonda
I have trouble thinking of a band that makes pop punk music as lasting and classic as the Bouncing Souls. Their three decades of real and romantic pop punk music, created by with the same four original members, has impacted multiple genres of punk from emo, to hardcore, to pop punk. The Bouncing Souls were always on the outskirts of the 90’s mall punk tsunami but all this time, they’ve kept a lasting, steady, and diehard following that has more devotion than the biggest bands could ever wish for. related content: Jawbreaker At Riot Fest: The Moment I Stopped Hating Pop Punk Hailing from New Brunswick, New Jersey, heritage has everything to do with the realness and low key vibe of the Bouncing Souls. Their lyrics always hit home to anyone who lives for good times with friends and hopeless romance. You can tell this band’s parents listened to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. It’s almost like if Billy Joel had a punk band. These maladies could get the drunks in any down and out piano dive bar to sing all the words. To celebrate their 30 years of making punk hearts float, Bouncing Souls took their Crucial Moments

Wax Trax and Vans Present Ministry and Cold Cave at Teragram
The impact of Wax Trax! Records cannot be understated. Without this small, independent Chicago-based record label, dance music as we know it would be a very different entity. To celebrate the record label’s legacy and Industrial music in general (the genre can’t be divorced from the label), Vans threw a special documentary screening of Industrial Accident, speaking panel, and concert, featuring the landmark of the record label, Ministry, playing an old school set at the Teragram Ballroom. related content: Front 242 And Severed Heads Bring Classic Industrial To The Regent Theater I highly recommend Industrial Accident: The Story of Wax Trax! Records to any fan of rock docs or music films, not only does it give you a very human, personal peek into the label’s history, beginning as a Denver based record store then moving to Chicago and becoming an indie label to be reckoned with but it also introduces you to so much music, from Al Jourgensen’s side projects like Pailhead with Ian Mackaye or all the great European acts that jumped onto Wax Trax! for distribution in the states, from Front 242 to Laibach. The documentary’s protagonists, owners and life partners, Jim Nash and Dannie Flesher, present a heart warming

Take This: Win Two Tickets to HEALTH & Youth Code at Teragram
Two of our favorite bands, HEALTH and Youth Code are descending upon the Teragram Ballroom to destroy the speakers and blow your eardrums out of your dancing bodies. And we’re giving away a pair of tickets to the show! YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR. ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO HEALTH MAY 11TH AT THE TERAGRAM 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 Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook HEALTH Posts WINNER WILL BE WILL BE SELECTED ON MONDAY MAY 6TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Surf & Sniff: Amyl & the Sniffers at Soda Bar
Words and Photos by: Rebecca DiGiglio Richard Rose is a new band lead by vocalist Chris Shaw, who also sings with Ty Segall in GØGGS, as well as Ex Cult. Don’t try looking them up on YouTube for a listen just yet, as you will only find videos from the mystic philosopher of the same name– or, perhaps look it up if you’re interested in hearing some esoteric theorizing which, I can only assume, influenced the band in some important way. Their garage rocky aesthetic layered with saxophone was a solid start to the night; their set felt more fluid and laid back than what was to come, yet still punctuated by heavy moments and high energy. The band has an upcoming four song EP coming out via In the Red Records. related content: GØGGS a-go-go at the Teragram Ballroom While waiting for Amyl & The Sniffers‘ set to start, I’ll admit that I questioned the San Diego audience’s ability to really show up and make the set as wild and raucous as I had heard A&TS live performances typically were. Sometimes I feel like everyone is a bit more laid back here in SD. And for the first few

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Psychedelic Porn Crumpets at Teragram
Australian psych rock seems to have swept Los Angeles and the latest band to create a buzz, the Psychedelic Porn Crumpets are playing the Teragram with Frankie and the Witch Fingers. We are giving away five pairs of tickets to the show, so get ready from the Gods of thunder from down under to liquify light and faces before your very eyes. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETS MARCH 20TH AT THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM 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 Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook Psychedelic Porn Crumpets Posts WINNER WILL BE WILL BE SELECTED ON MONDAY MARCH 11TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Satan’s First Born: Possessed at the Whisky
Anton Lavey’s church of Satan could’ve only happened in San Francisco. They have a certain way of playing with ideas in Northern California that they can deal in evil and sin while not taking themselves too seriously but also not being perceived as jokes. Anton Lavey’s dream of a new world based on humanist principals was so unapologetic that it could invert any cross. It’s no wonder, that these two forces, satanism and good ol’ fashioned San Franciscan California dreaming, contributed to the birth of death metal in a band called Possessed. related content: The Battle Of The Bays: Obituary & Exodus Clash At Teragram Ballroom Whether you debate death metal crawled out of the San Francisco bay or Tampa bay, we are all in agreement that Possessed’s singer, Jeff Becerra is an icon of the genre. You feel power and wisdom emanating from him when he’s working a stage. His vocals shoot out in bolts, they’re not quite guttural but it’s certainly signature death. It delivers the satanic, thought-provoking, and ominous lyrics home, as if a dark wizard were singing. related content: Morbid Angel At The Regent: A Lesson In Death Possessed began in 1983 and after breakups, reformations, lineup

Janky Smooth Top 25 Artists to Watch in 2019
Ah, the much anticipated and revered artists to watch article, how we’ve awaited you. The artists on this list vary in genre, age, ethnicity, region, and popularity. What they all have in common though, is that between January and December of 2019, something special is expected to happen to each of them. This list is not just to identify the smaller bands you need to know about but also to point out the bands you know and should be watching closely. Think of these artists and bands as heroes in their own stories, in the year 2019, a pivotal narrative moment will occur in each story. The Manx The Manx put on a show you couldn’t forget if you tried. Combining all sorts of styles from rock, to zydeco and polka, The Manx stir this musical stew until its reduction doesn’t resemble any of the ingredients used to create it, winding up with a mutant sound that’s totally original and shocking. With oddball instrumentation that utilizes banjo and accordion, the Manx don’t have any problem getting nude and covering themselves in multi-colored slime so that the show is a off-the-wall as the sound. This band is so strange that the

Janky Smooth Top 10 SHOWS of 2018 Rated by Contributors
What a year for shows in Los Angeles 2018 was. This is undoubtably the best city in the world for live music, so consider each list by our contributors 10 reasons why. Reunion shows alone were off the chain, Burger Boogaloo featured two comeback sets, Devo and Le Shok. Both performances were wild and unforgettable, making much deserved appearances below. Lets not forget about Stray Cats reuniting at Viva Las Vegas or Helloween’s epic Pumpkins United at the Palladium or Bleeding Through at the Observatory or My Bloody Valentine at The Shrine either. related content: The De-Evolution of Burger Boogaloo So many promoters delivered the goods in 2018. Das Bunker brought Covenant to 1720, Part Time Punks gave us Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel at the Echoplex, Church of the 8th Day sold out the Teragram with Napalm Death, and Lethal Amounts sold sex at Sex Cells with Hercules and Love Affair. Each of these shows are among the many these promoters held that were rare highlights of the year. related content: Groveling Before The Gods Of Grind: Napalm Death At The Teragram Punk rock represented hard, especially out of the Latin sector of Angelino culture. Club Scum held an

Janky Smooth Top 10 ALBUMS of 2018 Rated by Contributors
Many truths bubbled up to the surface during 2018. The once hidden greatness of certain artists revealed itself in the work they released this year. With streaming services diminishing the significance of full albums with every year that goes by, these artists were able to fight the good fight on behalf of “the album” and prove some things never change. All the work listed below is worthy of your record collection. related content: Janky Smooth Top 10 SHOWS of 2018 Rated By Contributors Kanye West, for all the controversy and political ignorance he was a part of, produced 5 albums beginning with Pusha T’s Daytona and ending with Teyana’s K.T.S.E. All 5 albums featured 7 tracks, pushed boundaries, and were in this humble editor’s opinion, brilliant. Kanye produced Nas’ best album, Nasir, since God’s Son in 2002. Expect to see more than one Kanye produced album on any blog’s year-end lists. 2018 was one of the most dramatic years hip hop has had in awhile with beef between Pusha T and Drake reaching a fever pitch that culminated in Pusha T’s check-mate move, “The Story of Adidon”. Eminem resurrected Slim Shady and dropped Kamikazi, an album that reminded people he wasn’t just

Going Hard for 2019: Mickey Avalon at Gallagher’s Pub
Words and Photos by: Maggie St. Thomas Rap star Yeshe Pearl better known around the globe as Mickey Avalon was made famous for lyrical themes about drug abuse, overdoses, glamorized bulimia, prostitution, suicide, and his dick on the notorious track “My Dick”. Mickey Avalon is half of pure Hollywood debauchery and half artistic genius. While one might try dismissing Mickey as a novelty act, his live shows are legendary, never predictable, and he always keeps it real. There is no in-between with Mickey, either you love him or you hate him, he speaks his mind with unflinching lyrical content and keeps his songs disturbingly poetic with catchy samples and beats. related content: Fullerton Vice City: A Flock Of Seagulls At Totally 80’s At Gallagher’s Pub on the coast of Surf City, USA, Mickey Avalon packed ’em in like sardines. Keeping with tradition, the evening’s set began with Toni Basil’s 1980’s hit “Hey Mickey” to start the show. Tapping into that deviant energy, Mickey Avalon strutted on stage with attitude, wearing tight blue jeans and a black t-shirt that read “I’m Mickey Blow Me”. His back up dancer Jillian Schmitz provided provocative and sultry moves with multiple costume changes including pom-poms for

Off Without a Hitch: Elvis Costello and the Imposters at House of Blues Anaheim
Words and Photos by: Maggie St. Thomas I was escorted into the Anaheim House of Blues by Professor Steve Nieve himself, who came out to greet his daughter, my date for the night. We walked into the venue and backstage through production to the Green Room, adorned with english teas and candies, and just under a 1/2 dozen Elvis Costello mugs and Grether’s Pastilles on the table. A man walked by who I introduced myself to. He looked familiar, but I couldn’t place it. My eyes lit up when I saw him enjoying a small cup of espresso in the greenroom. I asked if I too could get a cup, and within seconds a tiny mug of espresso was in my hand. I am almost too embarrassed to admit I thought this was a roadie due to his friendly and accommodating demeanor, I figured it out long after my espresso had kicked in, when the man I mistook for a roadie walked onstage to the sold out venue to take the microphone, and the band kicked into “This Year’s Girl.” related content: Falling In Love All Over Again: Sparks At The Palace Theatre The Anaheim House of Blues didn’t keep fans

Heaven on Earth: Perry Farrell’s Kind Heaven Orchestra at the Teragram Ballroom
Words by: Maggie St. Thomas Photos by: Jessica Moncrief Perry Farrell is a visionary artist, human rights activist, and is most famous for being the lead singer of Jane’s Addiction and Porno For Pyros. He was also the mastermind behind Lollapalooza and seems to have a Midas touch where as just about anything and everything he touches turns to gold. His newest musical venture is a spectacular embodiment of sound and vision with state of the art instrumentation by an astounding team of musicians including Matt Chamberlain on drums; Jane’s Addiction’s bassist Chris Chaney and Matt Rohde on keys; guitarist Nick Maybury, and Etty Lau Farrell on vocals. related content: Your Vagina May Catch Fire By The End Of This Song: Death From Above At Teragram The tall and charismatic front man entered the stage of the packed Teragram Ballroom with his Kind Heaven Orchestra and trademark bottle of red wine hoisted high in his hands to the cheering applause of his adorning fans. The set had an eclectic mixture of sound right from the beginning, from the symphonic strings of violins and backup singers to funky disco pop tunes that made you just want to get high and love somebody. related

POC OC: Tropicalia Music and Taco Fest at the Queen Mary
If the crowd of over 10,000 mostly white attendees at Surf City Blitz in Huntington Beach was anyone’s attempt to portray the demographic of Orange County’s aging local hero music scene, Long Beach’s Tropicalia Festival certainly flipped that turtle on its back. Tropicalia, now in it’s second year, has usurped the beach goth crowd from its predecessors, and has established itself as Southern California’s premier Latino influenced music festival, with one of the most diverse lineups I’ve ever seen. The mostly early twenty-something Latino-American crowd sold out the two-day weekend fest’s $200+ ticket capacity and brought an energy with them that recent Southern California festivals have been lacking. related content: The Growlers Reclaim Castle Beach Goth And All Is Right With The World Again With a lineup that boasted Morrissey and Mazzy Star, in addition to The Strokes’ Albert Hammond Jr. and Kali Uchis, Tropicalia presented a full day’s worth of entertainment for its attendees. Younger crowds showed up early to watch local favorites Tropa Magica, The Hurricanes, and Jurassic Shark play on much larger stages than the bands usually get the opportunity to perform on, and each enjoyed a well-received set. related content: Janky Meets Marty: The Dwarves At

GØGGS a-go-go at the Teragram Ballroom
Is it C.F.M or Ty Segall, the Muggers, Freedom Band, Parliament? I don’t even think they know half the time. I think they show up to a venue, in this case it was The Teragram Ballroom and whoever gets the mic first decides which band is performing that night. related content: New Album Review: GØGGS is Damn Good Gravy On The Ty Segall Catalog There is one way to tell and that’s when Chris Shaw saunters over with that thousand yard stare. You know right away you’ve got GØGGS. Which is just enough time to make your peace with your teeth because the energy he infects the crowd with is fucking bonkers. It’s not often that you get a band that can be so intense but maintain the musicality they obviously work so hard on. They could easily just do the one band and call it a day. The branches of the tree of creativity that they come from stick out in so many unique ways. But they don’t let complacency tempt them into mediocrity and fans respond with pits that don’t neutralize after the first song, they keep their phones away because how could a cellphone ever capture what

Prophets of Doom: Yob and Acid King at Teragram
In times of social decay, metalheads thirst for one specific strain of heavy music to level their peeking frustrations and fears simply by crushing them equal to all other feelings. Call it masochistic but with all the suffering in the world, being enveloped by riffs so heavy that your teeth tremble in your gums, actually treats the pain. So, give us heavy, crushing guitars. Give us slow riffs that stretch longer than life lines. Give us drums that crash like thunder in storms too thick to see through. Give us doom, impending, loud, and full of sorrow. Doom is the sonic version of the abyss we stare into and see our reflections in. No American doom band today is quite as powerful live as Yob. Not since Saint Vitus has this subgenre seen such soul within it. I take plenty of bands into account when I make this bold verdict and if you disagree then leave me with my opinions to a solitary death and purple satin upholstered casket. related content: Pallbearer & Gatecreeper Stop At Echoplex Reminds Us- Guitar Solos Matter Doom lyrics in reviews aside, Church of the 8th Day booked another monstrous show with Yob, Acid Bath,

Sleepy Bangers/Hard Lullabies: The Book of Love at Teragram
Over the last few years, The Book of Love has been playing shows to celebrate their three decades long career. Los Angeles, as a city that means so much to their career, was the one city that was missing from their tour schedule until Friday night’s show at the Teragram ballroom presented by Lethal Amounts. related content: We All Scored At Lethal Amounts’ Pure Trash With Sylvain Sylvain Philadelphia Synth-pop duo, The Book of Love is made up of nightingale siren Susan Ottaviano and Electro-maestro Ted Ottaviano. What’s amazing about the group is their musical formula of taking synth lullabies and turning them into hard, dance floor bangers. This was “dream pop” before pop knew how to dream. The destined-duo are unrelated but their families trace back to the same Italian village. From start to finish, the crowd of 80’s kids was bopping and dancing madly to the music. People were making out like mad during the set. The band even seemed to have their own gaggle of groupies. The audience was in step for the whole show, eating out of Susan’s palm as her heavenly, serene voice swept over them. Songs that resonated hardest with the audience were “Alice

Jerry Lives Forever: Grateful Shred at Teragram
For half my life, I’ve been a diehard fan of the most hippie-slaying bands you could ever hear but throughout that time, working in contrast to that was my love of The Grateful Dead. The Grateful Dead were spawned out of Ken Kesey’s Acid Tests where they played as the house band and got so high that they had to improvise their sounds and obey the psychedelic flow running through them. It gave them the most original feel and song structure of any band from their era and garnered them the most cult following in the history of music. I’m sure had I been around at the time of the Grateful Dead, I would’ve been a “Dead Head” and if that undermines my punk credibility, allow me to share what I witnessed at a recent Dead and Company show at Dodgers Stadium: Dirty hippies, one wardrobe change away from crust punks, snorting cocaine right in front of sixty year old couples. Women flashing and everyone choosing their own seats with no care what was assigned to them on their tickets. Captured by The Dead’s music this month, seeing Grateful Shred perform at the Teragram Ballroom was my way of celebrating Jerry

The Growlers Reclaim Castle Beach Goth and all is Right with the World Again
I love Beach Goth because The Growlers know how to book a festival better than anyone blessed enough to have their own festival. In the age of mixed bills, Beach Goth offers the total package every summer, with hip hop, hardcore, punk, metal, garage, goth, and everything in between. These artists then get presented on stages decorated like nothing you’ve ever seen, this year we celebrated “The Death of a Rat” on a stinky, burning garbage heap of a stage where bands and drag queens put on memorable and boundary pushing performances. related content: Beach Goth 4: The Party Of The Year Beach Goth had to scale back this year. Usually, the festival would be two days with headliners that you could opt to see instead of the Growlers each night. This was partly due to the ambition of last year’s festival. Last year was artistically a massive success, with the Geto Boys, Bad Brains, and even a Butthole Surfers reunion. It’s also important to mention that last year, the festival was called “The Growlers 6” because someone had the audacity to try and claim ownership of the name. Call it whatever you’d like, Growlers or Beach Goth, it was

Persistence of Consistence: Yo La Tengo at the Teragram Ballroom
Yo La Tengo are the type of band that screams road trip music to me. You feel their sound more than you hear it. Angelic emotion runs through their balancing of rhythmic melancholy and sprinkles of sonic hope. It’s the type of music you put on in the background before merging onto the freeway and zoning out so completely, you feel like a machine. House parties are another great venue for Yo La Tengo music, I would imagine, as the vibe seamlessly blends in with the casual ambiance and physical bodies chatting and standing around. Some people might sit on the couch, or lay on the floor passed out with a warm Michelob Ultra as “Dream Dream Away” hums on in the ether. related content: The Dead Milkmen Deliver Cartons Of Fun For 2 Nights At Teragram All appropriate scenarios for Yo La Tengo experiences. But seeing them live at a venue? I’m not sure. Maybe I’m horribly out of shape, getting old or just plain lame, but half way through the show I was desperate for a couch and/or recess. The lullabies were lulling me to sleep. But it was so goddamn beautiful. I absorbed the pain, and bit

The Dead Milkmen Deliver Cartons of Fun for 2 Nights at Teragram
The Dead Milkmen are one of the most multi-dimensional and versatile punk bands in the history of the sport. In fact, after seeing them live at the Teragram ballroom, i feel almost as if they’re two bands in one, having one cadence when Rodney Linderman (Rodney Anonymous) sings and another when Joe Genaro sings. Both sides of the coin make for a band that captures the essence of punk and the people that love the music. The set that awaited me on this Friday evening, surrounded by scene veterans that were infantilized to their teenage years in anticipation, was one that truly inspired me as an artist. I heard in The Dead Milkmen’s music a delicate and precise balance between sardonic humor, aggression, and fun that showed me what could be possible in music. related content: Who Needs Pins When you’ve Got Spikes? GBH At The Observatory The first opener of the evening was local band, Small Wigs, a rock and roll quintet with garage sensibilities and shining musicianship. The duel guitar work was impressive and thrilling but they kept it low key, making songs that felt true to an authentic rock and roll. Small Wigs photos from night 1 by

Overcoming Fear With Fever Ray At The Palladium
It’s an understatement to say that I’ve struggled to find words to describe the all-encompassing spectacle that is Fever Ray, live and very much in the flesh. Adorned in a cartoon-like bodysuit with padded superhero musculature adhered in bright colors to her otherwise indistinguishable frame, she brought a more rousing performance to the Hollywood Palladium than I could’ve anticipated. related content: A Softly Harsh Friday The 13th With The Soft Moon And Boy Harsher At Teragram Fever Ray is the solo project of Swedish singer/songwriter Karin Draijer, who is already well-known for her work as one half of the the electronic pop duo The Knife. Unlike The Knife’s IKEA soundtrack-worthy melodic charm, Fever Ray is quite the other side of the coin in terms of style, lyricism and the nightmares that accompany the visuals Karin has chosen for this project. From watching her videos, I fully anticipated a Marilyn Manson meets Guillermo Del Toro house of horrors. Even the costuming of those in attendance were more suggestive of some kind of wild underground party as the crowds gathered on Hollywood Boulevard. As the lights dimmed, the crowd erupted immediately. Karin and her backup vocalists and musicians were costumed uniquely and

Satyricon’s Final Los Angeles Show At The Regent: A Night Too Blackened To Forget
How do music writer’s typically describe the black metal sound? Frigid riffs? blast-beat drums? Cold shriek vocals? Epic? Medieval? Symphonic? These keywords are standard diction in black metal analysis but when talking about Satyricon one must introduce words like groove, experimental, and rock and fucking roll. That’s how the band set themselves apart from the rest of their contemporaries in the second wave of black metal (of the True Norwegian variety). They started with that typical winter blitzkrieg assault then evolved by slowing down the rhythm section for groove and making more chorus-heavy, kick-ass song structures while still fitting in the black metal mold. Satyricon should be credited for inspiring bands to blacken up their sound. related content: Slayer’s Final So-Cal Show At Five Point Amphitheater: The Most Insane Review I’ll Ever Write I remember first hearing Satyricon on the soundtrack for the cult movie Spun, directed by former Bathory drummer Jonas Akerlund and written by Will De Los Santos. The song “Mother North” off Nemesis Divina was featured prominently in the film and immediately made me take notice of their thrilling riffage and arrangements. Then once I saw the music video for “Fuel For Hatred” on MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball,

Morbid Angel at The Regent: A Lesson in Death
Morbid Angel is one of the longest reigning, pioneering, OG Flordia death metal bands still touring. If one were to make a list of the “Big 4” of death metal, one would have to place them in the the number 2 slot, only after Death. Having titled their records alphabetically, the band has already gotten to K with Kingdoms Disdained an album that scrapped their former lead singer and bassist David Vincent to reunite with Steve Tucker. Under the master guidance of guitarist and band leader Trey Azagthoth, this latest 2017 release is one of the most crushing and riveting albums in the entire universe of extreme music and for a first generation death metal band to have released it among all these young kids trying to reinvent the wheel of metal, is truly significant of Morbid Angel’s greatness and right to reign. related content: The Battle of The Bays: Obituary & Exodus Clash At Teragram Ballroom Church of the 8th Day hosted Morbid Angel at the Regent with three openers, each contributing to a night of ear-splitting insanity. The first of which was Voices of Ruin, strapped with spiked leather and growls of Herculean magnitude, the band’s sound was

Snow Blood On The Leaves: Alice Glass, Zola Jesus, And Pictureplane At Teragram
Before catching the first night of the Snowblood Tour, I had these artists placed at two very different ends of the darkwave spectrum. At one end is Alice Glass; a brash, angsty counterculture icon with an unmistakable approach to music and at the other end is Zola Jesus; a classically-trained opera singer with a lush, passionate depth to her music. The Zola Jesus remix of Alice Glass’ ‘STILLBIRTH’ was released at the time of the tours announcement and offered a preliminary glimpse into the middle-ground between these two seemingly polarized artists who still thrive in very similar realms of darkwave. But these two artists have a significant amount of common ground between them, which is evident in the way their performances compliment each other so cohesively. related content: The Growlers Lose The Beach Goth Battle But Won The War This Weekend Both women began performing in their late adolescent years and have enjoyed a decade of recording and touring internationally. After years of writing and recording music at home, Zola Jesus released her first solo album The Spoils in 2009 before her career took off and she toured as a supporting act with Fever Ray and The xx in

The Murder City Devils at Teragram or: How Spencer Moody Learned to Love The Stooges
After seeing The Murder City Devils for the 2nd time on Sunday at the Teragram Ballroom, I spent a great deal of time contemplating the band’s sound and impact. During one especially thrilling interlude, lead singer Spencer Moody told the story of how he was born in existential crisis, wondering what his purpose would be. Then, one day, he skated to the record store and flipped through vinyl until fatefully landing upon a Stooges record. In his own words, it changed his life. Iggy and The Stooges made him feel like he wasn’t alone, that there were other people in this crazy world that thought like him. The Stooges gave him purpose. Dwelling on this point and correlating it to the band’s sound, I feel like I have an easier time comparing The Murder City Devils to the godfathers of punk like The Stooges, The New York Dolls, The Dictators, or The MC5 than I do fitting them into today’s slew of garage rock bands. That organ they employ, most prominently in songs like “Press Gang” harnesses a throwback sound but it’s not just the music that feels old, it’s the entirety of the band’s presentation. You feel that swinging saloon

Enter Freedom’s Goblin- Has Ty Segall Finally Jumped the Shark?
In 2017, Ty Segall dropped his 9th solo album which was the second album in his catalog to be self titled and a continuation of what I first felt when absorbing Emotional Mugger- PTFS- Post Ty Fatigue Syndrome- I mean, it seemed like a second self titled album might have hinted that the man himself was tiring. His winning song writing formula began to feel formulaic. There seemed to be a concerted effort on Emotional Mugger to redefine himself- and I stress the word effort! The baby mask, the multiple anecdotal accounts of those who would bear witness told tales of Segall licking his finger like a lollipop and sticking it down people’s throats… but more than that… the music, the songs on Emotional Mugger just didn’t grab me like every fucking album he had put out prior. I thought to myself, “that’s ok that this one album didn’t grab me because all 8 albums prior to this grabbed me by the dick!” Besides, I knew there would be a new album to follow in no longer than 12 months that would once again touch my genitals. Enter album 9- Ty Segall. Ty Segall songs played live with whichever configuration

The Janky Smooth Top 10 Shows of 2017 Rated by Contributors
Above any album or single releases, CONCERTS had to be the best thing about music in 2017. It wasn’t necessarily the dissidence in the air but rather the acts that chose to play in Los Angeles, that made the year so good. Bands like James Chance and The Contortions made their fateful returns to our city after over twenty years of hiding on the East Coast. Audioslave reunited for the first time in ages and tragically ended up simultaneously playing their final show at the Teragram Ballroom. Every band in the Big 4 of Thrash was on tour in 2017. Lets also not forget that Iggy fucking Pop played four festivals and during every set he raged like it was 1987. The concerts were great and somehow the festivals only got better, FYF expanded this year to three days and got Frank Ocean to serenade us like only he can; Desert Daze had King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Sleep absolutely kill it; and Sound and Fury raged with Trapped Under Ice and Turnstile headlining. I think 2018 will have an impossible time trying to beat 2017 but who knows, Yanni’s on tour. Janky Smooth has listed our best

The Janky Smooth Top 10 SONGS of 2017 Rated by Contributors
Low expectations for politics in 2017 made for high expectations in music and though this year saw revolution and protest turned into memes with albums like Eminen’s Revival, if you look closely, almost every genre had standout artists and a raising of the bar. Even hip hop, which was was dominated by trap artists like Post Malone hitting number 1 on Billboard, had more lyrical artists like Big K.R.I.T., Brockhampton, and Tyler, The Creator come out with career defining work. Metal saw old school bands like Obituary come out with incredible songs while newer ones like Power Trip, released their first true thrash anthem. Punk saw a similar phenomenon happen with Cocksparrer’s new joint and then Career Suicide’s. Even though Trump is our president and the Dodgers lost the World Series in game 7, music in Los Angeles, California in the year 2017 was exceptional, better than 2016. In 2017, the world of music realized it can weaponize quality just because it’s so damn good rather than try to convince us that musical weapons must be quality. This is not about albums or politics though, this is about SONGS. Five minutes of sound that capture the year, two minutes if you’re

Janky Smooth Top 10 ALBUMS of 2017 Rated By Contributors
Year end album reviews remind us at Janky Smooth why we’re so lucky to be covering the underground music scene in Los Angeles. Maybe, if there was no underground and all you could listen to was the chart toppers, then you wouldn’t even think there was anything special about 2017. What we have on our hands is actually a phenomenal year of music. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard released five albums in 2017… FIVE. King Krule transformed his career with The OOZ. And the direction of entire genres became more clear with releases by future heavyweights, like High-Functioning Flesh to industrial or Ho99o9 to hardcore punk… or is it the hard trap songs by the 999 we should be focusing on? Lets also not forget that Lil B, the Based God, finally blessed us with his much anticipated Black Ken. You can see music veering into more electronic and experimental directions both in the mainstream and underground spheres. Still though, the bands that use traditional instrumentation and vocals only seem to stay truer to their roots. Janky Smooth attempted to whittle down the best of 2017 down to ten albums and here are our expert opinions: TOP 10 ALBUMS OF

Raw Emotion Sells: SOPHIE AT The Teragram Ballroom
On October 30th, I had the pleasure of seeing SOPHIE make their Los Angeles debut. After rescheduling from playing a smaller venue, the concert was upgraded to the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles. Hosted by Red Bull Music Academy, the concert did not disappoint as it was filled with experimental songs interlaced with political and self-loving messages in the form of electronic dance music. related content: Cloak And Dagger Fest The Heart Of Los Angeles Bled From Dusk Till Dawn The opening act, Bully Fae, is a solo artist hailing from Los Angeles. Bully Fae’s set was full of energy, including what felt like choreographed dances to the minimalistic trap beats as they spat words angrily into the microphone. The audience was completely captivated by what was being said on stage as Bully Fae shared personal stories about struggling with illness, yet learning to love and take care of themselves through that difficult process, then the audience broke out of the respectful silence to a massive applause. Songs included “Self – Evidence Intervention”, “Fuckery Bitch”, and the empowering “Defy A Thing To Be”. Bully Fae was completely vulnerable on stage with their emotions ranging from soft whispers to loud screams

Ozzfest Rocks On But Can It Still Rage In 2017?
Heshers and head bangers are a loyal bunch, but metal ain’t exactly enjoying a mainstream moment in 2017, and it hasn’t for quite some time. With a few exceptions of Queens Of The Stone Age, Metallica and of course, the entirety of Europe where Metal still reigns supreme, the genre just isn’t recognized right now on U.S. radio or on U.S. charts, and this has made the current musical landscape feel really bland and wimpy and disposable to a lot of people (No, Foo Fighters are NOT metal). Heavy music still exists of course, and a lot of it feels as urgent as ever, but for the most part it’s a niche thing right now. related content: Black Sabbath And A Weeping Manboy At The Forum In L.A. I remember when things were different. When there was such a bounty of bombastic and aggressive bands on the scene, swaying the zeitgeist and stirring shit up, it was hard to keep track of them all. Their videos dominated MTV (before it was the Teen Mom channel), their records went multi-platinum (streaming didn’t exist yet) and they even graced the covers of popular music magazines (remember those?). There was so much heavy