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The Janky New Year Top 10 SONGS of 2016 Rated by Contributors
Janky Smooth Central Command
January 5, 2017
We don’t care what people say about you, 2016; Janky Smooth loves you. Sure, you skull fucked the country with a culturally divisive presidential election that scrambled our brains, pitted us against each other and made propaganda the norm. Yes, we were able to normalize the images of police gunning down unarmed civilians in the street and forced us to redefine the word “justified”. Granted, almost half of our country believes that global warming is either a hoax or overstated as the polar ice caps and ancient sea shelf melts and breaks off into the ocean at a rate more rapid than anyone could’ve dreamed or climate scientists had calculated. Sure, you took a massive amount of musicians, actors, artists, leaders and athletes that basically everyone on the planet loves the most. But you know what? At least you gave us some of the best independent hip hop, metal, electronic, punk and straight forward rock songs than any of your younger brother and sister centuries have sounded in quite some time. So we forgive you but now, We The People of Janky Smooth have to make some decisions on our favorites from the best songs of 2016. We’re up for
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The Janky New Year Top 10 Albums of 2016 Rated by Contributors
Janky Smooth Central Command
January 2, 2017
What the fuck is up with publications that post their best of, year end lists of favorite records, songs and shows at the beginning of December? What’s more important- getting it out first or getting it “right”? RTJ3 dropped on Xmas Day, hardly enough time to absorb an entire album, much less rank it toward the top for top records of the year. But I would be pulling my own hair out if I missed acknowledging El-P as one of the best producers of this era, (sans the ghost writers that have become customary at his level). El-P is one of the most underrated rappers in hip hop, maybe because of the un-equaled political and social rhyme and flow of Killer Mike, who probably SHOULD crush Kanye in the 2020 Democratic Primary for president, not to mention the vocal booth but would bet most pure hip hop publications would favor Life of Pablo over the 3rd album by two middle aged guys who were probably pretty close to looking for a day job before their self titled debut album dropped in 2013. Day For Night Fest: Futurists of Audio & Visual Converge in Houston In my research to
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New Album Review: The Julie Ruin- Hit Reset
Janky Smooth Central Command
July 15, 2016
There’s something about the sound of sweet electro-pop mixed with iconic punchy punk vocals of the one and only Kathleen Hanna that just screams perfection. The Julie Ruin’s first album, Run Fast, set high expectations for the band that came out of prominent groups like Bikini Kill and Le Tigre. Their latest release on July 8th via Hardly Art, Hit Reset, only proves that they can continue to surprise with diverse sounds that are charged with personal and political energy. related content: The Julie Ruin at The Troubadour- Vaginas and Suprises After many years of staying out of the spotlight and battling Lyme disease, Hanna joined forces with Bikini Kill bandmate Kathi Wilcox alongside Sarah Landeau, Kenny Mellman and Carmine Covelli towards the end of 2009. Their first album, the previously mentioned Run Fast, was released in 2013 along with the revelatory documentary on Hanna, The Punk Singer, which served as a sort of notice to fans and critics that Hanna wanted back into music and out of the hiding that was induced by her condition. The Julie Ruin definitely doesn’t ease you into the action that is contained within Hit Reset. The first (and title) track begins with a
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New Album Review: Sugar Candy Mountain- 666
Lauren McKnight
June 29, 2016
After Mama Cass was burned at the stake for witchcraft, she was reincarnated as Ash Reiter from Sugar Candy Mountain. The devil wears paisley in the new album “666” by this Joshua Tree duo (Mama) Ash, and her counterpart, Will Halsey. Grooving on an enigmatic theme of reality vs. perception, “666” is a Ouija board that only answers “MAYBE”, “YES”, and “SHIT IM HIGH”. 666 by Sugar Candy Mountain The album carries a 1960’s European style of mystery and class reminiscent of the original James Bond movies. “666” has you hitting the road in a classic Aston Martin on a journey to a magical time before smoking was bad for you and Chlamydia hadn’t been invented yet. Will Halsey has been found in such Bay Area bands as The Blank Tapes, and Fpodbpod. Ash Reiter is the friggin founder of a music festival called “Hickey Fest”, and with their powers combined they are Captain Holy-shit! Sugar Candy Mountain have been compared to bands such as Tame Impala and Jacco Gardener. Their simple yet resonant sound has a devilish day dream quality, and a stimulating vibrance. While I’ve found some of their previous work to be strongly reminiscent of The Beatles’
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New Album Review: Broncho- Double Vanity
Lauren McKnight
June 24, 2016
With a feeling of reckless security I can only associate with driving to buy a Plan B pill the morning after prom night, the third and latest Broncho album has me captivated like Stockholm Syndrome. If John Hughes made a goth movie, Double Vanity released on June 10th via Dine Alone Records would be the soundtrack. The hauntingly lackadaisical droning of Ryan Lindsey’s vocals intertwined with heavy instrumentals and reverb have an almost acid-like effect on the listener’s brain. You may be left with an overwhelming urge to let yourself drop to the bottom of a kaleidoscopic ocean filled with cartoon fish; do you ever think Mr. Limpet was just on shrooms? While the band is referred to as “garage rock” (which is a genre more accurately describing their previous albums), I can’t help but be reminded of a similar resonance as The Black Angels; maybe because I prefer to listen to both bands naked, in a dark room, or maybe because I’ve taken enough psychedelics in my life that everything I enjoy feels like a “far out trip man”. If someone stuck a stick in the spokes of The Warlocks’ circle jerk it’d probably sound like this album. I was
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New Album Review: CCR Headcleaner- Tear Down the Wall
Brent Smith
June 20, 2016
Tear Down the Wall is something else. That’s not an empty idiom. The San Francisco mind-ravaging outfit CCR Headcleaner gives us its strangest trip yet, and in today’s saturation of garage racket, it’s not easy to make such a conspicuous deviation. In only 8 tracks, the hardcore psych noise of Tear Down the Wall is heavy enough to leave you with a biting LSD hangover, but still terse enough to be hungry for more. Taking more hits is a given. Tear Down the Wall is out via In The Red Records June 17th, though I figured at first it was something coming out of the Sacred Bones camp, which would’ve been just as well, as CCR has toured with Fuzz, Human Eye, and Destruction Unit alike. I was reminded a bit of Metz, just more unhinged (if you can buy it), or the heady savagery of the Butthole Surfers, just more revved up on the thrash. All the songs are inhabited by ominous melodies and minor vocals that could score a Jim Jarmusch film set in decrepit Detroit. Though chaos is the name of the game, the songs are nonetheless stitched together with keen methodology; short bursts of crunchy insanity, and long,
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New Album Review: GOGGS is Damn Good Gravy on The Ty Segall Catalog
Danny Baraz
June 13, 2016
Ty Segall’s new project GØGGS doesn’t feel like a side project. GOGGS is being touted as “Ty’s new Punk Album” by many publicists and suits and probably just relayed simply that way by frontman, Chris Shaw in a non ambiguous and lyrical manner. And it’s punk. Not like Bad Brains or Black Flag punk but it’s punk rock like Fugazi and Parquet Courts; It dares you to put a label on what they do. When you attach the punk moniker to your music, authenticity is the single biggest pre requisite and that comes from the purity of your intentions with your music. GOGGS innovate in the increasingly nebulous punk rock genre by experimenting with and finding a unique and original guitar and production tone and organizing the bands thoughts into an appropriately confrontational demeanor. Charles Moothart went vintage effect pedal shopping and created something special. Sharp guitar tones with jagged, distorted edges and high mid range. It has an “early catalog Ty Segall” tonal vibe ala Melted and Twins but it’s more abrasive and percussive. It is the most prominent feature on this album and I say that in a good way. The bulbous bottom end bass guitar by committee, (Segall, Moothart,
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New Album Review: Death Grips- Bottomless Pit
Danny Baraz
May 13, 2016
It seems that Death Grips have finally made it through the other side of their artistic adolescence. They have spent their entire careers rejecting and rebelling against “basic bitch-dom” in their relationship with fans, labels and music critics and up to this point, they’ve been as erratic as a pubescent teenager. Not unlike an adolescent Jesus in the lost books of the bible, Death Grips are using their power and influence to blind the bullies, even as their artistic output is as regular as a sensible diet that is high in fiber. While Death Grips toyed with unorthodox styles of music and career choices, there was no drop off in output. Their latest release, “Bottomless Pit” is their 5th, full length studio album and 9th release altogether and between the release of JennyDeath and BP, Death Grips have been showing up for every show as well as maintaining a regular tour schedule. Are Death Grips assimilating into a more traditional career path? That remains to be seen but being a Death Grips fan continues to be an interactive scavenger hunt for sound and imagery, as fans are always an integral part of their artistic output. In the past, they have
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New Album Review: NOTHING- Tired of Tomorrow
Rob Shepyer
May 9, 2016
“And never have I felt so deeply at one and the same time so detached from myself and so present in the world.” – Albert Camus This is a review of Tired of Tomorrow by Philadelphia band, NOTHING being released on May 13th on Relapse Records. I like any band described as lush, an adjective commonly attached to Shoegaze, a style of rock that uses copious amounts of distortion to make melodic walls of ethereal sound. The name Shoegaze was attached to these artists because one reporter noticed they stared down at the stage rather than at the audience. Nothing, with their blending of ambient and punk, is a band that doesn’t make me want to gaze at my shoes but rather gaze up at the night sky as if it’s the fourth of July and I just broke up with my girlfriend and I’m watching fireworks with tear glazed eyes, smiling because I’m still alive. Nothing, made up of Domenic Palermo (guitar/vocals), Brandon Setta (guitar/vocals), Kyle Kimball (drums), Nick Bassett (bass), brings elements of punk, hardcore, and alternative to Shoegaze that line its wall of sound with razor wire. I listen to them and think of bands like Husker
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New Album Review: Wild Wing- The Glory Forever
Brent Smith
April 4, 2016
Wild Wing has undergone a peculiar mutation in the last three years. Their first self-titled EP spilled into their second, Another Victory for the Forces of Darkness, both heavy on the combative wit and long instrumental rambling. Songs like “O, Cuntry!” and “Wild Wing Nightmare” are tapped into an unruly swamp sound not felt since the days of Creedence (less finger-pointing protest songs; more working class bar brawl songs). I’m straining to name another hillbilly punk act, but I honestly can’t think of one. Wild Wing pulls off a surfer redneck jive like no one else; cheeky like The Butthole Surfers but not as abstract. If L.A. were to ever have a backwoods sound, now is the time. The band’s first LP The Glory Forever (its cover depicting a native chief stabbing a white soldier in the heart atop bodies of his slain people) is the declaration of a new, weird California sound—the kind that opts out of both Coachella and Stagecoach for a thrash alleyway hoedown on a radioactive beach. If the Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia sold their souls via reality TV contracts and uprooted to Hollywood, Wild Wing is who would play their barn-burning welcoming
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New Album Review: Black Mountain- IV
Danny Baraz
April 1, 2016
Black Mountain and their body of work could be the soundtrack to both an acid party and a mass suicide for some death cult. There is majick in their music. Track listings are components to epic incantations. Songs weave together to solve some kind of ancient mystery and their forthcoming release of “IV” is the latest transmission of some alien language that has been attempting to communicate with intelligence on our planet for a decade. Fat guitar tones and throwback analog synthesizers communicate to listeners in a familiar language about the future of their lives on this planet. All hyperbole aside, Black Mountain’s “IV” album released today (April 1st) on the JAGJAGUWAR label is a rock and roll masterpiece that summons a classic sound as it simultaneously scales new peaks. Wait, was that more hyperbole? It’s just difficult to downplay that this album contains, by far, the best riffs of the year, definitely of the decade and maybe the best riffs of this young century. The first single and song one off of IV, “Mothers of the Sun” eclipses 8 minutes of playtime and encapsulates the entire album perfectly. It flips from a sparsity of notes to masterful riffery with ease as it
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New Album Review: 1 Week With FEELS Debut LP from Castle Face Records
Danny Baraz
March 1, 2016
Last Wednesday night I got an advanced copy of FEELS self titled LP from Castle Face Records. Last Thursday night I went to the FEELS record release party at a Downtown DIY venue called Basic Flowers. I hate the unfairness of reviewing a living, breathing work of art in one or two listens. That will not be the case here. FEELS hard work and countless shows and supporting slots on various tours in 2015 ingrained them in the rock and roll ecosystem in Los Angeles and in my head. So when I heard rumblings of a forthcoming full length, I was ready when it dropped in my lap. In rock and roll, the live show separates the bad bands from the good bands and the great bands from the rest. FEELS puts on a GREAT live show and now I can confirm that FEELS makes GREAT albums. Well, at least one so far. I have spent enough time with the new FEELS record now to know that the love is real. I’ve gotten past the butterfly stage in this relationship and gotten completely comfortable with the material and it’s depth. This album is a master blend of growing musicianship and
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