Category: SHOWS

Spooky Psych Sounds: Levitation 2021

Grace Dunn November 24, 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.

Squid, it’s Whats for Dinner at Moroccan Lounge

Rob Shepyer November 22, 2021

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

Alien Boys and Girls: George Clanton and Magdalena Bay at 1720

Rob Shepyer November 19, 2021

I’ve been waiting to see George Clanton in concert again since Desert Daze 2019. During that weekend, I remember being a little hesitant, maybe even prejudice against, seeing any artist that would make their name a play on another artist’s name. Something about that gesture never sat right with me for my own elitist reasons. As it turns out, Clanton is George’s birth name. That weekend in 2019, when I got to the Temple stage to see his performance, I realized George Clanton was the most powerful, imaginative and ambitious musical mind at the entire festival. The tone of his electronics simultaneously cut right through to the core of your heart while warming that infinite substance inside that you call a soul, all while making that material prison of a body dance like crazy. I try to put myself in the shoes of George Clanton when the first fizzle of an idea for a new composition comes into his mind like an arrow straight from God and I just can’t imagine how cool it is to feel such pretty abstractions playing out to such a wonderful soundtrack. George Clanton is one of those alien boys, not quite like the rest

Heavy on the Cool: Dry Cleaning at Teragram Ballroom

Rob Shepyer November 14, 2021

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

Danny Baraz November 12, 2021

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

Photo Recap: Gipsy Kings at City National Grove of Anaheim

Janky Smooth Central Command November 10, 2021

Their story begins in the south of France, where a family of Gitanos, Spanish Romani, formed a band that sang Spanish songs with French dialects to create some of the most vibrant and romantic music in modern history. Gipsy Kings and Nicolas Reyes are an institution, bigger than the genres they make music in. No matter if you’re American, European, Asian, Latino, African, or anything else, you know the Gipsy Kings. The story of The Gipsy Kings is one of immigration and destiny that so many people in Southern California can connect with and be inspired by. It was an honor to get the chance to do a giveaway and recap of their show. Their concert at City National Grove of Anaheim was an unforgettable evening filled with cheer and intimacy that crossed every barrier between peoples present. Opening for the Gipsy Kings was the angelic Mikaela Davis on her harp. Together these two artists crafted the soul of a night of music that will keep Anaheim dancing for a long time to come. Gipsy Kings Mikaela Davis

Photo Recap: Khruangbin at the Greek Theatre

Janky Smooth Central Command November 9, 2021

Photos by: Manuel Arredondo Khruangbin has been a topic of contention at Jankysmooth. Most contributors love them, some just don’t get it. Some just don’t know how to dance. Regardless of critical opinion, the band’s ticket sales and cultural impact speak for themselves. They sold out three nights at the Greek Theatre and are more or less the psychedelic rock scene’s single top attraction at this time. They’re leading the charge in music of a movement that hasn’t even been fully defined yet. Classifying their sound makes most critics come up with plenty of nebulous terms when a colloquialism like jive will suffice. Joining the power trio on this night of their sell out spree at the Greek was Japanese psych heroes Kikagaku Moyo. Check out these incredible photos from the show: Khruanbin Kikagaku Moyo

Photo Recap: Idles at the Fonda Theatre

Janky Smooth Central Command November 7, 2021

Every few years, there seems to be new, incoming waves and incarnations of what American’s call The UK Invasion. I don’t think any invasion in military history has lasted this long. It’s a part of American musical life, this cycle of American music scenes being refined by British artists, meanwhile the scene dies down in America until those British Artists tour the states and completely take over. Idles is the latest sensation to lead the pack of artists that have breathed new life into the American punk scene, bringing garage influence to bigger stages than most American bands have in years. The band sold out three nights at the Fonda, filling the venue with their power punk sound, turning shows into massive, Dioynisian shindigs. Opening for the band was Gustaf, a Brooklyn band with lethal doses of swagger and cool, balancing art rock, no wave, punk, and funk. Idles Gustaf

Dressed to Transgress: Sex Cells Halloween at the Globe

Rob Shepyer November 6, 2021

I don’t think theres ever been a Sex Cells that wasn’t just Halloween on the wrong weekend. Costumes, debauchery, candy, scantily-clad ladies and sexually deviant dudes are ingrained in the party’s DNA. The Halloween edition of this masquerade was estimated to be Sex Cell’s strangest, most insane installment. When halloween falls on a Sunday, you get at least three days to dress up differently. Since I was already Ace Frehley on Saturday, I got into the Gonzo spirit by cobbling together a Hunter S. Thompson getup and going to Sex Cells to score some synthesized liquid treats. As I expected, the kinds of creeps that came out to the Globe by 10pm after Lethal Amounts hosted night 2 of Danzig does Elvis, were all dressed to trangress. related content: Technically, We’ve Always Been Sick: Sex Cells Returns To The Globe Theatre As we danced and pogo’d with Pogo the killer Clown, we were given the night’s greatest treat, sweeter than candy corn and dressed as red as a Hot Tamale, Thee Teenage Werewolves took the stage busting out the classic Cramps tune– “Human Fly”. This Cramps cover band is so good, they very well could be the most talented tribute

Texis or Treats: Sleigh Bells at Teragram Ballroom

Danny Baraz November 3, 2021

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,

Photo Recap: Anti-Flag at Lodge Room

Janky Smooth Central Command October 30, 2021

There are numerous punk bands that fall under the banner of Anarcho. From Crass to Rudimentary Peni to Subhumans and so many more. Anti-Flag is the genre’s biggest breakout band though, bringing the sound and politics to a massive audience all around the world to spread the message of saying fuck you to state sponsored oppression. Joining them at this rare, intimate performance at the Lodge Room were Dog Party and Grumpster, two bands on the rise only picking up more steam with this tour. Here are some amazing pics from the show: Photos by: Taylor Wong Anti-Flag Dog Party Grumpster Crowd

Photo Recap: PCW Ultra’s All System Go

Janky Smooth Central Command October 29, 2021

PCW Ultra‘s All Systems Go marked the return of brutality and championship gold to Southern California with an epic set of matches that saw titles exchange hands and blood spilt on the canvas. With appearances from legends, Ron Simmons, Kevin Sullivan and 2 Cold Scorpio, the night celebrated wrestling’s glorious past while fostering the sport’s bright future with plenty of amazing matches from the next generation of talent–Alex Hammerstone defending his heavyweight championship against Alex Kane. Warbeast retained their tag team titles against 5150 but felt the pain after being awarded the win. Viva Van became the new women’s champion and Jai Vidal took home the vacant light heavyweight title. Check out these pics from the epic night of fights. Photos by: Pedro Carrera Guest of honor – Legendary Wrestler Ron Simmons PCW ULTRA Tag Team Title Match: Warbeast (Jacob Fatu & Josef Samael) (c) def 5150 (Danny Limelight & Slice Boogie) PCW ULTRA Heavyweight Title Match: Hammerstone (c) def Alex Kane PCW ULTRA Women’s Title Match: Viva Van def Ruby Raze to become new champion Steve Madison def JTG Jai Vidal & Matt Vandagriff def CLAS & Lucas Riley The Blood Hunter def 2 Cold Scorpio

Category: SHOWS

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