Category: SHOWS

Yves Tumor at The Wiltern by Sarah Dinse

Yves Tumor at The Wiltern: Living in the Abstract

Sarah Dinse November 16, 2023

Yves Tumor took the stage On October 12th at The Wiltern in Los Angeles to give us a performance as eccentric and memorable as they are. This four piece experimental rock band can hardly be tied to one genre, making their sound something we’ve never heard before. They have carefully crafted their entire brand to be so abstract and artistic so that their audience can imprint vastly different parts of themselves onto any piece. Yves Tumor is an art piece first and musician second. Yves Tumor is a specialist at guiding the imagination. Every song feels like looking through a kaleidoscope; you can see what you think the image is, but you never really know. Their lyrical way of montaging concepts into eccentric metaphors are what attract a following of abstract artists and creatives. This mixed with their ominous industrial rock sounds make all of their music sound intensely deep and intimate. A common theme throughout any Yves Tumor piece is the connection between religious subtext and everyday life. In their latest album, “Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot between Worlds)” we hear a lot of key phrases and buzzwords in the titles

Nitzer Ebb and Flow: A Night of Dance and Darkness at The Music Box

Danny Baraz November 3, 2023

Star date Saturday, Sept. 2nd, 2023… San Diego, California. Nitzer Ebb is the band. Modern.wav and Lethal Amounts are the pilots and The Music Box became the vessel for the only U.S. show scheduled this year for the British EBM/Industrial pioneers. It was perfect timing for Venus to come out of retrograde as the stars aligned to bring lost loves back into our lives. Last time I saw Nitzer Ebb was at Substance 2021 and as fun as that set was, it was missing front man Douglas McCarthey with composer and energizer bunny Bon Harris insuring the show went on. This show was a collaboration between Lethal Amounts and San Diego goth scene impresarios, Modern.wav, whose line-ups, clubs and vibes have been drawing me down to San Diego on a more regular basis over the last year. As one might imagine, Nitzer Ebb drew Angelenos down to the southern most part of California so the crowd was filled with familiar and friendly faces. related: Nitzer Front- Cold Waves 2022 at The Mayan The lineup was stacked with quality, dark music acts, bondage exhibitions and DJ’s between bands. Opening the show was synth pop group, Normal Bias. Normal Bias have a

The Erections at Moroccan Lounge shot by Corina Cline

Erect Tricks and Loose Rails: The Erections and Hat Trickers at Moroccan Lounge

Rob Shepyer October 5, 2023

From either end of the Pacific Ocean, Nacho Corrupted is known as a punk icon, flying the flag of East Los all the way to the far east by bringing Japan’s wildest punk bands to Los Angeles for this year’s C.Y. Fest. Catching The Erections and Hat Trickers at the Moroccan Lounge is a rare treat, so street punk faithful dug through their crates to excavate that precious punk rock imported vinyl to offer up to the bands like sacrifices to be signed for the 2nd to last C.Y. Fest side show of 2023 related: Manic Japan: Death Side At The Regent The last time Hat Trickers came to Los Angeles was for a one-off side show after Manic Relapse 2019. A whole pandemic later and that band returned to even more fanfare and excitement than the previous show. The air was buzzing with punks awaiting this set, making everyone anticipate a show that would imprint itself on your memory, for better or for worse, but unquestionably for good. It was a night jam packed with punk rock and mine began seeing local punks, The Rails, wreck the stage with blasting, unhinged guitars and true to street percussive rhythms, boots

Scowl At 1720 Sell Out The Venue But Not Their Souls

Danny Ryan September 22, 2023

One of the biggest Catch 22’s of being a punk rock fan is wanting the artists you love to succeed and reach a larger audience, while also wanting them to avoid selling out and the inevitable softening of their edge that comes with popularity. While bands that maintain a consistent sound are often doomed to become dull and uninteresting after a couple of releases, there’s always a lingering fear of bringing in new audiences that don’t “get it” when an artist experiments with new aesthetics or explores other genres. Scowl and Militarie Gun have both had some of the most talked about punk releases of the year, and their recent show at 1720 proved that neither artist has sacrificed their unruly hardcore spirits in the evolution of their sounds. While tough-guy hardcore purists may be complaining online about the alternative direction that these artists have been taking, it’s clear that they haven’t witnessed the chaotic party that Scowl creates up close in-person for themselves yet and it’s only a matter of time before everybody starts to embrace the “Psychic Dance Routine”. related: Scowl Interview- Talking Limp Bizkit, Kevin Smith and Hardcore 1720 has established itself as one of the best

Sound and Fury Fest 2023: The Stage Dive Will Never Die

Danny Ryan August 30, 2023

Sound and Fury is easily my favorite music festival, and consistently takes the spot as the best weekend of the year for me without fail. Returning again to Exposition Park for the second year in a row, the controversial choice to move the festival outdoors has proven again to succeed as a hardcore experience exclusive to Sound and Fury. The overwhelming heat and dust clouds were absolutely brutal this year compared to 2022, but passionate fans were not going to let anything stop them from hardcore dancing all weekend long. This was also the second year with involvement from art collective and fashion brand Brain Dead, and their influence could be seen everywhere from the stage backdrops to exclusive merch designs. Sound and Fury is absolutely unmatched when it comes to finding the best collaborators and vendors to help with making their vision come alive, something that more music festivals should take note of in the goal of creating an unforgettable experience that everybody in attendance feels a need to come back to. related: Risks Make Better Memories than Nostalgia – Sound and Fury 2022 One of the biggest draws to Sound and Fury’s 2023 lineup for me was the

Spike Hellis Come Home to Das Bunker After 40 Date Headlining Tour

Danny Baraz August 11, 2023

A year and a half ago, I saw Spike Hellis for the first time at Das Bunker. I was there to see Pixel Grip but I had been hearing a buzz about this transcendental ebm outfit that had been playing a bunch of gigs that I kept missing. I went into Catch One with some expectations and Spike Hellis lived up to them all. Two prodigious partners dancing in a dystopian wasteland to a soundtrack they orchestrated. Hard ass beats laced with round synths and compelling vocals. They were mesmerizing and hypnotic and that was just my first taste. Flash forward to June 30th, 2023. Spike Hellis have played 701,432 shows since then and have just returned from a 40 date tour, their first. Their 2022 self titled album was number 1 on my list of best albums for the year. I’ve seen them open for Twin Tribes and be the first band on a Sound and Fury side show lineup, of all things and may other gigs. Spike Hellis have delivered every time. They might be the hardest working band in independent music, right now. related: Pixel Grip, Spike Hellis and Black Light Odyssey Find Refuge at Das Bunker

The Garden at "One Strange Night in Orange County"

The Garden Summon Ghosts at The Observatory For One Strange Night In Orange County

Sarah Dinse August 8, 2023

“One Strange Night in Orange County” wasn’t just a festival facilitated by The Garden, an experimental rock duo of twin brothers from Orange County. It was a flashback to a time not that long ago when The Observatory was overrun by Burgeramas and Beach Goths and other festivals past. The Garden certainly were not headlining those days but they were stealing the show. Now, here they are- the last vestige of a canceled culture. 2 boys turned elder statesmen who survived the purge by not letting their erupting hormones and exploding status lead them down the path of personal and professional ruin. But on this One Strange Night in Orange County, the spirit of those days was in the air. Not to haunt us but to honor the magic of both the music of that time and the diversity of music that came before and after they died. related: Beach Goth 4- The Party of the Year The festival started by honoring the past 45 Grave are a four piece, goth/death rock band from the 80’s. They opened the festival and couldn’t have done a better job at setting the tone for what seemed like Halloween all night long.

LA Still Believes In Anarchy: The Exploited at The Regent

Danny Ryan July 7, 2023

While many foundational classic punk bands still tour regularly, the reckless soul that the genre is known for can often be missing with how much older the artists have become. Rather than the stagedives, partying, and rowdy moshpits that you’d expect at a punk show, many landmark bands unfortunately feel more like seeing a nostalgic cover band that you’d find at a local bar. While age has affected the energy of many artists, that has only made it more special when you experience the rare event of seeing an early punk band wreak the havoc that they would have in the prime of their career. The Exploited are one of the few examples of a classic punk band that’s able to bring this anarchy to modern audiences, transforming The Regent into the environment of a rowdy 1980’s club with their recent show hosted by Concrete Jungle Entertainment and Nothing Less Booking. With a perfectly crafted lineup of chaos including Conflict, Total Chaos, and Section H8, the spiritual essence of punk rock could have not been more prevalent in the venue that evening. The Exploited proved to us that punk’s not dead, you just have to know where to look for

Gwen Stefani at Beach Life Festival 2023 by David Smith

Beach Life Festival 2023: On The Shores of Greatness

Dave Unbuckled June 16, 2023

Beach Life Festival made its annual return to Redondo Beach, this past month, bringing its strongest line up to date in tow that included The Black Keys, Modest Mouse, Gwen Stefani, The Pixies, Band of Horses, The Black Crowes, Sublime w. Rome and Rock n Roll legend, John Fogerty…among many others. Beach Life has continued to include intimate solo performances from local favorites including Johnny Two Bags (Social Distortion), Zander Schloss (Circle Jerks), Jim Lindberg (Pennywise) while providing up and coming touring acts such as The Beaches and L.P. Humongous audiences of new fans to win over. The most impressive aspect of Beach Life seems to be the atmosphere it provides attendees with its varying level of comfort options, varieties of local food trucks, art installations, and selections of top shelf alcohol including Kokomo Spirit: The Official Canned Cocktail of Janky Smooth (unsubstantiated). These amenities go far and beyond the normal festival faire, which makes this year’s event itself so impressive given its A grade lineup, a noticeable improvement from previous years. Friday’s offering of The Pixies won the crowd early on, especially after a slow start by Kurt Vile, that saw the Tennessee native alternating guitars through his first

L7 Continue Bricks Are Heavy Tour at The Glass House

Danny Baraz June 14, 2023

What can I or anyone else at Janky Smooth say about L7 that hasn’t already been said? There’s only so many times I can describe the raw power that transcends genre, gender and other topical paradigms without being redundant. This is my 2nd time seeing L7 perform Bricks Are Heavy in it’s entirety and it has yet to bring about any fatigue for that body of work. In fact, it has been re-energized. I took my daughter to see L7 perform their seminal album at the Glass House. It was her first show with a pit and the first show to blow her ears out- everything a young girl needs to be corrupted by empowerment and progress. Donita, Jennifer, Suzy and Dee delivered an air tight performance in Pomona and reminded me why I’ve seen L7 live more than any other band. Joshua Alvarez was there too, to take some sick photos. Check out our photo gallery and our past coverage of L7 below. related: L7 Stop Pretending They Are Dead at The Echo (2015) related: 30 Years of “Bricks are Heavy” at The Regent words: Danny Baraz photos: Joshua Alvarez

Yves Tumor at Austin Psych Fest 2023 by Grace Dunn

Austin Psych Fest 2023: Authenticity in a Far Out Place

Grace Dunn May 29, 2023

As a Black Angels fan, I followed Levitation (Austin Psych Fest)for years from afar, watching snippets of the festival on social media, because traveling to Austin from Los Angeles is a TREK that’s difficult for any overworked and underpaid artist, including myself. Through those glimpses, I recognized Levitation as a home to what I live for: diverse jams and trippy visuals. I could feel that I belonged there, but I had no idea how strong that connection was until the stars aligned and I finally made it out to The Far Out, the venue where the fest was held for the first time this year. related: My First SXSW- Confessions of a Fanboy Posing as Music Critic I’ve been to a fuck ton of gigs and festivals, but this one hit different. The people. All of them. Musicians, Organizers, and Festival Goers alike (groups that generally stay in their respective lanes during live show experiences) all blended into a vibrational tapestry, a collective, sewn together by their love of music. The connectivity and the community made this experience special. I will cherish it forever; “It’s All Happening”. Grace and I arrive in Austin, Texas: Ground zero for psychedelia, past, present,

Siouxsie Sioux at Cruel World 2023 by Albert Licano

Cruel World 2023- Redemption and Romance at The Rose Bowl

Danny Baraz May 26, 2023

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