Category: SHOWS

KXLU's Part Time Punks presents Gene Loves Jezebel

Gene Loves Jezebel Play Immigrant in Entirety at Part Time Punks Gig

Rob Shepyer February 7, 2017

There was a time in pre-smells-like-teen-spirit Los Angeles when the goth music scene was second only to glam rock. New romantics, death rockers or whatever you want to call them, made their presence known on the Sunset Strip and beyond. Teasing their hair, wearing dark eye makeup and clad in lace and silk, these creatures of the night chiseled out an undeniable chink in the old concrete understanding of gender roles and Gene Loves Jezebel were one of those bands. It wasn’t that these guys wanted to be women or were in any sort of gender crisis. They just had a different idea of what it meant to look good and in manifesting this, received an onslaught of attention from chicks offering to share makeup and hair products with the tortured souls of this music scene. Yes, I often think I might’ve joined them had I been alive in goth’s heyday. I would’ve pierced my ear with an Egyptian Ankh and worn rose-colored shades at night, seen Christian Death play the Roxy while Rozz Williams made out with strangers on stage. Gene Loves Jezebel, still very much alive and still singing songs about love and death, announced their participation in KXLU’s

Smashing More Teeth With Youth Code Orange at Union Los Angeles

Danny Baraz February 2, 2017

On January 28th in the year of our lord, 2017, I was initiated into the Youth Code and Code Orange live shows when the front of my bottom row of teeth were smashed through the space between my bottom lip and my chin in a live show that literally left an ounce of my blood on the floor of Union nightclub in Los Angeles when the heavy industrial tech duo, Youth Code opened for Code Orange this past Saturday night. Moments before my injury was sustained, I was lamenting the sad reality of a stagnant audience standing still as they witnessed the heaviest band in electronic music since Front 242 and before Ministry went full metal on the masses of the New World Order. Singer, Sara Taylor handled the sad reality well until about 5 songs in when me and a couple of other kids took matters into our own hands and gently convinced the audience standing directly in front of the stage to dance. Shortly thereafter, I experienced a momentary blackness and disorientation and a mysterious numbness in my mouth and aching in my jaw. A bit confused, I put my hand to my mouth and it was instantly

Ascending the Holy Mountain: Sleep at the Fonda Theater

Rob Shepyer February 1, 2017

The greatest experience one could have at a concert is that moment of total release when the band taps into that one elusive hook that grabs you, doesn’t let you go, and makes you travel inner and outer space while standing in one spot. Seeing the legendary stoner metal band, Sleep at The Fonda Theater allowed me to fondly remember that electric feeling when I saw Mastodon at Coachella and lost myself to the song “Quintessence”, who’s chorus goes “Let it go! Let it go! LET IT GO!“ That letting go is a spiritual experience, the same transformative, depersonalizing process one might have at a Mega Church. For a moment, one becomes the universe entire and that whole universe only exists to rock out. Sleep is thematically a stoner metal band with doom metal licks, so why do I feel like their sound taps directly into the marrow of religiosity? Why does a band that sings about fantasy themes and marijuana name their album Jerusalem? Why at the end of that concert did I feel somehow enlightened or spiritually full? I didn’t know when I bought my ticket to their show with The Melvins and I don’t know now as I

The Sonics, The Sloths & Death Hymn Number 9 w/ Green Slime L.A.

Vanessa Burgundy January 30, 2017

Hot off the heels of the 750,000 person Women’s March…Los Angeles was on fire. The vibe was positive, respectful, and proud…also…we were ready to rock n fucking roll with The Sonics at The Echoplex. Openers and LA natives, Death Hymn Number 9 were ready to take us on their satanic hayride. We had to force ourselves to get past the collective band’s awkward hair (yes it’s distracting enough to mention) and get into their demonized garage-rock replete with breakdowns like a thunderstorm tearing through the deep south. They’ve got a “Static Age” Misfits meets Minor Threat meets a doomsday death dance. I can dig it. America’s “great lost garage band”, The Sloths (who first formed in 1964), surprised us next…not only with the ferocity of their set but quite literally…with magic tricks. Singer, Tommy McLoughlin, razzled and dazzled us with gimmicks galore for each and every song. For their opener, he employed a popular sideshow stunt, turning his mic into an erupting display of firey angle grinder sparks. The Sloths were indeed back from the grave. They threw out blow up dolls for their song “Never Enough Girls” written by Holly Beth Vincent (originally meant for Joey Ramone), there was

Chiptune Leveling up at Freq. Fest: 8bitLA 6.0 at The Smell

Rob Shepyer January 23, 2017

Video games, especially ones for the NES and SNES consoles, are near and dear to my heart. I even have the tri-force from The Legend of Zelda tattooed on my leg. And who could forget that game’s soundtrack? With its fuzz bleeps and boops and doo-doodle-ooo’s… not I, never. I first heard about 8BitLA long ago as a sort of collective of 8bit musical artists but it wasn’t until seeing their announcement for this year’s Freq. Fest at The Smell that I paid them a second glance. 8BitLA was created by Jesse Avila and Kevyn Martinez to spread the gospel of this genre of music. Bringing together fans and forum users from around the world, Freq Fest is the genre’s boss battle. Not having any experience listening to this music, I saw Freq. Fest as an opportunity to broaden my horizons and further (artistically) pervert my mind. Plus, I’ve always liked Horse The Band. There’s this old cliché that music scenes like this are a bunch of outsiders banding together in an “island of misfit toys” scenario but in this day and age, I totally disagree. The weirdo’s of our age are not the ones that go to events like

Best Coast, HEALTH, No Age, Ty & Bleached Help To Save The Smell

Danny Baraz January 20, 2017

As yet another one of 4,397th “Save the Smell” benefits is in the books and we prepare to present to you the review of all the extraordinary talent that agreed to perform at the cavernous Belasco Theater, the throwback Los Angeles venue that cost more to restore and renovate than even the $1.4 million The Smell custodian, Jim Smith is trying to raise to secure a permanent location for the iconic, All Ages L.A. clubhouse for music. We wanted to remind The Smell cynics that Smith has run the multi generational art incubator for 19 years without any apparent profit motive in sight. So as the hum of jaded hipster whispers asking rhetorical questions about where all the money is going grows louder, it’s important to remember what the Smell has given 4 generations of burgeoning, pre-ID, DIY kids whose parents felt curiously comfortable dropping off at a location that 19 years ago was surrounded by the swarming transient citizen population of the Downtown L.A. hopeless and the homeless. Some of the most iconic cult music heroes that were born within the very walls that make what the kids of today would refer to as a “safe space”… The Smell.

Ty Segall & The Freedom Band Blow Minds at Secret Show at The Griffin

Aria Silva-Espinosa January 16, 2017

Wednesday night was standing-room only at The Griffin in Los Feliz, an unusual bar scene for a weeknight but a flyer posted to @grifinbarla on instagram yielded heavy traffic for the venue early in the night for yet another, little publicized Ty Segall, “secret show.” (check out the video of the unreleased song “We Know?” set to be released at the end of the year) According to the guys working the door, people got there as early at 6:30 to ensure entry. Although regarded as a secret, it’s safe to say social media circulation does a lot for show publicity even on short notice. As this becomes increasingly common, music fans are well-advised to show up early to gigs like this unless you wanna be the sad late arrival begging your friends via text to help get you past the line. From the entry way, you couldn’t see any of the four walls of the low-lit venue. It was next to impossible to work the room for lack of passing space, the bar was stacked three deep at each well and forget about trying to smoke a cigarette because the patio was laden with so much secondhand smoke you

Jello Biafra & The Guantanamo School of Medicine

Reverend Horton Heat & Jello Biafra: A Punk Rockabilly Freakout

Jessica Moncrief January 15, 2017

Last Saturday, The Reverend Horton Heat hosted the 2nd of a two night event at The Observatory. Friday night was “Psychobilly Night” and Saturday was dubbed “The Punk Night”. As much as the photo journalist in me wanted to come out and get the story on the contrasting evenings (and to people watch all the “Clicity Clackity” greasers with pomps and “rock-a-billy” girls with their adorably unrealistic concert attire), I couldn’t subject my ears to that for 5+ hours. Thankfully, there was more than enough great material at the “Punk Night” for a story in itself, and I wouldn’t even need that angle. related content: Reverend Horton Heat, The Adicts & Smut Peddlers at The Observatory The Reverend Horton Heat has been putting on this 2 night shindig at The Observatory for the past few years. The acts have included artists and bands such as 45 Grave, Deke Dickerson, Wanda Jackson, Lords of Altamont, The Adicts, Cadillac Tramps and many more well known names. However, many lesser known locals have been given a platform in which to show off their stuff to a large crowd thanks to good ol Jimbo and Co. Wild Records is a Los Angeles based label that specializes

Thee Oh Sees & Wand Back For Annual Holiday Food Drive at Teragram

Johann A. Ramos January 13, 2017

Thee Oh Sees- AKA, the hardest working band in the global music underground in the past decade. I swear to punk rock gods that these guys are on a world tour 365 whilst simultaneously putting out consistently great records. How do they do it? The annual Panache Booking/LA Kitchen Holiday Homeless Food Drive took place in dirty Downtown Los Angeles at a very special venue that goes by the name Teragram Ballroom, we here at Janky Smooth have become familiar with over the last year or so. related content: Fuzz & Thee Oh Sees Bring Holiday Help To Homeless in L.A. Shannon Lay of the well established (and well ranked in Janky Smooth’s lists of Best of 2016’s) LA outfit, Feels opened the the show with a calm before the rage, as categorized by Lay herself. Lay coaxed the crowd with melodious chord progressions and beautiful melodies before the proverbial storm that was about to erupt, which juxtaposed the evening in the best way possible. I enjoyed the set, the atmosphere and the mildly depressing key of her music evoked some very strong emotions that challenged my fragile masculine intuition, and that’s a good thing. Wand did a fantastic fucking job at tying up the set

Redd Kross, OFF! & Melvins Commemorate Teen Babes From Monsanto

Danny Baraz January 9, 2017

Even though I’ve been averaging 3 or 4 shows a week, every week of every month since November of 2014, I still get jacked up on performances more often than not. I might not always be AS excited before I get to the venue from one night to the next but the Redd Kross anniversary party for Teen Babes From Monsanto along with a Steve “livin the dream” McDonald showcase with all his current active bands, including Melvins AND OFF! was impossible to not get wrapped up in. Unless you’re a kook. related content: OFF! Transform The Echo From Peaceful Indie Venue to House of Raw Aggression The truth is that Janky photographer, Jessica Moncrief hit me up to see if I could write about, so she could shoot, OFF! and Melvins at The Observatory. I didn’t find out until I was half way down to Santa Ana that Redd Kross was ALSO playing. I started to make the McDonald connection but still didn’t understand what was happening down there until I got inside the venue and the Melvins were already halfway through their set. The bummed out feeling at missing a major chunk of the Melvins didn’t last too long when I understood

Santoros record release for "El Perdedor"

Santoros Record Release w/ Cutty Flam, Cigarette Bums & Solar Sons

Aria Silva-Espinosa January 5, 2017

The Echo was decorated with pinatas and streamers with the words “El Perdedor” in metallic mylar balloon across the top of the stage for the release party for Santoros 3rd Album. Initially, the crowd was thin and only about a quarter of those in attendance by the end of the night were present for the opening sets. That didn’t seem to dissuade.Cigarette Bums, who took the stage as the first set to play songs off their new record due next month on Lolipop Records. The most outstanding quality of Cigarette Bums is how well-rehearsed their live sets are and the stoic, yet enthusiastic stage presence they exude. Musically, the band is driven by steady percussion with an upbeat tempo, giving the impression of the kind of band you wish would’ve played your high school prom, which seemed to be the theme for the night. There is a sense of urgency in the performance in a sense that they simply cannot wait to share their music with the audience. “We just love to play with our friends and we want to do that as much as possible”, says Steven Carrera, frontman of Cigarette Bums. Steven went on to tell me,

Philip "Fish" Fisher by Jessica Moncrief

Fishbone at The Observatory: The Return of Philip “Fish” Fisher, OG

Janky Smooth Central Command January 4, 2017

2016 was coming to a close and I was finally getting a chance to check out a show at The Observatory in Santa Ana. As curious as I was, who the hell would get me to drive all the way down to Santa Ana from LA on a Monday evening? The Legendary FISHBONE, that’s who! Sprinkle on top of that, the fact that one of LA’s finest musicians, Philip “FISH” Fisher would be on the Fishbone drum kit this night, and I was instantly more than game to brawl with Monday rush hour traffic to go and see the band’s Original Members Return, as they have for the past few years, one by one. related content: Fishbone at The Troubadour- The Greatest Live Band of All Time First up on the bill were STARPOOL, an OC Ska/Rock band that definitely has some punch. The band kicked out a nice blend of Ska/Reggae, Rock and World Beat and was fronted by a strong singer in one, Alan Meade. I was impressed by their tight sound, confidence and a set list filled with great songs. The crowd was very receptive to them but being a quality band was the key to the crowd’s