Category: SHOWS

Joey BadaSS at The Fonda- A Rare M.C. That Still Wants to Rap

Janky Smooth Central Command June 16, 2015

A couple of weeks ago, writer Jeff Weiss (@passionweiss) tweeted: “Tyler wants to be a director. Kendrick wants to be a jazzman. Chance wants to be Jamiroquai. A$AP wants to be Hansel. No one wants to rap.” Earl Sweatshirt promptly responded “I DO” (along with Open Mike Eagle). I would certainly make the case to add Joey BadaSS to that list. The first time I heard Joey BadaSS flow was on A$AP Rocky’s, cameo-filled, 1 Train. Not an easy feat to stand out on a track with verses from Action Bronson, Danny Brown, Rocky, Big K.R.I.T and (the current God MC) Kendrick Lamar. But he does, reaffirming his independence, “while thinking about signing to the Roc,” the youngest MC of the group, by almost 7 years (14 years younger than Yelawolf), follows KDot at bat, and doesn’t disappoint. Fast-forward 2 years later, still independent, the Brooklyn born, 20-year old, Pro-Era Collective co-founder, released his debut album, “B4.DA.$$,” moving 56,000 units the first week making it the #1 rap and #1 independent album in the country. For the past few months I have had the album on heavy rotation. And while my love for “To Pimp a Butterfly” dwindles down to

Cold War Kids Play an Intimate Gig at Red Bull Sound Space

Danny Baraz June 11, 2015

Cold War Kids took the stage, ready to dive into their set and play to this small, intimate room filled with only 275 people. Kat Corbett of KROQ had a different itinerary, instructed to perform her Q and A with the band as a part of this incredible music series in the iconic Los Angeles radio stations’ space/collaboration with the ever evolving lifestyle brand, Red Bull. Red Bull Sound Space, located inside the radio station was filled with the lucky fans who won their way into this rare, free concert from a band of the magnitude of Cold War Kids. Everyone stood and waited as Corbett clawed her way through some basic questions that were met with a bit of resistance and hesitation by Cold War Kids bass player, Matt Maust. Maust came off almost, “dickish” as Corbett attempted to plug Maust’s collaboration with the launch of the What Youth Artist Series which features Maust’s artwork. Corbett navigated the dead pan, one word answers like the professional that she is and prevented Maust from repeatedly shooting himself in the foot. Cold War Kids lead singer, Nathan Willett was less of a dick and a much better sport when fielding questions

Hanni El Khatib: The Last First Friday of 2015 at Natural History Museum

Justin Cornwall June 7, 2015

The last First Friday event at the Natural History Museum brought out in-the-know Los Angeles music lovers, young and old, together for an amazing summer kickoff. This lineup featured Hanni El Khatib, Chicano Batman, Avid Dancer and DJ’s Raul Campos (KCRW) + Captain Planet – all local talent. The evening was filled with different genres, hitting and missing different marks, but altogether the night smoothed out well. The Natural History Museum was PACKED, lines at pretty much every one of the 7 (there were more) bars that I counted and all tickets for the night were SOLD OUT. The weather cooled off quite a bit, but the crowds stuck it out for the performances on the new outdoor stage the museum had erected especially for this event. Food trucks, multiple full bars and the opened portions of the museum kept the crowds entertained till show time. Raul Campos played a radio friendly filler set leading up to Avid Dancer’s opening performance. I didn’t know much about Avid Dancer prior to the night, but I’m glad I was able to catch their set to build my own opinion on them. After some research, I discovered that the band was initially a

Courtney Barnett at The Roxy: How to Make a Rockstar

Danny Baraz June 1, 2015

By Danny Baraz Walking from Doheny on Sunset on my way to The Roxy, it felt like Beverly Hills had finally swallowed West Hollywood whole. The once filthy and foul smelling Sunset Strip now sparkles like a well placed rescue dog. Once the epicenter of club rock in Los Angeles, only the Roxy and The Rainbow remain relevant to Rock and Roll on the Strip. Most independent artists are playing their shows East of La Brea Blvd these days. Thanks to Goldenvoice, The Roxy just nearly escaped the pay to play fate shared by The Whiskey and The Viper Room and on this night, it was hosting the first of two nights with the rocket ship named Courtney Barnett. The first time I heard Courtney Barnett’s music was covering her gig at El Rey in November as part of Red Bull’s, 30 Days in L.A. At another Goldenvoice venue, organized by a corporate lifestyle brand, it was the first of two times I’ve seen Barnett playing to a 21+ audience. Courtney Barnett’s music seems better suited to play venues in the eastern part of Los Angeles to all ages crowds but I have yet to see her in that setting.

Them Howling Bones Vinyl Release Party at Harvard and Stone

Vinyl Release Party with Them Howling Bones at Harvard and Stone

Taylor Wong June 1, 2015

We love Them Howling Bones over here at Janky Smooth and we have been super hyped on this upcoming vinyl release of Them Howling Bones tracks: Follow You Home and Left For Dead. The release party had an awesome line up at an awesome bar with awesome people. What I’m trying to say is the party was awesome. The line up consisted of Sand Babes and Cutty Flam, two awesome Los Angeles bands and was brought to you by Pizza Party Music, A Pint of Cacophony, Cretin Hop and Janky Smooth. The night also consisted of Roger Mars from Cretin Hop providing some dancy tracks between sets. Sand Babes has that very psychedelic/surf vibe that’s been catching on here in LA. and all over the world. They remind me of Mystic Braves and The Growlers. They have a great sound but to be honest it’s starting to get very repetitive to me and becomes very difficult to stand out. Cutty Flam classify themselves as Prom Punk which I believe The Muffs classified themselves as that at Punk Rock Bowling. I’ve heard great things about Cutty Flam and was extremely excited to catch their set for the first time. I also

L7 Stop Pretending They Are Dead at The Echo

Danny Baraz May 30, 2015

By Danny Baraz On Thursday May 28th, L7 played a show for the first time in 18 years. This brought up a lot of feelings and emotion for me. I’ve seen L7 play more shows than any other band. I would not be easily swayed by the power of this moment because at their peak, they were one of the most ferocious live bands in the world. While a caricature of the past could have the power to entertain, what I wanted to see was the raw, authentic and over amplified band of bad ass chicks that were so incredible that being women was hardly a part of my internal narrative about what impressed me about them. THAT was what I wanted to see and I wouldn’t give them a pass on this “warm up show” simply because L7 were ready to relive their glory days and collect a paycheck. The Echo, a venue that didn’t even exist the last time all four original members of L7 played a show, was more packed than I had ever seen it. As soon as I saw the skeleton hands forming the L and the 7 on the backdrop of the stage, shit

King Tuff and The Shrine in Venice for Red Bull Sound Select

Paige Vreede May 30, 2015

A slew of music devotees inundated the streets of Venice last night as The Shrine supported King Tuff at Del Monte Speakeasy. With the term “speakeasy” in the venue title, it was evident only a limited amount of people would be fortunate enough attend. Red bull Sound Select presented this extraordinary show at a cost that is less than your morning coffee, so it was no shock that hundreds of humans embellished in black stood agog in a line that wrapped around the corner. As I entered the oldest speakeasy in Los Angeles (Happy 100th Birthday Del Monte), I instantaneously knew I was in for a commoving night. I found myself in a dimly lit room that looked as though it was only capable of maintaining a 100-person capacity. Knowing that The Shrine and King Tuff were to perform in this intimate, yet grimy setting was invigorating. I knew I would soon relive my 15-year-old angsty teenage days, with no shits given and one motive: to enjoy some damn good music. To say The Shrine warmed up the crowd exquisitely would be a complete understatement. They didn’t just warm up the crowd, they melted faces. Ironically enough, faces weren’t the

Julian Casablancas Secret TIDAL Show at The Dragonfly

Justin Cornwall May 24, 2015

Dragonfly hasn’t popped up on my personal radar for a few years now. When Janky Smooth received a personal invite from the owner, Anthony Belanger to see JULIAN CASABLANCAS & THE VOIDZ perform on their stage, we did not hesitate whatsoever. Julian Casablancas, of The Strokes has moved past but not completely parting with his early 2000’s alt-rock alma mater. The Voidz were born out of Casablancas breaking a rut in 2013 and they have chugged along together to bass heavy riffs at a steady pace. I had seen them perform at FYF in 2014 and was left totally unimpressed (tons of their early live reviews were negative) – but that particular set was at a festival and festival sets can so easily be ruined by outside factors (production, poor sound, shitty people). I’m a Strokes fan and was eager to check out the private showcase – I had no issue in giving them another shot. This performance absolutely filled the empty void I’d felt between The Voidz and I. Before entering the venue, we were forced to turn in our cell phones at the order of staff and signs bearing the TIDAL logo. Yes, that TIDAL. The music illuminati (Jay

Shannon and the Clams shot by Lester Guijarro

Shannon and the Clams: Case of the Mondays at The Griffin

Paige Vreede May 20, 2015

When mastermind Jason Finazzo (singer of The Birth Defects and manager of The Griffin) began brainstorming with musical genius, Ty Segall, they decided Monday nights will no longer serve as a night of post-weekend blues, but as a night of prodigious talent. With previous acts such as Thee Oh Sees, Wand and The Coathangers making appearances at The Griffin in Atwater Village, it was no surprise that the raw talent of Shannon And The Clams were invited to immerse us in their tasty tunes this past Monday. Upon entering The Griffin for the first time, I immediately felt as though I had stepped into a different era. With candle lit tables and exposed brick arches, I felt as though I was meeting me mate William Johnson for a few lagers at our favorite pub. I was extremely curious as to how the night would proceed given the context of the genre amongst the seemingly intimate backdrop that surrounded it. To my surprise the room presented itself as nearly empty – something that made absolutely no sense to me considering the extraordinary talent that was to come. In a state of boredom, I decided to walk to the neighboring liquor store

Fat White Family Go Commando at The Troubadour

Danny Baraz May 19, 2015

Fat White Family have a huge buzz surrounding them amongst the nouveau punk scene developing world wide. This scene has the required rawness to be given the moniker of punk but the bands that fit in the category, exist on a plane somewhere between pop and hardcore- Fat White Family are no different. No Different would also be an accurate description of the sound itself. They aren’t attempting to break new ground or even clean the ground that was painted with the vomit of their predecessors. There are no frills with Fat White Family. There is no polished, pre meditated look. If I were to sum up the ultimately inconsequential summary of their “image”, I would label it, “disheveled” or “unkempt”. Their sound is often down tempo, dark and brooding, awash with the vibrations of reverberated guitars that are so prevalent in most of the young, garage bands’ repertoires of today. I was curious how songs like “Is It Raining In Your Mouth” and “Cream of the Young” would play live and I was very happy to find that their live sound was true. One thing that was clear early in their set list at The Troubadour on this past

Corners Homecoming at The Echoplex

JustinThomas May 15, 2015

“Where are we captain”, Corners bassist, Bill Changer, asked last night to an all aged audience. The answer was obvious; we were in Echo Park congregated to see Corners homecoming show after a lengthy tour consisting of 80 shows spanning from California to Lithuania. A tip of the hat goes off to Crap Eyewear and What Youth for putting together a rad line up of bands. Each of which complimented each other quite nicely, and the crowd, which unsurprisingly dressed in mostly black, was extremely receptive and got increasingly looser as the rainy night persisted. I stumbled into The Echoplex in somewhat tardy fashion around 9 PM (I blame Southern California’s tendency to suck ass at driving in the rain) just in time to see popwave rockers, Popheart. The appropriately named four-piece, Popheart, played a nice blend of; you guessed it, pop. The four-piece performed their poppy ballads with an eerie hint of Joy Division-esque darkness. Their groovy sound warmed up the rain-drenched crowd nicely. Next up was Tropical Popsicle, who in my humble opinion wins the award for dopest band name. The four-piece, lead by Timothy Hines, are fresh off a two year hiatus, and I for one, am stoked

No Parents & Colleen Green Steal Thunder at The Echoplex

Janky Smooth Central Command May 12, 2015

Who is Rat Fist? That was my first question when I saw them headlining a show with both No Parents and Colleen Green, two artists who could just as easily headline their own show at The Echoplex. It seemed that many of the other attendees must have also been wondering the same thing, as a good portion of the crowd left before they played. Rat Fist, though not universally notorious themselves, is the side project of members of No Age (Randy Randall) and Pissed Jeans (Sean McGuinness), two pioneers of the current west coast garage punk scene. The opener, Chew Toys, was an excellent and authentic throwback to old school punk. In a scene ruled by reverb and chill vibes, genuine raw punkers like Chew Toys deserve some recognition. Husband and husband, Jay Tag and Kevin Dickson, make up the queercore duo and boy can they play their instruments. Their influences are clearly rooted in early punk bands such as The Ramones and The Clash as well as later interpretations of folk punk, specifically The Dead Milkmen. And as the Chew Toys demonstrated, power chord and pop punk vocally dominated punk still kicks ass. The next act, Colleen Green, could