Tag: featured

4AD Presents The Tune-Yards and U.S. Girls at the Mayan: A Zoo of Sound

Rob Shepyer October 26, 2018

Tune-Yards are something so unique I have an easier time describing their music using descriptors reserved for contemporary art and not music. On one hand, it’s this rhythmic tribal tapestry turned on its head into this random, chaotic, groovy, impassioned sound. Every note is like a brush stroke that conjures up auditory Keith Haring characters that dance together, in the air, over the stage. It’s a zoo of sound running wild. It makes me imagine various animals, giraffes, monkeys, kangaroos, geckos, everything under the sun, escaping their cages to dance in the wild. related content: Dreams Do Come True: Adult Swim Presents The Pillows At The Mayan With 4AD records presenting the event, label mates, U.S. Girls opened this show at the Mayan. Of all the songwriters and artists in this generation, I think that U.S. Girls’ leader, Meghan Remy, has one of the most powerful voices and minds with a soul that shines through her music to illuminate any stage she’s on. They incorporate numerous styles into what can only be described as avant-garde pop. You hear jazz, soul, and even disco during a U.S. Girls show, all the while Remy commands the audience and her band like a true

Forty Years of Youth: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at the Forum

Audrey Kemp October 25, 2018

With forty years of innovation and grandeur, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds showed they can not only remain current, but pack the Forum with multiple generations of fans. related content: Photo Recap: The Smashing Pumpkins Oh So Shiny And Bright Tour At The Forum Sunday night’s special guests were the dream pop four-piece from New York, Cigarettes After Sex, who have garnered their own global fame in the past decade. The Forum’s emptiness provided exceptional acoustics and auditory echoes, yielding romantic slow dance music for the lucky few filing in. The people who arrived early enough to catch them were charmed to hear some old favorites off of their first EP, I., including “Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby” and “Dreaming of You”. The stadium was pitch black for the exception of some ambient lights, provoking a sensation of starlight — the perfect contexture for Cigarettes After Sex. Jacob Tomsky’s minimalist drumming complimented Greg Gonzalez’s aspirate vocal for “Apocalypse” while polka dot projections popped on and off of the scene. Their mellow performance would stand in stark contrast to the high energy live act yet to come. Nick Cave bounded on stage with his six Bad Seeds for a performance that can’t

Take This: Win 2 Tickets to Prayers at the Fonda

Janky Smooth Central Command October 24, 2018

Halloween is right around the corner and if trick or treating doesn’t give you your fix of darkness and evil, well Prayers might just do the trick with their return to Los Angeles at their show at the Fonda Theatre. Satanism, goth, electronic music, and cholo culture combine into one unstoppable force to make the duo of Leafer Seayer and Dave Parley known as Prayers. We are giving away two pairs to the show, so that doubles your chances of winning. For two lucky winners, this might turn out to be a Prayers party. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR. ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO PRAYERS OCTOBER 28TH AT THE FONDA Step 1- Join Our Newsletter (look for pop up every time you arrive at jankysmooth.com) Step 2- Tag a Friend in the comment section of our Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook Prayers Posts WINNER WILL BE WILL BE SELECTED ON MONDAY OCTOBER 26TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Virtually No Dust: Desert Daze 2018

Dillon Vaughn October 23, 2018

It’s impossible to talk about Desert Daze 2018 without discussing the previous year at it’s former location in the high desert. My personal experience as a visitor to DD 17 is unmatched by any other festival I’ve ever attended. The lineup was insane, the installations were engaging, and the location truly felt like it held some kind of spectacular aura. I’ve never understood the appeal of the Joshua Tree getaways Angelenos fiend for and I’m absolutely disgusted by the false bohemian ideology perpetuated by burners (and Burning Man as a whole) but for a brief three days in the high desert it all clicked for me. related content: Desert Daze 2017 Headline Here: Some Variation’s Of Rock’s Not Dead The Institute of Mentalphysics was a challenging place for some because of the of its sporadic dust storms and painfully low temperatures at night, so it seemed like a great idea to find a location closer to the city that still maintained a sense of the desert – minus the harsh elements. Cue the announcement of DD 2018 staking its new home alongside the manmade reservoir Lake Perris: a location touted as an oasis with “virtually no dust” tucked quietly on

The Grandiosity of Spiritualized at the Orpheum Theatre

Jonathan Reyes October 22, 2018

I’ve never been inside a big church. I feel unwelcome by the grandiosity of the architecture. The people inside aren’t as divine as the room they occupy. Except it’s not a church, it’s the Orpheum Theatre, and the people on stage aren’t holy they’re Spiritualized. related content: Desert Daze 2017 Headline Here: Some Variation Of Rock’s Not Dead Spiritualized is listening to someone recounting their life on their deathbed. The Spaceman telling about the love he experienced on earth, the nearness to god he must have felt, and the loneliness of his silence. There’s a Nick Cave quality to them. A complicated history with love and god. I’ve always felt a connection to the idea that god wasn’t what you were told as a child but it wasn’t enough to remove you from the idea. You want a god but hate him for not existing. I was listening to a colleague talk about the importance of this band. Without them there’s nothing to inspire scores of British Men to gaze at their shoes. There’s no Blur, no Coldplay, no music to cry to when England boofs another World Cup. I’m very opposed to listening to music from a seated position.

Your Peace is our Peace: David Lynch’s Festival of Disruption at the Ace Hotel

Rob Shepyer October 20, 2018

My relationship with Transcendental Meditation began with my admiration for the cinema of auteur filmmaker, David Lynch. For the longest time, Eraserhead was my favorite movie. Lynch was able to synthesize certain abstract ideas that invisibly reside in the air and within the deepest part of our souls into images the heart understands but the mind cannot completely rationalize. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2WC7GByE1w&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR02uLh8NIf6D_D-4gpioixZYsvXeb4FD_ZdsxtVBs0ro30ihwg8Bk-Cybo David Lynch credits arriving at these ideas to Transcendental Meditation, a specific form of meditation influenced by Vedic tradition and popularized by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the man the Beatles once considered their guru. I was so in love with David Lynch’s directing style that I decided to attend a Q & A that he was participating in but not the focal point of. The focal point of the Q & A was Dr. Norman Rosenthal, who was discussing his book Transcendence: Healing and Transformation Through Transcendental Meditation. Dr. Rosenthal spoke about the psychological, emotional, professional, and health benefits of TM while David Lynch gave us his take on the creative benefits. At one point in the discussion, Vice President of The David Lynch Foundation, Bob Roth, told the audience if anyone wanted to learn TM but couldn’t afford it they could write

The Church of Clutch at El Rey w/Sevendust and Tyler Bryant

Rob Shepyer October 18, 2018

Among die-hard Clutch fans, a label which describes most Clutch fans, it’s common to hear the slogan: “Clutch is Church”. The sentiment comes from a deep connection with the band that develops after you see them the first couple times and start sharing memories with people that orbit around their music and shows. There’s something nuanced about why this band generates such loyal fanfare and it can’t just be a consequence of the sound. Having made funky alternative metal blues boogie rock for the last three decades, Clutch’s sound keeps progressing with every album. With this tour coming off the heels of their latest 2018 record Book of Bad Decisions, they seem to be moving into a more rock and roll direction and keeping their alternative metal side more hidden. I don’t mind the change because in today’s musical climate, no other band flies the blues rock flag prouder than Clutch, it’s an important style of rock and roll that must be preserved and Clutch is not only refusing to let it go by the way side, but is expanding on the sound. related content: Neil Fallon Of Clutch Interview: Dog Ears In The Book Of Bad Decisions Combining this blues

Recontamination: Dying Fetus at the Regent

Dillon Vaughn October 18, 2018

A recent conversation with a friend resolved with an agreement that metal in L.A. is alive and kicking; a realization landed upon mostly after discussing the insanity we each witnessed at separate shows on the same night. The show my friend went to at 1720 was a stacked tech death bill featuring Obscura, Beyond Creation, Archspire, and more while I attended the rebirth of Relapse Records’ legendary Contamination Tour with Dying Fetus, Incantation, Gatecreeper, and Genocide Pact over at the Regent. Comparing the two lineups is a challenge for any balanced/general death metal fan and it made me fear one of the two events would suffer from poor attendance. Surprisingly, the distinction between the subgenres worked in each event’s favor and packed both venues with diehards losing their minds and paying respect to some of their favorite bands. related content: Morbid Angel At The Regent: A Lesson In Death Opening the night over at the Regent was one of the most recent groups to sign to Relapse: Genocide Pact. Their last performance in LA was a headlining set at Union back in 2016 that flew under the radar of most. With major label support the band’s reputation has grown quickly and attracted

United Kingdom, United Scene: Basement at the Hi Hat

Rob Shepyer October 17, 2018

When you listen to Basement, you hear so many different styles of rock converging into one sweeping underground sound that whether you’re into alternative, emo, or hardcore, you feel pain, pleasure, and everything in between. These young chaps from the United Kingdom call themselves melodic hardcore but hardcore is the least of what you hear if you span the Basement catalogue. They’ve recorded a song for every scene but don’t alienate anyone in those scenes. It’s no wonder all these different people came together to sell out Basement’s Hi Hat show the same day tickets were made available. Basement could draw at a much larger venue at this point so this show was something of a rare treat. related content: Nirvana Leads To Nothing… At The Regent Basement’s 2018 North American West Coast tour featured San Francisco’s Pllush as the opening band. A sweet and meaningful shoe-gaze experience, Pllush plays long, drawn out riffs that seemingly come straight from the heart. Featuring three women on strings and a guy on the kit, every member of Pllush balances a delicate sound with a mean punch. Pleasant Hill’s Elder Brother plays an emo that could’ve only been spawned in Nor Cal. It’s got chill vibrations

For Boy George, Anything: Culture Club at the Big Fresno Fair

Janky Smooth Central Command October 16, 2018

Words and Photos: Maggie St. Thomas At the turn of the century, I had the honor of being Culture Club’s only photographer at their San Diego show. It was an absolute delight having the entire photo pit to myself for the first three songs. Boy George walked onstage and right up to me as the band began with the opening notes of “Church of The Poison Mind.” George knelt down with style and grace as he positioned his right hand delicately below his chin with his left hand holding the microphone. As soon as the shutter button was pressed twice for good luck, George gave me a wink and got up to begin the show. I have included a handful of these very photographs for this article, shot on 35mm film, and never before published until now. related content: Kick Out The Jams: MC50 At The Observatory One thing is for sure, Boy George and Culture Club know how to dazzle and have been doing so since the bands inception in London 1981. Their third single, a Jamaican infused pop melody released in 1982 titled “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me,” is described by George as his DNA, and went

Take This: Win 2 Tickets to Black Moth Super Rainbow at Lodge Room

Rob Shepyer October 16, 2018

Are you guys ready to trip? The Lodge Room is waiting for you and their hall of Halloween horrors comes in the form of some of the craziest, most visionary psych rock you could ever hear. That being the music of Black Moth Super Rainbow. With two shows back to back at the venue, and the first sold out, Janky Smooth is happy to be giving away two pairs of tickets. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR. ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO BLACK MOTH SUPER RAINBOW OCTOBER 27TH AT THE LODGE ROOM Step 1- Join Our Newsletter (look for pop up every time you arrive at jankysmooth.com) Step 2- Tag a Friend in the comment section of our Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook Black Moth Super Rainbow Posts WINNER WILL BE WILL BE SELECTED ON MONDAY OCTOBER 22ND AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Kick Out The Jams: MC50 at the Observatory

Maggie St. Thomas October 14, 2018

Words and Photos by: Maggie St. Thomas The innovators of punk were the Motor City 5, known for their high energy live performances, being aggressive revolutionaries of the 1960’s and the house band of the White Panther Party. The MC5 recorded their first album Kick Out The Jams live on October 30th and 31st 1968 at Detroit’s Grande Ballroom. In May 2018, Brother Wayne Kramer announced the MC50 tour to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Kick Out the Jams across the world with a supergroup line-up including himself, and his partner of this guitar army Kim Thayil (Soundgarden), Billy Gould on bass (Faith No More), pounding drum beats by original MC5 drummer Dennis “Machine Gun” Thompson and joining him to his right was drummer Brendan Canty (Fugazi). Replacing Rob Tyner on vocals with the towering 6’7’’ frame and image reminiscent of the late lead singer stood Marcus Durant (Zen Guerrilla), and Billy Gould on bass lines (Faith No More). related content: Teen Angst Never Dies: Alkaline Trio At The Observatory Nearly 50 years to the date of recording, Saturday October 6th, 2018 in Santa Ana, we paid tribute to this all star line-up that sounded rude and unhinged as ever with domination firing off notes like rockets within the walls of the OC Observatory. Brother Wayne Kramer delivered

Tag: featured

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