Tag: featured
Fishbone at The Echoplex: The Royal Treatment for Chim Chim
Janky Smooth Central Command
May 19, 2017
Saturday night at the Echoplex started off with the Uber driver dropping us off in front of The Echo, where we waited outside for 2 minutes before we realized it was the wrong place. So we run across the street down some filthy stairs around a corner and now we are at what appeared to be a back parking lot. A simple barricade across the front of the drive-way and a few security staff in black shirts greet us and conduct a cursory cavity search and inspection of our immediate threat level. My friend has her trusted ass-pocket flask, (empty by now) confiscated with the promise it will be returned at the end of the night. We are ushered passed a mountain of trash bags and assorted garbage piled high along the side of the building. Just another by-product of the glamour and the glitz of Los Angeles nightlife and moments away from yet another Fishbone show under my belt. Once inside, the show was already in full swing with the latest offering from drummer Stephen Perkins (Janes Addiction/Porno for Pyros) entitled Tabitha– a powerhouse trio consisting of Perkins and the Okai Sisters (originally from Tokyo) on Guitar and Bass. They
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Le Butcherettes Leave A Pint of Blood On Stage at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach
Aria Silva-Espinosa
May 18, 2017
Mex-American punk trio Le Butcherettes are sheer intensity personified onstage. On a Wednesday night at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach, the crowd sizzled anxiously under the ominous glow of the shadow-casting red lights.The entire venue has been arranged to allow for maximum capacity, standing room only. Photographers clamored on top of the scattered bar furniture, desperate for a clear shot at the stage which is only elevated slightly from the floor at the very front of the venue space. The enlivened crowd is thick, anxiously buzzing and seemingly impenetrable. Everyone wants to get in on the action and Le Butcherettes come with a satisfaction guarantee for punk music lovers. Alex’s Bar is tactfully decorated with skeletons, Lucha Libre masks and religious iconography. It is a perfect setting for the evening’s headliners to tear it up- Mexican garage punk-style. Draped in red, Teri Gender Bender took her position onstage and delivered a rallying cry of a performance. Teri is accompanied onstage by her bandmates Riko Rodríguez-López and Alejandra Robles Luna. Le Butcherettes opened their set with a song called ‘La Uva’, which was recorded with help from Iggy Pop and is featured on the newest album A RAW YOUTH. Teri displays
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Take This: Win 2 Tix To See Pallbearer at The Echoplex on 5/18
Danny Baraz
May 16, 2017
Pallbearer dropped a MASSIVE 3rd doom metal album this past March and they are showing why it’s perfect timing for Metal to make a comeback- right here, right now. With the hard rock resurgence the past couple years, the endless stream of pop punk and garage rock proliferating out of every shitty amp in America are being incinerated. It’s perfect timing for Pallbearer to throwdown like they have with their album Heartless released by Profound Lore records and catch them while in the midst of their current tour.. Janky Smooth is giving away 2 Tickets to see Pallbearer this Thursday, May 18th at The Echoplex in Los Angeles. You can BUY TICKETS NOW or Complete These Two Steps to Enter to Win Join our Newsletter. A subscription box pops up anytime you visit our site. Fill out three fields and hit submit. If you subscribe and the box disappears you are entered to win. No newsletter confirmation will be sent. Share or Retweet the Pallbearer Ticket giveaway post on either FB or Twitter. Tag a friend in our ticket giveaway post on Instagram. That’s it. Winner will be announced on Thursday morning, 11am pacific time. Winner will be contacted
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Thurston Moore: Genre Be Damned When You’re An Icon
Rob Shepyer
May 16, 2017
Before I go into what happened when Thurston Moore graced the Teragram Ballroom’s stage on Saturday May 12th, I need to paint the picture of what happened immediately after. Smoking a cigarette and leaning against a neighboring liquor mart, I saw an old college friend of mine, a bit of a hipster he never really understood my taste in music. Surprised I was seeing Thurston Moore, he said he thought I was more into punk and metal. Which is true and although Sonic Youth might not exist without punk, I answered my friend that I would take any opportunity to see an icon perform and Thurston Moore is certainly an icon- genre be damned. The night began with Marisa Anderson, a Portland based guitarist that is more or less an instrumental troubadour. She played astral, flowery sounding guitar to such politically and musically conscious songs as “Bread and Roses”, explaining that in times as trying as these we must remember our victories. Bread and Roses is a song about the victory of a women’s textile factory strike and I couldn’t help but wonder where are all the Marisa Andersons are in music? Anderson plays from the heart, and gives wise
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Take This: Win 2 Tix To See Ho99o9 at The Echo on Friday 5/19
Janky Smooth Central Command
May 15, 2017
If we cover even just one more Ho99o9 live show in the pages of Janky Smooth, our readers might start to think that we are nothing but biased groupies. But we don’t care about that as much as being overly redundant since this publication makes no bones about the fact that our format is being fanboys/girls for 15 bands at one time, most of which are on the brink of a break out- and that’s exactly what the boys from Ho99o9 are experiencing right now with their first LP, United States of Horror– a break out. Rather than go too into yet another hyperbolic description of their sound or aesthetic, it would probably be better to just go through past coverage while we get to the point: The Ho99o9 ticket giveaway. You can cut to the chase and just Buy Tickets Now or you can: Enter to Win 2 Tickets to see Ho99o9 at The Echo on Friday, May 19th. There are only two requirements for you to enter to win. Join our newsletter- just fill out the three fields permission that pops up whenever you enter the JankySmooth.com website for us to send you more ticket giveaways, special
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The Secret Journal Of A Pizza Spy at Coachella 2017
Dave Unbuckled
May 10, 2017
Thursday Thoughts On The Night Before Weekend 2 of Coachella 2017 Starts The drive to Indio from LAX was supposed to take three hours & forty seven minutes, but it would be a lot longer than that before we would be out of the car and setting up our tent. We made the conscious decision to depart at 2 pm, in avoidance of desert traffic, as well as the Thursday night Coachella rush. We actually made it to the festival check-in as sun down was finishing, despite the longest stretch of time I have ever spent in a WalMart, in which no expense was spared. After all, we were planning on working at a Pizza Tent for the majority of the weekend and were assuming to soon be handing out dollar bills like Ted Dibiasse. When we finally breached the city limits of Indio, after passing multiple billboards advertising Linkin Park’s new ‘album’ and ‘Gaymoji’, which is exactly what you think it is, we realized we were trailed by a cop all the way to the festival entrance. The presence of added desert police officers was apparent throughout the weekend- especially when we arrived to security several hours later. We
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Take This: Win 2 Tickets To See the mighty FISHBONE at The Echoplex
Janky Smooth Central Command
May 9, 2017
It is the position of Janky Smooth that Fishbone is the greatest live band of the past 3 decades. In any measurable way, Fishbone plays, connects with their audience, records their material and of most importance recently, ages better than any band that typically has people slam dancing to their music. With the recent return of original drummer Philip “Fish” Fisher, Fishbone is closest to their original lineup than they have been in over a decade. To be honest, having ex Suicidal Tendencies guitarist, Rocky George and trombonist and frequent mid-air projectile, Flyin’ Jay filling in for any missing O.G’s isn’t exactly any type of sacrifice for a band. “There is one thing that you can always count on at a Fishbone show- They will never mail it in. There seems to be a drive within them to push every internal limit to deliver to their audience something sacred.” Danny Baraz for janky smooth Fishbone is playing The Echoplex this Saturday, May 13th and Janky Smooth is giving away 2 tickets to one winner. You can enter the giveaway by following the instructions below or you can: Purchase Tickets Here To be eligible to win tickets: Join our newsletter. Newsletter
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Weedeater and The Obsessed at The Regent: Blaze It Up, Fool
Rob Shepyer
May 6, 2017
Doom metal is on such a comeback that I might have to become a pothead again. Until a few months ago, I had the hunch that thrash was going to have a second coming and be the biggest rage in underground metal, but at a time when Saint Vitus and The Obsessed are simultaneously touring, when Pallbearer comes out with a game-changing album, and Sleep returns to the studio, it is clear to me that Doom dancing is back in fashion. related content: Ascending the Holy Mountain- Sleep at The Fonda Theater Doom and stoner metal are siamese genres. Doom originated the slow, heavy, down-tuned sound that stoner metal altered with more distortion and fuzz in the guitars, a faster tempo and lyrics either about weed or things you’d ponder while high on weed. The month of May has huge doom shows booked by Spaceland for the Echoplex and Regent. To crack open the month, The Obsessed and Weedeater shared a stage to mesmerize Los Angeles. If you ask most people, they’d say that Weedeater is a bigger draw than the Obsessed. I suppose that’s partly due to the popularity of weed and thus stoner rock over doom but still,
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Børn in the U.S.H.-United States of Horror
Danny Baraz
May 5, 2017
Last night in a back yard on Echo Park Ave, there was a call to arms. Last night, Jean Lebrun and Eaddy Lawrz aka HO99O9 launched a movement and moved forward in spreading the spores of the United States of Horror. Oh, you thought it was just music? The new album from HO99O9 is the single biggest step forward I’ve seen from a band in over a decade. After their tactical assault of EP’s over the past 2 years, the first full length album from the deacons of the death kult shows an incredible amount of maturation in musicality. I was nervous about how much more polished the production sounded on USoH, intially. But the clean production delivers a clear message and makes it easier to discern the mission being delivered in subject matter, a message that should make the programming directors and editors of Fox News and Breitbart beat the drums of white fragility- which, despite what the scumbag media ratings analysts attempt to depict, is growing more and more out of rhythm with the direction this country is headed. Reminder: Kill your TV and anyone that tries to divide us- Kill ’em all. White America should be
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Bullies or Buddies: Los Angeles Music Blogs and the Scenes They Cover
Janky Smooth Central Command
May 3, 2017
A solid three years into the game, COOL TITE bring it fresher and bigger than ever. Crystal, Mat, and Sergio are all about keeping it D.I.Y. and Janky Smooth wants to acknowledge and participate in how local music blogs in LA, like CT, contribute to and enrich the community, stay connected to share what music we’re all digging at the moment and to tell music fans more about when the music from that band you love is set to be played at a show, at your favorite venue nearby, or when they are releasing new music. Without confirming with COOL TITE directly that they feel the same way, I know the people at Janky Smooth feel like they are an extension of the sounds emitting from the city and collaborators of sorts that prop up the scene and some of the bands in it. When I use the word “collaborate” it’s not to insinuate that the BEST blogs work in conjunction with bands as a promotional arm- no. Leave that to Pitchfork or COS. related: Mind Meld Mondays at The Echo Continue Bringing Highest Value The collaboration is to relay the straight dope, raw dog like a conversation with
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Folk Sensibilities w/ Larry and His Flask & Flatfoot 56 at The Echo
Jessica Moncrief
April 28, 2017
Larry and His Flask recently embarked on a tour with Chicago natives Flatfoot 56. While both bands differ stylistically, the light-hearted attitudes and instrumental diversity of both bands have served as key components in their compatibility. This is one of those line-ups where you aren’t sure who should be headlining because they both have an equal amount of talent and clout. I had the chance to catch them on the Southern California leg of their tour at The Echo and I am certainly glad that I did. The show was an early one, and even though Flatfoot 56 had some serious issues with their tour van the day before, the show started promptly at 6pm, as scheduled. Generally speaking (from personal experience), when a gig starts that early, one could expect a light crowd for the opening bands. However, that was not the case for this show. I was pleasantly surprised upon arrival to see the ample amount of people that turned out early to catch their set; it speaks volumes for the fan base that Flatfoot 56 has built over the years. Flatfoot 56 incorporates instruments like the mandolin and bagpipes, giving them a distinct Celtic sound with a serious
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Punk Rock Bowling Transforms BYO Boys Into Wisdom Brigade
Danny Baraz
April 28, 2017
This past Monday, April 24th I interviewed members of an iconic, first wave California skate punk band, the owners of a record label and the brain trust of a popular annual cultural event that completely consumes every hotel room, a dozen bars and music venues and every beer coozy in Downtown Las Vegas- and I did them all in the span of an hour and a half. Like a wise man once said, “Let’s do the whole fuckin village, man.” Bunny from the movie, Platoon. Sometimes, people make the mistake of thinking wisdom and maturity are the same concept but Confucius say, “enjoying or telling of a fart joke, occasionally, does not preclude you from being able to call on experience to make the right decision’” -from Confucius’ early, more obscure teachings- the more underground stuff. Some people have an inherent, child like disposition. On the latest Janky Smooth Sessions, it’s hard to tell with the Stern brothers if it’s the brother dynamic that brings out the towel snapping, one-ups-manship and verbal noogies because I’ve never spent a moment with them while attending a tax seminar to witness how they conduct themselves amongst the squares. But fortunate for all of
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