Tag: featured

PRAYERS and Candy Prove That Sex Cells at Echoplex

Jessica Moncrief March 28, 2017

Sex Cells: The New Monthly Gathering From Lethal Amounts Lethal Amounts hosted what is becoming the baddest dance club night in L.A. this past Saturday. The Echoplex was brimming with activity- Party crews, fashionistas, fetishists and disco dollies came from all over California and abroad to show off their fashion sense, attitudes and dance moves at the new monthly residency, Sex Cells. Anyone who has attended a Lethal Amounts party knows that they are in for a good time. What helps set Danny Fuentes of Lethal Amounts Art Gallery apart from other promoters is that he doesn’t identify as one. First and foremost, Fuentes is a curator and gallery owner and thus, takes a completely organic approach when organizing an event. In doing so, his parties have an air of exclusivity that doesn’t come off as snobby and it attracts the kind of people he would consider good company. I had a chance to chat with him which led to a better understanding of his vision. “I throw myself into everything I do. I always ask myself first, ‘Would I like this? Would I go to this? Would I be impressed?’ If the answer is ‘maybe’ then it’s not good enough.

Spending Wednesday Nights in a Pirate Bar with Name The Band

Aria Silva-Espinosa March 28, 2017

The Name the Band residency at Redwood Bar & Grill has been very popular, which is evident in the number of people who showed up early for the third Wednesday of March’s show. The bar itself is punctuated by a large neon sign in the middle of 2nd street’s 300 block. Inside looks like the hull of a ship complete with ropes, portals and a giant deep sea diving mask. The stage sits at the back of the long, rectangular room. Booking bands who’s sound is designed for an intimate performance space and the available acoustics can be tricky but the lineup for this week promised a good time. The space itself isn’t very big so it caused quite a bit of commotion as Gatto Di Morte took the stage with three drummers, a saxophone player, keyboardist and various other assorted ensemble members. The whole entourage was costumed in everything from a sequin Santa suit to a giant prosthetic worm head. Assorted props were strewn across the stage as the band began tuning their instruments and running soundcheck, or so I though that was what was going on. Before I proceed, I must say I am a true believer in not

Wu-Tang Clan Pack The Observatory Beyond It’s Capacity

Janky Smooth Central Command March 26, 2017

The Evolution of Wu-Tang Clan and Orange County As I walked up to the Observatory, it hit me that Orange County wasn’t the suburban utopia it’s fair skinned pilgrim settlers envisioned when they fled the cities so many moons ago. I can’t remember the last time I had seen such a diverse group of people at a show in Orange County- if you’ve ever been to a show at The Galaxy then you know what I’m talking about. First step into the venue and the room was already near capacity. Fat-Lip of The Pharcyde was spinning 90’s throw-back jams while people were already starting to bunch up. The anticipation level for Wu-Tang Clan to take the stage was at full boiling point by the end of the DJ set, with people chanting, “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthin’ ta Fuck Wit” at high decibel. I decided to ditch the side stage before the band came on, and left to view the set from the upper balcony, joined by my close friend Donny– Wu-Tang, like the drugs they rap about, is always better shared than alone. related content: Method Man & Redman: Observations in the Key of 90’s Nostalgia The Iconic Sounds of

James Chance and the Contortions Play First Show in L.A. Since 1984

Rob Shepyer March 23, 2017

James Chance and the Contortions Zig and Zag, Jig and Jump at The Echoplex This Past Sunday for Part Time Punks Gig Sometimes punks become so punk that you can’t even call them punks anymore. Sometimes punks become so punk that they turn punk into jazz. But before they dive head-first into crate-digging for Japanese pressings of Thelonious Monk records, they discover the bridge between the two genres: No Wave. Punk rock saxophone has always held a special place in my heart. Whether it be Steve Mackay playing on my favorite album, The Stooges’ Funhouse, or it be Derf Scratch pouting out “New York’s Alright if You Like Saxophones”, or if it be X-Ray Spex ripping through “Oh Bondage, Up Yours!” The Saxophone always seemed to me to be a superior phallus to the guitar that can make any punk sound peak into pure Dionysic release. Never has there been a better practitioner of punk rock saxophone than the man, Part Time Punks just wrangled to play The Echoplex. It only took 33 years but on Sunday March 19th, James Chance and the Contortions finally made it back to Los Angeles. I had been waiting and hoping for years that this would

My Meat Puppets Misconception at The Echo

Janky Smooth Central Command March 21, 2017

I Thought Whiskey Would Be Garnish for A Meat Puppets Show “Hey…you wanna buy some acid?” The voice came from the direction of a gangly teenager, standing with his cohorts, a few doors down from The Echo. This took me by surprise because…well, just because. In my mind I had the Meat Puppets pegged as some hard-living punk-rock band, not as a bunch of hippies. That’s one of the reasons why I jumped at the chance to join photographer, Jessica Moncrief in an outing to review their live show. Of course, I knew the Meat Puppets, but I’d never seen them live and only a few of their tunes were well known to me. Words: John Montgomery Photos: Jessica Moncrief I always kept the Meat Puppets in high regard, but I really didn’t know what the hell they did to occupy such a space in my mind. Shit, maybe I was a poser after all? Time to make things right! The sold out show was the hot ticket on this March weeknight and it was starting to feel like the night would even be better than eating tacos. related content: The Brian Jonestown Massacre in L.A.- Music Snobs & Fentanyl

New Song Premier: Raj and the 100’s- ‘No Suicide’- Heartbreaking Beauty

Aria Silva-Espinosa March 21, 2017

We don’t really know much about who Raj Sabhlok is or where he came from but when we were sent the opportunity to premiere the first song in a series of 100, most of which were recorded in a recording studio owned by John Vanderslice. When we heard “No Suicide”, we were in. If you’re a fan of The Growlers, Kevin Morby and Devendra Banhart, you should love Raj and the 100’s. Let us know what you think! We all process loss differently; self-imposed isolation, submitting to one’s vices or even complete disassociation are not uncommon coping methods particularly in the early stages of grieving. Raj Sabhlok instead sought solace through the creation of Raj and the 100’s, a project which came about following the sudden passing of his parents. He traded the comfort of his home for and RV and spent two years traveling the United States, reflecting, exploring internally and exploring the vast wilderness along the way. For the duration of the his musical pilgrimage, Raj composed an impressive collection of about 300 songs. Eventually his journey landed him at Tiny Telephone, the San Francisco-based analog recording studios owned by songwriter/producer John Vanderslice. Vanderslice has recorded with a

Take This: Two Tickets To See The Orwells at The Observatory

Janky Smooth Central Command March 20, 2017

The Orwells are coming to the Observatory in Orange County this Friday, March 24th. The Orwells are one of the most badass young live bands in rock n roll right now. Every element in authenticity is present in their live set. Air tight band and sloppy, blacked out dispositions that mouth whore around the venue on any given night. When their sophomore album, Disgraceland dropped in 2013, it solidified them the “real deal”- appealing to legions of discerning indie hipsters and vapid mainstream mass appealers alike. Now they are touring in support of their 3rd album, Terrible Human Beings. I’ve seen The Orwells play a handful of shows and two of the best were at The Observatory. Most recently was this time last year at Burger Records week long celebration of their partnership with the venue. The video embedded into this post should tell you everything you need to know about the set they played on the last night of a 7 day marathon celebration at the venue: “Mario Cuomo unleashed upon adoring fans of The Orwells a yeoman’s performance of drunken, sloppy but precise and sexual rock and roll frontmannery. The Orwells were fantastic. I hadn’t seen them since just

My 1st Show at The Echo With Old Pals & New: Surfbort & Feels

Jesse Fox March 18, 2017

As a photographer who primarily lives and works in the midwest, covering a show at The Echo was a bit of a check-off from my unofficial venue bucket list. Living in Ohio, you’re oftentimes passed over on tours (shocking, right?) So, upon finding out that not only would I be able to see my friends in Surfbort, but that I’d finally be able catch Feels all in one place, it made covering this show a highlight of my recent trip to Los Angeles. The difference in vibe in the lineup might be part of the reason that every other band that played, including headliners, The Molochs fell a little flat for me. Sorry guys. related content: Spending the Week w/ Feels Debut Album from Castle Face Records Surfbort: Innocent Punkers or Deranged Occultists? Brooklyn based four-piece Surfbort kicked off the night and the first show of their west coast tour. Despite being jet-lagged, singer Dani Miller’s energy was contagious as she interacted with both the crowd and her bandmates. Erratic dance moves and a giant smiley face mixed with her yelling and at times, laughing vocals, had me wondering if she was an innocent little punk just havin’ a little

Take This: Two Tickets To See Kate Tempest at The Constellation Room

Janky Smooth Central Command March 18, 2017

If you’re ANYTHING like we are, you are thirsty for an artist or musician to say something tangible and inspiring and infuriating on the state of our world. Like they used to. To say the things that so many of us are thinking . The things that so many others say to forget because we can’t change them anyway, when the truth is that if we all descended on the halls of power like a human tidal wave, we could wash away the corruption and indifference to human suffering with the weapon in our wallets. Almost overnight. We think Kate Tempest could very well be that artist and she’s coming to Southern California this week on her first U.S. tour in support of last year’s album, Let Them Eat Chaos. Not only that but she’s being supported by extraordinary beat producer, Boom Bip. Janky Smooth is giving away 2 TICKETS TO SEE KATE TEMPEST AT THE CONSTELLATION ROOM INSIDE THE OBSERVATORY IN SANTA ANA on Wednesday, March 22nd. To win tickets simply follow Janky Smooth on Facebook, IG and/or Twitter and share this post on any or all of those sites. That’s it. Winner will be selected on Tuesday March

The Significance of Japandroids Unknown to The Observatory Security Staff

Janky Smooth Central Command March 17, 2017

A Hockey Game: An Acceptable Canadian Excuse to Be Late For Japandroids Set at The Observatory I arrived at the side of the Observatory stage for Japandroids at 10:11 pm, soaked in sweat from the glory of winning a hockey game that ended 20 minutes earlier, and dealing with the security guards at The Observatory. Despite proof of credentials, I still found myself waiting outside the venue in front of a closed box office until the staff of seven security guards at an empty door gave in and let me through. Nevertheless, I was reassured that none of the staff had any idea who I was, or why any publication would care to cover this show. Observatory Suggestion Box: Hand Out Press Releases To Security Guards Like Daily Specials to Waiters Yes, perhaps they were just doing their job which didn’t include taking note of the endless accolades Japandroids had garnered over their first ten years as a band. Were they truly oblivious to the fact that Spin Magazine had only five years earlier called them Band of the Year in 2012? Perhaps they had never known about Japandroids dominance on top ten lists for when their second studio album, Celebration

New Song Premiere: Lord Loud- “The Hand” from Passé Paranoia

Janky Smooth Central Command March 17, 2017

This premiere of “The Hand” is the first the world will hear from the Passé Paranoia LP from L.A. based, heavy psych rock outfit Lord Loud. Passé Paranoia is due out April 18th on King Volume Records in the U.S. and Kozmic Artifactz in Europe. Until then, check out this gem, “The Hand”. &amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=”https://lordloudmusic.bandcamp.com/album/pass-paranoia”&amp;amp;amp;gt;Passé Paranoia by Lord Loud&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt; When Janky Smooth spoke to front axe man, Chris Allison about the history of this band and the album, he told us, “Michael (drums) and I repurposed a sweaty garage in Van Nuys and built a studio for ourselves to self record this LP using supplies previous tenants left like- 48 shipping blankets and whatever mics we could borrow from friends and strangers alike.” Lord Loud Songs are sure to kill your neighbor’s lawn when played at high volumes. In the line of great American pairings like: – apple pie and baseball – sex and drugs – Beavis and Butthead Could Lord Loud be the next, great American duo of rock? This hardworking, heavy psych 2-piece bring sound the size of a 70’s 4 piece garage band but have only 4 hands total to pull that off. That fits nicely with the limited

Identity Politics in America-Part 1: Mind Control for Dummies

Danny Baraz March 15, 2017

Did you ever wonder where the debate over trans-gender bathroom rights came from? Surely there must’ve been some actual incident, some gender-identity 9/11, something horrific enough to mobilize both conservative and progressive activists into their current scorched-earth strategy of political opposition, leaving nothing but worn-out pundits in their wake? Did a gang of drag queens assault an underage girl in a Disneyland bathroom? Though seldom acknowledged, the debate actually started in Houston from a local anti-discrimination bill: the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO). It passed into law in 2014 with widespread support across city council party lines. Yet HERO was repealed only a year later after opposition groups like the Family Research Council created petitions and fear-mongered over men dressing in drag to assault little girls in the bathroom. Then when North Carolina did its thing, Houston was all but forgotten. Whether or not an actual incident occurred suddenly was beside the point. Welcome to Identity Politics in America. Identity politics (IDP) needs no historical context or accuracy to serve its real purpose: keeping the spotlight off events that actually impact voters’ lives. That’s not to say that we shouldn’t care about the most marginalized in our society or fight for them. 0.6 % of the U.S. population are

Tag: featured

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