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Patti Smith "Horsin' Around" at Teragram Ballroom

Patti Smith “Horsin’ Around” At The Teragram: Defiant & Inspiring As Ever

Janky Smooth Central Command April 6, 2017

“…I’m 70 so I don’t give a fuck.” It’s nearly impossible for me to imagine Patti Smith as anything less than a mythic figure in the pantheon of rock and roll history. I’ve engaged and wrestled with her work since my teens and her stature in my mind has only grown since those fruitful years. How thrilling was it then to regard this unrepentant icon of rebelliousness as a woman, an artist and lover of life as she graced the stage of the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles this past Tuesday night, April 4. A review of a Patti Smith show almost seems at odds with the very nature of a Patti Smith show but here I am reflecting on a night that left me emotionally spent and creatively ignited. I’d seen Smith perform before but this night held a special significance. In the past, I had the opportunity to catch her in very large theaters, festivals and even an arena however the 600 capacity Teragram was by far the most intimate setting I had ever borne witness to Smith’s spellbinding antics. The Mojo is in the Mania In concert, Smith is a perpetual dynamo, a force of nature meant

FYF Presents: Two Nights of Fucked Up at The Echo in Los Angeles

Jesse Fox April 6, 2017

My lifelong battle with debilitating migraines has held me back from many things, but I could not allow the Fucked Up March 12th FYF Presents show at The Echo be one of them. Because of this affliction, I arrived to The Echo a bit out of sorts, but the energy filling the sold out venue quickly replaced the brain fog with excitement to finally watch this amazing Canadian punk band after years of wanting to. The crowd surfing began nearly as soon as Fucked Up hit the stage with “Crusades” off their 2006 album Hidden World and never really died down from there. The crowd and the band increasingly fed off each other’s energy and only a couple songs into the set, singer Damian Abraham disappeared into the center of the mosh pit for the duration of the song. Once he returned front and center, he shared the mic with many of those in the front row throughout the rest of the set, stopping only to thrash a bit on the floor and do some backwards somersaults. There are few times I attend a show wishing I had left my camera gear at home, but watching the mosh pit from

Flames of Durga EP Release at The Satellite Continues Long L.A. Tradition

Aria Silva-Espinosa April 5, 2017

The L.A.music scene has been forever shaped and altered by the influence of strong female musicians. Flames of Durga is heavily influenced by the underground feminist Riot Grrrl movement, which led to their relationships with the other bands that played the EP release party. Rock and Roll history is rife with talented siblings and it’s not a coincidence that siblings compose and perform well in collaboration with one another. AC/DC’s Malcolm and Angus Young, Tegan and Sara, Alex and Eddie Van Halen and especially Heart’s Ann & Nancy Wilson are all fair comparisons to the firepower trio Flames of Durga. The group is charmingly fronted by twin sisters Cecilia and Beah who are accompanied by Nate Million on drums. The Satellite on Silverlake Boulevard hosted the EP release party where Flames of Durga shared the stage with other female-fronted rock bands before the sister’s first tour kicks off. related content: 2 Nights of The Julie Ruin At The Roxy- All Girls To…The Back Bar Stars At Night, an all-female rock group from East L.A. plays centered around their percussionist Joana Rubio. She plays like thunder and with driven consistency through the 80’s-inspired synth rock. Joana noted after the set that she

Take This:Two VIP Tix to Burger Boogaloo w/ Iggy Pop, Buzzcocks

Janky Smooth Central Command April 1, 2017

Being the pre-eminent garage rock festival requires that someone transform the lo-fi sound worshipped by it’s lovers into a minimal visual aesthetic, at least by today’s music festival standards. A modern minimalism that doesn’t lose that fact that the ruffles and confetti of a senior prom or the tiki torches and teen taboo of a backyard party were over the top, once upon a time. After 7 years, Burger Boogaloo and it’s home in Mosswood Park have achieved that “just right” aesthetic that hits all the right notes in the lineup and it looks like it will do so again on July 1st and 2nd, 2017 in Oakland, California. What Burger Boogaloo does so well is that it achieves a familiarity and comfort without being too redundant. With John Waters becoming a welcome permanent fixture as master of ceremonies, two consecutive years of The Mummies were just what we needed. Omitting them from this year’s lineup was just as necessary as booking them twice and adding the likes of Iggy Pop, Buzzcocks and X achieved an exponentially wider net of legacy being cast without losing that trashiness that a couple bigger name acts could bring when patrons wearing indian head dresses

Arthur Brown at The Regent- Memories In My Mind’s Eye That Never Happened

Rob Shepyer March 31, 2017

Today’s musical landscape lacks heroes. No artist seems to be able to stick to the summit of success and often when they do, they’re not even that great. Fans seem to rather see old megastars than new, low key talent. There are plenty of reasons for this. The same trend seems to be happening in other forms of entertainment, but the upside is that fresh talent is hatching under every rock you look. The Crazy World of Arthur Brown is old low key talent that inspired megastars and that’s why I HAD to go see him kick off his tour at The Regent Theater. For the sake of curiosity, let’s book an imaginary Desert Trip 2036. Using the talent from last year’s festival a model for the slots we have to fill, I’ll begin by making the case that in 20 years Radiohead will have the same prog-god status as Roger Waters. That’s the easiest comparison to make. If I need to book two troubadours, one to take Neil Young’s slot and another for Bob Dylan’s, I might have to go with Ed Sheeran and Bon Iver…. related: Why We’re Still Trippin’ on Desert Trip Did reading that make you

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

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