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Black Flag At The Roxy and The Greg Ginn Predicament

Danny Baraz January 23, 2026

I was standing in front of The Roxy Theatre, waiting to see Black Flag. The date was January 16th, 2026. It was the first time I was going to see Greg Ginn on stage in an incarnation of this band. How does any self respecting punk at my age find himself in this situation? To be honest, I was more curious about the new kids in Black Flag than the lone remaining original member and founder. If it weren’t for them, I might not have been motivated enough to find myself there on time. But before I go any further or say anything else- Greg Ginn is the architect behind one of the most recognizable punk rock legacies in history-period. BUT… I have judged Greg Ginn harshly. There has got to be something really negative about his personality and demeanor to be standing alone in what is ultimately a standard bearing and iconic but shared legacy- and to have almost none of the members of one of the most claimed bands in punk rock standing together with him in life truly says something about character- and that’s just Black Flag. related: Jello Biafra Talks Politics, Music, and The Music

Janky Fresh Friday: New Releases From A$AP Rocky and Sleaford Mods

Janky Smooth Central Command January 16, 2026

The beginning of each year can often feel a bit stagnant for new albums with many artists waiting until the Spring or Summer to release their work to the public, especially in genres based around youthful party cultures such as hip-hop. With how crazy the world feels in 2026 however, there isn’t a better time to completely subvert audience expectations and act as a trailblazer within your genre. The world needs art more than ever, and it’s needed as soon as possible. Thankfully, we have two very unexpected hip-hop releases to kick off the year with A$AP Rocky and Sleaford Mods blessing us with two albums full of unpredictable excitement just when we need it the most. A$AP Rocky: Don’t Be Dumb (released January 16, 2025): AWGE, A$AP Worldwide, RCA Records Hip-hop is almost completely unrecognizable from the 2010’s when A$AP Rocky first rose to prominence. At the time, it was almost hard to keep up with new releases every month from both veteran rappers and brand new artists seemingly coming out of nowhere. In 2025 however; this is nowhere near the case considering the major gap between Gen Z’s Soundcloud generation and the DatPiff mixtape culture that came

Janky Fresh Friday: New Releases from Dry Cleaning and Bad Beat

Janky Smooth Central Command January 9, 2026

This January is a pretty fun month for new releases which makes it harder to choose what to disseminate for our very first Janky Fresh Friday of 2026. We thought we had it easy with Dry Cleaning releasing new music and we decided to go with Bad Beat’s Xmas day release as the split single of this article. But it’s not always easy when you have mixed feelings about something new from a band you love and that is a first for Janky Fresh Friday…. I’m sure it’s not the last. related: Top Artists to Watch in 2026 Dry Cleaning: Secret Love (released January 9, 2026): 4AD Records The kings and queens of deadpan post punk are back with Dry Cleaning’s kickoff to 2026, Secret Love. When Dry Cleaning first appeared on the scene, I was all about it, making it a point to catch their highly anticipated Teragram Ballroom introduction to Los Angeles. Seeing them again at Primavera Sound, they had refined their music by then and fully manifested everything anyone could’ve wanted from a deadpan, vocal driven post punk band. That style of vocal was something I was wanting to hear from a modern band for a long

Janky Smooth Top 10 SHOWS of 2025 Rated by Contributors

Janky Smooth Central Command December 30, 2025

Live shows, concerts, clubs and festivals have always been the life blood of Janky Smooth and that was no different in 2025. That’s why Top 10 shows are always on our year end lists… But 2025 was a relaunch in many ways for us after almost clicking our last click on this music blog through the pandemic. This year felt like we were back at full strength for the first time. A skeleton crew has grown skin that has been filled with the blood, sweat and tears of such a diverse group of contributors- all with their own taste. Taste, and the lack of it, at times is what we celebrate on our music blog. Here are the Top 10 Shows of 2025 from 7 of our contributors. Up next- The Top 25 Artists To Watch In 2026. *All highlighted picks are linked to reviews* related: Janky Smooth Top 10 Albums Of 2025 Rated By Contributors Publisher, Danny Baraz Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds at Cruel World, Rose Bowl Nine Inch Nails at The Forum Lip Critic at The Lodge Room Fleshwater and Chat Pile at The Fonda Theatre Marilyn Manson at House Of Blues Anaheim L7 and Lunachicks

Janky Smooth Top 10 ALBUMS of 2025 Rated by Contributors

Janky Smooth Central Command December 22, 2025

Year end lists don’t define many music publications anymore. But we’d like to change that. The Janky Smooth Year End Lists are personal to each of our contributors that participated and our contributors define the focus of our music blog. And while everyone can post their personal year end lists on social media with varying degrees of traction, it’s the collective that has always defined Janky Smooth and what we cover. It’s hard to tell if 2025 was a banner year for Independent Music or if Janky Smooth covered it in a way that we never have in the last 11 years. It would be strictly rhetorical to ask if the volatile times we live in were feeding artists inspiration that led to their most seminal works of art, but it would not be if we asked if we covered more new releases than we ever had in our history. In the latter half of 2025 we introduced Janky Fresh Friday to focus on artist in the studio as much as we spotlight the artists onstage. As a result, the contributors at Janky Smooth have felt like we have been able to offer a more holistic view of bands and

Janky Fresh Friday: New Releases from Nas w/ DJ Premier & Danny L Harle

Janky Smooth Central Command December 12, 2025

Here at Janky Smooth, Friday’s are for nerding out on new releases. This week, we dive deep into new music from Nas and DJ Premier VS Danny L Harle w/ Rachika Nayar-artists that are rarely mentioned side by side. In contrast to the two reviewing them, Rob Shepyer and Danny Ryan should ALWAYS be side by side- especially when discussing new music. Nas and DJ Premier: Light-Years (released December 12, 2025): Mass Appeal Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones aka Nas is one of hip hop’s most legendary and authentic children. His seminal album Illmatic still slaps, sounding like it was recorded in ancient history, 1994, yet carrying forward through time like a hip hop heirloom. Something passed down from generation to generation, almost like an oral bible or a survival guide to help people endure the insanity that is New York City. Illmatic remains true so long as New York remains chaotic, and as America’s greatest city, neither will ever change whether it is Giuliani or Mamdani as mayor. This is 2025 though, and Nas’ relevancy far surpasses his classic efforts. When paired with producers from newer generations he inspired, Nas shines to new audiences that may not have been

Habak Find Beauty In The Horrors Of Humanity At The Roxy

Rob Shepyer December 5, 2025

The Habak show at the Roxy on November 29th, presented by Viva! was more than your typical winter punk rock invading West Hollywood. I first heard of Habak after seeing Lagrimas open for Soul Glo at Zebulon in 2022 and then following the band until their Teragram takeover with Habak- I knew Los Angeles was witnessing the formation of a new scene, subgenre, and phenomenon in punk music. Both Habak and Lagrimas represent a style known as melodic crust. related: Earth’s Crust- CY Fest 2024 at Belasco Sonically akin to a lovechild between Deafheaven and Doom, Habak represents the emotional interior of anarchism. With so much political activity both in underground and mainstream circles, we often get exposed to the surface of rebellion but never the glacier of emotionality underlying the action. We see the rallies, the chanting, the rioting, the rhetoric, but when anarchists go home, we rarely see the pain to empathize with. Habak gives the world a sonic synthesis of that pain so we don’t have to venture into every anarchist’s home to see it for ourselves. How does that pain feel? Like suffered screaming over the most beautiful, dissociative harmony. related: Avant Garde Headbanging w/ The

Danny Brown And Friends at The Bellwether: HyperRap Revolution

Danny Ryan December 4, 2025

Danny Brown has always been one of the most innovative and genre-bending rappers since the day he arrived on the scene, bringing hip-hop to avant-garde territories that had never been explored or even thought about. Even if he were to retire today, he would go down in history as one of the most imaginative and pioneering rappers of all time. Yet he keeps finding more and more new ways of surprising his fans (and detractors), with his recent performance at The Bellwether on November 26, 2025 being absolute concrete proof that he has no plans of slowing down this innovation anytime soon. Rather than having other rappers or hip-hop DJs open, Danny Brown made the genius and risky choice of recruiting recent hyperpop collaborators femtanyl and underscores. The Bellwether could not have been a more suitable venue for this experimental hodge podge of a lineup with its futuristic club-like atmosphere, especially considering how the entire night felt like experiencing a performance straight from outer space in the visual setting, but more importantly in the hyper-electronic music that filled the venue all night. click to expand truncated photos One of the first things that one would notice upon entering The Bellweather

Take This! Win Tickets to See Teen Mortage at The Roxy

Janky Smooth Central Command December 1, 2025

Teenage Mortgage and The Mainliners are playing The Roxy on Tuesday December 10 2025 in a benefit for the Union Rescue Mission This is a benefit for the Union Rescue Mission so please buy tickets here or enter our giveaway below if you too are in need this holiday season The Teenage Mortgage sound pairs blown out garage rock guitars with confrontational vocals and a tightly wound rhythm section that hits with both grit and adrenaline. The Roxy is the perfect place to feel that intensity up close. The Mainliners will be supporting Teenage Mortgage for a raucous night on Sunset Blvd. related: Teen Mortgage and Spoon Benders Tear Zebulon Apart!- Night 1 Recap The December 10 show marks another milestone for the band as they continue their climb from DIY chaos to national attention. How to Enter the Teenage Mortgage Giveaway Tag a friend on our Teenage Mortgage Ticket Giveaway post on our socials @jankysmooth and make sure you both like the post. Make sure you are both following us @jankysmooth Winner will be announced on Sunday December 8 at noon Pacific time. One lucky winner will score two tickets so bring a friend and get ready for a

W.I.T.C.H. vs Bad Brains- Janky Fresh Friday

Janky Fresh Black Friday: New Releases From Bad Brains and WITCH

Rob Shepyer November 28, 2025

What are fans of rock and roll music thankful for this Janky Fresh Black Friday after Thanksgiving? They’re thankful for hardcore punk music and psychedelic rock, both genres owing debts to bands that released music today in the later eras of their iconic careers. The first is Bad Brains, out with Live at The Bayou, a lost recording from a Washington D.C. show on July 14th 1980, while the second is another lost recording in the form of legendary Zamrock band WITCH’s Fool’s Ride, released for the first time in the United States. Both were rediscovered as further evidence that the world is reaching some kind of spiritual completion on the other side of these turbulent birthing pains. related: Janky Fresh Friday- New Releases by Home Front and Oneohtrix Point Never For those unfamiliar with these bands, they have something in common besides the fact that both of these releases were once difficult to attain in America. There’s something that connects them beyond their positions as seminal bands in their genres, breaking new musical ground and inspiring numerous musical offspring. Whether you’re a pilgrim or an Indigenous native on this Black Friday after Thanksgiving, give thanks to our brothers from

Take This: Win 2 Tickets to Habak at The Roxy on Nov 29

Janky Smooth Central Command November 25, 2025

November 29th at The Roxy marks a powerful opportunity for Tijuana’s own, Habak to bring their intense, tightly wound sound back across the border to Los Angeles. The Roxy’s intimate room is built for the kind of catharsis they traffic in — every shout, every tremolo line, every hit landing right in your chest. Limited tickets still available to buy now at The Roxy- or to enter our Ticket Giveaway, see details below. related: Powerviolence is BACK- Nothing Less Mini Fest w/ Hong Kong Fuck You at 1720 Habak has carved out a fierce, emotional space in modern screamo and post-hardcore, weaving melodic chaos with raw political conviction. Their recent work finds them sharpening their sound into something both crushing and cathartic — layered guitars, shouted confessionals, and explosive dynamic shifts. Expect a mix of fan favorites and new material to erupt inside the Roxy’s walls. Supporting acts include Barrio Slam, Quiet Fear and Futura 1 lucky winner will score two tickets — pair up, bring someone who can scream along with you or that you can turn onto Habak’s music, and let the riffs, breakdowns, and emotional fire carry the night. How to Enter the Habak Giveaway 1. Tag a

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