Category: FEATURES

JANKY SMOOTH Top 10 ALBUMS of 2022 Rated by Contributors

Janky Smooth Central Command December 24, 2022

It’s hard to fathom underground music survived, thrived and broke new boundaries only two years since the pandemic’s peak-year. In the heat of that fire, stuck at home, people suspected that the dire circumstances we were all living under would have some great inspiring effect on the artist community. At first, some might’ve mistakenly changed their minds, pessimistically losing all hope in artists returning to purer vision, but now, in 2022, we’re finally beginning to see the true fruits of this brave new artistic world. Some of our favorite artists like Adult., Spike Hellis, Soul Glo, Wormrot and Boy Harsher all released work that evolved their sound, image, and identities in ways none could’ve predicted. Every year, Janky Smooth loves sharing our top-ten albums lists with our audience, 2022’s lists are especially bizarre for all you beautiful weirdos. Publisher, Danny Baraz Spike Hellis – Spike Hellis Deaf Club – Productive Disruption Soul Glo – Diaspora Problems Beach House – Once, Twice, Melody HEALTH – Disco 4:: Part II Ho99o9 – SKIN Kumo 99 – Body N. Will Candy – Heaven Is Here Adult. – Becoming Undone King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Omnium Gatherum Editor, Robert Shepyer Wormrot –

JANKY SMOOTH Top 10 SHOWS of 2022 Rated by Contributors

Janky Smooth Central Command December 23, 2022

On this eve to Christmas Eve, we at Janky Smooth have done our due diligence in accounting the year’s most profound concert moments. Found herein is the top ten shows lists of our contributors. Give them a peep and let us know if you were there too! Publisher, Danny Baraz Bauhuas at Cruel World 2022 Gogol Bordello at the Belasco DAIS Records 15 year anniversary at The Belasco Substance LA at The Los Angeles Theatre Desert Daze 2022 Metz, Kowloon Walled City, Deaf Club at Teragram Ballroom HEALTH at 1720 Twin Tribes, Light Asylum, Spike Hellis at El Rey Lie Detector Weekend Adult. at The Lodge Room Editor, Rob Shepyer Gorillaz at Youtube Theatre Mercyful Fate at Psycho Las Vegas Nine Inch Nails at Primavera Sound LA Rixe at Lie Detector Weekend Meshuggah at The Hollywood Palladium Kraftwerk at the Shrine Auditorium W.A.S.P. at The Wiltern Danny Elfman at the Hollywood Bowl Molchat Doma at The Roxy Pavement at The Fonda Theatre Photographer, Albert Licano Rixe at Lie Detector Weekend Nick Cave & Warren Ellis at The Shrine Auditorium Electric Frankenstein at Alex’s Bar S.H.I.T. at Zebulon Spy at Manic Relapse Subhumans at The Sardine Mercyful Fate at Youtube Theatre

Desert Daze 2022: 10 Years In The Evolution Of A Music Scene

Danny Baraz November 8, 2022

Walking into Lake Perris Recreational Center took on new meanings this year after last year’s Desert Daze served to exorcize the ghosts of a global pandemic, to teach us that “Nothing that has happened so far has been anything we could control” and heal our mind, body and souls with drum soul-os. While 2021’s pared down Desert Daze was a cautious delight in a sea of dreck on earth, Desert Daze 2022 was a perfectly curated reckless abandon of people having sex in the lake again and breathing all over each other- in through the nose, out through the mouth. The headliners captured 10 years in the evolution of a music scene, the ascent of previously buzzworthy bands into icons celebrating a decade of seminal albums and a new wave of artists that might also one day celebrate the recently released albums they are currently touring on. For some people, Iggy Pop pulling out of the festival before he could impregnate us with music was a deal breaker but luckily, I received so much Iggy sperm the last 6 years that I was ready to bear my Beach House baby. related: Desert Daze 2021- Music, Magick and Medicine 2022 was

Embracing ‘the blues’ with Crowjane’s Heather Galipo

Audrey Kemp October 10, 2022

While Heather Galipo is a musician in many now-legendary LA bands – including deathrock outfit Egrets on Ergot, no wave sensation Prissy Whip, and most recently, Cunts – she never planned to release her solo music. The songs she kept to herself were different. They comprised a sonic diary of sorts – a way of staying afloat when she was drowning in heartbreak. Known for her punk, noise and experimental music, she also felt that her fans wouldn’t understand her most personal project. “It hasn’t been that way, though,” she tells me. “And now I think it’s a cool practice to write whatever the heart wants. Sometimes that looks like an angry punk song. Sometimes that looks like indie, folk or blues.” Paul Roessler (of LA synthpunk band The Screamers) would eventually change her mind. During the pandemic, he encouraged her to turn years of work into a 10-track album on his label, Kitten Robot Records, at his studio of the same name. The album would be called Mater Dolorosa. Sorrowful Mother. Heather’s moniker, “Crowjane,” comes from an old blues song by Skip James. “There’s so much moody music in the world, but the blues is emotional,” she admits. “There’s

8 Essential Artists of Substance Festival 2022

Rob Shepyer October 5, 2022

Substance is more than a festival. Substance is a showcase of the past, present and future of goth, post-punk and industrial music, bringing together the best artists and promoters in the greatest live music city in the world. There is no better place to get a sense of goth music today and tomorrow than at Substance. Every attendee gets a glimpse of the current musical landscape and leaves with stronger, more expansive goth sensibilities and knowledge. Sets that define and launch an artist’s trajectory happen at Substance. I will never forget Pixel Grip’s opening set in 2021 and since then, the band has become a major act inside the American goth underground. All these elements combined, make Substance an essential Los Angeles festival. If you think you know music, but don’t go to Substance, then you don’t know shit. It seems every year since the festival’s inception, Restless Nites collaborates with all of LA’s greatest goth minds to put on a festival that exceeds the expectations set by the previous installment. From Boy Harsher’s wild goth rave in 2019, to Geneva Jacuzzi’s future pop, to this year’s acquisition of legends, exotic imports and the next wave of brilliant goth acts,

A Janky Guide to Primavera Sound LA

Rob Shepyer September 2, 2022

Now with set times for Primavera Sound LA live, the first thing one realizes upon seeing them is that this is going to be a laid back festival experience where it will be easy to see every band you want. There are a few conflicts present but that’s why we’re here to steer you in the right direction every time. This is your Janky Guide to Primavera Sound LA. Buy tickets here. Friday Both Divino Niño and Little Jesus are Latin imports worth coming to Primavera LA early for on Friday. If you like psychedelic music these two artists will expand your mind and taste. Divino Niño is on the trippier side, while Little Jesus is on the indie, emotional side. Both bands are great if you’re bringing a date to the fest. The first conflict of the day comes in the form of Jehnny Beth vs Tim Hecker at 3:30pm. Both of these artists push the boundaries of their own subcultures but because to us the point of Primavera Sound LA is to experience avant-garde and international music, we are going to firmly choose Tim Hecker but will probably end up loosely roaming between both. If you love ambient

Talkin’ Limp Bizkit, Kevin Smith and Hardcore: Scowl Interview

Danny Ryan August 12, 2022

Fresh off the heels of an iconic Sound and Fury set, we caught up with Scowl‘s rhythm section, drummer Cole Gilbert and bassist Bailey Lupo, on the night of their show opening for Destroy Boys at the Teragram Ballroom. Apart from an incredible set that night, they shared amazing insights on hardcore, touring with Limp Bizkit, and Kevin Smith movies. related content: Risks Make Better Memories Than Nostalgia: Sound And Fury 2022 Interview by: Danny Ryan So I saw your guys’ set at Sound and Fury Fest this last weekend… Cole and Bailey: Oh, hell yeah (at the same time) It was one of my favorite sets of the entire weekend. Cole: Dude, thank you! I knew it was going to be a lot of fun, but I just didn’t know it was going to be that wild. It was really fun, really cool. Especially being from California. It was like, damn, you all really like us huh? Bailey: It was an honor, growing up and going to Sound and Fury thinking “Man, it’d be crazy to play this someday”. I think the last Sound and Fury right before Covid, I don’t know if Scowl was quite a band yet

11 Must See Artists at Primavera Sound LA

Janky Smooth Central Command July 25, 2022

Somebody pinch us, Los Angeles must be dreaming. It seems too good to be true, that we’re getting our own version of Primavera Sound, one of the most eclectic music festivals in all the world. Primavera is known for its unique and top-notch curation, with a taste for exotic artists that range from all over the musical and geographic map. You can catch Mayhem or Kim Gordon or Girl in Red. There is something for everyone at Primavera Sound LA, but knowing their audience, everyone going is pretty much into everything. They might not listen to black metal, but they’re down for the vibe, at least for an hour. Primavera Sound is about capturing the wide spectrum of fun there is to be had in the name of music, sweet music. We’ve chosen 11 artists we’d rather die than miss at the festival for you to check out. You can buy tickets to Primavera Sound LA here. Nine Inch Nails Trent Reznor’s festival return to Los Angeles sees him headlining once again in a slot that ensures he will get the platform he needs to let his art make a powerful statement about the world we’re living in. There’s so

Preview: Fleet Foxes at Santa Barbara Bowl

Janky Smooth Central Command July 7, 2022

On Saturday, one of modern folk’s most beautiful bands, Fleet Foxes is coming to the Santa Barbara Bowl to perform classics as well as songs off their soul-stirring and critically acclaimed fourth studio album Shore. Released on Anti- in 2020 and nominated for a Grammy in the Best Alternative Music Album category, this is the second time they’ve been up for Grammy gold since Helplessness Blues in 2012. Everybody loves Helplessness Blues, I for one might cry upon hearing those songs, and Shore is able to hit the same sort of beautiful peaks. You can find Shore in the top 5 of a few 2020 year-end lists like those published by Uncut, 6Music, Mojo, and Uproxx. Then on lists by The New Yorker, NPR, Pitchfork, USA Today, Stereogum, and Rolling Stone, as well. This tour marks Fleet Foxes’ return to shows since 2018. The live show will feature Robin Pecknold joined by Skyler Skjelset, Casey Wescott, Christian Wargo, and Morgan Henderson. December 2021 saw the digital release of A Very Lonely Solstice, a 13-track collection with limited edition colored vinyl & CD slated to ship in Spring of this year. On November 22, 2022, Fleet Foxes will release Wading in Waist-High Water: The

Top Five Lodge Room Shows Ever as Chosen by Staff

Janky Smooth Central Command June 25, 2022

Jankysmooth has always held the Lodge Room Highland Park in the highest regard, of all the spaces on can experience music in Los Angeles, not only does it hold a special place in our heart but it has been the conduit of far too many moments that have brought us closer to our higher power. We thought we would take an accounting of the best shows we’ve experienced at the Lodge Room by not only listing our favorite concerts we’ve witnessed there but by asking the staff at Lodge Room about their fondest memories. So without further ado, here are the top five concerts ever at the Lodge Room as chosen by members of the beautiful, treasured venue’s staff. Dalton Gerlach, Owner Low Black Moth Super Rainbow Mdou Moctar Ata Kak DIIV related content: Slowhand of the Sahara: Mdou Moctar at Lodge Room Stephen Kaplan, General Manager Mndsgn Surfbort Kiefer Ata Kak GZA related content: Trash as a Virtue: Surfbort at the Lodge Room Raul Recendez, Audio Engineer Shigeto (3.07.20) – A memorable show due to the fact the world shut down a week later. Shigeto slayed the stage with his live presence in jazz/electronic music. Jazz Esta Morto x Arthur