The Janks are somewhat of a deceiving band. After listening to a couple of the band's gritty rock songs, a listener might think that the band members are three Nashville-bred men. Then, after moving on to another track and hearing the characteristics that made a band like Queen so likable, a listener might think that the band members are well over 40. However, none of that is true. In reality, the Janks is from Los Angeles and the band members are young and just well-versed in classic rock. The band is made up of brothers Zack and Dylan Zmed and friend Garth Herberg, and is gearing up to release a debut full-length entitled "Hands of Time" on September 27.
Other than recalling Queen with their emotional wails and ostentatious precense, the members keep it fresh with harmonies, akin to folk contemporaries Fleet Foxes, and guitar work comparable to My Morning Jacket and the White Stripes. The album will contain 14 songs, which were recorded in 2010 and narrowed down from an astonishing batch of 30. The themes range from folky campfire songs to booming orchestrated theatrics. The vocals become elongated and dramatic on the latter. It is a bit surprising at first, but not enough to make the album seem disjointed. Before releasing the album, the band will play a few shows around town, including July 14 at Open Borders in Thousand Oaks and July 15 at the Satellite. The shows will be followed by a full U.S. tour in the fall. - Karla Hernández
Funeral Party blends punk aesthetics infused with a nuevo Indie vibe that blows the doors off The Strokes, Killers, and Arcade Fire. This LA group breeds a new crop of the next generations distain for the mundane. Released on March 29th, The Golden Age of Knowhere expresses the angst of youth and gives off the same vibrant energy you experience attending their live performances. The defiance, competitive nature, and taunting in "New York City moves to the Sound of LA" says it all. Every track on this album has a strength to it that when tied together play as a cohesively tight album. The stand out tracks are "Finale", "NYC Moves 2 the sound of LA", and "Youth & Poverty", but even that breakdown isn't fair given the great effort from this band on the verge. Funeral Party opens for Panic! at the Disco at The Wiltern, June 21st.
