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