Last night was Wendy's actual birthday, and I was supposed to make dinner for her. But her culinary school instructor cousin came over and prepared dinner instead. Whew! No way out tonight, though, as I volunteered to make dinner once more for her and some friends. I left work early, dropped by the market, and got to work... First, a spinach salad.
Then, homemade macaroni and cheese with Hawaiian breadcrumbs on top and tofu dogs in the center.
For dessert, croissants with diced Snickers bars baked inside.
Eloise and the dishes were ready with time to spare--maybe too quickly, actually. But the main thing is that everything turned out okay and I made Wendy look good in front of her friends as the trophy husband that I am.
So far, so good, but now I've gotta think of something else to make on Saturday and Sunday...
In commemoration of last weekend's GR's Comic-Con party/rock show, I put together a special mix that included a bunch of bands that have been featured in our magazine over its 15 years of publication. It wasn't easy to take all the great music we've featured and narrow it down to an hour, and a lot of awesome bands wound up on the cutting-room floor. In the end, I made it lean toward the punk and rock end of the spectrum and picked shorter songs to keep things moving, since it was going to be played before the first band when on. For a variety of reasons, it never got played, but here's the playlist for your gathering and listening pleasure (in addition to some random notes and thoughts about the bands):
1. "Rainbow" - Boris w/ Michio Kurihara (GR35, GR48, GR51) 2. "Statement" - Boris (GR35, GR51)
Japan's sludge/stoner/art-rocking Boris has actually been in our album more than once. We interviewed them the first time when my friend Ben turned me onto them and wanted to take pics. Later on, our friends Damon & Naomi turned us on to Michio Kurihara, a guitarist who collaborated with D&N as well as Boris, and helped up coordinate an interview with him. Eventually, I went on tour selling T-shirts for D&N with Boris as well as Kurihara. It was amazing to see the lineup every night, and "Rainbow" was always a highlight with Wata's vocals and Kurihara trying ever-so hard to restrain his shredding... "Statement" is a newer song that's more of a straight up rocker.
3. "Linda Linda Linda" - Paranaum (GR47)
Okay, this is the biggest stretch of the mix. We didn't feature the Linda Linda Linda director or even the members of Paranaum in the pages of our mag. But I did interview James Iha, who composed the movie's soundtrack, which includes this cover of the Blue Hearts' classic garage rock song. The singer also played the younger sister from The Host--and I interviewed that film's director, Bong Joon-ho, in the same issue!
4. "Changes" - Hi-Standard (GR13)
The pop punk band was playing huge arenas and running its own hugely successful Pizza of Death label in Japan, but played an open trailer on the Warped Tour in 1998, where they were supporting their debut CD on Fat. After interviewing them by their beat-up Winnebago, I ran over to see NOFX, Rancid, and Bad Religion (as well as say hi to Steve Cab) before ducking out to take pics of my interview subjects, who held their own and then some. Over here, the guys are probably best known for their covers of "California Dreamin'" and "Green Acres"...
5. "Lick Me Baby" - Brain Failure (GR29) 6. "Asshole, I'm Not Your Baby" - Hang on the Box (GR29)
Not long after we got turned onto these bands by our friend Anna-Sophie Loewenberg, who wrote about the time she spend with Chinese punks in Beijing in GR26, I got to see them in person at the Silverlake Lounge, when they were on the Benten Records tour. I recall the Brain Failure guys being really excited about living the dream, riding in old Caddy convertibles and eating Taco Bell as much as possible. I believe Hang on the Box were having some drama about romance on the road...
7. "You're a Tease" - The Hard-Ons (GR32)
When we got a review copy of Most People Are a Waste of Time, I thought, "Holy crap, one of my favorite bands from when I was in college is still around!" Immediately, I set up an interview with all three original members, which was a awesome and full of trash-talk about each other. The sidebar I wrote with Henry Rollins, who sang on the Australian band's cover of "Let There Be Rock," was a highlight, too. Since the ex-Black Flag singer was very active in the "Free the Memphis 3" movement, I asked him if he was worried about becoming Bono. His answer was tenuous, to say the least.
8. "Wild World" - SNFU (GR6)
I always wondered if the Edmonton punk band's singer's name, Chi Pig, came from him being Chinese. This brief interview confirmed that his dad was indeed Chinese. He talked about growing up with soft-spoken relatives, getting into punk, and being openly gay in the hardcore scene. Looking back, I can't believe I interviewed the punk legend way back then.
Sothira Pheng has been a legend among crusty punks, peace punks, and underground metal for a long time now, and you still see his bands' patches worn alongside Discharge, GBH, and other spiky-haired bands on the backs of hardcore listeners. (He was in Crucifix during the '80s and Proudflesh now.) It was kind of weird but cool to interview him at a Baker's Square coffee shop on the outskirts of S.F. I'm hoping to have his band play a GR show one of these days...
11. "I Got a Gun" - Channel 3 (GR35)
CH3 released its first albums on the legendary Posh Boy Records label, alongside L.A. punk legends like the Adolescents, Social Distortion, and TSOL. Hapa singer Mike Magrann introduced a generation of punkers to WWII concentration camps in "Manzanar," but "I Got a Gun" is a catchier song... The band still plays out today, and is totally worth seeing. I wanted to book them for the GR gig, but they were about to embark on some shows in Europe.
12. "Marginal Man" - Marginal Man (GR15)
Kenny Inouye not only played guitar for one of Washington DC's second-generation punk bands (many members were in Artificial Peace, which appeared on the Flex Your Head comp), but his dad is the Hawaiian senator. Damn!
13. "Understand" - Cringer (GR51) 14. "If I Have to Dance Then I Don't Want Your Revolution" - J Church (GR18, GR20, GR51)
It's hard for me to describe what Lance Hahn means to GR. I've met various lineups of his band J Church, which stayed at my house whenever they played L.A., and they were always great--brainy, funny, and tight-as-hell punk rock with no filler and tons of tour disasters. J Church played three or four GR shows and were even supposed to play my wedding. Of course, the schedule was off by a week... The group (along with Cringer, the band Lance and Gardner started in ) are in a permanent two-way tie with The Clash for my favorite band of all time.
15. "Just How Much Rice?" - Rice (GR3) 16. "Quadruple Bypass" - The Peechees GR3)
Eric knew the bassist Rop through a mutual love of punk rock and toys, and I actually got to know the Peechees just by seeing them every single time they came through L.A. I got to drop the band's banner onstage twice--once at Jabberjaw and once in Signal Hill (with RFTC on the bill as well) and guitarist Carlos is one of two men that have ever planted a kiss on me from the stage (the other is Ian Svenonius).
17. "Mystery Girl" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs (GR32)
I interviewed the band shortly after Touch & Go re-released their self-released CD. They were playing a warm-up show in Costa Mesa with Liars on the cusp of a big tour. The band was already over the songs I had heard and was blown away by, and saying that they had moved on to a totally different sound. Indeed. Allegedly, Karen O and Nick Z. live in L.A. now and tell mutual friends that they want to hang out with us. They're awesome, and now I have to pay to see them rip it up in much larger venues.
18. "Land of the Freak" - King Khan & The Shrines (GR55)
It's weird meeting bands that say they grew up reading GR... But I was honored to have garage rock 'n' roll royalty like King Khan say that to me. I interviewed the hard-working Indian-Canadian rocker in the tour bus right before tore the roof off The Echo with his band of Germans. It's too late to see James Brown or even Little Richard play divey clubs, but you can still see King Khan.
19. "Beg Waves" - Ponytail (GR57)
Well, I guess we can't keep pulling the "back in the day" shtick about how great Jabberjaw was back in the day, because The Smell currently has a ton of awesome new bands on its calendar. Ponytail is from Maryland, but fits right on the bill with Abe Vigoda, No Age, Mika Miko, etc. Super young, super energetic, and super fun, this song reminds me of Bow Wow Wow.
20. "Wild Heart" - Abe Vigoda (GR59)
This is another young band my photographer and friend wanted us to interview so he could shoot them. After we finally made it happen, he said, "Aw, man! I thought there was an Asian person in the band. I'm so sorry..." I told him not to worry. Ramen, chow fun, and pad see ew are cool, but sometimes you need a burrito. This Stevie Nicks cover is haunting and amazing.
Happy birthday to Wendy--a kick-ass magazine designer, rad mom, cool auntie (to Lucia, on left), true friend, and hot wife! Two birthday dinners down, three or four to go...
Saturday night's show at the Ruby Room came off to a rocky start when our 10 p.m. go time was derailed by a local comedy show. I'm not going to get into details, but it sucked for the bands to go on late due to comics that (1) were supposed to perform in the club's other room and (2) just weren't that funny.
Luckily, The Binges were there to jump start the program with their irony-free, perfectly executed, kick-ass rock 'n' roll. I'm glad we've been able to feature them in our pages and now onstage before they become the rock gods that they are destined to be. If you were there, you know what I mean. Mayuko and Tsuzumi "rocked the fuck out" on guitar and bass, the new drummer filled a tough spot in a good way, and the singer (the only one I haven't met yet) is still an amazing frontman who delivers the goods.
Between sets, Chris from Free The Robots was there to play some killer punk, post punk, reggae, and more. He's an electronic musician with a huge following, so we were honored to have him sit back on the wheels of steel. Let's see: Fugazi, Wire, Sister Nancy, Jimi... Great taste, less filler.
Next up was Upsilon Acrux. (No, that isn't Kiyoshi on the right.) In retrospect, it was unfair to have them play this particular gig since their brand of proggy instrumental post jazz is pretty challenging, not to mention goddamn loud, and not right for a party. Yes, they played the role of the hallraker, but they are good guys whose music you should check out.
Eric can now add "merch dude" to his resume of publisher, store owner, art curator, shirt designer, filmmaker, blogger, photographer, etc.
Flattbush went on at 1:00 a.m., and gave it their all. The new guitarist is a lefty, but can circle head-bang in either direction, and fit in well with the extra hard political thrash played by the Bellflower band. With political quotes leading to double kickdrum blast beats, ripping guitars, and anti-imperial lyrics in Tagalog (sung from under a rice picker hat), you know aren't fucking around. Mixed into the political dialogue were compliments to GR, which I really appreciated. Also, during the set, one shirtless guy got thrown out for fighting in the pit and, luckily, it wasn't Scrappers.
Thanks to the bands for supporting GR in a big way, the Ruby Room for hosting us, Andy for getting us in there, and our friends who left the comfort zone of downtown during the Comic-Con to make it an awesome night. No thanks to hack comedians who rely on racist, sexist, and homophobic humor--Eric was taping, and might post my statement on that somewhere--but I'm over it and looking forward to another show next year (if not sooner).
The last two days of Comic-Con flew by. It's funny how you can get used to things that really aren't that everyday. Above, Greg got a feel for the Captain's Seat before the doors opened and the crowd was allowed on the floor. After that, it was pretty much business as usual at the GR booth with a ton of friends showing up.
Ex-Polar Goldie Cat, current Hello Menno member Theresa looks like a super hero but is actually just looking for old manga!
Cinamatographer/softball stud Matty Libatique was at the show as part of the Iron Man II contingent. Of course, he was carrying a killer camera.
On my trip around the floor, I saw Koji at the Gargamel booth.
Next door, there was Kiyoshi and Martin O. at the Grass Hut collective.
Chris from Free the Robots (right) with his brother/my friend Gil and the Caped Crusader.
L.A. dodgeball league recruiter Charlie meets Sam from Friends with You.
Half of Flattbush fly the flag and dare you to enter the pit/fight The Man.
Artist Carlos Ramos makes work that is much more colorful than his attire might suggest.
One of the best parts about working the GR booth is encountering people you haven't seen in ages. My brother and I met and last saw Kevin M. we were students at Vista Del Rio junior high. Showing up in thrift shop clothes with Madness badges and Specials patches, he singled-handedly responsible for getting us out of comics and Dungeons & Dragons and into music.
Making new friends is good, too. Graham and Rudy were awesome at the GR booth and cool to hang out with.
We didn't get too many costumes where I was standing, but zombies were popular this year. (Steampunk, as well, but for some reason GR doesn't attract people in goggles, brown leather, and corsets.)
The most amazing Tuskan Raider costume ever.
The Borg and a Vulcan getting along. Only at Comic-Con.
Rogue. She could totally get away with dressing like this every day.
Max. I like homemade costumes a lot.
Lilo & Stitch. I never saw the movie, but what, no shaka?
Gwen Stacy and Poison Ivy get points for actually dressing like characters from comic books.
Ninja vs. dragon, Naruto vs. Super Mario world.
Go-Go actually might do some copy editing for us on our next issue...
Brobee from Yo Gabba Gabba! Is this the real one?
Afterwards came the traditional post-Con dinner at Phuong Trang GR crew. (Left to right: Jeff, Greg, Emilio, Michelle, Jenny, Saelee, Eric, Wendy. Not shown: Anne, Graham, Rudy, me.) Soooo good, and the food is always great, too. Can't wait for next year...
From the time we arrived to set up at the booth to closing, I didn't leave the booth once. That's a long time to stand and a long time to not pee. But it's easy to power through when spreading the gospel of GR and seeing friends you haven't seen in a long time. Above, artist Miran Kim, who I first met at a Comic-Con years ago when I introduced myself to her after a spotlight panel on her work on X Files and Crow comics.
Small Michelle used to work at the GR mag office, but moved to Boston. Now she works at Mimoco!
DJ Will, legend on the softball diamond and KNAC.com.
Afterwards, we got roped into a free screening of a new horror movie called The Collector. The passes were in T-shirt form... Not much to say about the movie, except (1) the plot isn't far from being the the sick flip side to Home Alone, and (2) I was surprised that I actually stayed awake and watched the entire thing.
My brother Greg (right) and I were talking about the difference between being a "guest" of the Comic-Con and working a table. Yes, it sucks to miss panels and presentations with the likes of Shinya Tsukamoto, Hiyao Miyazaki, and Charlyne Yi, but (1) we interviewed them for the mag anyway and (2) I actually see and talk to more people at work than I would at play. Here are some of the friends that dropped by the GR booth 1729 today...
Of course, GR store manager "Mitchelle" was there.
When I picked up Emilio and Jenny this morning on the way to the Comic-Con, it turned out we were all wearing yellow shirts. And then when we dropped by Banh Mi Che Cali for Vietnamese sandwiches and coffee, we sat under a yellow umbrella. What are the chances of something like that happening?
It was pretty hectic getting the booth together, but it looked pretty good for preview night, which was super busy. Tomorrow I'll be locked down and won't be attending any panels, etc., but I will try to take a bunch of pics of people in costume to post afterward...
It's coming up on Wednesday night, and this is the 30th anniversary of my first trip. It's impossible to totally describe or compare the experience back then--when everyone who went to fill want-lists of back issues, attend panels on comic books, and rub elbows with the people who made comic books--and now. But back then there were no guides to Comic-Con published by Entertainment Weekly or E! Channel. Costumes had more of the swords & sandals element and less on cosplay. Anime was still called Japanimation, role playing games were still played with toxic pewter pieces, and the balance of Star Wars vs. Star Trek was almost even. Jack Kirby, Will Eisner, Sergio Aragones, and Scott Shaw! were all there as peers, if that seems possible. There were a lot of parents who took their little kids on day trips--that's how my brother Greg and I first got there, and we've only missed one since then.
Yes, today it's crawling with contrived, corporate movie hype types and lineups for ridiculous pieces that people are buying for the sole reason of selling on eBay. But behind all that, there's still a pretty amazing collection of highly talented writers and artists, not to mention hardcore geek fans, and it's cool be on both sides--I hope the former, at least--even if I'm cemented on the other side of a vendor's table. Come by Booth 1729 (same as usual) and say hi because I'm not going anywhere. I browse, shop, and attend panels vicariously through friends like you, and if I you could eat or pee for me, too, that would be cool.
Yes, the New York band is hot. They play festivals in Europe with Slipknot and impress their grandparents who Google newsfeed articles on them. And they sell out clubs like The Echo. But did you know they also get junky food at In-N-Out and Jack-in-the-Box, just like us?
They also get raspado from carts at the park, just like us. Check them out channeling the Jesus & Mary Chain, Teenage Fanclub, and Velocity Girl live in San Francisco (next stop) or online (below). Suddenly, pain feels exhilarating again...
Following up on the Flattbush interview excerpt, I'm going to run some of our more recent interview with The Binges from Giant Robot 58. They're going on first at the GR show at the Ruby Room in San Diego on Saturday, July 25 (over Comic-Con weekend) promptly at 10:00, and you don't want to miss them. They've probably got the widest appeal of the lineup with their crowd-pleasing, head-banging riffs and balls-out style of straight-up, kick-ass rock 'n' freaking roll. If KNAC, The Cathouse, and Headbanger's Ball were still in their glory days, The Binges would be the toast of the town... Instead, they're making it happen the hard way and are well worth the 5 bucks admission on their own.
Centered on the ferocious guitar and bass attack of Mayuko (left) and Tsuzumi (right) Okai, you might think that The Binges must have emerged from a jungle after 20 years with no idea that Nirvana came along to crush Guns ’n’ Roses. I’ve seen the band rip it up at a jaded rocker club (where an ex-G N’R keyboard player jammed with them on covers like “Godzilla”) and a cheesy NAMM spotlight in a hotel ballroom (where music teachers in Hawaiian shirts nursed drinks at banquet tables). Despite all odds, each time I was blown away by the sisters’ hard-rocking, no-nonsense, and technically brilliant mastery of their respective axes, and arranged to meet them for a quick coffee on Sunset Blvd.
GR: When did you two move to the United States from Japan? MO: In April, it will be 9 years. She was 17 and I was 18. We had a bass, a guitar, and a cat.
GR: Did you know anyone here? MO: We knew a couple of people, but we came here to play music. We started by playing house parties and going to music stores--which are not my type of scenes--but we’d run into people and become friends. We didn’t know English, but we knew The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, and The Beatles. Music was our way to communicate.
GR: Why were you into rock music instead of idol music like SMAP or Dreams Come True? TO: I am not into those bands. I think they are gay.
MO: Our parents loved what we love.
TO: Like The Beatles, The Stones, Pink Floyd, and Jimi Hendrix.
GR: You don’t dress like kogals, either. MO: We don’t have money or time for that.
GR: Were both of you already good musicians when you came over? Were you part of a scene? TO: We played one year before we came here. We played songs by Cream, Guns N’ Roses, and lots of metal. In Japan, there is a scene that likes classic rock, but everybody thinks, “Why are you listening to old songs?” Time is very important to people. They think, “That’s a new song so we should listen to it.” But time doesn’t matter. A good song is a good song.
GR: By the time you arrived in L.A., not many bands were playing music like that. MO: We came to find musicians and form a band, but there was pretty much nobody.
TO: I was very shy and couldn’t even talk. Playing bass with a lot of musicians changed my life. Having confidence was very hard, but jamming with people and having good experiences helped me to express myself.
GR: Did you move straight to Hollywood or did you live somewhere with a lot of Japanese people? MO: That was not our purpose. Our purpose was very clear. We came here because rock ’n’ roll was born in England and the States. We came to California for that, and it took us a few years to get used to the culture. We took ESL classes.
GR: Here, people almost expect you to be an asshole. If you’re not an asshole, sometimes people won’t pay attention to you. MO: We learned that you really have to stand up. Just be straight up and say yes or no. No bullshit.
GR: How long did it take to get the band’s lineup together? TO: We’ve been through many bandmates. We used to jam as the house band at the Cat Club.
MO: We were like a cover band. Our heroes would go there to jam, which made us stronger.
GR: Were your heroes a little older and not as popular by then? TO: Some of them had played in bigger places, and they had something very special about them that’s hard to explain.
MO: After we did that for a few years, I decided it was time to create my own stuff. I had a vision of what kind of music it was going to be. Whenever I write music, I always imagine the personality from each band member. That makes it easy for me to create music. I love that about The Binges, because we have really good musical chemistry. Personal life is sometimes hell, but I’m always happy with my band and the music.
GR: You play a partying style of music. Do you partake of the lifestyle? TO: Totally, and our audience drinks a lot.
GR: Do you drink before shows or do you wait until afterward? MO: It depends. I start drinking a little bit before the show and am fine onstage with maybe one shot because my blood is already moving so fast.
TO: We get drunk pretty easily.
GR: Does your face turn red, too? MO: Yeah, it does!
GR: That’s doesn’t look cool. TO: No, it doesn’t!
GR: It seems like you play a lot of 21+ shows. TO: It’s very hard to get all-ages shows in Los Angeles. It’s a bummer because young kids should be able to listen to music any time anywhere.
MO: In our rehearsal space, there are so many rooms but I don’t hear any bands rehearsing. What are they doing? Why do they rent the rooms and not use them? For storage? It used to be way crazier. Even seven years ago, sounds from the other rooms would disturb our rehearsal. Not any more. It’s kind of quiet at night.
GR: Maybe they’re at home making music on laptops. MO: That’s gay. I mean, good for you to spend time with music, but there is no organic feeling to music anymore. It’s all too convenient. Too easy.
GR: Do you feel like you’ve achieved much so far? MO: Not even close, but I appreciate and love our fans. We have fans that come to see us every time. Not one or two people, but at least six or seven. They carry our gear. Sometimes I get so frustrated, but when I think about them, I appreciate it.
GR: Do you ever worry about getting too close to certain fans? TO: If we need room, we can tell them.
Tonight was the third and final stop on the ALL (circa Scott)/Big Drill Car (original lineup) tour at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip. First of all, I have to say thanks to Greg, BDC's manager for getting me a photo pass. I've always hated the HOB because of their high prices, super uptight security on the way in, and the fact that they don't let you bring cameras into shows. Second, I admit that I was wrong about the HOB. They didn't body search or run metal detectors over us on the way in, and no one seemed to care about photography. The price was still rather steep, but worth every penny for me to see two bands that I saw practically almost every other weekend at the Anti-Club in the early '90s.
I've blogged about Big Drill Car's first reunion show at Fitzgerald's in HB last summer. The group, which has members of MIA (a second-generation OC punk band that played alongside bands like TSOL, Social Unrest, The Vandals, DI, etc.), was one of the first to fuse pop melodies with hardcore energy. It was amazing to see the guys together for the first time in at least 15 years, and play so tightly and with such energy. This show had less giddiness, but way more polish. Frank broke out all of his old moves: the dog, the shake, the wombat, the Superman, and more (My names for the moves, not the band's).
"Drops in the Sea"? Yes, a new song. The band just self-released a new CD with an EP's worth of new songs and a bunch of compilations, covers, and b-sides. Dig back through my blog and you'll see the listing... Lead singer Frank called the band's shot saying that they were leaving everything on the stage, and they did. After that, I was a little worried for ALL, who has a very long, storied catalog of albums (including Descendents) with amazing songs and musicianship that tends to get spottier, in my opinion, as they've gone on.
But instantly, it was great to see Scott Reynolds (who took over vocals for Dave Smalley who took over vocals for Milo) with the band again. He sang some of the group's best songs, like "She's My Ex," "Mary," "Fool," and "Scary Sad," and reminded everyone of that tonight. Just like back then, he also sang some key Smalley songs like "Paper Tiger" and "Daveage." Above: "Coolidge." (Other Descendents songs in the set included "Loser," "I Wanna Be a Bear," and "Clean Sheets.")
Original Descendent Tony Lombardo (above) came out to play for couple songs, including his spoken intro/outro to "Suburban Home" and a TonyALL song. Other Allular notables in the house included master roadie Bug Phace and, trickling onto the stage one at a time to hang out during ALL's set, The Chemical People (below), making the Cruz Records trinity complete.
Jaime, Ed, and Dave have been jamming again lately, but didn't feel ready for tonight's gig. That's actually a good thing because then I would have had to attend the San Diego and Orange County shows, too...
Our policy is that we don't post our articles on the GR website. But I'm breaking that rule now because I want you to get amped about the upcoming GR rock show that's going to take place in San Diego on the Saturday of Comic-Con weekend. Ladies and gentlemen, I present a shortened version of the Flattbush interview from GR45 (January - February, 2007)...
Some music isn’t made with the intention of becoming famous, getting rich, or fetching dates; it’s made and played because an individual or group wants to change the world. The latter category is where you’ll find the politically fueled metal of Flattbush, whose screaming Pinoy-centric lyrics address social injustice, class struggle, and the historic plight of the Filipino and working-class people.
The Long Beach, CA-based band’s songs are as complex as its topics, with shifting tempos, chaotic riffs, and furious blast beats. Their 2003 debut, Smash the Octopus, and latest offering, Seize the Time!, are powerful in every way, and onstage, the blue-collar group is a true force of nature. If Flattbush doesn’t get your complacent, cake-eating ass off the sofa, nothing will. I met the founding members, brothers Riko and Arman Maniago (lead vocals and bass, respectively) and Bradley Walther (guitar) as well as the newest drummer, Joe Luevano, at their rehearsal studio.
GR: There are a lot of bands that sing about being pissed off, but not many take the step of directing their anger toward the government or the system. RM: A lot of working Americans hate their neighbors and are pissed off at everything, but they don’t have direction and they don’t know who the enemy is. They’re oppressed, but they don’t know who to throw a shoe at. They think, “Who the fuck am I going to hit?” What’s cool about Karl Marx and revolutionaries is that they give leadership and guidance. The oppressor is not your boss; it’s the few, the exploiting class. AM: And the CIA and FBI did a good job at neutralizing the leaders in the ’60s. The Black Panthers took care of the ghettos, but who takes care of the ghettos now?
GR: So where are the political bands? RM: A lot of bands are enraged about this and that. A couple years ago Green Day was doing something, and Incubus was doing some political stuff. That’s good. Full-time activists talk shit, but at least those bands are stepping it up, and you have to give them credit.
GR: Is Flattbush akin to Green Day, Incubus, and huge stars like that? Or are they in a different world? RM: Green Day and Incubus are good musicians, and I respect their anti-Bush efforts. They’re not sell-outs who just sing about it; they can lift the morale of the oppressed with their music. You don’t have to carry guns to be revolutionary.
GR: When I was a kid, the foundation for my politics was formed by bands like The Clash. RM: People compare us to the Dead Kennedys, and I don’t even have one of their albums! People say, “How come rock always complains about the same shit?” It’s because nothing has changed.
GR: Do you feel kinship to Filipino party bands that just play R&B covers? Aren’t they kind of wack? AM: Doesn’t that suck? RM: I thought it was just me! I don’t want to talk shit because we want to unite with them, but they should at least do something to help people instead of showing people what type of cars they have. AM: In Los Angeles, there’s a scene of Filipino bands, and sometimes they throw events. There’ll be indie pop and screamo and whatever. Once, we were invited to do our thing. They get out of the Philippines, see us wearing Mao caps, and think, “Should we be doing this?” We’re not being rude or anything, but that’s how we serve our food. To them, we’re crazy. BW: Yeah, at Asian events they’re dressed nice in Sunday clothes. RM: And we’re thinking, “What the fuck are we doing?”
GR: You guys probably feel just as uncomfortable playing to dudes in shiny shirts and girls in heels and makeup! AM: They don’t invite us very often. They just do it because we’re the only Filipino band that has survived. RM: They don’t have a choice! Then they think, “They still sound horrible!” AM: I text messaged one of those promoters and invited him to a show, just to give him thanks and put him on the guest list. He texted back, “Fuck, I don’t support commies!” I think he was just joking, but it’s serious shit. In the Philippines, if you’re a revolutionary, activism supporter, or even a sympathizer, you are considered a terrorist. They don’t want to be part of that. RM: We can’t even play there. I get updates from friends who get tortured. Priests who support certain organizations are killed. If we go there, we will die. They will throw a grenade and we won’t even know it because the music is so loud!
GR: Joe, as a non-Filipino, how do you feel about all this? JL: My parents were both born in Mexico. They’ve gone through a lot of shit to come here, and they are still going through shit, so I can relate to the struggle.
GR: Do you two understand the songs sung in Tagalog and Kapampangan? JL: We ask for translations when we’re working on the songs. BW: I’ve picked up a few Tagalog words. RM: I don’t even know what I’m saying!
GR: I don’t know all the lyrics, but some of your songs remind me of the Mexican death-metal band, Brujeria, whose songs are all in Spanish. AM: When I picked up the first Brujeria album, Matan Gueros, I didn’t know Spanish, but I knew it meant “killing white people,” and there was a severed head on the cover. I thought, “This is me. This is the shit!” And when I played it, the four-track recording was cheap, fucked up, third-world shit. I could relate to that. RM: At school, I’d get criticized for my accent, but here was this band that got signed to a label. That meant something to me. AM: Brujeria’s recording was so shitty, but it was our reference. We thought, “Fuck! If we sound like Brujeria, we’re on the right track. Our standards were not high because we could not afford expensive production.
GR: Having soul is more important. AM: It has nerve. There are a lot of bands out there that play and record really complex stuff. Dillinger Escape Plan plays good, technical shit, but it doesn’t affect me physically or emotionally. And then I can watch a band like Sin Remedio--yelling at each other for fucking up all the time--because I feel their attitude.
GR: When you play with a more traditional metal band, how do audiences react to Riko’s rice-picker hat or Arman’s Mao cap and the hammer-and-sickle sticker on his guitar? RM: They don’t have to say anything. We can read their body language. JL: At Death Angel, there were guys holding up their middle fingers the whole time and yelling, “Fucking commies!” AM: I think it’s a compliment. We make them think and piss them off. That’s what rock is--not people dancing and eating nachos. RM: It’s like, what’s your favorite food?
GR: Noodles. RM: Let’s say you’re eating ramen; it’s the best shit ever and you don’t even have to think about it. If someone gives you a different platter, you’ll think, “What the fuck is this?” and talk shit about it. But it made you think, and you’ll tell your friends, “I just had the worst food!” If we make people think, then we did our job.
We have day jobs, pay our credit-card bills, and drive long-ass hours to work. If you’re working today, you’re already thinking about tomorrow’s work. If you make someone think about that--even if it pisses them off--they’ll catch up. In ten years, they’ll think, “I’m a revolutionary. Fuck, I should have listened to those guys ten years ago!” AM: When people lose their houses, they will get fed up. RM: People were scared by Satan in the ’80s, but that’s old. They should be afraid of Marx! That’s real revolutionary shit. BW: Well, Marx is real. Satan is a fictional character.
GR: Do you ever get bummed that people talk about your politics but don’t even mention your musicianship? BW: It is a bummer, but we know that it’s a story that has to be told.
If you even skim my blog, you know I'm total dork for Big Drill Car. Here's cover art for the Costa Mesa band's *new* CD... An EP's worth of new songs (one streaming on the band's MySpace page) with a bunch of rarities, compilation cuts, singles, etc. that have never been on plastic. It'll be available this weekend at their shows with ALL (circa Scott) in San Diego, Anaheim, and Los Angeles, and is coming soon to the Merch Lackey site.
See you at the Los Angeles show on Sunday! (If you're in San Diego, that's my twin brother Greg in the front row.)
Not bad... Vegetarian Prince Fielder wins the home-run derby, POTUS is throwing the first pitch, and the Dodgers will have the best record in the majors when the season resumes.
Straight outta Nashville, TN, Chris (screen printing) and Mary (designs) from Maryink showed up at the GR office this morning with a big IKEA bag full of new product to show Eric... I got to meet them, too, and they were super nice. Look for their hand-screened, super soft shirts to make a return at the GR stores in a big way. Yes, the economy sucks, but extremely cool people who do excellent work and believe in what they're doing can't be stopped. (Can they?)
The duo is about to make their way up the coast to S.F. If you see them there, treat them to burritos and agua frescas and enjoy a chat with them!
Congratulations to the Giant Robot softballers on a perfect 12-0 season (City of Los Angeles Municipal Sports Softball, M-546, Open-C). I always knew they were great dudes, but who knew they could be such a great team? Next challenge: the summer tournament...
Back row: BK, Mikey, Eric, Marc, Sean, Jason Front row: Hap, Bill Bear, Andruw (mascot), PK, Brian, Chi Magic Not shown: The softball ninja
...and maybe that's good because who wants to get vibed or macked on by comic-book guy, a toy dork, or an entertainment lawyer? As an alternative, we've set up our very own rock show during this year's San Diego Comic-Con, which will take place at the Ruby Room in nearby Hillcrest on Saturday, July 25. The hard-rocking lineup, hand-picked by us at Giant Robot, includes:
Flattbush - The anti-imperialist thrash/speed metal band from Bellflower crawled out of the garage in 1993, has shared the stage with Brujeria, Asesino, and Fear Factory and released two albums on Billy Gould's Kool Arrow record label. I interviewed them at their practice space way back in Giant Robot 45, and now I finally get to see them onstage.
Upsilon Acrux - These are Michelle's friends, and they've been labeled everything from "post punk" to "brutal prog" to "insane jazz rock." With six albums under their collective belt since 1998, they'll have a ton of compositions to choose from.
The Binges - As seen in Giant Robot 58, this is my favorite current L.A. band, playing straight-up, no-bullshit rock 'n' roll and featuring the virtuosic (yet not self-indulgent) riffs of Tokyo sisters Mayuko and Tsuzumi Okai on guitar and bass. It's like 1988 all over again--but better.
Free The Robots - Alpha Pup, OBEY, and self-released recording artist Chris Alfaro is a headliner in the glitch/indie electronica scenes (see GR57 and GR60), but has graciously agreed to man the wheels of steel between the sets of rock.
Download the flyer here and forward it to all your Stormtrooper, Klingon, and geek friends who are going to San Diego. Arrive early, and we'll see you there.
Neither dumbed-down nor slicked-up, the live-action adaptation of Blood: The Last Vampire is shockingly close to its ultraviolent, super stylish animated inspiration–and then some. Not only is there just as much gore and killing as in the original anime, but there is arguably more style and actually more question marks.
Amazingly, there's no origin story for the protagonist or any explanations about her powers or habits as a vampire, and the conclusion is a psychedelic, jaw-dropper that will elicit head scratching by mainstream moviegoers. But genre fans will appreciate the not-for-dummies treatment as star Jeon Ji-hyun (My Sassy Girl) delivers the goods as the sword-brandishing, schoolgirl-outfit wearing blood drinker, and martial-arts director Corey Yuen provides powerful, acrobatic, and stylish action scenes.
It might seem unlikely that Hong Kong producer Bill Kong, who is best known for arthouse projects like Fearless, House of Flying Daggers, Lust Caution, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon would be behind a shameless genre film like Blood. But after talking to the amicable businessman, it makes perfect sense.
GR: One thing I really liked about Blood was how you made it R-rated, with heads being sliced open and the bodily fluids of demons splashing everywhere. Most cinematic adaptations of anime are toned down for kids but yours wasn’t like that. BK: The original anime was very bloody, and I thought that the only way to make it was to go over the edge. We wrote it to be more of a culty film.
GR: Also, it didn't really have a traditional beginning or end and the vampire part was never even explained. It seemed to assume that the viewer would understand those things and be knowledgeable about the genre. BK: For such subject matter, you have to be very faithful when adopting another person's work. Also, we thought that it wouldn't be very smart to answer all the questions, because that would make a terrible movie.
GR: You've made more than a few stylish movies with female characters that kick butt. Are you a fan of that kind of cinema? Did you just grow up with movies like that? BK: No, no. It just happened that when I watched the anime, it touched me. That’s all. Other things do touch me, too.
GR: What was it that touched you about Blood? BK: The character. I thought she was fascinating, and the open-ended plot led to a lot of imagining.
GR: Could you somehow relate to Jeon Ji-hyun's role as a lonely, ruthless assassin? BK: No, but I can imagine a vampire killer in New York. It’s a great story that goes back 400 years ago. What happened? Why didn't she age?
GR: The movie actually takes place in the early '70s, and there are scenes with flower children and hippies. Do those parts remind you of your youth at all? Can you relate to that culture? BK: Yes. I’m not afraid to admit my age, and I find certain nostalgia in it.
GR: You were a rock 'n' rock guy back then? BK: Yes, yes. I grew up in that age.
SeeBloodon the big screen when it opens on Friday, July 10. Read the rest of the interview in Giant Robot 61, which comes out in August. The conversation touches on the business of art, the rise of Pan-Asian cinema, Kong's work with Ang Lee, and his being deemed a "Hero of Asia" by Time magazine...
Check out the newest Laker's tribute to Jackson. I can't stop listening to this--and especially dig the part where Artest opens what is probably a 40. It's totally thug life but emo at the same time, just like how he plays ball. (Thanks to Choco Cake for the link.)
Large concerts can be a really bad scene, but for some reason going to the Hollywood Bowl is cool. It's an L.A. tradition where you bring a picnic to enjoy a summer evening outdoors and the music almost provides more of a soundtrack than a diversion or entertainment. (You have to treat it that way since there are inevitably people around you eating, talking, and singing along throughout.) But last night was exceptional because my friend Nick's band was playing.
After the New Pornographers set and while Tegan and Sara were beginning, I ran into Nick, who just parked his truck, and gave him the last three issues of GR as well as some sea-salt-and-chocolate-chip cookies. I figured he could use some reading material for the short three-week tour, but who knew that there were no snacks backstage at the bowl? Maybe they don't want crumbs getting on the L.A. Phil's clean white outfits. (More on that later.)
Since the show fell on a long holiday weekend, the band was able to invite their families down to L.A. to see them play the legendary stage where The Beatles and Morrisey have played. Nick's mom confirmed that she cried during the set, and I'm guessing it was during his lengthy intro to "I Will Possess Your Heart." To me, it's like Sly & Robbie meet "V2 Schneider" meets "Nowhere Girl." The new songs sounded great, too.
Seeing the band with the L.A. Phil was something I wanted to see, too. I was hoping for Beck's dad to utilize the sections to fill gaps during lulls or provide some counterpoints to the melodies, but it was more like they provided swells and energy. The set the tone after a short break and Ben came out to sing "I Will Follow You Into The Dark." The orchestration had a very lush and warm effect, and I sincerely thank my fellow concertgoers for not singing along at the tops of their lungs.
The 19 songs went by really, really quickly. (I think this is the first time I've seen them that they didn't play "405.") During the finale, "Transatlanticism," there were fireworks! Nick told me that some ushers were spoiling the surprise by telling people to beware of them. Oh well, excellent show nonetheless. If you couldn't be there, look for Death Cab on Conan tonight (July 6) or on Soundstage on PBS on Thursday (July 9).
My entire family got together on the Fourth of July to cool off in my mom and dad's swimming pool, pound tofu dogs and veggie burgers, and enjoy some pyrotechnics.
Had slush on Sawtelle with Stella Lai this afternoon. She got lychee, almond jello, and rainbow jelly, and I got lychee, almond jello, and lemon jelly. They were out of mochi. Yeah, we're wusses who can't hang with the hardcore red beans, buckwheat, and whatnot... The artist from Hong Kong gave me the scoop on her recent trip to the HK Art Fair (meh) and her bracing for upcoming showings in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Hawaii, and the Giant Robot Biennale! In return, I told her about Eloise and ongoing GR deadlines. Does that sound like a fair trade?
What's that in Stella's hand? It's her contribution to a series of Pepsi cans designed by various international artists. You can tell by the logo that the project took place before the brand's reboot, but apparently it's still out there. A friend of hers recently spotted the cans at Heathrow Airport. Happy hunting!
