goh nakamura

Anyone who’s read Giant Robot magazine, been to one of the shops, or visits the website knows that we’re big supporters of Goh Nakamura and his music. While his roots are in ’80s metal and his style is more like Elvis Costello or Elliott Smith, his worth ethic is as indie as you can get. He plays living rooms and theater lobbies, sits in on local jam nights and community gatherings. Most recently, he’s been featured in two independent features, Surrogate Valentine and Daylight Savings, which are making the film fest circuit.  The movies directed by David Boyle are very cool and I hope everyone supports them, but in the meantime Goh hasn’t been releasing enough of his own new music… Yes, the Music from the Motion Picture CD is a cool collection of tunes and scores from both flicks, but we fans are ready for a full-on album.

The Dream Sessions, Goh’s latest Kickstarter effort, would remedy that. He’s trying to raise money to record sessions in three studios. Three cities, three different sets of musicians, same rad guitarist and singer. To help publicize the campaign, he’s been webcasting live sets featuring various friends playing music or just hanging out. Today, I was the visitor, and brought Eloise as long as well. You can watch the link here, in which she sings along to The Ramones and The Go-Go’s and dances around to The Beatles. How lucky are we? Coming up on Wednesday is Tamlyn Tomita, star of Karate Kid II and patron saint of Asian American cinema. I hear she used to skateboard in pools, so watch the webcast, jump in the chatroom, and request Agent Orange’s “Bloodstains” or some other skate rock! Then support Goh, a rad musician, good friend, and awesome guy.

The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival just ended and now I’m wondering what to do. Sounds like a good time to share some pictures. Of course, my focus was on my pals from The Working Man enjoying a moment in the spotlight.

I spotted my good friends Tadashi Suzuki (the star) and Wing Ko (co-director) before the shorts program began, and had a good time hanging out with them, saying hi to friends, and looking forward to their artful skate video’s hometown premiere. (more…)

Another year rolls by. The LA Asian Pacific Film Festival has run through a week of film programming. Congrats to the folks who work on this festival. It’s looking up – way up. The closing night took place at the CGV Cinemas in Koreatown. The pics don’t do the event justice, but that’s my cousin Michael Aki who starred in the film, Daylight Savings. Yes, there are better photos of him, but these are iPhone specials!

People dancing and Michael stares at who knows what. A starlet?

Then it’s beer time. Chug.

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For some, life begins and ends with pizza. After visiting a Belgian Beer bar, yes I admit I went to a bar, the pizza place next door is said to be the quality of crap. The bartender said that the place to go is Joe’s in Greenwich Village. It might be one of the best. Newbs like me tried the pepperoni first, but the real test is the simple cheese. That’s what 95% of the people walking in get.

That is Goh Nakamura at Grumpy’s Coffee. They use a Clover machine. See the phone on the table? Goh is tethered to it.

Caught in the act. That’s musician Jane Lui looking surprised and Zach Gage who created Spelltower. A hot iPhone game.

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Greetings from Chicago

Tim Hugh, one man bandleader of the Chicago Asian American Film Festival

This is Tim Hugh and his dog Helga in his kitchen in Chicago. Tim has run the only Asian American Indie Film Fest (i.e. no “imports”) for 12 of the 17 years that it’s been in existence. In this picture, he’s a one man bandleader- running it solo, something I can relate to as a solo musician. I’m in town to promote my film “Daylight Savings” which premiered at SXSW this year, and will be the opening night film this year. Joining me at the screening will be Michael Aki who plays my cousin in the film. I met Mike at this very festival in 2010 when he was showing his films Sunsets that he directed with Eric Nakamura, and his Film Noir tribute “Strangers”

I asked Tim a bunch of questions:

Goh: Why is this festival important?

Tim: It’s one of the only festivals that shows only Asian American films; produced, directed and/or about the Asian American experience. In the midwest more so than the coastal states, you’re constantly asked that stupid question “Where are you from?”… so it’s important to help define what being Asian and American is.

I’m a fourth generation Chinese American. In the midwest, it’s usually under the assumption that you’re just “Asian”… and not “Asian American.” When I see Causasian people I don’t ask them “are you from Poland? are you European?” I just see them for who they are, not what they look like.

Goh: How did you get involved in the festival?

Tim: I was just a fan of the band Seam, and Sooyoung Park, Ben Kim and Billy Shin started the festival in 1995 after they released the Ear of the Dragon CD, which was the first Asian American Rock Compliation. I’d always go and watch everything I could. I’d never seen films like this before; Asian American characters that spoke like me; the actors weren’t forced to speak with a bad accent. I could relate to these images and characters that I was seeing at this festival.

I became obsessed and would watch everything I could, whether it be a feature, documentary, or shorts program. I just wanted to see as much as I could, because I knew I’d never get a chance to see these movies again. Plus, being able to meet the directors and hear them speak about their films was one of the coolest things for me. I remember hanging out with Justin Lin, back when he was just a shorts director.

They noticed me being there year after year, and began to recognize me. Eventually, they would ask me to do little things like hand out program booklets, take tickets, watch the table, and take pictures during the Q&A’s. Basically, I became a volunteer. I remember standing there back in the day giving out Giant Robot magazines!

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Goh Nakamura at Donut Man (courtesy of GN)

So much new music has dropped this month that my head hurts–and I love it. For starters, there’s a soundtrack CD that veteran indie musician/upstart actor Goh Nakamura dropped in the mailbox for me between his stops on the film festival circuit. You won’t find the Kickstarter-funded release in stores yet–although some of it can be sampled on SoundCloud–but I’m guessing Goh will have copies at the Asian American Showcase on Friday, April 6 when Daylight Savings makes its Chicago premiere. Catch him there or wherever you can!

Goh Nakamura – Music From The Motion Picture
Because the songs and scores were intended to support scenes from director Dave Boyle’s Surrogate Valentine films, this sprawling collection might not be the best introduction to singer-songwriter Goh Nakamura‘s ultra clever, catchy, and honest Elvis Costello-meets-The-Beatles pop–although there is plenty of it (“Walk,” “Here’s a Secret”…). However, it is an awesome sampler of his skills and versatility. From dreamy instrumentals (“That’s Why I Miss You,” “Don’t Look Away”) and funky bumpers (“Shirtless Curtis,” “Whistlin’ “) to Plimsouls-like power pop (“Better”), the tracks show as much range as they do polish. Acting may be new to Goh’s repertoire, but the conceiving of heartfelt music for different scenes and moods is nothing but a musical, masterful game of H-O-R-S-E for the ace guitar player. [Goh Nakamura]

Jah Wobble & Keith Levene – S/T EP
Levene’s screeching guitars and Wobble’s throbbing bass are instantly recognizable in “Back on the Block,” a cool, killer instrumental that recall not only the duo’s contributions to the first Public Image Ltd. releases but also the generations of bands they influenced from Butthole Surfers to Fugazi to Radio 4. Their dubby baseline and droning guitar are as timeless as they are hypnotic and catchy. “Mississippi” is almost the polar opposite: snappy and organ-driven country-flavored pop. Its too-good-to-true vibe is tweaked only by Wobble’s disarming lyrics about the smell of gasoline. Two dubs (one coasting, one toasting) round out the limited-edition 12″ EP that comes in a hand-stamped envelope. Definitely worth seeking out and playing often. [Pressure Sounds]

High on Fire – De Vermis Mysteriis
While leader Matt Pike has reunited his previous band (the much loved and more stoneriffic Sleep) for the festival circuit, High on Fire keeps ratcheting up the tension. Producer Kurt Ballou (Converge) brings a dose of crushing post-hardcore intensity to the mix, bringing the band’s Motörhead-heavy riffs and Slayer-speed solos to new heights and ensuring that the song cycle’s conceit about a conspiracy involving Jesus’ twin brother and time travel never gets in the way of the rock. All of the cuts are capable of shaking the hair between one’s nuts, but “Madness of an Architect” might be the heaviest, grooviest song of all, at once recalling the droning brilliance of Sleep’s “Dopesmoker” while space trucking into the future cosmos. [oOne Music]

Also check out: Black Breath – Sentenced to Life [Southern Lord], Paul Weller – Sonik Kicks (Deluxe Edition) [Island], V/A – Listen To The Music – Caltone’s Jamaican 45′s 1966-69 [Pressure Sounds]

I have a long playlist on my ipod that I call “the song graveyard” of old unfinished verses,choruses and riffs. It’s a musical “to do” list that I consult every now and then.
One of the songs on there was a sad tune that started with the words “Here’s A Secret”… but then ended in gibberish. Songs can stay in this suspended state for years, until something jolts me emotionally to fill in the blanks. Such is the case for this tune.

This is the first single from the Soundtrack album I’m about to release called “Motion from the Music Picture.” There’s 2 exclusive cues from my upcoming film Daylight Savings, too. Hope you dig.


Here’s A Secret

I’d imagine writers, artists have a similar “graveyard” that they consult from time to time…I’m curious. How do you guys work with older material?



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Goh, Dan and myself. The Nakamuras. It’s common, but less common than Kim, Nguyen, and Wong.

Goh Nakamura and Jane Lui played quietly and nicely at GR2. Aside from the great sets by both, GR2 was visited by the Helpingjanet.com folks. You’ve seen her viral video, and Janet Liang needs your help. The exhibition of music went from sounds and a captive audience to getting involved in being involved in trying to help others. The end of the show became a bone marrow drive! Below, Goh Nakamura plays his set among dragons!

Jane Lui plays to a nice crowd of at least 30, who sat on the old shelves that are now benches!

Star citing: Janet Liang, Jane Lui and Tamlyn Tomita

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The film is actually called Daylight Savings. It’s debuting at the SXSW film festival, but a day later, it’s in SF.

The tickets are available at CAAM. It’s the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. That’s Goh Nakamura (right) and Ayako Fujitani (left).

Here’s a new tune I wrote. Actually wrote it on a walk to the coffee shop one day, just speaking words into my phone as they came into my head… pretending like I was having a conversation with someone.

This song was sort of an experiment, I wanted to write it away from an instrument… starting with words. I usually sit around with a pen and paper, but I found that the left/right rhythm of feet against concrete gets my brain going. When I get to the coffee shop, I sit down with a cup of joe, jot stuff down. Then I walk home, humming revisions or new ideas.

I made this video yesterday, walking the same route as I did when I wrote the song in November. I tried walking my cat on a leash, but he wasn’t having it. There’s some footage of my friend’s home/studio in San Juan Bautista, where I recorded it. The video’s like a little commercial for the song, which you can purchase Here

See he might be too modest to post it…

This isn’t a Top Ten list like “Best Concert, Best Movie, or Best Toy”. It’s a list that’s as important and there are highlights in them all, but by no means is it a Top Ten of anything. They’re just important as everything else – family, friends, and so on. Maybe I’ll try and turn out a list that’s more like that…

 We painted the mural on the wall. That alone was an 11 hour project. 

Zen Garage – The year started off great with the Zen Garage art opening just a few days before the new year. Yet, the actual New Year’s Day kicked off with the Oshogatsu program at JANM. It was motor vehicles including the Giant Robot Scion Car I designed but also custom motorcycles and the now vintage David Choe Scion. Thanks to Len Higa and Shinya Kimura for jumping on board. The year began with a GR show in a museum – it’s a great start with you get to do a project with friends, new friends, and a place like JANM. Collaboration can be more fun than doing something alone.

 It’s great when artists install their own work. 

James Jean Art Show – Aside from it being one of the greater or even greatest art shows of the year, it also indelibly marked the night that the earthquake struck Japan. I recall, it was at the after party, the twitter messages were beginning. An 8.9 quake? The thought of a giant quake was one thing, yes there would be lives lost and yes a lot of damage, but less than an hour later, the Tsunami hit the shores and that’s when the things got real, it became internet news for days straight.

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I heard this Okkervil River song tonight for the first time and had to cover it, record it, and now I’m passing it on to you. Download away… Happy Holidays Everyone!

Listening to Otis Redding at Home During Christmas (Okkervil River Cover) by Goh Nakamura
Listening to Otis Redding at Home During Christmas (Okkervil River Cover)

Yes, it’s a popular vote. The Gotham Awards. It sounds great. There are some big movies like Attack the Block, and more indies like Surrogate Valentine. You can vote for five films. See all the films here and here’s the Surrogate Valentine link here. If not, don’t worry, you can see this film soon. You can pre order it on iTunes available November 1.

Robot tagging the trash. I like the two hearts and the idea that it’s in the line of the old Japanese robots.

I didn’t stay here, but the sign is great.

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A few photos that illustrate the day of a visitor like myself in Hawaii. That’s Goh Nakamura below. He played an awkward set at a bar that was louder than he was, but then he figured out the amplification and made it work. Anytime walls are red, you get interesting shots. This took place at a bar called Ichiriki.

Yes an SLR can catch moments like this. I like the light from the phone. It was quite dark, but it still showed up.

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There are things to do in Hawaii aside from the early morning beach visits. It’s food. Ramen Nakamura, or NakamuRamen or as a friend pointed out, RameNakamura and Waiola Shave Ice with Tamlyn Tomita.

That’s Oxtail Ramen below. It’s coma inducing. Proceed at your own risk. It costs $13, a bit much, but that’s Waikiki for you. Yes those are dried garlic pieces.

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