Giant Robot Store and GR2 News – Tagged "Music"– Page 23 – GiantRobotStore

boris · deafheaven · marriages · Music · MW · News · the echoplex · the el rey · turbonegro · May 28, 2013

Show reviews: Two nights with Boris at The Echoplex; Turbonegro at The El Rey

I was pretty bummed when I found out that both Boris shows at The Echoplex were sold out. Also pissed at myself for not immediately buying tickets. After all, how often does one of my favorite bands make it all the way here from Japan–the group that I actually sold merch for when they toured with our mutual friends Damon & Naomi back in 2008. Then out of the kindness of her heart, the very same Naomi hit up Atsuo from Boris on my behalf and he put me on the guest list. What? And thanks!

dengue fever · imprint culture lab · jonathan gold · long beach work in progress · Music · MW · News · the vandals · tsol · May 27, 2013

Long Beach: Work in Progress teaser video by Ben Clark

The first of three videos based on last month’s Long Beach: Work in Progress conference that I helped assemble has recently been uploaded. Longtime Giant Robot mag readers will be familiar with many faces that are included: Joe Escalante from The Vandals, Chhom Nimol and Zac Holtzman from Dengue Fever, pro skater Chad Tim Tim, W+K’s John Jay, Staple Design’s jeffstaple. I hope you also know Jack Grisham from T.S.O.L., Pulitzer Prize winning food writer Jonathan Gold… Hardcore GR fans will also be familiar with the work of videographer, Ben Clark, my good friend and go-to photographer who shot portraits for many of my key articles: Stephen Chow, Richard Mulder, Boris, P.K. 14. I was really stoked that he got the gig and think his video captures the spirit of the event as well as the vibe of Long Beach. Check out the link on Imprint’s Vimeo page. If you dig it, please share and come back for more on the next couple of Tuesdays. Clockwise from top left: Ben Clark and me, Joe Escalante (The Vandals) and Jack Grisham (T.S.O.L.), Chhom Nimol and Zac Holtzman (Dengue Fever), Jonathan Gold (The Los Angeles Times).

bulletins · cyrus ghahremani · Lorelei Plotczyk · michael esten · Music · MW · News · palephant · snoozer · susie ghahremani · the paper thins · May 20, 2013

Artist Susie Ghahremani on her band, Bulletins

I’ve known Susie Ghahremani as an awesome indie illustrator, artist, crafter, and good friend for more than a decade but had only scratched the surface of her musical talent through karaoke. Last week I saw her play with a fairly new band, Bulletins, right down the street from my house at the Silverlake Lounge. The sound is both lovely and cosmic with elements that recall the energy-filled hooks of Velocity Girl and noisy undercurrents of Asobi Seksu. Afterward, I had to ask my pal from San Diego for more details…

billy milano · burger records · hostile corporate takeover · jack niederthal · joe staats · jt habersaat · king tuff · king tuff is dead · laapff · live at the old waldorf · mack lindsay · marshall islands · mike wiebe · mod · Music · MW · News · raymond pettibon · Reviews Cinema · riverboat gamblers · sod · stand up! records · the sound of crickets at night · the three o'clock · visual communications · May 09, 2013

Reviews: The Sound of Crickets at Night at LAAPFF, The Three O’Clock, King Tuff, JT Habersaat & The Altercation Punk Comedy Tour

Another year, another Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. I’ve attended such fests in the past as a member of the press, as a presenter, as a judge, and as a contributor. This was my first time it was a committee member who helped select the movies that were shown, write synopses for the program, and then introduce movies and conduct post-screening interviews. Honestly, it was a little more work than I expected but how could I say no when I was recruited by my friend/Visual Communications Creative Director Anderson Le? And the festival duties have turned out to be a lot of fun. Last night I was assigned to The Sound of Crickets at Night. I chose to write the program’s essay about the movie because I Ioved its honesty, rawness, and creativity when I saw the screener. So it was a real treat to introduce the Marshall Islands indie flick, see it on a big screen, and then have a brief chat with co-producer/co-director/writer/gofer Jack Niedenthal. Jack is a really personable and outgoing guy with a fascinating story (visiting with the Peace Corps, staying and entering local politics, becoming a self-taught filmmaker to represent the culture after his young son asked him why there were no movies about the Marshallese) so, really, I just had to hand him the mic and get out of the way. Almost too easy, but more of him and less of me is what the audience came for. Tonight is the fest’s closing screening of the Japanese dark comedy Key of Life, which will be followed by encore presentations of some of the its most popular movies (none of my pics, oh well) over the weekend. Support indie film! Support film festivals! Who knows when you’ll get to see these films at the movies, meet the filmmakers again, or surround yourself with like-minded cultural connoisseurs and patrons of the arts again? AUDIO REVIEWS The Three O’Clock – Live at the Old Waldorf Sadly, I missed the Paisley Underground band’s reunion shows at Coachella, The Glass House, and The Troubadour. But I couldn’t pass up this limited-edition live album, which captures The Three O’Clock at their arguable peak in 1983 with all of the swirling, ripping songs off their perfect Baroque Hoedown EP (one of the first records I ever bought back in junior high) as well as selections from their more psychedelic Salvation Army era (Befour Three O’Clock) and previews of their yet-to-be-released pop opus, Sixteen Tambourines (alas no “Jet Fighter”). The fact that the wafer-thin audio sounds like a bootleg taped off a Walkman will alienate lesser fans and the merely curious–who should pre-order the 20-track anthology with outtakes and demos from Omnivore Records instead–but this is a real artifact and a must-have for fans and survivors of the mod revival like me. [Burger Records] King Tuff – King Tuff Was Dead While I don’t have one friend who isn’t addicted to King Tuff’s self-titled perfect garage pop album on Sub Pop,...

a river changes course · abigail harm · ayako fujitani · duc nguyen · eugene suen · isaac chung · kalyanee mam · Music · MW · News · Reviews Cinema · rolling stones · staples center · stateless · tetsuo kuramochi · the sound of crickets at night · May 06, 2013

Reviews: The Rolling Stones at Staples/The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival at the DGA

Still can’t believe my friend Cate invited me to watch The Rolling Stones kick off their current tour at Staples Center last Friday. Still can’t believe how great they are live. Like the blues musicians they grew up idolizing, The Stones have become not only timeless but ageless masters… Yes, to kick off the evening they had the UCLA marching band play “Satisfaction” following a video montage of musicians, filmmakers, and fans sharing their devotion to Their Satanic Majesties; there were guest appearances by Gwen Stefani and Keith Urban; and the CSULB choir sang a chillingly beautiful intro “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” to make it a special night. But really it’s all about their enormously heavy catalog of songs. Everyone from The New York Dolls to Aerosmith has tried in their own way to channel The Stones’ primal, evil grooves but The World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band remains just that. Everyone talks about how Mick and Keef have survived with style but Ronnie and Charlie are effortlessly on point and cool…