Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
Asobi Seksu at The Satellite (May 28, 2011)
There’s no more print mag with slots for me to fill in with reviews, but I still listen to music more than ever. So should you. Here are my takes on some newer releases. The first one is a free link, so at least read that far!
Asobi Seksu – Big Orange Studios
I was bummed that Asobi Seksu wouldn’t be joining Boris on the West Coast, but at least there’s this recent session that was recorded live in studio for Daytrotter and released in late September. Yes, there are only three songs, but each is an epic example of cinematic-yet-genuine rock, and an excellent example of how the New York band’s humungous sound translates live. “Trails” is the extra dynamic, hyper catchy single with every freaking dial cranked up and percussion sounding like fireworks propelling Yuki’s dynamic vocals. It makes you feel as if you’re flying through space. The middle number is the dreamiest, complete with Cocteau Twins-style scatting, and “Leave The Drummer Out There” is the dream pop equivalent of “Bohemian Rhapsody”–or is it “A Quick One, While He’s Away”? At any rate, if this primo sampling of dream pop were pressed on a limited-edition 12″ slab of candy-colored vinyl it would easily set you back 10-12 bucks before hitting eBay. Instead, you can download it for free. [Daytrotter.com]
Happy birthday to me. You know those Facebook contests where you respond to a post to win something? That’s how I got on the list for Shonen Knife’s show at The Echo, courtesy of Big Wheel Magazine. (Thanks, dudes!) Of course, the band from Osaka is not new to me. They have been featured in the pages of Giant Robot numerous times and I’ve also blogged some of their more recent shows–not to mention have my daughter and her cousins and friend dress like them for Halloween two years ago. So it was rad to see them on their 30th anniversary tour, starting off with the “Good morning, Shonen Knife freaks” intro to the timeless 712 album that introduced their music to a generation of indie punks and grunge rockers.
Punished and Wu Xia take place in vastly different eras and have similarly opposite budgets, but are both smart movies about revenge that came out last month on Region III DVDs.
Produced by Hong Kong’s longstanding king of crime movies Johnnie To and directed by Milkyway Image regular Law Wing-Cheong, Punished stars Anthony Wong and Richie Ren as an unsavory, ruthless businessman and his loyal assistant with a criminal past. After Wong’s daughter gets kidnapped and killed, he asks the enigmatic Ren to apply his underworld experience to track down the perpetrators and make them pay. And how. Naturally, Wong discovers that vengeance is a two-way street and his business, his family life, and his physical and mental health all suffer unexpected, intense consequences. Punished isn’t the first time that such a story has unfolded–and it isn’t the most stylish, sophisticated, or shocking variation, either–but the two main characters are unusually strong and well-played by the actors. The conspicuous lack of cops in the face of crazy violence is interesting as well, making the story about as pure a morality play as can be. And although the movie’s tone is brutal, it manages to beautiful when you least expect it. The most affective, otherworldly moment isn’t powered by violent special effects or a plot twist but family bonds. (Although, it does indeed look amazing…)
Performer Kristina Wong lives the dream, working on stages and campuses across the country. Or does she? The Los Angeles resident is most famous for portraying a depressed, suicidal actress in Wong Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, followed by another one-woman show about failed attempts at eco-friendly living, Going Green The Wong Way. Her latest work, Cat Lady, is an ensemble piece that is less political than her other shows but addresses the equally divisive topics of pick-up artistry and the show’s hair-covered and lonely namesakes. On the eve of the latter’s upcoming stint at the ODC Dance Theater in San Francisco (November 4-6), I decided to catch up with my distant cousin and Big Bad Chinese Mama.
Way back in 2009, I interviewed my friend and fine artist Gina Osterloh for Giant Robot 59. Her carefully constructed large-format photography combines everyday props (office paper, streamers, cardboard…) with carefully thought-out light, perspective, and often herself to play with the viewer’s eye and subconscious. The concept is high but the effect of her imagery is primal, triggering reactions that range from wonder to fear to confusion. Her newest project, Group Dynamics and Improper Light, will open next summer at LACE (Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions) and examine the process. To pull it off, she’ll need some help and that’s where this blog comes in.