Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
Keith Morris is a punk icon, but also a really friendly guy. Since I live in Silver Lake, I not only spot him at shows but have had my coffee re-filled by him at Millie's. Sometime after college and before Giant Robot, I saw him shopping for records at Rockaway, told him I was a fan, and got put on his guest list for a Bug Lamp show. More recently, when Eric and I were working on an article about Chinatowns for GR12, I went to You Got Bad Taste (where I had seen him working) and hit him up for stories about playing at the Hong Kong Gardens in the bad old days with Black Flag and the Circle Jerks. He comes across as not only a totally decent person but someone who makes time for others. Like a lot of fans of L.A. punk, I was excited to hear about his newest band, OFF!, which includes Steven McDonald from Redd Kross and Mario Rubalcaba from 411, Clickatat Ickitawi, and Earthless, as well as Dimitri Coats from Burning Brides. A couple of weeks ago, I got to see the group kick ass at the FYF Fest, gushed about the set on my GR blog, and then received a note from Keith via Facebook, thanking me for the support. With the door ajar, I couldn't resist hitting him back for a quick interview… GR: You've been in a lot of rad bands, so what's different or special about OFF!? KM: There's nothing special about OFF! I'm cracking myself up over this one. The difference is this group looks as if it's made up of studly male underwear models and boy band leftovers, but what's really unique about Steven McDonald, Mario Rubalcaba, and Dimitri Coats is their musical instincts. The first time we made noise together, I wanted to be bummed out because it didn't sound right to me. I wanted it to be more aggressive in a Black Flag way, but it just felt right! Mario, being who he is and where he's from, added a dash of a Latinesque/John Bonham flavor that gives what we're playing a real sexy feel. He isn't playing an oompa-oompa-oompa-oompa, punk rawk polka, hey-guys-why-don't-you-just annihilate-each-other beat! The world needs to hear more of that! Steven grew up on Kiss, The New York Dolls, and The Runaways and has played in Red Cross/Redd Kross (who early on were The Tourists to Beck and Sparks), so he brings an amped-up pop feel and an uncluttered straightforward vibe. He's not a showoff who has to be the Eddie Van Halen of bass guitarists, playing 20 notes in a space that only requires 6. He lays down a great line. Dimitri brought a metallic mentality, having played with the Burning Brides–a few of the bands they've toured with being Queens of the Stone Age, Audioslave, and Mastodon. But as we navigated our way through the songwriting process, I made him leave the “Butterfly” at home.
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Giant Robot 67 has a lot of great articles, but perhaps my favorite one is Roger Snider (above) and Wing Ko's piece on Japanese truckers and their tricked-out semis. It began when my friend Wing forwarded a link to pictures of the vehicles taken by his Frisbee golf buddy. I'm not sure if Wing shared them just because he thought they were cool or if he envisioned an article, but it quickly became the latter. Of course, I put Wing in charge of it. The article became a six-page orgy of truck photos, starting with the full-bleed, two-page spread pictured above. Gorgeous trucks, amazing scenery, proud owners. When we received copies, I made arrangements to have lunch with Wing and finally meet Roger. Both of them seemed stoked on how it turned out, and Roger was particularly glad we used the image below (as well as many others). He said that unlike at the previous year's meeting of Japanese truckers, the sun, clouds, and everything aligned for an absolutely otherworldly shot. Yes, there are female fans of trucking in Japan, too. Over lunch at gr/eats, Roger shared his takes and impressions on not only truckers in Japan but all over the world. He brought one of his portfolios on American big rigs, and it was bound in painted steel. Amazing, and so is the imagery. Roger says that with tightening restrictions regarding fuel efficiency and emissions, a golden age of trucking is coming to a close. Lucky for us, he is around to capture some of its finest specimens. Below, Roger with a stack of GR67s to share with his Japanese trucker friends and a new GR trucker cap, which he is uniquely qualified to wear. Check out ultrarigsoftheworld.com, where you can not only see more of his work but also order made-to-order photo books. Totally awesome!
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Can't have it all. On one hand, I got to see my favorite band in L.A. playing on my side of town before midnight. On the other, the stage was so dim that it was impossible for me to take decent pics–not the GF1's fault but my own lack of photography fundamentals. But there are far worse problems to have, as I could put down the camera and absorb the hard-working, hard-rocking band's astonishing musicianship on their older songs and pay attention to the ripping new ones. I'm not sure if it was just the rawer P.A. (compared to places like the Viper Room) but the group's tone of rock seems to have shifted from the glam and gutter of the '80s to a slightly more grunge sound that recalls the tighter songs of Soundgarden. Awesome. Lead shredder Mayuko says that she's been out of her mind writing new songs lately so I hope the band follows up on their totally bitchin' debut with an EP or something. The Binges are so strong onstage that they could easily burn and self-distribute some new tracks straight off the mixing board to give us fans something to buy while waiting for another full-length effort… Check out their live Amoeba set here. (For some reason I can embed images tonight. Trust me, they totally shred…) And extra thanks to bass master Tsuzumi for setting me up with a spot on the list!
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Jammed from the GR office on the Westside, picked up Eloise along with my sister Angelyn and her daughter Lucia, and walked into Amoeba to catch Shonen Knife already rocking out in their in-store. Yes, Naoko (guitar) is the sole founding member but perhaps it's the changing chemistry that keeps the group feeling fresh rather than like a band hitting its 30th year. New songs (“Banana Chips”) mesh perfectly with older ones (“Riding the Rocket”) as well as choice covers (“Top of the World”). I recall listening to and seeing Shonen Knife when I was a student at UCLA… Back then they had a raw, amateurish, and irresistable energy. Who knew they would ever be a finely-tuned rocking machine or that I would be standing right by their stage with my daughter in 2010? Afterward, we got in line to introduce Eloise, Lucia, and their friend Margot to the band. There, we spotted original drummer, bassist, and Naoko's sister Atsuko. And then the girls who dressed up as Shonen Knife for Halloween last year met the real thing. (Margot's dad is cartoonist/GR contributor Martin Cendreda.) There's still two weeks left on this U.S. tour, so don't miss out if they come through your town promoting not one but two new CDs for the U.S. and a DVD, too. Always a great time, and now one of Eloise's favorite bands along with The Ramones and The Specials–even if you can't tell from her expression in the pictures.
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Friend of Giant Robot: The 67th issue of Giant Robot is at the printer and we're amped on it. If you're receiving this email, chances are you are, too. Tricked-out Japanese semis, one month in isolation, Mongolia mania, cover art by Matt Furie, and a free videogame (!) are only some of what's in store. But while we're always excited by our content, confident about our design, and grateful for our readers, the magazine does not circulate in a vacuum. As you probably know, Giant Robot has been dinged by the escalation of shipping costs, unending shifts in the advertising paradigm, and shrinkage of distribution channels. However, we are evolving–and not dying–and by no means are we done with documenting, investigating, or cultivating Pan-Asian, Asian-American, and new hybrid pop culture. In fact, we are more inspired than we were when our publication debuted in 1994, but we need your support more than ever as well. If you have ever been turned onto an artist, a filmmaker, a band, or anything else by Giant Robot; if you have ever been featured, reviewed, or connected to something in its pages; if you believe the magazine helps to grow the kind of culture that you appreciate–please subscribe. And if you are already a subscriber, please consider setting up like-minded friends and families, local libraries and schools, or even businesses. We think you'll agree that 24 dollars is a small price for the ideas, aesthetics, and energy that six bimonthly issues of Giant Robot give to each reader. You can subscribe at giantrobot.com and check the status or update the address of your current subscription via subs[at]giantrobot[dot]com. (Thinking about advertising? Contact margaux@giantrobot.com.) Thanks for your support, hope you like the new issue, and can't wait for you to see the next one. It's coming up soon! Yours, Martin Wong Cofounder, Editor, Shitworker Giant Robot
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