Giant Robot Store and GR2 News

asian americans · clara c · david choi · kevjumba · Media · News · ryan higa · Videos · youtube ·

The Obligatory Asians Big on YouTube article

It’s not new, but it’s still new, if you know what we mean by that. Asians on the screen? That’s still new to the majority of the US, it’s just not on their televisions. It’s online. Articles like this get syndicated and make their way everywhere, even to places that print papers. Kev Jumba, David Choi, Ryan Higa, Clara C, they’re all mentioned. Huge reach, and imagine there’s wave after wave under their million views and subscribers. The content is free to watch, and they’re getting the hits. (VOA – Asians Find Fame on You Tube)  
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balconi · coffe · News · siphon coffee · Videos ·

Giant Robot Artist Friends Series – Ray Sato

[youtube]_zx_co2cc0k[/youtube]     A huge percentage of us drink coffee. It’s part of a ritual at work where it’s dripping free all day or a first match.com meeting at a safe haven Starbucks. It’s part of our breaks, wake up routine or social life. Years ago diners served coffee almost free. Forward some decades and the conglomerates arrived and featured fattening mixtures using over roasted beans in gigantic cups for a few dollars. Then more recently, the fast food drive throughs threw in their hats with their own methods of sub $1 cups. Where there’s a low end, a high end usually emerges and it’s timed perfectly with the boutique food movement and it’s coffee. Ray Sato is the owner of Balconi Coffee Company in West LA. He once operated a shop on Santa Monica Blvd near the border of West LA and Santa Monica. People often will say, “Oh he’s open again? with genuine excitement.” He’s known in the area as a shop that offers siphon or “syphon” coffee which was once prevalent in America decades ago and lives on strongly in Japan and Taiwan. It’s now making it’s way back to the US, and Sato is one of the forefathers of it’s reinvention. He spends at least one part of the day explaining what and how the scientific kit works, and you get to smell the grinds first. A cup of his coffee might not be Big Gulp sized, it could be a svelte 6 ounces of distinct and crafted flavor, but features an equal amount of caffeine, and ranges from $3.50-4.50. A cup of “Joe”, it’s not. It’s taste is specialized and each cup is brewed one at a time. It’s guaranteed that the same beans dripped at home will not taste the same. His menu explains the subtle flavors of his international line up of coffees that change practically each week. Some are described to taste like apricot and some blueberry much like the descriptions of lines of wine. He has a few desserts and can also make the fancy coffee concoctions using dairy or non dairy products. The Almond EssenceLatte is one of his creations and is a local favorite. Balconi is comfortable and clean and you’ll begin to recognize his regular customers including myself. Sato features a no nonsense cafe without wireless and powercord plug-ins. Bring your charged batteries. If not, he does have a vintage manual typewriter if you need to express yourself.   You’ll find Sato more often than not behind the counter and he loves talking about coffee. Balconi Coffee Company.
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fyf fest · japandroids · Music · MW · News · off! ·

FYF Fest 2011 review with OFF!, Descendents, No Age, Cults, Guided By Voices, Nosaj Thing, and more

Mario, Keith, and Steve at FYF Fest 2011

Another awesome summer, another awesome Fuck Yeah Fest. As promised, a lot of improvements went into this year’s all-day music festival just north of Downtown L.A., including a vastly improved entry system insuring no lines when I arrived around 2:30, way more port-a-potties, and extra food trucks and vendors that didn’t run out of vegetarian dishes as quickly. For me, the biggest upgrade was a photo pass. Yes! I gladly bought a ticket from my local record store months ago, but how could I say no when one was offered? With great power comes great responsibility, though, and I had to alter my show-going strategy and leave before many sets were over in order to catch the first three songs of other sets (when the photographers were allowed to do their thing). It was more of a challenge than a problem–kind of like being faced with a huge buffet of your favorite foods but only being allowed to sample some of them.

Dimitri and Keith going OFF!

On Saturday, I arrived at Los Angeles State Historic Park just in time to catch the end of Ty Segall’s set and jump in the photo pit to see OFF! It was kind of a fitting to start off the day with the local punkers/instant legends, since they were a total highlight of the previous year’s edition. There weren’t many new songs for the all-star band featuring members of Black Flag, Redd Kross, and Rocket From The Crypt to play or stories for Keith to tell, but OFF! never gets old with its ferocious (yet seasoned) riffs and angry (and smart) lyrics. This time around, they were on a larger stage and easily drew a strong crowd–not to mention the largest dust storm of the day. I saw a couple people get dragged out of the crowd with glazed eyes, bloody noses, and various states of dehydration. Every time I see OFF! it feels special (a free show at midnight, a packed in-store, etc.) and this homecoming gig following a bunch of tours was no exception.

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