Frank Chow: Asian- American Political Pundit

As I stated in TAT , I've been listening to a lot of different music to prepare for my next acting gig. Norma Jean being one of them. This song makes me want to rage, especially the line "lie to me." It's fitting for the type of character I'm going to be playing; the dynamics, the gut-wrenching screams and the brutal guitar riffs are reflective of the emotional scope I need to portray. In other words, I'll be playing the role of a disturbed scavenger whose lost his grasp of reality. Sounds like fun, huh? I am Frank Chow and I approved this message

(poor quality) This video is riveting to me. Mineral was the band to me. For a long, long time. Unfortunately I was never able to see them live. To this day my comparisons to other bands, in this particular genre, all go back to either Mineral, Penfold or Sunny Day Real Estate. Their first album exemplified all the aspects of music I aspired to write. It was gut wrenching. It was emotional without being cliche. It was dynamic. It was inspiring. It had musicality. And above all it kicked ass. Whenever I hear the breakdown in "Gloria" I still get the urge to thrash about, but refrain. As I hear it today, this is the band that sums up so far the tough and growing years of my life. I can recall driving to basement shows, waxing philosophical and blinking extra hard for the drive home. When I would get home, my ears would be ringing and then I would wake up the next morning ready to face another day of uncertainty. Mineral as my soundtrack. People just don't write music likes...

Can't get this song out of my head. Stripped down it is just as catchy and fun to sing. Absolute Punk : The complexities and dense topics still remain on Dinosaur, giving the album many layers for the listener to peel apart. Basically, My Dinosaur Life is the fusion of the best moments of Motion City Soundtrack’s previous three albums and expanding on that, while maintaining all the uniqueness and quirks that fans love about the band. This album will probably draw a lot of comparisons to Weezer’s first two albums, which won’t be surprising because there are a lot of similarities. But if Weezer created the nerdy/quirky pop-rock sound, then Motion City Soundtrack has perfected it on their best album to date, My Dinosaur Life. I am Frank Chow and I approved this message

Long before I ever knew I was going to be a failure at music, I started at least three bands a year until the age of 21. One of those inceptions was a carbon copy of all the bands we were listening to at the time, but mostly Sunny Day Real Estate , Jimmy Eat World and the Promise Ring . Most of all I wanted to be and sound like Davey von Bohlen. The odd turns of his melodies and quirky lyrics made me want to dance in my skinny jeans. Needless to say I never became Davey von Bohlen and the band didn't sound like the Promise Ring either. Heck, we didn't get passed a basement show. Maritime isn't the Promise Ring. It is its own thing. The similarities are certainly there, however the band misses some of the youthful playfulness that was so infectious with von Bohlen's earlier songs. Sometimes it is hard to admit that your teenage favorites have grown up. Maritime hits Chicago in February and I can't wait. It's not the Promise Ring, but I like where this band is h...

It wasn't long when Juliana Theory was one of the bands I related to...I know, pause for a second and think ten years ago; I was still a teenager. It isn't as bad as you think. At that time, I recall driving hours to see Juliana Theory only to find out they couldn't make the show. Juliana Theory with their first two releases related to all the teen angst and struggle one might have had...imagine Dawson's Creek in a mix cd.  With no loss of experience my friends and I were able to see Hot Rod Circuit and some band I would like to forget for their pre-Fall Out Boy tendencies (we also barely missed Fairweather, a local favorite. ) It was one of those events in your life, where you sat in the back of a van, near a church and listened to independent music while still seeming so cool. It was unique. It was ours. It couldn't have come at a better time. I had lost my mother to her battle with cancer. I had struggled with understanding where I was in life, but I was in a car...

More wine to drank...is it drunk...ahh shucks! Sucky blogging continue! I am Frank Chow and I approved this message

Last winter I spent a lot of time listening to Bon Iver , City and Colour , and Explosions in the Sky . I wouldn't say it played into the seasonal depression I was feeling, but it didn't help. This winter I am trying something a little different, luckily a couple of different late releases by Tegan and Sara , Brand New , Say Anything and Converge have me up. P.O.S. is on that list too . I was late to the P.O.S. fandom, but he is as a legit of a cross over from my early hip hop influences such as De La Soul and Tribe Called Quest to my teen years when I was heavily influenced by the D.C. punk and the hardcore scene. Just listen to his track "Drumroll" ; it is sick. And I don't use that word lightly. Pastepunk recently interviewed P.O.S. you can read the whole thing here , but this excerpt had me stretching a smile: Pastepunk : Talk to me about CONVERGE… Stef : CONVERGE is great. CONVERGE has been a great band to listen to since Jane Doe all the way up through, ...

My favorite artist, Owen : New Leaves, like its title suggests, is a new beginning for Mike Kinsella/Owen. It was recorded over the course of two years by multiple engineers such as Tim Iseler (Wilco), Brian Deck (Iron and Wine), Graeme Gibson (Califone), Nate Kinsella, and, yes, some recording at mom’s house. New Leaves retains elements of earlier Owen material—but here, the arrangements are more elaborate, the song structures more complex, and the lyrics more refined. Instead of lamenting failed relationships, Kinsella focuses on the new beginnings they allow. I am Frank Chow and I approved this message

Since I was out all day doing some ridiculous homework for Design classes, I give you music to enjoy. This world is certifiably mad , more to come tomorrow... certainly . I am Frank Chow and I approved this message

It is a pretty poignant video and a great song "When I hit the Ground" by Ace Enders and Million Different People . Have a great night ya'll! I am Frank Chow and I approved this message

Metal for your Late Night. Kris Norris was the lead guitarist for one my favorite bands Darkest Hour. He has now set out on his own, with devil horns and snow. The one thing I will always appreciate is intense guitar licks with dynamics and a heavy sound while still being musical. It is a craft that Norris has mastered and his solo release is proof of that. More from Kris Norris Projekt and Magna Carta : “Everything you hear on this record has been written by me,” says Norris. “The new and the older riffs and musical concepts sit side by side to create a full picture of my development.” Taking a cue from the improvisational methodology of Magna Carta’s own prog-metal supergroup, Liquid Tension Experiment, Norris let his passion (and fingers) fly when it came to recording these tracks, a process that took just two weeks to complete. “I’ve always loved Liquid Tension Experiment and I said if I had the opportunity to ever record an album in a similar vein I would take it,” says Norris. “I...

Just because I am still not over it and why not have someone doing an amazing cover, of Michael Jackson. Ben Gibbard, "Thriller" live is just more proof the songs will last forever. I am Frank Chow and I approved this message.

Sometimes you need music without words of guidance, or a humming melody, sometimes you need to have that music that takes you somewhere else. Explosions in the Sky , from their bio: In February 1999, three longtime friends from West Texas went to a pizza place in Austin, Texas, for a prearranged meeting with a young man from Illinois. The Illinoisan had just moved to Austin, and he had put up a flyer that caught the interest of the others. They ate pizza and discussed movies and arcana. They also decided to meet the next day with their various instruments (two guitars, bass, and drums). This happened, and over the coming months they picked a band name, then picked a better band name, then wrote and recorded an album. That album, called How Strange, Innocence, was largely out of tune, but the band members didn't really notice at the time. They optimistically printed 300 copies, and gave most of them away. It turned out they really liked playing together, so they kept doing so. A fr...

I have always found that as I get older there are certain friendships based on two things; music and booze. Now it is not to say we do not have many other things in common, but no matter what the heck I do when I go back to Baltimore and see my buddies, we talk music while boozing. It is probably the best times. I grew up in an area surrounded by eclectic tastes and the beltway bullshizz, music in high school was my escape. And so my friend Mikey texted me late last week and all he said was "Bro, Miniature Tigers, go listen they are silly." Silly indeed. Thank you Mikey from Baltimore, MD. A little snippet about Miniature Tigers : Miniature Tigers is a pop rock band with elements of indie pop based in Phoenix, Arizona. The band is made up of front man Charlie Brand, Rick Schaier on drums and vocals, Algernon Quashe on guitar, keyboards, vocals and Alex Gerber on bass, vocals. The band is currently signed to Modern Art Records, a label created in a partnership between members...

Portugal the Man, live...busy work day. Chow!

One of my favorite bands over the past 6 years or so. They get in what musicians refer to as the "pocket." It is the ability to find a unifying groove and build a song. No one does it better in my opinion. This morning I woke up slowly, it was raining and muggy. I put on Pinback got a Dunkin' and it all was okay. That's Pinback to me. For more information about Pinback visit their site . Chow!

For those of you who have not met them yet, meet Grizzly Bear . This song "Two Weeks" is off their new album Veckatimest which received a 9.0 from the ever pretentious Pitchfork Media . I was a skeptic at first as I have felt Pitchfork has delved farther and farther into the obscure for indie hipster approval more than anything. After a mellow day at work, however I was able to stream the album to find a great work. It is a delightful piece and a melancholy piece. A contradiction told through melody. It perhaps was my mood at the time, but I cannot help to think this album will garner praise throughout. Chalk it up to one of my early favorites of the year. In their own words : a year ago, singer/songwriter Ed Droste, drummer Christopher Bear, woodwinds player/bassist Chris Taylor and singer/songwriter/guitarist Daniel Rossen who s other band, Department of Eagles, released the sublime In Ear Park last fall began passing demos around, and working together creatively in differ...

In honor of all of those still trying to convince us the Bush Administration did not authorize torture to lead us into a fake war. Time is up! On the real...enjoy your weekend. Sorry no Dunkin' today was at a conference all day, off to a show where I will be rocking freedom, liberty and laughter. I am Frank Chow and I approved this message.

I always get a little laugh from the "Most Played" section in my Itunes. It is a surprise to see where I was at in certain periods of my life. Luckily I do come across a tune every now and again that is still played non-stop in my car and headphones. "Hate to see you Go" by the Color Fred happens to one of them. I was never really sold on the longevity of Fred Mascherino joining Taking Back Sunday. Something just didn't sit right with Fred's approach to music and the TBS's appreciation for making music to mosh and cry. It was for lack of a better word "off" and although I did like the release they put out it seemed Fred was held back. On his first venture into a solo career he proved me right. This album had its moment of pure pop and outright rocking which combines two of my favorite aspects of the scene. The ability to find melody not only in the instruments, but the vocal themes play right into the listener's ear. Fred currently has an ...

I think this says it all. As much as I feel like my life is running in a circle "your what keeps me believing me the world's not gone dead" One of the best bands of my lifetime reflective of all that was and is...say anything... Say Anything / Max Bemis you rock. I am Frank Chow and I approved this message...drunk...gnight.