Daily Archives: September 16, 2010

Kill Joy by Steve Nguyen x Brian Tan

Kill Joy by Steve Nguyen x Brian Tan

Our very own Steve Nguyen and his friend Brian Tan entered this submission “Kill Joy” to the Interpretations Film Initiative. It’s a full blown production with sets and props. And don’t forget the special effects. Warfare is no game. Here’s a synopsis:

On routine patrol through a small Iraqi hamlet, a convoy of US Army vehicles is suddenly ambushed. Private McKay, the squadron’s newest recruit, finds himself thrust unexpectedly into his first ever combat experience. His ears ring from the shrieking of exploding shells, but McKay hesitates to return fire. In a matter of seconds his understanding of warfare is forever changed as he raises his gun and unloads on the target. An epic film about the war in Iraq, the film is basically about the danger of socialization, the power of social change, and the effects of warfare on our veterans. While there have been countless war films in the past, Kill Joy seeks to present an unbiased glimpse into the lives of those fighting in Iraq. As an objective film that seeks to neither glorify nor condemn the US invasion, it hopes to encourage viewers to think about their world view and challenges them to make their own mind about armed conflict on a very real, applicable level.

Kill Joy by Steve Nguyen x Brian Tan

When Steve told us about this project, we didn’t know he was going all in on it. Beyond the high production value, there is an underlying message for the film about warfare and society in general. Here’s a quote from the film maker:

Soldiers are often not understood. Our film, Kill Joy, seeks to provide you with a glimpse into a day in the life of an ordinary US Army private and how he has to come to terms with killing for the first time. The film is about how males in America are brought up and socialized to kill, and how traumatizing killing someone can be for the men and women serving in our armed forces.

Leave feedback for the film here.

Kill Joy Extended version

Also check out Spice It Up with Feodor Chin

Peanuts Live by Mike Relm

Peanuts Live by Mike Relm

Mike Relm takes you to a journey back to your childhood. The DJ mashup artist fuses cartoons like the Peanuts with live-action children series Pee-Wee’s Playhouse. Dope turntable action on this sweet remix. If you’ve seen him on tour, you may have seen this.

See more turntablism with Mike Relm: Scratch Everything, YouTube Live, Office Space Remix at 2009 Webby Awards, and Obama Fly

Peanuts Live by Mike Relm

Still Got Rice? by 3Peat

Still Got Rice? (Asian Pride 2010)

Here’s a cool Asian pride anthem for 2010 called “Still Got Rice?” by 3Peat. The Seattle-based trio comprised of brothers David “D-One” & Andrew “Inglish” Fung along with rapper Noah put out the track to the beats of Tupac’s Changes. The song is packed to the max with Asian American references galore. From Asian American YouTubers to entertainers to Asian food, you’ll find someone or something you’ll know. The question is how many of these references will you get. The song is reminiscent of Chinese School off the Ping Pong Playa soundtrack. Look for the channelAPA.com logo at the 2:07 mark.

You can download the full mixtape from 3Peat for FREE here

Still Got Rice? by 3Peat

Lyrics to Still Got Rice? (Asian Pride 2010)

[INGLISH]
It’s the A Z N and you heard the rest
a lot has changed now it’s 2 k 10
But we gon bring Azn Pride back again,
Cuz we up on the rise just watch the trends
We still keyboard clickin, bubble tea sippin
When you hit the age Hennesey drinkin
cover song singing, guitar stringin
Mixing our parents language with English
MTV, kinda put us on first
ABDC best dancers in the world
From William Hung to Jin and Far East
We got the best duck and grilled meats
koi fish tattoos on ours arms and chest
still pwnin the standard aptitude Test
They hate cuz we so well at school and!
Nerds turn rich and rich people are the coolest
Asian Guys need more Asian pride
one day they’ll say THAT ASIANS FLY
No lie, but some things will never change
Asians girls and white guys that’s the way it is

Yeah and we still got rice, still got food, still got spice
Yeah and we still got girls, still got brains, still got rides
Yeah and we still got rhymes still got shops, still got rice
It’s not longer the A Z N, uh but we still got pride

[D-One]
It’s the A-Z-N ninja, flunk the tests
Still messin up the curves, who thunk we left
we came a long way from tha suped up cars
To bein some of the Worlds biggest YouTube stars
They said, yeah Asians got online views
But can they pack crowds or rock a venue
We juss way too humble to say we’re cool
But you saw Paqiuao on Pay Per View
Dancing like Kaba, throwing those Jabbawookeez
On the Quest to be best, sweat out his Poreotix
Dumb en D-Pryde rappin, Traphik got us laughin
Kev with Wong-Fu man its clear they got Passion
Clara C and David Choi, acoustic pop masters
Far East blew up cuz hip-hop turned faster
Michelle Phan says use this now en not after
Everyone’s into K-Pop en Christian like the Pastor
Asian comedians on a mission for the laughter
Russell Peters, Ken Jeong, vision moving faster
Some people think Bobby Lee is takin us back
Playin stereotypes I think he’s just making us laugh
While Jay Park is out making them scream
Niga Higa gettin money, makin that cheese
But for now, online’s still the only place you an see
A cool new true-school yellow face on the screen

Yeah and we still got rice, still got food, still got spice
Yeah and we still got girls, still got brains, still got rides
Yeah and we still got rhymes still got shops, still got rice
It’s not longer the A Z N, uh but we still got pride

[NOAH]
AZN but now what it look like?
Nothin changed with the ways of the crook type or the book type
Still get it in mayne
Benz or the lex hop in the whip mayne
Gotta do it big Coppin all the fits the mayne
Still own shit that’s we get paid
On melrose might cop that
No shelltoes we off that
Lil YouTube grind we got that
Take a pic of the food might blog that
Everybody know wassup with the cuisine
Wouldn’t mind right now some sushi
Or a hot bowl of pho fuck a two piece
Everybody know we the one to see
In the future like told you
Might might cheers with hennny or soju
I been waiting damn long for this day man
I could get up on a track and say man
My love for the AZN
N we tryna entertain like afian
From the rapping hoopin acting doin
Things that they ain’t never seen
We could do anything with a big dream
Tryna uplift here do big things
Everybody know where the hell we at
We tryna take it everywhere there and back
The good with the bad the bad with the good
Let em all know we that damn good!!!

GO! OHANA – September 2010

GO! OHANA -  August 2010

If you’re in the SF Bay Area, check out GO! OHANA tonite. Held every month at the historic La Pena Cultural Center in Berkeley, GO! OHANA is RAMA’s monthly APA music and art show celebrating the pan-Asian family. Emceed by Ryan Takemiya, the event spotlights independent artists of every genre and style. It offers artists an intimate space that immerses you in the performances in an inclusive and welcoming community.
Here’s this month’s line up:

Featuring performances by:

::::|||| Edwin Li ||||::::
Edwin Li began working as a comedian at the age of 16, barreling through five minute open mike sets and hanging in the wings of the Punchline, picking the brains of any funnyman that would talk shop. His earnestness and shameless curiosity have made him a favorite with comedy veterans and club owners alike. Edwin is developing his half-hour set in preparation for a heavy tour schedule. His rambunctious new set is a portrait of the wild, untamed energy of an American young man.

Edwin Li jokes

::::|||| Miena Yoo ||||::::
Miena immigrated to the United States from South Korea in 1992, and now she creates music that mixes Korean language phrases and imagery with English. In 2006, Miena released her 1st album “At the River Again”, and in 2008, her 2nd album “A Little Stone On the Sidewalk”. Miena’s songs are inspired by her childhood, family members, and the forests, river, and wildlife of her Korean home. Her folk-driven sound carries influences from American songstresses Tracy Chapman and Lucinda Williams.

::::|||| Sonia Rao ||||::::
Sonia Rao is a singer/songwriter in San Francisco. She is currently performing around the Bay Area. You can find her music on iTunes and http://www.facebook.com/musicsoniarao. From soniarao.com: “…So now here I am in San Francisco, so freaking joyful with it all….writing in my room, drinking insane amounts of coffee in the process, my neighbors loving (aka hating) me, introducing my classical violin to the blues and country, collaborating with musicians who impress, influence, and intimidate the hell out of me, and putting my little song babies out there for the world to love or hate. I am just trying to move with it all and I am humbled every day by this city and the music. Friends’ love lives, the nightly news, my family, people who walk by my window in North Beach, your conversation with me last night…it all goes into my songs and I hope that my lyrics and music reach some part of you.”

::::|||| Rich Tran ||||::::
RICH TRAN is a Bay Area rapper and social activist rising from poverty and social injustice. The goal of his music is to inspire social change and progress in under-represented, marginalized, and disenfranchised communities. Over the past four years, he has performed at events in Los Angeles, Orange County, Atlanta and Boise, Idaho. He has also performed at colleges such as Stanford, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UCLA, UC Irvine, and UC San Diego. RICH TRAN’s social activism has also led him hold down the mic on the steps of the California State Capitol and San Jose City Hall.

Rich Tran performance footage

GO!OHANA
Thursday, September 16, 2010
7:30pm
La Pena “Cool-tural” Center
3105 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, CA

Admission $8
Doors open at 7:00pm
Food and Drink!
Free Raffle!

Burning In The Skies by Linkin Park

Burning In The Skies by Linkin Park

Here’s another Linkin Park lyrics video. This time it’s for “Burning In The Skies” off their new album “A Thousand Suns“. The video combines both real life footage and digitally created scenes. A cool smoke effect rises amongst the lyrics as the video plays. The song starts calm and slowly builds up towards the end of the song, where the video footage gets more intense and large mountain scenes.

Be sure to see some of the other videos off the album “A Thousand Suns” including The Catalyst and Blackout

Pick up “Burning In The Skies” on Burning or amazon.

Burning In The Skies by Linkin Park

Lyrics to Burning In The Skies by Linkin Park

I use the deadwood to make the fire rise
The blood of innocence burning in the skies
I filled my cup with the rising of the sea
And poured it out in an ocean of debris

I’m swimming in the smoke
Of bridges I have burned
So don’t apologize
I’m losing what I don’t deserve
What I don’t deserve

I held my breath as clouds began to form
But you were lost in the beating of the storm
But in the end we were meant to be apart
In separate chambers of the human heart

I’m swimming in the smoke
Of bridges I have burned
So don’t apologize
I’m losing what I don’t deserve

It’s in the black and bones
Of bridges I have burned
So don’t apologize
I’m losing what I don’t deserve
What I don’t deserve

I’m swimming in the smoke
Of bridges I have burned
So don’t apologize
I’m losing what I don’t deserve

The pain is mine alone
For bridges I have burned
So don’t apologize
I’m losing what I don’t deserve

What I don’t deserve
What I don’t deserve
What I don’t deserve

Here’s the dead wood to make the fire last
The blood of innocence burning in the skies