Smegma Riot @ The Live House

 

Smegma Riot

 

Last weekend, after living in Hong Kong for over two years now, I FINALLY participated in a legit mosh pit. The gig was at The Live House in Mong Kok and featured three bands, one standout being the awesome Hong Kong band Shepherds the Weak, whom I had seen at Hidden Agenda a few weeks prior at my second ever metal show and the night stealing Italian China-based punk band Smegma Riot. Their set was something I seriously needed and left me realizing how much I miss going to these kind of shows on a weekly basis. I will definitely keep a mental note to look out for more of their gigs in the near future.

Mental note: summer is coming. I’m wearing shorts next time.

 

Year In Lists: 2013

 

Is the correct way to say it Year End Lists or Year In Lists? For the time being, I’ll follow what Los Campesinos! said. It’s kind of messed up to be barely writing this one month into 2014 but since it is Chinese New Year this weekend I’m technically not cheating nor am I late.

Anyways, the bulk of these lists are going to deal with films. So lets jump into that first. I don’t quite remember if I wrote my Top 10 favorite films last year, but ever since I signed up for Letterboxd, keeping track of the movies I’ve been watching have been so much easier (ditto with their list creating features). So here we go.

 

TOP 10 FAVORITE FILMS OF 2013

10. Gravity: This movie was a huge technical achievement and it’s result was a eye viewing spectacle. I saw this one twice in theaters and I’m definitely counting on it to win Best Picture this year at the Oscars.

9. Blue Jasmine: Woody Allen went into some dark territory with this one and I loved it. Cate Blanchett completely owned as the delusional Jasmine who loses everything and deals with it horribly.

8. Her: My favorite sci-fi film in ages. Same for being one of the best romances I’ve seen in a long time. From the writing to the camera composition, everything in this film was beautiful.

7. Before Midnight: Along with Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, Richard Linklater’s third film about Jesse and Celine rounds out the series into one of the greatest trilogies of all time. For a lot of people, this film was 9 years in the making and it certainly did not disappoint.

6. The Garden of Words: After a stint in fantasy, Makoto Shinkai’s latest anime feature returns to the roots of his hauntingly depressing 5 Centimeters Per Second by once again telling a tale of angst and distance. Though it doesn’t hit as hard as Centimeters, it is still one of the most beautiful animated films out there and the story moved me towards the end. But why didn’t Tenmon do the soundtrack?!

5. Drinking Buddies: Joe Swanberg pulled a bit from his mumblecore roots for his first mainstream feature, while at the same time keeping his signature style intact. I love pretty much everything this man does.

4. The Wind Rises: Though his last feature was a bit of a disappointment, Hayao Miyazaki came back with a vengeance in a film that solidified his status as the master of animation.

3. Frances Ha: Maybe it’s because I’m in my 20s or the simple fact that I love coming of age flicks, but I just enjoy everything about this movie. And at some points, it was just a complete comfort to see a likewise character who has no idea as to what she is doing with her life.

2. The Way, Way Back: As much as I loved both, this is the film that Adventureland failed to be.

1. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: While some of the movies this past year were technically superior in storytelling, this is the movie that captivated me the most out of the whole year. Ben Stiller: BEST HUMAN.

 

TOP 5 LEAST FAVORITE FILMS OF 2013: 

5. Thor: The Dark World

4. Iron Man 3

3. Unbeatable

2. Star Tek Into Darkness

1. Man of Steel

Fuck all these movies.

 

FAVORITE GIG OF 2013

Best Coast @ The Hangout: I’m still so grateful that they were able to come to Hong Kong and bring a taste of home sweet home. This show was a bittersweet emotional rollercoaster of radness and homesickness.

 

FAVORITE SONG OF 2013

September by Batwings Catwings

While this song definitely did not give out the same mosh friendly chaos I always enjoyed at their gigs, their sound of the summer was totally best and did it for me the most out of every song this year.

 

HOWEVER, a close second was Prom Night by Anamanaguchi – this was totallay sex.

 

That’s it for now I guess.

 

Fifth Annual Riot Grrrl X-Mas Carnival Benefit Show @ The Smell

 

It had been ages since I had been able to walk through the doors of The Smell and finally being able to on December 26th was literally the best late Christmas gift. Besides meeting up and catching up with friends, I got to see Heller Keller headline the night and had as much fun as I always do at their shows. They are the best and it was amazing finally seeing them perform again after almost two years of just hearing them in my iPod (fucking Heller Keller mosh pits). Another band that performed that night were Anus Kings and I am a bit obsessed with their folky sound sound now.

Best night.

 

 

Veronica Falls (late post)

 

Yikes. The subject of this post is over a month old but dang it, it was a good gig and I’m up late writing so here it is now.The same collective that put up the Best Coast show prior to this, Songs For Children, brought British kind-of-but-not-totally-twee band Veronica Falls to Hong Kong on November 12th. I pretty much enjoyed their entire set and felt they gave off a bit of a Dum Dum Girls vibe. As great as they were, the most memorable thing about the gig was the venue’s gas leak, which threw the entire crowd and the band into mini coughing fits. Before the promoter told us what was happening, I couldn’t figure out for the life of me as to why my asthma was suddenly acting up. Though the promoter suggested ending the show early, the band thankfully decided to press on until the end of their set. Best humans.

 

 

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/57709288]

Best Coast in Hong Kong

 

The state of Mutually Awkward’s music section is just sad. From once being the guy who went to 2-3 shows a week to going to zero in almost three months almost made me want to throw myself in front of a speeding mini-bus. Luckily, Best Coasts’ arrival in Hong Kong during the end of October really kicked off me getting back going to gigs more frequently and I’m happier to say things have been better lately. I was really excited and happy when I initially found out that they would be coming to Asia and like I expected, their gig was both intensely fun and bittersweet. It was bittersweet in that they pretty much brought California itself to my friend and I as we both suddenly felt ourselves caught up in homesickness during their set. I also felt a revelation of sorts while watching their gig. Seeing Best Coasts’ Bobb Bruno performing again made me remember seeing his solo act several times in 2008 back when I was still a student. I especially remembered one of his gigs during one rainy evening at The Smell where he performed to a small crowd with most of us sitting cross-legged on the floor or on the sofa. That night was special then and it was again special now. Seeing him 5  years later in as part of a mega famous band made me realize how much things have changed in such a short time.

 

Bethany Cosentino.

Bobb Bruno.

 

Before this set, I was already a fan of Best Coast but with them coming to Hong Kong and in a way restoring my soul after a depressing and difficult month (more on that later) and also really bringing the comforts of home along with them, they will forever be a band that holds a special place in my heart.

 

 

 

Moses Campbell – “Drop D”

 

 

One of the best bands from back home have a new album and a new music video of a long time favorite tune. I loved watching it and can’t wait to hear the new stuff. Fucking yessssssssssss.

 

 

Wan Chai Folk Review

 

 

It’s been quite a while since I’ve written about a gig on Mutually Awkward (November 2012!) though I’ve still been going to shows. Hopefully, with the new design, I’ll remember to keep this part of the site more frequently updated. I’ll start right now: Last weekend some friends and I checked out the Wan Chai Folk, a gig showcasing some of the folk scene here in Hong Kong.

Song of the Week: Running Away

 

I heard this awesome track when I reached the end credits of Bob Byington’s hilarious movie Registered Sex Offender during my sick weekend a few days ago. It completely reminded me how awesome and amazing The Polyphonic Spree are. They are just full of good feelings and have a spark to them that few bands can match. Unfortunately, I can’t find this song to purchase anywhere and it’s staring to drive me nuts! This is a song I must own. In fact, the entire Fragile Army album is something I’m really pining for currently. Gah!

 

 

Three Years Ago

 

In 2010, I was listening to The Weepies’ album Be My Thrill like crazy (and thinking a lot about RG and her smile at the same time). Though its not my favorite of all their albums, it’s still damn good. While revisiting some of their songs and music videos tonight, I stumbled upon a music video from that album that I never knew even existed! I really love it when things like this happen – it’s like discovering a cool piece of treasure that has been hiding under your nose for a long time now. This has made my night.

 

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/23516419]

 

Song of the Week: Best of Friends

 

I can’t get a enough of this – Best of Friends by London band, Palma Violets. Listen and (hopefully?) enjoy.