for those who missed it or were unable to attend, the album is available for digital download at shinkawasaki.bandcamp.com or from the “music download” link at the top-right corner of the top page. or just click on any of the links here on this post, like the text you are reading right now – yes, this one, all of these. lol

check back here for I will slowly release outtakes and unreleased tracks that didn’t really fit the album but are equally good, and the ones that I performed live at the party and the past shows! hopefully I’ll do videos for some of these tracks (any filmmakers out there who want to take a shot at making videos/collaborating hollar at me!)

here are some quotes from the people who liked the album;

from ReviewPosse.com

“Completely original, with catchy hooks, crunchy guitar, retro keys, cool vocals and creative arrangements,  all while being  “way out there” gotta love it.”  Sylus Brown

“Complex pop/rock while being fun, an excellent original composition and experience, I want to see Shin” -Rob Ritter

“Instantly enjoyable fusion of different styles of pop and rock” – Stuart Messenger

from Sluggo @ KROQ

“I like it!  Great stuff!  The manic energy is infectious, I love the instrumentation and the sci fi bite.  I left it cranked the whole time – pretty rare for a first listen!”

from Marc Doten @ Double Naught Spy Car

“Lovin your CD, it’s sick groovin and honest all at once.”

on July 7th, MidTones will make a comeback to its good ol’ 1st / 3rd Wednesdays routine. and I wanna invite you people to come out on a school night (I’M SORRY) to hang with me and the gang at Grand Star. in true MidTones spirit, I’m gonna invite the regulars and beyond to “jam” on some of the tunes included on the album. I am curious to see how these “constructed-inside-a-MacBook” grooves would be interpreted with a live ensemble…the night will also feature a special performance from ever-lovely MidTones Madeleines. the limited-run physical CDs will be available for you to purchase, which features an amazing drawing by Phloe!

2nd part of the night will be MidTones as we know it…we’ll open up and have people jam, dance and laugh (you can cry too) like we have legalized marijuana. you are welcome to bring friends who like jamming with new people, dancing to the music that ranges from Paranoid to My Funny Valentine. or Akon. maybe NOT Akon. don’t know. that’s a tough one.

there’s a Facebook event page too, if you’re that kind of person.

Grand Star Jazz Club, 943 N. Broadway, Los Angeles CA 90012

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ReviewPosse.com

with the album release approaching, I was delighted to read this very positive review from ReviewPosse.com on “Find Another Way” – here are some quotes from the post;

“Completely original, with catchy hooks, crunchy guitar, retro keys, cool vocals and creative arrangements,  all while being  “way out there” gotta love it.”  Sylus Brown

“Complex pop/rock while being fun, an excellent original composition and experience, I want to see Shin” -Rob Ritter

“Instantly enjoyable fusion of different styles of pop and rock” – Stuart Messenger

read on at their website and listen to the song - and check back here for update on the release date.

there’s also a short clip of this song performed live back in April. when the album comes out later in June we’ll probably be out playing more, check back.

Regardless, it’ll be a day to remember; just for the amount of drive I’ll be doing that day (after my SD visit I’ll haul my ass to Palm Springs for a gig) lol oh what we do for our love of art. NOT complainin, just amused. very psyched actually. haven’t messed with a solo set up in a while. it’ll be fun. come out. I’m pretty sure it’s a free event, and I’m scheduled at 12:30pm.

on April 7th, MidTones presents the 1st official Movie Night featuring a B-Side Entertainment film “Still Bill” with Bill Withers. “STILL BILL is an intimate portrait of soul legend Bill Withers, best known for his classics “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Lean On Me,” “Lovely Day,” “Grandma’s Hands,” and “Just the Two of Us.” With his soulful delivery and warm, heartfelt sincerity, Withers has written the songs that have – and always will – resonate deeply within the fabric of our times.”

this is a FREE event and open to public. after the screening, the jam session will commence immediately paying tribute to Withers’ music. please RSVP (not required) your spot at the movie website, email, or simply reply to this post here for seating might be limited.

Also check out MidTones page on Yelp!

The next BIG night(s) for me is The 3^rd Annual Nite N Day Arts Festival Weekend, presented by the 32^nd Annual Los Angeles Chinatown Firecracker Run and Chinatown Business Improvement District, happening the last weekend of Feb – where I’ll be doing a set of original materials (with the help of Geoff Haba on drums AND MidTone Madeleines) on Feb 27nd SAT at 7pm, AND with MidTone Arkestra which features the cream of the crop from MidTones; an Eclectic Open Jam, on Feb 28th at 2pm! so many talented artists are on the bill for this event, such as The Fighting Cocks, David Applesauce Tran, Sue Jin and Dawen. it’s gonna be a great weekend of music for sure! there’s more info on Facebook Event page!

“PRETTY VICIOUS is a collaboration between Edgar Varela (EVFA), Melissa Krook (GlamScene Entertainment) and Erin Gunnette (Shotgun Mary Photography, GSE). We’re providing you with the BEST tunes to dance to, live bands to entertain you, and photography to document it all EVERY first Friday!”
JUNGLERUSH>>

542 S Alameda St. (& Palmetto)
Downtown LA, CA 90013

10 pm – 3 am
$10 before 11pm/$15 after

OPEN BAR!

I had a privilege to perform, along with Tom Morello as The Nightwatchman, Boots Riley and the Legendary Wayne Kramer of MC5, for Cort Guitar Workers ACTION event on Jan 13 in Koreatown. Following is an excerpt from their website;

“For more than a 1000 days, Korean guitar workers and their supporters have protested against their illegal mass firing by Cort/ Cor-tek Guitars, a guitar manufacturer based in South Korea and founded in 1973.

After dedicating decades of their labor in unventilated rooms full of fumes and solvent, enduring forced overtime and below-minimum wage pay, incurring injuries and lung diseases, and undergoing the abuse of their managers, these workers unionized to finally get minimum wage.

Only a short time later, they found themselves padlocked out of their factories  and were forced to sign resignation papers, . It turned out that Cort had moved its operations overseas, for much cheaper and non-unionized labor in Chinese and Indonesian factories.”

Some of these workers came to LA in time for NAMM show to protest; and I plan to attend their gathering TOMORROW afternoon right outside of Anaheim Convention Center. I’m not sure if their voice would reach the money-mongering CEO, but they (and I) want those who play guitars to know that what they have in their hands come from the people who are proud of what they do and yet do NOT receive the treatment they deserve. and with so many here in the US losing their jobs, I believe this hits close to home for a lot of folks out there who don’t really care about guitars at all.

Please spread the word around.

SK

the album “Chili, This One’s For You” features the recordings we managed
to squeeze out of an old Roland VS digital multi-tracker (remember those?)
a handful of microphones and Chili’s kids-size drum set (w/ his log on the bass drum head)
including original compositions by Chili, a few jazz standards,
and the recordings of the people from his birthplace, Trinidad, where Evan traveled twice,
plus the addition of talents such as Michael Fortunato (tp) and Michael Dubin (dr/perc)

go check it out at kufu.bandcamp.com/ – it’s a FREE DOWNLOAD!