C***k in the Armor censored by iTunes
Category: Music

Just barely released and there is already controversy for Say Bok Gwai's new CD "Chink in the Armor". Go to your iTunes store and type Say Bok Gwai or Chink in the Armor.

iTunes has censored the title of the Cd with * marks and has labeled the CD as explicit. Ha ha. What a bunch of clown!
Do they even know the fucking meaning of the phrase "chink in the armor"?
Did they even listen to the fucking songs?
What kind of shit is that?
Who the fuck made the decision to fucking censor our mutherfucking CD titles?
What a bunch of dick sucking cunts! Now that is something to censor.

Thank you iTunes. I am actually happy you did that.

SBG

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CHINK IN THE ARMOR - available on line NOW!!!
Category: Music

Say Bok Gwai's 2nd release "Chink In The Armor" now available online from these vendors.

Bell Mobility Full Track
Groove Mobile
GroupieTunes
iTunes Music Store
Last.fm Radio
Mix and Burn
mTraks Download
Napster
Navio / gBox
Pure Tracks
Rhapsody
Rogers Wireless
Ruckus Network
SecuryCast Download
Slacker
Sprint
T-Online
Verizon

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Updates on site, New Shirts, and New CD
Current mood: Outside now (bootleg) 033179 Munich
Category: Outside now (bootleg) 033179 Munich Music

As you can see there is a new SBG logo on the profile. This is the image on our new shirts that come in red or grey. They fucking rock!!! You can order them at EdgetoneRecords.com or come to a show and we will have them. We are officially releasing Chink In the Armor on June 17th and will have two CD release shows in July and August. Hope to see you all there!

Lastly, there are updates on the SBG site www.monkeykingrecords.com/sbg

Rock on!

Alex

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SBG on Littlebook
Category: Music

http://www.myspace.com/littlebooksf

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CHINK IN THE ARMOR release and release shows
Current mood: anxious
Category: Music

CHINK IN THE ARMOR CD RELEASE and SHOWS



Contact: Alex Yeung For Immediate Release
Tel: 415.244.3343
Email: alex@monkeykingrecords.com


MONKEY KING RECORDS AND EDGETONE RECORDS PRESENT
NEW SAY BOK GWAI CD CHINK IN THE ARMOR

Produced by Monkey King Records and distributed/released by Edgetone Records CHINK IN THE ARMOR is the 2nd full length release by San Francisco based CantoCore duo Say Bok Gwai. The official release date is June 17, 2008.

Diverse in the musical influences and sound, CHINK IN THE ARMOR explores SBG's musical diversity from thrash(Real Men) to metal(A-1) to punk(Trick Duck) to hardcore(EatMeNow) while incorporating out of the genre influences such as progressive, experimental and improv with songs like Haam Sup Gwai, Return of the Monkey King, and I Can Only Provide the Toilet Paper. By inviting additional musicians to play on this release, SBG adds a diverse range of sounds, textures and color via electronics(Year of the Cock), organ(White People in a Hurry), and samples(Chow Fun Chow No Fun). Another change in the sound of this 2nd release is the prominent use of English. Alex explains that the use of English on this release evens out the bi-cultural scales since Cantonese was the primary language of the 1st release. CHINK IN THE ARMOR is a testament to the ingenuity of SBG taking CantoCore to new musical and message territory.

In celebration of this new release, Say Bok Gwai is having two CD release parties. This new CD reflects the diverse styles of music that create the CantoCore sound, so Say Bok Gwai decided to have two very diverse and distinctive musical venues and programs to mark the release of CHINK IN THE ARMOR.

True to their roots of musical experimentation and paying homage to their hometown, the first release show will be in San Francisco as part of the Edgetone New Music Summit. Running for it's 7th year, the Edgetone New Music Summit showcases some of the most innovative and pioneering new music that is happening in California and beyond. This summit is a meeting of music and sound from raging free improvisation, electronic manipulation, to harsh noise reflecting an incredible range of genre busting exploration and sonic creativity. The CD release of the 1st self titled Say Bok Gwai was also part of the 2004 Summit.

The second release show will be in Berkeley at 924 Gilman Street. A world renown venue for punk, hardcore, and fringe music. The DIY and punk aesthetic of the club has a connection with Say Bok Gwai music as well as perspective on making music. What better place for a CantoCore band that plays punk, thrash, hardcore, and metal?

Edgetone New Music Summit
Saturday July 26, 2008 San Francisco Music Center
544 Capp Street@ 20th, San Francisco, CA
Performance Starts @ 8:00 pm
15 Degrees Below Zero
Say Bok Gwai
Mute Socialite
The Late Severa Wires (NM)


Friday August 8, 2008 924 Gilman Street
924 Gilman Street, Berkeley, CA
Performance Starts @ 8:00 pm
La Grita
Say Bok Gwai
TBD
TBD



If you would like more information about the Say Bok Gwai and the new CD or to schedule an interview with Alex Yeung, please contact Monkey King Records at 415.244.3343, or email Alex at alex@monkeykingrecords.com

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SBG interview in local fanzine Strange Pursuit Zine
Current mood: complacent

http://strangepursuitzine.weebly.com/some-interviews.html

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SBG is Chinese Clash?
Current mood: hungry

Not really but check out this mention of SBG on this blog.
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3212879803132935709&postID=7490581562713538265&page=1


I grew up listening to The Clash—who, I'm proud to say, I saw in concert four times over the course of their career including the legendary Bond's NY gigs. They are still, for me, "the only band that matters," although I enjoy a range of more contemporary groups as well. Still, The Clash, Gang of Four, Ramones, Sex Pistols, Pogues, and Pixies get frequent play on my i-pod.

So, when I said to Professor Lee that I knew nothing about contemporary music by Asian Americans other than those that I have learned about through this course, he suggested, perhaps tongue in cheek, that I look for "the Asian American Clash." In searching for Asian American punk rock with a political edge to the lyrics, I found Say Bok Gwai. (The Web site for the band and that of its record label don't offer a translation of the Cantonese but some bloggers said it essentially means Damn White Devils. Perhaps someone in class can confirm if that is an accurate translation.)

The record label describes the band as:

"Canto-core from San Francisco!!! Say Bok Gwai combines hardcore, metal, punk, thrash music with Cantonese vocals. A unique blend of two cultures, Say Bok Gwai covers a variety of the harder musical genres and has songs about food, differing cultural perspectives, Chinese American pride, white America, mating, metal, politics, and more. This duo is comprised of Alex Yeung (composer, guitarist, vocals) and Andre Custodio (drummer)."

Here's one example of their lyrics as translated into English (again, I can't vouch for the accuracy of the translation):

Straight Outta HK

Born in Hong Kong came to America.
San Francisco is my home!
You see me, you don't understand me.
"You are not Chinese, You are not American."
A good Chinese would not have long hair, he has a good job and starts a family.
A good American would not live with his family, he is tall and rich and white.

Straight Outta Hong Kong [4x]

I don't care what your opinion is.
I have a culture that I call my own.
Respect my parents yet I am my own person.
Create a new culture!
Straight outta of Hong Kong!
San Francisco is my home!

Also, there are several clips on You Tube (which Iwasn't sure how to embedd into the blog, sorry.)

I think this band raises interesting questions not only in its lyricsbut also about the relationships between the political message, language, and different audiences.

posted by Clarissa J. Ceglio at 11:44 AM on Apr 17, 2008

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Say Bok Gwai on SPARK* - not really
Current mood: chipper
Category: Friends

Our bud Mark Fiore was on the KQED show SPARK* and he is wearing a SBG shirt. Mark may be a white dude but he sure is yellow 5. Check out this site
www.markfiore.com

and check out the segment on SPARK*

http://youtube.com/watch?v=cXrKkvE3gF0

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SBG plays special sets in MAY 2008
Current mood: adventurous

In anticipation of our 2nd CD releasing in June on Edgetone Records, Say Bok Gwai will be playing 95% of our 75 song repertoire in May shows featuring a different set of songs each show that highlights a different era of compositions. SBG hopes that you can join us for many of these shows.

May 1 RETOX LOUNGE- All new songs not recorded yet.

May 2 ROCK IT ROOM- All songs from the self titled 1st release.

May 10 BENDER's- 1st half of the new CD and new songs not recorded.

May 17th RETOX LOUNGE (AAMS 14)- 2nd half of the new CD and new songs not recorded.

May 18th WALNUT PARK- SURPRISE SET.

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SHOW REVIEW- Thee Parkside 020708
Current mood: sick
Category: Music

http://www.razorcake.org/site/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13313&PHPSESSID=ffa885d69781615544e5e2e68421ae7b

Hvorslev, Say Bok Gwai and Funeral Shock
February 7, 2008 at Thee Parkside, SF, CA

By J. Federico
Tuesday, February 26 @ 00:00:00 CST



The Hvorslev, Say Bok Gwai, and Funeral Shock show at Thee Parkside was a very last minute deal for me. There were actually three other shows I'd been considering going to that night, but as the afternoon wore on I'd pretty much decided against all of them because I was tired and felt like staying in. However, as I was getting ready to head home from work, a friend told me that he might go check out this show at Parkside, and I had to at least have a little peek online to see what the bands that would be playing sounded like. As soon as I heard Hvorslev, my curiosity was piqued and I felt a second wind coming on.

I love Thee Parkside (http://www.theeparkside.com/). It's a smallish bar in the more warehouse-y area of San Francisco (out where the streets are named after states). They have lots of good shows there for cheap, and a decent-sized area out back where you can hang out and smoke, escape the music if you're not into it, talk with friends and/or play ping pong. I could also mention that there are hooks back there for bikes, which I just realized for the first time on Thursday, even though I've been going there for some time now and have at least once been vexed by the lack of places to lock up a bike out front. Good to know! And here I am, passing the savings on to you.

The show on Thursday wasn't very crowded, but it seemed that what it lacked in attendance, it made up for in volume. Holy shite, it was loud! I concerned myself throughout the evening with band members not wearing ear plugs.

So the first band, Hvorslev (http://www.myspace.com/hvorslev) interested me when I heard them because they have this beautiful massive bass and some weirdo vocals. That is super nice to me. Plus, it seems there is some affinity (although I haven't yet determined what, exactly) with the band Turks, who've recently caught my attention (I know, I know, I'm late). If you were a type of person to try to figure out what Hvorslev means, you might first learn that dictionary.com feels that "Love Slave" is an appropriate suggestion to make when confounded by a word like "Hvorslev." You might later learn that "TheHvorslev method constitutes a rapid means of characterizing the hydraulicconductivity of shallow ground-water systems."

Anyway.

I love the little details like when the drummer catches the symbol to make it stop sharp.

Comparisons to Scratch Acid and Big Black seem inevitable (from me, by the way, that should be taken as a substantial compliment). As I mentioned above, the bass was massive and that killed me. When they first came out - drummer, singer, and bassist - I thought I might miss the rhythm guitar, but after they got going and with the bassist switching back and forth on some pedal(s?) it totally worked and I was into it. The singer looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel; so full was his neck and so strident were his rantings. It was excellent. I wished there were more people there to get into it with him, although I suppose the open space did give him more room to jump and dance and pace a bit. Even though I'd heard a few songs before going to see them, the intensity was still unexpected and that was gorgeous. They're playing again at Kimo's in March and I'm definitely going.




After the show my friend and I had just a wee chat with the singer and he seemed really nice. I love when people in bands that you dig aren't total jerks!

Also, for some reason, when I see bands that I really like and there are about twenty-five people at the show, it occasionally makes me think of Madonna and her sold-out amphitheatres and people buying tickets from scalpers for $300 (and much more) a piece. Don't get me wrong, I actually get kinda bummed when bands I like start playing at places that have seats (for heaven's sakes) - not because I don't want them to get recognition or anything like that, but more because you lose that beautiful small club intimacy. And, of course, I fully realize that one thing I love about bands like Hvorslev or punk in general is that the really good bands do remain outside the mainstream or under the radar or whatever. It seems like if it became too mainstream, well, I think we all know what happens then (ie: pop punk on the radio and Ramones shirts in stores in the mall that don't even sell records). Anyway, all that aside, I can't help but occasionally be wowed by the injustice of the whole thing.

Back at Thee Parkside, Say Bok Gwai (monkeykingrecords.com/sbg) was up next. Like Hvorslev, they, too, are from California. Unlike Hvorslev, they only have two members: a guitarist/singer and a drummer/singer. The guitarist sang the most, in vocals that sometimes veered too closely (for my tastes) into death metal. The music wasn't death metal very often, though, sticking closer to regular thrashy and hardcore stuff. There were some times I thought of Motörhead, and they played a Slayer cover, which made me very happy. The singer, who is apparently Chinese, at one point gave us the name of the next song, the title of which was numerous Chinese (maybe Cantonese) words and then "Bush." He then explained to us that it meant, "I hope you fall and crack your head on the sidewalk, Bush." Fantastic!

Later, for a song the singer traded in his guitar for a saxophone, and the drummer played a bit of trumpet. There's nothing like a spot of jazz interspersed with headbanging to mix things up a little. I got the impression that the drummer was not quite as proficient on the horn as the singer was on the sax, and he was much less proficient on the horn than he was on drums, where he seems to have perfected flawless posture at breakneck speed.




Funeral Shock was the last band up. Also from California, members are guys that apparently have relations with bands such as Spazz, Capitalist Casualties, Deadbodieseverywhere, and Wuzor. Quite a line-up, and one that may give you a clue about what kind of music they play. I liked the singer's jean jacket/vest, which read "Loud Fat Rules." Humorous! So they got right down to business, with occasional Black Flag-esque guitars, often very fast, intermittently bringing on the slow jam (although a tad bit more torturously heavy than that smooth R&B shite they play on the radio). I liked them! And after the first (or maybe the second at the outside) song, the singer said, "Was that sweet or what?" and I could only agree. It was sweet.

Currently listening : Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar By Frank Zappa Release date: 30 May, 1995

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