Asian Man Records, June 5, 2020
The Chinkees return with their first new music in 18 years.
Admittedly, I was late to the Mike Park party. I was familiar with him through Asian Man Records and, working at a record store in the late 90’s, I saw Asian Man comps and Skankin’ Pickle and Bruce Lee Band records coming through. So I was aware, but I didn’t know.
That all changed when I was gifted tickets to a “Rock Against Bush” concert as a wedding present. Two days after our wedding, my wife and I were at First Avenue in Minneapolis. I think Mike Park was one of the early performers and we didn’t know what to expect from him, but his set changed things. He stood in front of a video backdrop displaying images of his heroes (all seemed to be people who worked to eradicate injustice), scenes from various moments for civil rights, and hopeful loving images, singing his elegantly simple and mostly quiet songs and leaving us running to buy everything he had at his merch table (that he covered personally). Really, his musical style wasn’t what I was into going in, but his message left an indelible mark on both my wife and I. He was revolutionary in a way I’d never really seen or heard to that point and he impacted my personal thoughts on who I was and what I wanted to stand for in a significant and positive way. It is in this context that I started digging, checking out some of his aforementioned bands and falling for the organ-driven Specials-style of The Chinkees. I didn’t know at the time, but this was not long after the Chinkees began their hiatus, a pause that has left them mostly quiet in the years since. Now, 18 years since their last new music, The Chinkees are back. The four song EP K.A. Music has only four songs, but each of them bursts with energy, fun rhythms, and singing voices that’ll draw you in.
Opener “Trace The Morning Time” kicks things off with explosive energy. Guitars are buzzing and some zany synths are playing bonkers melodies, and then they go to an organ-pumped ska groove. And back and forth they go. From what I can get from the lyrics, the song might be about finding a sort of middle path with lines like (I think) “be a better man, you can find it in your heart”. Oh yeah, it’s got fun “doo-doo-doo” backing vocals, too. “Our Lips Are Coming Right Through” is a second winner in a row. It’s got more energy and keeps up the skittering ska rhythms before shifting towards revved-up hooky punk accented by organs that sound just right. The ska parts kind of remind me of The Specials “Doesn’t Make It Alright” and the loud parts sort of remind me of Stiff Little Fingers covering that same song. The third song, “Running All Over”, plays around with dub, doing the echoes and reverb just right for the first part of the song. It sounds spaced out and lost and cool all at once. And then it goes unabashedly punk, with power chords and fast drums. Two voices sing “I’m running all alone” together and then one voice sings “this place won’t keep us down long” while another sings “I’ve gotta get away”, staging a battle between optimism and a feeling of giving up and running away. It sprints to the end like this, stopping on a dime. It’s a great song.
Then The Chinkees slay me, ending with “Your Heart Will Break Forever”. The ska rhythms go into an organ-led bridge that then goes into a big chorus with some loud guitars and vocal hooks that’ll shake you up. I’m not sure where this song is coming from lyrically, but certain lines get me thinking about the reckoning and events that have been on display in America over the past week or so. At varying points, Park sings (I think) “the fire burning outside, I couldn’t breathe”, “how many days do we keep it on the move”, I don’t like the constant spinning, gotta be a better way”, and “my love will come together, your heart won’t break forever”. Each of these connects to images I’ve seen and people I’ve heard speaking for change recently . Maybe that’s not what they’re going for here, maybe it’s a love song. But it resonates with me as a clarion call to be better. And it’s fantastic.
Alright, so you’ve (maybe) read this far, all to say you need to listen to K.A. Music. It’s a really cool record that does well by The Chinkees legacy. The music sucks you in (I’ve always found ska music a go-to in the summer), and I’m genuinely excited to keep listening as I try to figure out the lyrics and meanings here. It’s already hitting hard, and I’ve got a feeling that the more I dig, the better it’ll get.
You might like this if:
- You need some organ-pumping ska rhythms for these hot summer days
- You want to dig into thought-provoking and empathetic words
You might not if:
- Umm, I’m not sure; maybe you’re a bad person? I suppose you could just not like any ska.
ryan is a reviewer and news editor for TGEFM. He’s very secretive, he might be an alien.
