아시안맨
DIY/EQUALITY/Hate the music biz but 💙 🎵 There's a diy label I hate so much/will disclose their identity w much fury in 2025.
@MIKEPARKMUSIC
EST 1996
Today AMR turns 25. Wanted it to feel like a community/wanted folks to know a POC was involved in diy/wanted AAPI kids to know they weren't alone in punk/wanted to push ideas of peace/wanted to have an outlet for my music. Thank you for 25 yrs. I am blessed.
Peace, mike park
Love when a parent threatens me w a bad yelp review cause their childs order didn't make it in time for xmas. AM is run out of a friggin garage with 1 employee. We're not Amazon. I've been here 23 years and I'll be here when your kid is no longer listening to punk. So Yelp away!!
To my fellow Asian Americans. I love you and I stand here with you in solidarity. And to the allies who aren't afraid to speak up....I see you fam!!! Be careful and let's stand up for each other.
My attempt at more uplifting tweets lasted only a few days. Ya know ....FUCK you trump worshipers. Don't follow this account, don't buy our music, stop going to our shows. GTFOH.
1995(while on stage) someone yelled chink/slope in my direction. I looked down to see a sieg heil salute in front of me. Today Shane Gillis was fired from SNL for using the word chink. Many say he was kidding/just a joke. It's not funny. It sucks no matter how you look at it.
One more time. AMR is run out of my mom's garage. I have no idea what I'm doing and find disgust in how and why people validate success in music. I am now on year 24 of AMR and hope to still find my voice without conceding to the powers that be. Peace, mike park
AM is run out of a 2 car garage at my mums house(23 yrs) Started w 2 cr cards/nvr took a loan/nvr had an investor/nvr ripped a band off. Its just me & 1 employee(laz) Everyone can do this too, but remember it's about fun not power bullshit. DIY is community not competition.
AMR started in 96 with 2 maxed out ccards & the savings from bussing tables for 5 yrs. In 99 at 29 yo I was offered 500k from a major to buy AMR. I was tempted, but declined. The moral to this story? Not really sure. Have a great day.
I was told "You're gonna be a doctor, lawyer, or engineer" from the day I was born. Got into punk in my teens & watched my mom cry daily when i dropped out of college to be in a band. Live your dreams! My mom still loves me regardless of my career choice.
Peace, mike park
As a man in the music industry I'll never know the trials and tribulations of what it must be like for a woman to encounter the terrible things that go on in this shitty industry. BUT...I do know I can do my part and never be gross and use power to manipulate. Peace, mike park
When all the indie and major record labels start releasing SKA cause it becomes profitable again, remember that I've been profiting off of SKA forever.
More and more young bands that I meet tell me they've never ever received a royalty payment or even worse, have never seen a royalty statement. If you run an indie label and you don't pay your bands, you are not a good person. That is all.
In the 90's I told myself I could change the world. Started plea for peace (501C3 nonprofit) in 1999 using music as a binder to push for equality. But shit just seems worse 30 yrs later. I can't quit. Instead I need to fight harder for the oppressed. I will do more. I promise.
We're officially in our 25th year as a label! With over 360 releases, theres so many records that are OOP. With a staff of just me theres only so much I can do but I am starting to schedule reissues with Broadways broken star up 1st. What should I queue up next for a repress?
I believe in PUNK. Not as a fashion statement or haircut or sound, but as an idea of positivity, understanding, and honesty. Peace, Mike Park
ps-have a great weekend
Life ain't easy my friends. Depression is very real. If you ever need a person to talk, please reach out to somebody. Here's my cell number 408 836 7672. I'm very serious. If you need somebody to talk to please call me. Peace mike park
5-18-21 AMR turns 25. My orig plan was to do a cruise ship w/insane reunions:
BTMI
Tuesday
Slapstick
Cayetana
Skankin' Pickle
Broadways
Tuesday
+
A3
AJJ
Joyce Manor
Larms
+ MORE!
Covid hit before I could even ask bands & now I'll spend AMR 25 eating bologna sandwiches & crying
Excited to announce that I'm officially a co-owner of District Recording in San Jose. Always wanted to run a music studio where bands could record at an affordable price, but with the best equipment. NEVE 8014 console, vintage amps, mics, drums.
I always love when bands support other bands by being right up front during their set. Singing along and dancing. It makes the community feel that much more real.
People love to hate on a band like
@ReelBigFish
... But the truth is, when almost every other band of the 90's ditched the genre when it was deemed as UNCOOL, RBF was one of the very few bands still out there representing the SKA. So today, I give my props to RBF.
Just a reminder that AMR is just me. I do mail order, assemble vinyl, answer emails, do socials, ordering, accounting, & for the most part people are super cool. But every once in a while I run into a POS. Don't be a POS.
Peace, mike park
Somebody has shit on the floor multiple times at my daughters high school and the school is offering a $1,000 reward to find the culprit. That's good cash money!
I just heard Amazon now has a vinyl record club. That really stinks. Whilst the indies kept the vinyl record plants afloat during the last 30 years, as soon as something is profitable the corporations take over and now turn times for vinyl are basically insanity. 6-9 months.
I have never worked with an artist because I thought I'd make a bunch of money off of them. But I have definitely worked with artists knowing I was gonna lose a bunch of money off of them.
My kids get excited when I get recognized in public. It makes them happy and proud. So if you see me in public with my kids in tow please say "Are you mike park?" I will reply "yes" and then you will say "your father is the best"
Whom are the bands in your community that give a shit? Not bands that are necessarily popular, but ones that go to and set up DIY shows for touring bands and hang out and are genuinely excited to be helping instead of constantly talking shit about their community.
There's no school that teaches you how to run a record label. TBH I have no idea what I'm doing. Nobody else was going to put out my music, so I thought "I better do it myself". And I still have no idea what I'm doing after all these years but I'm having fun doing it.
EMO...I also admit that I'm not sure what emo Is? If fall out boy is emo and at the drive in is emo and Fugazi is emo and jawbreaker is emo......Then I'm not sure I understand musically what equates something as emo. Please teach me.
A friend sent me this review from
@pitchfork
from 2000 for ALKALINE TRIO "Maybe I'll Catch Fire". FUCK!! They hate us. My goodness. Kids, let this be a lesson. Don't give a fuck about what hype machines say. Like what you like and just be a good person. Peace!
Reading through the comments makes my head hurt. The realization that after 23 yrs many people have no idea what AMR stands for or what my songs/lyrics mean. Yet I'm still optimistic that what I do matters and I will continue to try to make a difference for the better.
1995(while on stage) someone yelled chink/slope in my direction. I looked down to see a sieg heil salute in front of me. Today Shane Gillis was fired from SNL for using the word chink. Many say he was kidding/just a joke. It's not funny. It sucks no matter how you look at it.
Let's think of the bands we could get to reunite:
Slapstick
Bomb the music industry
Broadway's
Korea girl
Tuesday
Softball
Colossal
Classics of love
Skankin' 🥒
Mu330
Taxpayers
The wild
Slow gherkin
Shinobu
WHOM ELSE AM I MISSING?
There is so little time in this life. Dont squander your opportunities or dreams. Go big if that's what you want. And nothing wrong with going small. It's about happiness really. I'm not actually sure if any of this made sense. Sorry
A REMINDER that even though I've been doing this for well over 20 yrs I have NO idea what I'm doing. Don't rely on labels to dictate what's cool or not. If you're in a band, you can do it too. I started amr to release my own music cause nobody else would.
For years I've considered myself a progressive liberal. Political as fuck, perhaps to the point of nausea, but alas I'm done. I'm gonna have a meltdown if I don't stop swelling w anger every single day. I need to reset & listen to SKA and perhaps a good slice of pizza. Goodnight
I love the warmth of vinyl. love hearing the needle crackle and flipping side A to side B. And reading the lyrics and liner notes especially when getting a brand new record. I hope this medium remains a constant for years to come.
Paying respect to what i consider top 5 greatest punk records ever. Operation Ivy "energy" turns 30 yo & was a game changer for me. Read those Jesse Michaels lyrics. Those are from a 17 year old. Amazing!!!
Laying in the dark w my family asleep I'm questioning life & what I do as a job. I love music so much, but the business side sucks. When I get down I think about why I love music and remember it's supposed to be fun. Otherwise I'm in it for all the wrong reasons. Peace
The resurgence of Racism and Xenophobia over the last 4 years is no coincidence. I'm no longer here to be a conduit of good will. I'm pissed and ready to smash the system.
There are more good people than bad
There are more good people than bad
There are more good people than bad
There are more good people than bad
JUST TRYING TO REMIND MYSELF OR MAYBE CONVINCE MYSELF?
Jeff Rosenstock sold out both Brooklyn shows in less than an HOUR!! incredibly stoked for.........in my humble opinion.......the most real person in punk.
Believe it or not it's difficult staying a small label vs becoming a bigger label. The offers I've had to move to a bigger distributor would require me to move out of the garage + hire a full staff. It just doesn't sound fun. I hope people understand bigger doesn't mean better
RIP Biz Marie. I was fortunate enough to tour with him twice and one of those tours was for 3 months. We shared a bus and we became friends. It was a strange pairing for sure. Biz had no idea who I was but thought I must have had a hit song cuz why else was I on this tour? 1/3
We've also completely reimagined the
@JoyceManor
self-titled record. Remixed/remastered!! Streaming everywhere now! You thought it sounded powerful before? Listen now and freak out. I mean like really freak out!
Gwen Stefani. Does she ever think about me? This was 1991. SP opened for no doubt @ a place called Hollywood Live where they now film Jimmy Kimmel. Before ND got huge, they had a big underground following. Angelo Moore was @ the show. I was excited. More photo album pics coming
Can I afford to dump SPOTIFY? Probably not, but I will be looking at better options for listening to music. Options that pay the artist more than pennies on the penny.
peace, mike park
At open house for my sons 5th grade class a parent asked the dreaded question whats your job? To make it easy I say musician, which leads to are you in a band? And I just lie and say I'm a music teacher cause I don't want to explain AMR. And we smile and all is good again.
I repeat...
Most People have no idea what SKA is. Listen to toots hibbert, the clash, the english beat , operation ivy, mu330. All very different, all unique, and all influenced by SKA
I don't even know how many roller rinks exist anymore, but how sic would it be to go roller skating with punk and ska blasting. imagine racing as fast as you can to pay to cum or sound system.
May 18th is the 25 year anniverary of AMR. On Sat the 22nd I will do some live interviews with people in the AMR history books. Does that seem boring. It's all I can think of. Maybe I'll forcibly drink alcohol and see what happens live. That sounds responsible!
Jeff Rosenstock told me to stop doom scrolling. He knows my anxiety is off the charts. I agree...I need to stop or I'm gonna lose it. I'll leave you with this: PUSH FOR EQUALITY. PUSH FOR KINDNESS. END XENOPHOBIC BEHAVIOR AND MOST OF ALL END FASCISM.
Truly...
I mean this with all my heart. How I love my friends. The emails, texts, phone calls from y'all just to check in on me. These simple messages of unity is what gives me proof that we're more united than divided. We'll get through this shit show.
Plea For Peace,
mike park