Biography All Music GuideWikipedia
Group Members: Mike Park
All Music Guide:
An all-Asian ska-punk band featuring Skankin' Pickle alum Mike Park, the Chinkees debuted in 1998 with the album The Chinkees Are Coming! The following year the group -- which also comprised bassist/vocalist Miya Zane Osaki, guitarist/vocalist/drummer Greg Alesandro, guitarist Jason Thinh, and keyboardist Steve Choi -- released Peace Through Music; both albums were issued through Park's own label, Asian Man Records. The band's name was not intended to be a racial slur, as in fact it was hoping to be just the opposite by raising awareness of racial discrimination. Just like Asian Man, the group was all about spreading positivity and addressing issues (without being aggressively political in fear of alienating people) important to improving the future. A split with the Lawrence Arms entitled Present Day Memories appeared in May 2001 before the Chinkees' next full-length, Searching for a Brighter Future, was released one year later.
Wikipedia:
The Chinkees are an American ska punk band fronted by Mike Park (formerly of Skankin' Pickle). The group debuted with 1998's The Chinkees Are Coming!, and followed with 1999's Peace Through Music and 2002's Searching for a Brighter Future before a greatest hits album was released in 2003. According to the liner notes for the band's debut album The Chinkees Are Coming!, the music was recorded by members of the band Tuesday with vocals provided by Mike Park. Subsequent albums were recorded all or in part by members Park, Miya Osaki, Greg Alesandro, Jason Thinh, and Steve Choi, as well as "guest" musicians, including Slapstick and Tuesday drummer Rob Kellenberger and Link 80's Steve Borth, often with members trading and playing different instruments than listed. All of the members were involved with the ska/punk scene. Jason Thinh was from the band Short Round, Miya was a member of the Santa Cruz punk trio The Muggs, Greg Alesandro a member of San Jose band Statue Man, and Steve Choi later becoming a keyboardist and guitarist for Rx Bandits in 1999.
After the "Chinkees Are Coming" album was released in 1998, the newly recruited members of The Chinkees headed for some warm up dates in Mexico supporting Riverside punks Voodoo Glow Skulls and San Diego's Buck-O-Nine before going on their first tour of Japan in 1999, supporting Japanese ska punk legends Kemuri. After a short stint on the west coast with fellow Asian Man Records recording artists MU330 and the then up and coming Alkaline Trio, the band again headed to Japan in the spring of 2000 with label mates MU330, and Tokyo ska punks Potshot. Europe was next as the band took part in a summer 2000 tour dubbed "Monsters of Ska" with Link 80 and MU330. 2001 saw another Japanese tour, again in support of Potshot, as well as Detroit's Suicide Machines, followed the next year by a UK tour with Potshot, and the UK band Lightyear, which proved to be the last major undertaking of the band as it has remained on hiatus ever since.
