Side A - 'Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)'
Side B - 'New Years'
For last year's Christmas post, I gave you the Guinness seasonal television ad and Weezer's Pinkerton/Hiroshige's 'Night Sky at Kambara' (the cover picture of that album). This year, I've already given you The Snowman cartoon, and now here's an Asobi Seksu 7" of the Ramones 1987 song 'Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)'.
(Click pictures to increase size)
Asobi Seksu, based around the guitar of James Hanna and the vocals of Yuki Chikudate, combine the two elements of 60s girl-pop (another 7" of theirs is an original, 'Stay Awake' b/w 'And Then He Kissed Me' by The Crystals) and shoegaze into a fantastic modern indie-rock/punk-pop band. The Spector-ised pop-punk is resonant with the Ramones themselves (End of the Century is a favourite album of theirs for me) but also with current bands like Glasgow's Camera Obscura or Brooklyn's Vivian Girls. At the same time, the shoegaze reaches level of sheer indulgence and My Bloody Valentine-worship - nearly always a good thing - particularly on the second album Citrus. 'New Years' is one of the best tracks on that album, too.
Though I was familiar with some of their songs already, probably from the radio, it was hearing the 'Stay Awake'/'And Then He Kissed Me' 7" via Burning Down The Dreams of Forever that hooked me on the band. The author of that blog, Sweet Baby Jaysus or just 'Jay', is also the author of the quote/mission statement in the top right corner of this site. He also tour managed for Asobi Seksu in the US, and below is a picture from his collection of him and Yuki:
Asobi Seksu on eMusic (incl. 7"s)
Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
5 comments:
is _Citrus_ the best LP to start with?
and OT: what do you know about Seefeel?
oh, and thank you for this, and your blog, and Merry bleeping Xmas.
- (sentimental) lexdexter
I actually haven't heard the first LP so, yeah, sure! (it'll e on my download list for eMusic in January)
I am pretty much ignorant of Seefeel (and of most original shoegaze beyond MBV, to be honest). I see they released on Too Pure, though, which is a good sign.
season's greetings to you, too. I left the last line of the post at first (after all, the sentiment was in the two songs at the very top). but it's very difficult to avoid being properly sentimental at this time of year.
hey gabba!
it's been a long time. i decided to just peruse blogs i hadn't visited in a while (due to a complete lack of time) and as i'm flipping through yours, i came across this post.
a+, friend.
i think they are going to be headed over your way in about a month and then we're heading out for a month long US tour in march. their new record is phenomenal, and live, it's only gotten louder. i hope you get a chance to catch them.
hey!
glad you liked the post.
and thanks for the heads up on the tour - yes, Dublin on Feb 11th. I shall try and make it.
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