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Asobi Seksu is releasing a limited edition 10" with four songs on August 25th. Two of the songs are unreleased tracks from the Hush recording sessions. The lead track "Transparence" is taken from Hush - but is given a new introduction, and there's also a remix of the song by the hypnotic percussive band Aa (aka BIG A little a).

The 10" comes in clear vinyl and is limited to 1,000 copies. You can pre-order it now and it will ship August 14 from Polyvinyl Record Co. Also included is a code for a free digital download of all songs in MP3 format.

US TOUR DATES
Sep 16 - Joe’s Pub (special acoustic performance) - New York, NY
Sep 23 - Local 506 - Chapel Hill, NC
Sep 24 - The Earl - Atlanta, GA
Sep 26 - The Mohawk - Austin, TX
Sep 27 - Hailey’s - Denton, TX
Sep 29 - Plush - Tucson, AZ
Sep 30 - Casbah - San Diego, CA*
Oct 1 - Troubador - Los Angeles, CA*
Oct 2 - Slims - San Francisco, CA*
Oct 3 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR*
Oct 4 - Chop Suey - Seattle, WA*
Oct 6 - Biltmore Cabaret - Vancouver BC*
Oct 9 - 7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, MN*
Oct 10 - Bottom Lounge - Chicago, IL*
Oct 11 - Grog Shop - Cleveland, OH*
Oct 12 - Horseshoe Tavern - Toronto ON*
Oct 13 - Il Motore - Montreal QC*
Oct 14 - Great Scott - Boston, MA*
Oct 15 - Maxwells - Hoboken, NJ*
Oct 16 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY*
Oct 17 - Johnny Brendas - Philadelphia, PA*

*w/Loney Dear

Labels: Asobi Seksu

Asobi Seksu's creative core explored music at an early age (leadvocalist/keyboardist Yuki Chikudate got standing ovations at child prodigy recitals when she was 8; guitarist/vocalist James Hanna bounced between sludgy hardcore and Mogwai-schooled post-rock in his teens), but their potential career wasn't put into perspective until a stint at the Manhattan School of Music. The Brooklyn duo found out exactly what they didn't want to do.

Soon after escaping their joyless world of sheet music and classical composition, Hanna began tackling dream-like disorienting soundscapes for the first time, while Yuki quickly fell into the frontwoman position. Together they co-wrote Asobi Seksu’s 2004 self-titled debut album as well as their critically acclaimed breakthrough LP in 2006, Citrus.

Their new record Hush has a phoenix rising vibe-a clear sense of shimmering, dew-draped riffs and spiral staircase melodies that are occasionally blurred by bits of guitar violence and sputtering drums (see the firework finale climax of "Me and Mary" and the liftoff portions of "Sing Tomorrows Praise" and "Glacially").

One thing Asobi Seksu avoided is sheer shoegaze-pop revivalism. While they listen to a lot of into-the-ether music, Hanna and Chikudate are too obsessed with the expansive possibilities of sound to explore one well-treaded path.

US Tour Dates w/ Yann Tiersen
15-Apr Washington, DC @ La Maison Francais
16-Apr New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
17-Apr Montreal, PQ @ Club Soda
18-Apr Montreal, PQ @ Club Soda
19-Apr Toronto, ONT @ Mod Club
21-Apr Chicago, IL @ Logan Theater
22-Apr Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club
24-Apr Denver, CO @ Bluebird
25-Apr Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
27-Apr Vancouver, BC @ Richard’s on Richards
28-Apr Seattle, WA @ Neumo's
29-Apr Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
1-May San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
2-May Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey

Labels: Asobi Seksu

Asobi Seksu releases its highly anticipated new album Hush today exclusively on AmieStreet.com. The album will be sold for one week only at the special price of $7. On February 17th, Hush will be available for purchase at all music retailers. The album will be sold on CD, Vinyl and download formats via Polyvinyl Record Co.

The official release date for our new album Hush is February 17th (Feb 11 in Japan & Feb 16 in Europe) but if you live in the US, you can download the new album now.

The crew:
Yuki Chikudate- Keyboard, Vocals
James Hanna - Guitar, Vocals
Billy Pavone - Bass
Larry Gorman- Drums

"Hush was written while we felt destroyed," explains Hanna, quite simply. Which is funny, because the entire record has a phoenix rising vibe to it-a clear sense of shimmering, dew-draped riffs and spiral staircase melodies that are occasionally blurred by bits of guitar violence and sputtering drums (see the firework finale climax of "Me and Mary" and the liftoff portions of "Sing Tomorrows Praise" and "Glacially").

"We knew we didn't want to do 7,000 reverb guitars this time," says Hanna, "So we stripped the sound down and built it back up from there."

Listen:
Asobi Seksu - "Familiar Light" (mp3)

Her ridiculously long and busy tour:

Feb 10 Manchester, UK @ Roadhouse
Feb 11 Dublin, IE @ Crawdaddy
Feb 13 Belfast, UK @ Speakeasy
Feb 14 Glasgow, UK @ ABC2
Feb 15 Newcastle, UK @ The Cluny
Feb 16 Leeds, UK @ Faversham
Feb 18 Birmingham, UK @ Barfly (Dragon)
Feb 19 London, UK @ ICA
Feb 20 Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
Feb 21 Paris, FR @ Fleche d'Or
Feb 22 Brussels, BE @ Rotonde
Feb 24 Muenster, DE @ Gleiss 22
Feb 25 Berlin, DE @ Magnet

Mar 02 Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rossa
Mar 03 Toronto, ON @ El Mocambo
Mar 04 Pontiac, MI @ The Pike Room at Crofoot Ballroom
Mar 05 Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
Mar 06 Bloomington, IL @ Illinois Wesleyan U.-Young
Mar 07 Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Mar 10 Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey
Mar 11 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
Mar 13 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
Mar 14 Los Angeles, CA @ Troubador
Mar 15 San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
Mar 19 Austin, TX @ SXSW
Mar 20 Austin, TX @ SXSW
Mar 21 Austin, TX @ SXSW
Mar 22 Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves
Mar 23 Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon
Mar 24 Memphis, TN @ Young Avenue Deli
Mar 25 Atlanta, GA @ Eyedrum
Mar 26 Chapel HIll, NC @ Local 506
Mar 27 Baltimore, MD @ The Ottobar
Mar 28 Washington, DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel
Mar 29 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's
Mar 30 Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
Apr 02 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

Labels: Asobi Seksu

New York's Asobi Seksu is thrilled to announce its first US tour dates in over a year. With much of the band's touring schedule taking them abroad for the past two years, they are extra excited to be hitting the road once again in America.

Following their last full-length, the rapturously received Citrus, Asobi Seksu returns in early 2009 with their fantastic and none-more-assured third LP, which like Citrus was produced by Chris Zane (The Walkmen, Les Savy Fav).

The new record is preceded in November by the swooping, emphatic single "Me & Mary", which rolls forth on a bed of drums and glistening guitars, and features a soaring vocal performance from Yuki Chikudate (keyboard, vocals), who along with James Hanna (guitars) form the core of Asobi Seksu.

You'll find this record to be a less distorted and dissonant sound in comparison to what can be found on the early albums, instead expanding on the lush musical landscape which matches better to Yuki's fairytale enchanting vocals.

The single will be released digitally and on 7" vinyl in the US via Polyvinyl on November 18, 2008.

Listen to a track from an older album:
Asobi Seksu - "Stay Awake" (mp3)

US Tour Dates

10/17 Annandale-on-Hudson, NY @ Bard College - Smog
10/18 Boston, MA @ T.T. the Bear's
10/19 Montreal, QC @ tba
10/20 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe
10/21 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
10/22 Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
10/24 Denver, CO @ Hi Dive
10/25 Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
10/27 Seattle, WA @ Nectar
10/28 Vancouver, BC @ Media Club
10/29 Portland, OR @ Holocene
10/30 San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
10/31 Los Angeles, CA @ tba

Labels: Asobi Seksu

Yesterday may have been a silent day when it comes to tuneage, but today we've got a lot going on.

Little bit of Alkaline Trio for you with "Queen of Pain." (mp3)

Some of the lovely Asobi Seksu with "Nefi+Girly." (mp3)

This one if for my Brae boy who claims he is "pretending to hide from the little monsters in his pillow castle.

Ryan Adams - "I See Monsters" (mp3)

And from "Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew - Spirit If..."

Kevin Drew - "Tbtf" (mp3)

Enjoy, more coming to you later. =o)

Labels: Alkaline Trio, Asobi Seksu, Kevin Drew, Ryan Adams