Recently, Pearl Jam had a fan pick the setlist for one of their gigs. Bands such as The Flaming Lips and R.E.M. have taken requests online in the past, as well. What would you do if given such a golden opportunity? For a hypothetical dream set from Radiohead, Simply Fuss Free opted for b-sides and other unplayed rarities. What about something completely different? For example, how about venturing out of the arena and into the club for someone like Asobi Seksu?
According to fellow fan Mohamed El Amin, his number one wish for seeing them live is "Definitely 'Stay Awake.' I want to sing/dance/walk/sleep/fuck/a billion other things to that song." Well said. Possibly the band's most breathtaking moment, "Stay Awake" was released back in 2007 as a limited edition 7", but is still available digitally on iTunes, Amazon, and as part of Adult Swim's Warm & Scratchy compilation. For this installment of Ultimate Fan Setlists, Simply Fuss Free has attempted to strike balance between old and new, drawing from all eras, and incorporating some of their outstanding b-sides.
If you missed numbers 20-11, check out part one before proceeding. How does one rank for a list such as this? For example, the artists that occupy numbers 9-12 were all equally impressive for completely different reasons. The answer lies a combination of factors including everything from emotional attachment to dramatic effect, with attempts at tacking the completely subjective with some degree of objectivity thrown in for good measure. And now that the secret behind lists like these has been revealed, on with the show.
When Asobi Seksu turned away from swirling guitar noise for a gentler, dreamier sound with 2009's Hush, they still maintained an expertise at crafting richly layered and textured soundscapes. With the acoustic album Rewolf, Asobi Seksu continue to defy shoegaze-pigeonholing and reveal that underneath the layers lie melodies that are strong enough to stand out on their own on these stripped-down reinventions. During their recent acoustic tour, vocalist and simultaneous player of the glockenspiel and toy piano Yuki Chikudate, and guitarist James Hanna sat down to chat about what to expect from their next album, Dumpster diving, and even their Spinal Tap moment.
What inspired the decision to record Rewolf? Yuki Chikudate: Well, we were reluctant, but our label guy in the UK, Derrick Birkett of One Little Indian, it was his brainchild, it was his baby; he really wanted us to do it and we're really glad that he, you know, encouraged us to do it and set it up and he booked us up at Olympic Studios in London.. James Hanna: One day on our day off during the UK tour. Yuki: Yeah, on our day off. James: With Ladytron. Yuki: Yeah it was the Ladytron tour, that's true. And it was just really great. I'm glad that he had that idea because then Olympic Studios closed right after we went in there, so it ended up being a pretty special day, so that was why Rewolf was made and why we're on this acoustic tour.
So what are you listening to while on the road for this tour? Yuki: Silence. James: We've had silence and we can't find our thing to hook up the iPod to the car. I left it in California, so we've had a lot of silence. Yuki: Did you really forget it? James: I don't know. Or maybe I threw it in a bag. Yuki: I mean, this is coming from a person who dropped...he thought he lost his keys to the car and was convinced that he'd thrown it in a Dumpster. So he's about to climb in the Dumpster and jump in. Okay, we're like "before you do that, let's look a little bit more because that is a decision that is going to affect all of us." (laughs) James: I wasn't going to go in the Dumpster. Yuki: I know. James: I was peering over the edge... Yuki: Oh, okay. Well, we were scared that maybe you were going to go in. James: Just because we had a flight and it was like three o'clock in the morning, that was the only reason I was considering the Dumpster. I don't know, we've really been listening to regular stuff. We did Pet Sounds in the car; we listened to the whole thing. Yuki: Really? Was I asleep? James: You were asleep. We listened to real classic stuff. George Harrison - All Things Must Pass all the way through. Yuki: Really, where was I? James: Just conked out. Yuki: I love that album. I missed out, apparently. Okay, when we were home for four days I listened to a lot of Shugo Tokumaru, which is great, I love that album [Exit]...yeah, the first song "Parachute", it makes me so happy, it's great. And Snapper. We listened to a lot of Snapper for a while. And you were listing to a lot of Dead Sea. James: I was listening to a lot of Dead Sea. Yuki: Yeah, all right. And Larry [Gorman] listens to a lot of everything, our drummer, he just... James: A little big on Joe Jackson recently. Yuki: (laughs) That's true, that's true. And Billy [Pavone] has been listening to a lot of Air. James: He always listens to Air. Yuki: Always. James: Air and Grizzly Bear. Yuki: I mean, I love Air, I do, and I love Grizzly Bear, but... James: He's killing it for us. Yuki: He's killing it. He's got to move onto something else.
Nowadays, more and more people are downloading music for free and record sales are plummeting every year, but your recent fundraiser on Kickstarter was a success. What is your take on this apparent contradiction? James: I don't know, I think it's a really cool model. I mean, we need to find...we need to find a new way, a new system. It's definitely a transitional stage because you can't keep going the way things are going 'cos no one's making any money and everybody's touring eight months a year and is going to have a nervous breakdown. (Yuki laughs) But there has to be some system where fans contribute to the band, and it seems cool, actually. I don't think we were reluctant to do it. We didn't want to seem like we were, I don't know, we didn't want to be opportunists about it or something. Yuki: Right. James: But actually, it worked out really well. Yuki: It really did actually fund our tours, you know. We really couldn't have done the White Lies tour in England and this tour that we're on now, the acoustic tour without that Kickstarter fundraiser. So we're really grateful that there is that new format for us to connect with fans and have them support us. And I really have faith in music fans; I don't think that they don't want to support the music. It's just that I think that the way they support it is changing, and that's fine. We have to figure out a good way where we can communicate and work with both sides. James: As long as it's easier to steal something than buy something, everyone's going to steal it. It's actually a lot less effort to steal. Yuki: It's just harder when there's no stores for people to go to.
Do you plan on doing another acoustic tour? Yuki: I think this is it. I mean, I... James: In a few years. Yuki: Yeah? Okay. Yeah, you're right. I don't want to say definitely, but this was, for now anyway, a one-time special deal. We're just surprised that people wanted to see it. James: Every show's, well... Yuki: Yeah, can't speak too soon. James: Well, let's say every show has been good. One bad one. Yuki: It happens. James: It happens to the best of us. Yuki: It happens. But...what was the question again? James: Are we doing it again. Yuki: Oh, are we doing it again? I don't know, I mean, ideally we'd like to incorporate some of the elements of what we did tonight into our regular show. To be able to have more dynamics, more nuances, more subtlety would be great to be able to just vary what we do is kind of our goal. But for now.. James: If we do it again, I'm growing a mustache again Yuki: Oh fuck. (laughs)
Recently on Facebook, you posted that the show at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City was your favorite. Is there a particular reason for that, and what's the worst show? James: The worst show is so... Yuki: I like that you jumped to the negative first. James: Last night was just a good vibe. I thought it's the best show we've ever done. Yuki: I don't know what it was like for the audience, but for me and I guess I don't know for you or for the others, but for me, personally, it was just my favorite because it was a hometown crowd, for one. And it just felt special, and I don't know what else to say. I don't know how we sounded, but it just felt really great and the fans are just so loving. James: It's very flattering to sell out a decent sized venue playing acoustic; it felt really good. Yuki: The acoustic tour in general has been such a great way for us to connect with the audience and connect with our fans, and I'm just seeing how passionate and loyal our fans are. We love our fans so much. They've supported us for so long, for so many years, and I feel like this is a great way for us to have a more personal relationship with our fans. James: Yeah, we actually talk to the audience. Yuki: (laughs) Instead of just like (makes explosion sound) which is great, too. And that's fun, too. James: We'll be back there. Yuki: Oh yeah, we're not going to give that up just yet, but this is just another side of us, and I feel like it's nice to have that intimate, more personal setting. Oh, and our worst show ever, right? There's so many. I know...I know mine. James: Go ahead. Yuki: It was very early on; it was on Long Island and it was at a... James: Puppet show. Yuki: (laughs) Well, it was a Spinal Tap moment because there was a community play, and they were putting on Little Shop of Horrors, and they still had the backdrop, and the fucking talking plant on the stage. James: It was our third or fourth show ever. Yuki: And we had to play in front of that to really confused Long Island children. James: We put a moratorium on Long Island shows. Yuki: Yeah, we were like "okay, that's the end of that." I mean, there were other weird ones, for sure, like when we were in New Orleans and this trucker was like "y'all play Chinese rock and roll music?" James: That show wasn't that bad. Yuki: No it wasn't. James: The show was kind of fun. Yuki: Okay, I guess I just remember that I was kind of scared. James: We're Chinese rock and roll! Yuki: (laughs) Apparently! Apparently KC the truck driver in New Orleans thinks that we're Chinese rock and roll.
So what's next for Asobi Seksu? James: Make a new record. Yuki: Yeah, this is it for a while tourwise, and we're just going to go home and work on a new record. James: A few gigs here and there. Yuki: Yeah, we might go to Indonesia; that'd be cool. James: That would be sick. Yuki: We're just not going to say much about it and not going to think about it too much until it becomes official. Because I don't want to get excited and have it canceled. It happened already, it got canceled once.
Will the next album be a further exploration of the softer side of Asobi Seksu or a return to noisier roots? Both? Neither? James: Both. We're ready to rock again a little bit. I got a little rock back in me. Yuki: Apparently he has a little rock back in him. (laughs)
A little bit country, a little bit rock and roll? James: Yeah... Yuki: Yeah, well, no no no. James: Actually, we don't know what the hell we're going to do. Yuki: No, well.. James: Tell the truth. Yuki: The truth is... James: We don't know. Yuki: Okay, we don't know for sure, but we are ready to make some more noise. We are excited about textures and loud guitars. James: All that stuff. Yeah, back on guitar. Yuki: We're not going acoustic or anything.
So what hopes and goals do you have for the next decade? James: I can't think about ten years, that's my answer. I can't think about that. I'm just trying to make the next record and see how that goes. Yuki: I know. I'm not very good at looking past the next couple of days to be honest. James: I want to get from this place that we just played to our hotel, being outside as little as possible. That's my goal. Yuki: True, true. And not getting frostbite, that'd be good. And eating some food would be nice. James: Eat some food quickly, get to the hotel. Yuki: Yeah, those are our goals. Your goals have to be very small when you're in a band. Baby steps, baby steps. But it would be great if for the next ten years we could just continue to do this and tour. James: Make music. Yuki: Yeah, make music.
Photos from Asobi Seksu's show at Cafe 939's Red Room in Boston:
25. The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love 24. Thao with the Get Down Stay Down - Know Better Learn Faster 23. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart 22. Marissa Nadler - Little Hells 21. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix 20. Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You 19. Akron/Family - Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free 18. Royksopp - Junior 17. Cold Cave - Love Comes Close 16. The xx - The xx 15. Jarvis Cocker - Further Complications 14. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca 13. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz 12. Fever Ray - Fever Ray 11. The Bird and the Bee - Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future 10. Mono - Hymn To The Immortal Wind 9. Metric - Fantasies 8. Emmy the Great - First Love 7. Little Dragon - Machine Dreams 6. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest 5. Bat for Lashes - Two Suns 4. Asobi Seksu - Hush 3. Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM 2. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion 1. St. Vincent - Actor
10. Metric at Wiltern After commanding the second stage to a massive crowd at last year's Coachella, the next natural step was clearly The Wiltern. At one point, Emily Haines listed off all the venues they had played in Los Angeles, from their days at the Silverlake Lounge to the present, and this progression of the band's history served as a perfect context to their Wiltern show. As Metric became bigger and bigger, their ability to mesmerize and rock the socks off the crowd has adjusted accordingly, and this night was no exception. With a performance as golden as Emily's sparkly dress, Metric kept the sold-out crowd of 2300 dancing and shouting along to a set that consisted almost entirely of their newest album Fantasies, and even included what Emily called their "Freebird": an acoustic singalong of "Live It Out", complete with singalongs and lighters, both real and digital, waving in the air. Was this arena rock moment foreshadowing a future where they fill such venues? Probably, so catch them now while you can still enjoy them with some degree of intimacy.
9. Bat for Lashes at Henry Fonda Theater If a Bat for Lashes show had to be summed up in one word, it would be "magical." The whimsical weirdness of a backdrop of a wolf howling at the moon (to be replaced by a keyboard cat in 2010?), an other-worldly band playing instruments you didn't know existed, and Natasha Khan's overwhelmingly powerful voice that nails every note perfectly live even while dancing? All these elements combine to take the audience on an enchanting journey like no other. It also helps that the studio recordings are already intriguingly bewitching enough to do so.
8. Asobi Seksu at El Rey Just as with their recorded material, Asobi Seksu is a force to be reckoned with live. As Yuki Chikudate's vocals soar, rather than getting lost in the wave of noise, one cannot help but to become completely entranced. In addition to being impressively gifted musicans, the band has a magnetic stage presence that is unique among their shoegaze and dream pop peers. Although Hush may be a departure from the wall of guitar noise, James Hanna still expertly works his guitar and pedals to flatten the crowd with reverb with the showmanship of a rockstar. Yuki, already having captivated the soul with her angelic melodies, captures the heart as she headbangs along to the beat, nonchalantly throws tambourines and bells to the ground, and takes over the drums and pounds them into oblivion at the end of their mini-holocaust of "Red Sea."
7. Leonard Cohen at Coachella What else can be said that hasn't already? Leonard Cohen was a class act and he and his band and backup singers gave a perfect performance. Unfortunately, while singing "Hallelujah" with thousands of fans at dusk and surrounded by palm trees is a gorgeously spiritual experience second to none, with a discography as rich as Leonard Cohen's, one hour isn't nearly enough.
6. My Bloody Valentine at El Rey Spirits were high at this last-minute Coachella warmup gig and how could they not be? Last year's reunion tour proved that the shoegaze gods are better than ever, and thankfully their show still felt fresh a year. Clearly My Bloody Valentine wants to feel, and not just emotionally but also physically. Their legendary "holocaust" at the end of "You Made Me Realise" is, in fact, as loud as everyone says, especially in a small theater with superb sound. The force unleashed by the speakers could be felt everywhere from the hair on the arms to the acid of the stomach. Hopefully it will not be another sixteen years before the next tour and that new material finally sees the light of day.
4. Jarvis Cocker at Wiltern As the legend took the stage busting some of his legendary dance moves and revealing his hands decorated Pan's Labyrinth-style and the crowd ate it up, his solo Los Angeles debut extinguished any remaining doubt that America is not ready for Jarvis Cocker. Sure, a lot of people might have been hoping for some Pulp songs, but everyone stayed to scream for a second encore that unfortunately never came. Nevertheless, everyone walked out of that theater properly entertained. And how can they not? Jarvis Cocker is the rare gifted performer who could read from the phone book and still be engaging.
3. St. Vincent at El Rey With an album as richly layered and sweepingly orchestral as Actor, it is only natural to be curious as to how well the songs work in a live setting. Thankfully the talent and creativity of St. Vincent, a.k.a. Annie Clark, and her four-piece touring band not only pull off this seemingly impossible task but also go a step further and transform them, adding a new level of jaw-dropping intensity, so much that memories of "Just the Same but Brand New" are still haunting this reviewer over six months later. Clark's angelic, delicate voice serves as the perfect counter to her wicked guitar playing and watching her furiously shred and punch her guitar while jolting robotically is a spectacle in itself and a must-see.
2. Paul McCartney at Coachella Paul McCartney is the perfect festival headliner. After all, how many acts have a back catalogue filled with a wide range of fan favorites and classic singalongs anywhere close to that of The Beatles? So why did it take so long for this to finally happen? Has he even played any other fests besides Glastonbury? What kind of acts would even be playing Coachella if it weren't for The Beatles? Would there even be a Coachella? In any case, hearing Sir Paul perform so many of the greatest songs ever written to a crowd of 60,000 people in the perfect environment for a production that included hundred-foot-high screens and fireworks was a magical time for all involved. Highlights of the two and a half hour set were not only the obvious favorites "Live and Let Die", "Helter Skelter", and "Hey Jude" but also the touching tributes to George ("Something" on a ukulele) and John ("A Day in the Life" into "Give Peace a Chance").
1. Blur @ Glastonbury Glastonbury may not have been the site of the first Blur reunion gig, but it was definitely the emotional homecoming for the band. Blur's return to the Pyramid Arena proved that their music has aged remarkably well, thanks in part to a departure from Britpop and an exploration of other sounds, such as American indie rock, but also to the band themselves playing every song with the same energy that made them superstars over a decade ago. The truly legendary gigs tend to strike a chord with both the audience and the band, and in this case, the crowd instantly erupted into a frenetic mosh pit of positive vibes where people lost their inhibitions and pushed and sang along to the music out of love, not aggression or greed for a better spot, and hugged strangers out of sheer bliss. In response to the rapturous reception and the kind of perfect rapport between the crowd and band that comes only once every never, Damon eventually broke down and cried and Alex declared it "the best gig we've ever done." This reviewer experienced one of the most magical moments in his concert history as a group of people pulled him and other random strangers into a spontaneous arms-around-each-other circle and sang along at the top of their lungs to "Tender", which resurfaced during the encore breaks and again at the end of the night on the way back to the tent, a testament to the true power of live music.
A common element among many of the most compelling bands has always been the tendency to turn away from the sound that was known as their trademark, or that made them famous or acclaimed. Asobi Seksu is no exception. After the noisy, swirling guitars in the shoegaze masterpiece Citrus, 2009's Hush is a surprising, and successful movement away from the wall of reverb and distortion.
Recorded at the legendary Olympic Studios in London and previously released in the UK as Acoustic at Olympic Studios, Rewolf is another stop along the new direction. On these stripped-down, acoustic renditions of songs from all three albums, plus a stellar reworking of b-side "Breathe into Glass" and a cover of Hope Sandoval's "Suzanne", Rewolf highlights the band's penchant for richly gorgeous melodies. Like Hush before it, Rewolf serves as an opportunity to give a clearer emphasis on one aspect of Asobi Seksu that elevates the band past their contemporaries: Yuki Chikudate's voice. Ranging from powerfully soaring to delicately touching, Yuki's vocals stand out while at the same time complimenting the music as it is faithfully and creatively adapted for the unplugged instrumentation.
Like all good acoustic albums, Rewolf not only offers fans the opportunity to hear their favorite songs in a brand new way while still remaining true to what captured their fancy in the first place, but also gives new listeners a solid introduction to the band's discography that still drives them to check out the originals.
So Brooklyn's best will be touring the UK this month opening for White Lies, but this increased exposure comes at a great financial loss, as will their upcoming tour for their acoustic album ReWolf, because that will be in smaller-than-usual venues. It's not just a donation, however, you'll be getting prizes depending on what you donate. For a mere $50, you get a signed and personalized album of your choice, t-shirt, download of ReWolf, buttons, and a personalized thank you card...bargain! There are also creative gifts that would ordinarily be priceless: a shoutout before the song of your choice (is Freebird allowed?) for $200? Backstage access and Polaroids with the band, and a thank you in the liner notes of their next album (being recorded in March-April) for $250? For any aspiring musicians out there, why not spend a day in the recording studio and watch them work their magic for $2,500? And for someone of major baller status, you can get a private acoustic show for $5,000. Sadly, that someone is not me.
