CHECKOUT: Asobi Seksu

Miwa Yanagi - White Casket (2004)

Miwa Yanagi's work focusing on Japanese "elevator girls" speaks in rich visual surreality about those of us who stand as structural symbols of status. To me, her images are able to capture the underlying irony that tints upscale product-mongering; a system largely facilitated by minimum-waged prisoners who are trapped supporting a world they can't afford, but dressed in stiflingly pleasant facades.

Asobi Seksu is a female-driven dream-pop outfit kept real by chillingly poignant dynamics and solid structure. Yuki's vulnerable vocals are perched atop a mature depth that sets the band apart from its pleasant, but often disappointingly-shallow pop peers. The music stands alone as an experiential mood and anaerobic storyteller, but the live show solidifies Yuki as an impressively confident performer... a true captain swaying and pounding her own way through the indie-rock landscape. Asobi Seksu's new opus called "Citris" is set to be released May 30th, 2006. Preorder it here or stand in line locally (Strictly Discs or B-Side in Madison).

Asobi Seksu - Thursday (mp3) [From the upcoming album Citris]

Asobi Seksu - I'm Happy But You Don't Like Me (mp3)

Asobi Seksu - Sooner (mp3)

Asobi Seksu - Walk on the Moon (mp3)