New bassist.

http://www.keikaku.net/blog/2007/03/26/ ... old-zazen/

Old news, but I want to hear everyone's opinions. Personally, I really didn't care for Hidekazu, especially his recent wigger style. I hope this new bassist, Yoshida Ichiro, really rips it out.

Who's going to see them? I've got tickets for the Cambridge show with TsuShiMaMiRe.

(BTW: New album has songs produced by Weezer !)

I MIGHT be going to the NYC show...there are three other shows I really want to go to that very same week (Mock Orange, Dinosaur Jr, Pinback), so it just depends on my finances at the time.

There's a big gap between the Philadelphia show and the next Japanese one, so hopefully Mukai is planning to do more in the US that hasn't been announced yet.

Fix'd. We do have a search function, Omnistry.

Anyway, it's worth noting that while the previous two Zazen songs released really blew, the very newest Weekend is tight as hell.

[quote="Jomei"]Fix'd. We do have a search function, Omnistry.[/quote]

Weird, I couldn't find a Zazen Boys topic in the Search mode. Thanks for the fix, though.

I didn't like I Don't Wanna Be With You that much, but Asobi was friggin' amazing. I enjoy the Weekend video, but I'm not sure that I really like the song yet.

If you don't like Weekend but you like Asobi, there is no more hope for you. D;

[quote="omnistry"][quote="Jomei"]Fix'd. We do have a search function, Omnistry.[/quote]

Weird, I couldn't find a Zazen Boys topic in the Search mode. Thanks for the fix, though.[/quote]

NP. It's useful to specify that you want to search topic titles rather than just posts.

Weekend is stuck in my head. Remember how I sometimes complained about the discordant guitar parts in Number Girl and some Zazen work? This is an example of doing it right. I think it's really cool seeing/hearing the rest of the band calmly playing their tight rhythms while the guitarist is freaking out both in his bodily gyrations and in what he's playing.

[quote="Marekenshin"]If you don't like Weekend but you like Asobi, you're doing it wrong.[/quote]

[quote="skoolyardpunk"][quote="Marekenshin"]If you don't like Weekend but you like Asobi, you're doing it wrong.[/quote][/quote]

Agreed. Asobi would be bearable if there weren't any vocals in it. But alas, we have I Don't Wanna Be With You Redux.

Asobi is much better than IDWBWY. Mainly because of the spacey piano stuff, particularly towards the end of the song, but also because Mukai finally manages to make effective use of keyboards - much better than in the last single. Yoshida's bass is nice as well (although it drags a little towards the middle of the song.) I admit that I miss Yoshikane's guitar, but the haunting, ethereal sound (probably thanks to Dave Fridmann) makes up for it.

I really wish I knew how Yoshikane got his tone during his crazy spaz-fests. I've honestly never heard any other guitarist get that same sound. I particularly like how he does it in Sugar Man and Daigakusei.

I'm gonna take a wild guess and say it's an effect pedal or three that helps him with that.

Also, less comparing IDWBWY to Asobi and more recognizing that Weekend is superior.

[quote="ThinlineTele"]I really wish I knew how Yoshikane got his tone during his crazy spaz-fests. I've honestly never heard any other guitarist get that same sound. I particularly like how he does it in Sugar Man and Daigakusei.[/quote]

Agata from Melt-Banana has been doing the whole freak out noise guitar (i.e. making his guitar sound like laser blasts) thing for a while, not sure if he still does it. I don't exactly keep up with their stuff.

Just to throw in my two cents:

Weekend >>> Asobi > I Don't Wanna Be With You

Also, I'll be at the Cambridge show. EXCITED...for Weekend. And ZAZEN BOYS 4 in general, I suppose.