Welcome to the ninth day of the Joyzine Advent Calendar – we’re well into double figures of fantastic free downloads and we’ve got something a little bit special for you yet again today.
Indeed, if I’d been writing my letter to Father Christmas this time last year, a new album from today’s featured artists would have been right at the top of the list – a band without whom there’s a very good chance that I would never have had the enthusiasm to begin the ridiculous endeavour of running an online music zine, let alone still be doing it a decade and a half later – hell, I even named my effort, Kaytronika, after one of their songs.
Those who’ve followed Joyzine over that time will probably know by now that I’m talking about cult 90’s lo-fi sci-fi heroes Urusei Yatsura.
Track #1: Urusei Yatsura – Kernel (Mark Radcliffe Session)
Having packed up their broken Woolworth’s guitars and toy ray guns in 2001, it was both a shock and a delight when I heard that a new album, comprised of live session tracks recorded for BBC Radio, was to be released in September. That LP, You Are My Urusei Yatsura (out now on Rocket Girl Records), perfectly captured the energy of the band at their prime and on first listen I was immediately transformed back into my 16 year old self, dancing around my bedroom. You can check out my rambling and effusive review of the LP here.
Had I been in charge of the tracklisting for the album, it would likely have been a 10 disc boxset, and there were plenty of great tracks that just couldn’t fit onto two sides of vinyl. We have one of them for you today, with a version of 1995 single ‘Kernel’, originally recorded for Mark Radcliffe.
Download ‘Kernel (Mark Radcliffe Session)’
facebook.com/uruseiyatsuraband
Track #2: Calacas – Em Oh Are
Graham Kemp of Urusei Yatsura was our guest on The Joyzine Radio Show back in September (check out the podcast here), where as well as sharing tracks from the sessions album, he also introduced us to his current band Calacas, formed with Q Without U’s Callum McKay, Ian Moy of Rags & Feathers and Wojtek The Bear’s Neil Raeside.
The band’s debut release ‘Ten Tiger Trax’ came out in the summer and is available to download on a pay-what-you-like basis from their Bandcamp page.
Today, we have an exclusive new recording for you titled ‘Em Oh Are’.
Check back tomorrow for even more free downloads!