GEOFREY OICOTT

WAZZUP

MERRY THE XX MAS

HI FANs. Hope you are all enjoying your time away from being in a band and galavanting around exotic locales all over the world and playing one show every month in order to buy all the expensive items we all do, like us. It's time for a break, if you know what I'm saying. Just to give you a more specific rundown:

Damian is somewhere in the country (of Canada, in Ontario) doing family stuff like chopping wood and showing his son how to be a man and not answering any texts or emails really.
Sandy is in Spain hanging out with Wavves, doing something with pita bread I think.
JOnah is like in Marriage land or something. Don't know where Ben is. I think there is one more left? Oh Josh - he's Jewish so that sort of cancels him out of this post. I'm blogging from a resort in Miami.

Anyhow, the point of this post is gifts. Even though we've given you so many gifts before (ie our entire discography and every band photo) we're just that type, and want to give you more. Every few months I get super annoying emails from fans asking for me to upload all the FU mixtapes. That shit takes like 5 hours so I only really ever get around to it ever year or whatever, but I had some time off in this VIP lounge in FountainBlu so I figured "wtf" (the literal way, not the ironic one) and today I uploaded them all. I know the first bunch of comments that aren't "pre-ordered" are gonna be "sendspace sucks" - so you know what? Download all these links, then re-up them yourself on the comments whenever you feel like it. This is the last time I'm gonna upload them for a while, especially since a few of these tapes are still for sale when we are on tour, or when we open up the Fucked Up Store in Toronto next summer. Also we are making Calendars for either this year or next year. But that's all besides the point. THe point is that the entire internet was created so losers like you could UPLOAD your favourite files for share points or WTF it is ("whatever the fuck", in this case) so feel free to do that, please. I'll probably upload a few more of these, or a fake one, or whatever Lil Wayne or Drake mixtape I find a link to close to when we are reading to release MIXTAPE 4, which will be pretty soon anyway since we haven't done one for almost 2 years I think?

That reminds me - a lot of people don't realize we released a record this year - YEAR OF THE RAT. You probably don't have it or haven't heard it, but it's our best song ever so maybe you should download it or something? Anyways, here are the mixtapes:

MIXTAPE ONE
The tape that started it all. Back when I still thought rap was cool we decided it would be a cool and trailblazing idea to release our own mixtape. Not the kind you make for a girl you are kind of still scared to talk to but really want her to know how much you know about the Magnetic Fields, the kind of tape where you dump every non-releaseable piece of music you've made so that you can still somehow make money off it. Also because people "love tapes" even though no cars have tape players anymore and tapes suck. This mixtape got me in trouble specifically because of some things I said about some people, so we changed the liner notes, which doesn't matter anyhow, since this mp3 doesn't come with liner notes or titles at all so you'll just have to figure it out, or maybe some nerd will somehow upload a photocopy of the insert or something. The quality on this tape is pretty bad because I made most of the dubbing by pointing two tape decks at each other or something. I'd also like to point out that we were the first band to have a blog. Then No Age was second.
SIDE A
SIDE B

MIXTAPE TWO
The quality on this tape is amazing because our friend Chris from St Chatherines mixed it all on protools or something. I send him real extensive notes with time's on it and everything and like 50 CDRs he assembled it all from that. Pretty ridiculous. Also this one has kind of like skits cause at this point we were still running with the rap thing. I think there was a section on this one about bad guitar solos? I put that in there because that year I got voted best guitar player of the year in like 50 magazines, so it was like that.
SIDE A
SIDE BE

MIXTAPE THREE
Definetely the best one. If you are a busy person like me and only have a limited time in your day to download mp4 files, I would point your clicker at this one for sure. I got a macbook right before this one was produced and kind of learned how use Garage Band, so I was able to make this one all myself using somewhat appropriate technology. That's why you can barely make anything out in this one, because I thought it was funny to cross fade two tracks over top of each other, so there's interview clips you can't hear because they are buried underneath songs, and vice versa. Actually, I still think thats funny, so you can bet the next tape is gonna have even more of that shit. Except this time it's gonna be mixed in 5.1 so you are gonna need to listen to it with two and a half friends (or just three) to even figure out whats going on. This release co-incided with our "super serious" phase when we were about to release Chemcom, so it starts out with a spooky sound clip from The Omen and goes straight into one of the intense instrumentals on the album. A lot of the interview clips are from this really serious German (I know) interview we did a few years prior. Check out when it gets really real at the start of side B.
SIDE A
SIDE B


ANYHOW ENJOY THANKS

FA LA LA LA LA, LA LA LA WAVVES

COUPLE TRACKS

Hey wow, our 2nd ever singles comp is almost out, and we're still a band. We must really love releasing singles!

As you can see from this handy promotional poster, Couple Tracks will feature a whole bunch of songs from 7"'s that exist in various degree's of legitimacy. For instance you'll see exhibit 1c, the "Carried Out to the Sea" 7" - that doesn't really exist, but that song is on this compilation, and we needed to fill space on the poster, so why not. Plus we had this great left-over image of a boat (not really a left-over though, since it's used on the insert to the No Epiphany 7" [I think], a track that is also comped onto this record*)
Likewise, cover 3a, Teenage Problems. This song is included in the compilation, but the songs existence as it's own 7" single release is half-dubious at best. Collectors will note that if you peer into the crevasse created by pushing a 7" sleeve inwards by its edges (in order to extract the vinyl, perhaps) you'll see another image, that of several young boys cavorting in the nude. Carefully dismantling this cover (with sweaty palms and a red face no doubt) either by heating the glue or just ripping it carefully by the edges will reveal a brand new 7" sleeve, the cover of which has been comped on this poster. The song as well.
Covers 2a and 2d are pretty much the same to the casual observer. Again collectors will note that one refers to the North American version of the Dangerous Fumes 7", the other to the European Version. To your dismay, the Basque Region entry will not be included this time.
Now to 5c, the Daytrotter Sessions. There are a few songs on this compilation from our Daytrotter Sessions, recorded about a year ago. Again, you won't find these songs on vinyl inside a sleeve that has a cat and a lamp on the cover, because it just doesn't exist.
Lastly to 5d, what you may have assumed was a lark, but what in truth brings us to why this post is being written in the first place. Yes, the name of this collection is "Couple Tracks". Yes, the artwork features the band in the classic laissez-faire punk posture. Yes, it's the same artwork as the LP/CD versions. But notice the dimensions of this image - it's the same as all the other 7"'s. How else, other than some heavenly intervention, could a CD or an LP be made to appear the same size of a 7"? The very titles of these objects imply the impossibility of this feat - 12", 7" - two drastically different sizes. In fact this image DOES correlate to a CD, an LP and a 7" - all at once. To obtain this miracle 7", just go to the complicated ordering page on the Matador website. For a limited time only, you can buy this 7" through the internet, just by being one of the first several people to try and do so. Once you have, please head back to the comments section of this web-post and log your success by leaving a "pre-ordered" comment. It is really rare.
Just one further note on the poster - the background photo was taken at some train station on our tour on China, which happened last March and was probably the coolest thing we've ever done as a band. Also featured are the patronizing mustaches of Young Gov and Mr. Jo. By patronizing, I mean patronizing their own faces.

IN OTHER NEWS
Do They Know It's Christmas, our cover version was voted single of the week over at The Guardian, because our friend writes the column and there isn't actually any voting. Since we've been monitoring it's progress on iTunes, I can tell you for sure that if it was a vote, single of the week would be some Lady GaGa song, followed closely by like 10 Taylor Swift songs. Anyhow, maybe you could buy our song. It's for charity.

Speaking of voting, our very own Sandy McRanda was voted #2 something or other about dumping you for tour or whatever. You can read all about it HERE for like the next 6 minutes before Sandy tells me to take this link down. No idea where they got the candid photo of Sandy practicing her bass parts in the privacy of her own sun room.

I have a new mgmt company. If you are gay and need management, please contact me through my other blog/business website.

ALSO JONAH GOT ENGAGED. Sorry mustache aficianados. There's still Damian. Oh wait he's married to. Well you can always go like some other band.

*Couple Tracks contains a version of No Epiphany that has yet to be released on vinyl, which would call into question the placement of the No Epiphany 7" sleeve on this poster as well.

XMAS TIMES

Hi everyone, we've finally ready to go with this year's installment of our benefit Christmas-themed 7"/mp3. This years edition is a cover of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" which is available NOW via ITUNES. HERE. Now before you ask or text your friends - we know that this song is a lame 80s relic and that we are posers who "jumped the shark" so long ago and that the combination of these things is enough to make you go into convulsions apoplexy and make you want to throw the Fucked Up records you haven't sold on ebay yet into the fireplace, just remember that you'd be missing the point. The point is Christmas, people.

Like last year, this release will be %100 for charity. The money from the sale of this mp3, and the 7" (where this song will be the b-side to a new FU song called "Davids Plan", and will be released mid February) will be split between three groups:

Justice for Missing and Murdered Ingigenous Women
Missing Justice is a grassroots solidarity collective based in Montreal that works to eliminate violence and discrimination against Indigenous women living in Quebec. The collective seeks to consult and collaborate with Indigenous communities and organizations to foster understanding and dispel harmful stereotypes commonly held in regards to Indigenous women who are targets of violence. As a collective, our overall strategy for achieving these goals includes popular education initiatives, media outreach, coalition-building, case work, poster awareness campaigns, research projects, information sharing, publishing and broadcasting, political demonstrations, and direct action.

DTES Power of Women Group
A grassroots group of DTES women who work to empower, educate and
mobilize around issues affecting their neighbourhood such as poverty,
housing, and violence against women.

Sisters in Spirit
The main objective of the Native Women's Association of Canada - Sisters In Spirit initiative is to address violence against Aboriginal (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) women, particularly racialized and/or sexualized violence, that is, violence perpetrated against Aboriginal women because of their gender and Aboriginal identity. Specifically, to increase public understanding and knowledge at a national level of the impact of racialized, sexualized violence against Aboriginal women often leading to their disappearance and death.

This is the real deal people. A great way to help out three groups working to represent an extremely marginalized group of people in Canada. As we've said before, we've always thought that the importance of marginalized art and cultural movements (punk, DIY, indie, you) is the ability to make connections and support other marginalized people within society. Issues like cancer are of course important, but for people like us, it's just as important to attempt to highlight and support causes that most people will never come in contact with.

As an added bonus, this song feature's many of your favourite indie rock a-listers, who graciously donated their time to sing on this track. Here are the technicals:

Cover Photo by David Waldman: http://kid-with-camera.blogspot.com/
Engineered by Jon Drew at Giant, November 2009
"Do They Know It's Christmas?" written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, performed by J. Falco, Ezra Koenig, Bob Mould, Tegan & Sara, Andrew W.K., GZA, Kyp Malone, Yo La Tengo, David Cross & Kevin Drew.

Anyways, we've had all our albums leaked and downloaded months before they came out. Thats NBD, and every member of FU torrents the shit out of some free albums. But if you swap or trade this song you are a cretin - it's 99 cents to buy, and for a good cause. It sounds pretty cool and is funny to. SO BUY IT IF YOU READ THIS AND WHO CARES IF WE ARE LAME NOW. Thanks! Tell yr friends. Also don't forget you need to do this through itunes. If you don't have a credit card just borrow your moms.

BUY
BUY
BUY

TOP TEN 2009

Hi, we are at ATP at Butlins Resort Compound, Minehead, Uk. We are having tons of fun. It's almost 10pm and I still have time to have a 3 hours nap before our set. So far we have:
-Watched the xvid release of 2012 (they are about to crash into Mt Everest
-Been shit talked by Sonic Youth
-Recorded a demo at the studio here
-Watched Man City beat Chelsea
-Not been shit talked by the Buzzcocks
-Bowled
-Played Laser tag
-slept (after 2 weeks of not sleeping)
-Ate chips and beans

Anyhow, I figure this is the best time to list our collective, as a band, agreed upon by all members, definitive, not changing, democratic, multilateral, all encompassing 2009 Top Ten list. Oh yeah this is going on Pitchfork next week so please don't read it until then thanks.

1) Katie Stelmanis "Believe Me"
Amazing Harry Potter influenced Italian opera singer.




2) Paul Keeley "Life Aquatic"
Awesome cheesy house from Montreal on the safe side of Trance. Amazing video too. The payoff at 4.04 is probably the most important moment in music since things started to get all crazy in "Light my Fire".



3) Radioslave - Fabriclive
A whole record of basically one pretty sparse beat, with things happening over top periodically. The musical equivalent of molecules, with some added salt, my favourite. Another essential video too.



4) Deadmau5 - Lack of a Better Name
Where else other than Niagara Falls Canada would the worlds biggest DJ, known mostly for having a number in his name ("dead mau five?") and shit talking DJs. This record is one long 45 minute mashup of styles. Way more influential on Fucked Up than NOFX, as previously reported. Me and Josh saw him in Austin last month and mostly watch this poor kid high on meth wearing his pyjamas to the show slowly over the course of 35 minutes have his date (also super high, and wearing home made mouse ears) sway away from him and into the clutches of some random guy that happened to be standing behind her. I've never seen more jocks be happier to see a thin dude wearing a giant mouse hat in my life.



5) Michael Cassette "Shadows Movement"
This is probably not even from this year but I don't care. I heard this on the radio in Chicago at 2am and since it was like 3 hour long mix without titles, the only reason I know about this dude is because of SHAZAM.

6) The Horrors "See Within a Sea"
I will be honest and say I didn't like this band originally because Damian liked them. But then they were on an episode of The Mighty Boosh (a show I like because Damian doesn't, and vice versa) where they played a band called "The Black Tubes"...I'm just gonna pause here to note that John Cusack has had his breath held underwater for like the 4 minutes so far it's taken me to write this post (I started here, in the middle)...where they all got killed by a talking crab, so now I like them. We played a secret show with them in Toronto which we never do, and I just watched them for like 6 minutes at ATP, which I never do, so there you go. This song is a great outro to an album that I haven't really paid attention to other than this song, and mostly the part at the end anyhow. Maybe next week I'll post "Top Ten Parts of Songs in 2009). This is also probably the only thing anyone reading this is actually gonna be remotely interested in.



7) Fever Ray "When I Grow Up"
Real close to the top of my "Songs on my itunes that I will never tell you about" top ten list. Fleet Foxes are right up there too. I mostly like this because she talks about plants and putting cucumbers on her eyes. Just kidding, I like this because I have the lamest taste in music ever.




8) Jaytech "Sundance"
Hey wow, a techno song on Youtube thats actually a video and not just some trancy bullshit visual of the planet or sunrays or good vibes or changing seasons or the rainforest. Or some fat guy putting the needle on his 12" and filming it. Nothing says dance culture to me like giraffes eating leaves in the forest.




9) John Maus "Rights for Gays"
One of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard in my life. I honestly found out about this band from my bro Steve Kado when we were driving from Pomona to LA one night trying to see who had the "gayest" song on their ipod. He played this, and it was a pretty good move, but then I check-mated him (no homo) with "Castro Boy" by Danny Boy and the Serious Party Gods, which should explain to you why I won right there.



10) Youtube "Women Bloopers"
THE best video on the internet.



BONUS CATEGORIES:
Highest youtube video to writing ratio on a Band blog
Wavves

Most amount of V's in a band name;
Threeway tie between Wavves/Navvy/Lovvers

Best House band from Latvia:
Downtown Party Network

Best name for an electronic/house act
Downtown Party Network


THANKS Y'ALL, COME BACK NEXT YEAR