Year of the Tiger (song)

"Year of the Tiger"
Single by Fucked Up
ReleasedFebruary 7, 2012 (2012-02-07)
RecordedJune 2010; August 2010; September 2010; February 2011
Studio6 Nassau Studio, Toronto; XL Studio, London; SMT Studio, New York
Length37:34
LabelMatador
ProducersMike Haliechuk, Jonah Falco
Fucked Up Zodiac series chronology
Year of the Ox
(2010)
Year of the Tiger
(2012)
Year of the Dragon
(2014)

Year of the Tiger is a release by Canadian punk band Fucked Up. It is the fifth installment in the band’s long-running Chinese zodiac series, in which the group issues an extended recording for each year of the lunar calendar.[1]

Background

Year of the Tiger was released on February 7, 2012, coinciding with the Chinese New Year, as part of Fucked Up’s ongoing Zodiac singles series.[1] The title track had been completed well before its release, with much of the recording predating work on their 2011 album David Comes to Life.[2]

The release was issued on 12-inch vinyl through Matador Records, with a portion of proceeds benefiting the Save the Tiger fund.[2][3]

Composition

The title track, "Year of the Tiger", runs approximately fifteen minutes and features guest contributions from filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, electronic band Austra, and Annie-Claude Deschênes of Duchess Says.[2][4]

The B-side, "Onno", is a twenty-two-minute instrumental composition described by the band as a studio experiment and a "weird rager".[5]

Track listing

Credits adapted from Bandcamp.[6]

No.TitleLength
1."Year of the Tiger"15:28
2."Onno"22:06

Critical reception

Critical response to Year of the Tiger was generally positive. Writing for Pitchfork, Douglas Wolk described the release as fully album-length in scope, noting its ambitious structure and extended runtime, and awarded it a score of 7.5 out of 10.[5]

Spin rated the release 7 out of 10, characterizing the title track as meticulously arranged while describing "Onno" as more monotonous and experimental in nature.[7]

NME highlighted the title track’s theatrical scope and guest contributions, calling it a "bells-and-whistles" entry in the band’s Zodiac series.[8]

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[9]

Fucked Up

  • Damian Abraham – vocals
  • Jonah Falco – guitar, drums
  • Mike Haliechuk – guitar
  • Ben Cook - guitar
  • Sandy Miranda – bass, back cover artwork, artwork design, and layout
  • Josh Zucker – guitar

Additional contributors

References

  1. ^ a b Breihan, Tom (February 7, 2012). "Fucked Up – Year of the Tiger". Stereogum. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  2. ^ a b c Battan, Carrie (December 6, 2011). "Fucked Up to Release "Year of the Tiger" Single Featuring Jim Jarmusch, Austra". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  3. ^ Young, Alex (December 12, 2011). "Fucked Up announce holiday split single, "Year of The Tiger" release". Consequence. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  4. ^ Cosores, Philip (February 7, 2012). "Listen: Fucked Up – "Year of the Tiger" (ft. Austra and Jim Jarmusch)". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  5. ^ a b Wolk, Douglas (February 10, 2012). "Fucked Up: Year of the Tiger". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  6. ^ "Fucked Up – Year of the Tiger". Bandcamp. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  7. ^ Weingarten, Christopher R. (February 17, 2012). "Review: Fucked Up, 'Year Of The Tiger' 12″". Spin. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  8. ^ "Fucked Up – 'Year Of The Tiger'". NME. February 3, 2012. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  9. ^ Year of the Tiger (Media notes). Matador Records. February 7, 2012.