REVIEW: Japandroids - Celebration Rock

Japandroids - Celebration Rock

In 2009, Vancouver duo Japandroids (guitarist/singer Brian King and drummer/singer David Prowse) released their debut album, Post-Nothing, a unique blend of fuzzed out, distortion-heavy guitar muscle and air drum-worthy percussive weight that matched ‘90s rock ‘n’ roll volume and tone with garage rock’s blistering, energetic edge. It was one of the most critically acclaimed releases of that year, which inevitably lead to questions as to what would come next. It’s a rare occurrence when a band riding a wave of buzz is able to follow up their buzzworthy debut with an album that’s even better, but Japandroids have done just that with their sophomore outing Celebration Rock.

LISTEN: Falcons

Among the many great 2011 releases I didn’t manage to cover before 2012 appeared was Falcons’ mini-LP Indian Summer. It’s a seven-song collection of instrumental music that’s built upon hip-hop style beats. And while seven tracks of extended beats might seem like something that might require central points of rhyming or singing, you end up realizing that vocals, or lyrics of any kind, would be more of a distraction than anything -- detracting from the strength of the music as it currently exists. This Oakland/Vancouver duo finds a happy median between hip-hop, world, and IDM, and they certainly succeed in their mission to mix characteristics from a variety of genres into one exciting new sound. Whether it’s the salsa/latin samples that define “The Trot” or the sound clips in “Anaconda” from the film of the same name (yes, the film starring Ice Cube and J. Lo) that establish a fittingly ominous mood, Indian Summer is not only eclectic, it's unique and cohesive.

LISTEN: Japandroids Share "The House That Heaven Built" from New Album

As previously reported around the web, Vancouver rock 'n' roll duo (some may say "garage rock" or "noise pop" duo) Japandroids are set to release their third album, Celebration Rock, on June 5th via Polyvinyl. Today, the guys unleashed a fierce new track, "The House That Heaven Built," from their highly anticipated follow-up to 2009's critically-acclaimed Post-Nothing. Take it for a spin. High volume is recommended.