Japandroids - Celebration Rock

[LemonMelon]

Out June 5th. Leaked ages ago. Some highlights:

Japandroids - The House That Heaven Built - YouTube

Japandroids - The Nights of Wine and Roses - YouTube

It's aggressive, it's raw, it's got great hooks...it makes you feel glad to be alive. Critics seem to have caught onto this as well:

Japandroids: Celebration Rock | Album Reviews | Pitchfork (8.8/10, BNM)
Boston Phoenix: Japandroids | Celebration Rock - CD Reviews (3.5/4)
Album Review: Japandroids – Celebration Rock | Beats Per Minute (8.7/10)
Japandroids - Celebration Rock / Releases / Releases // Drowned In Sound (8/10)
Japandroids - Celebration Rock | album reviews | musicOMH (8/10)
BBC - Music - Review of Japandroids - Celebration Rock (8/10)

And hell, I'd call it the best rock album of the year so far. These guys have a lot to be proud of, and they seem poised to break through with this one. Get on the bandwagon now.

 

[Danny Boy]

Get on the bandwagon now.

Done.

I got both of their albums last week. Already received Celebration Rock on vinyl and picked up Post-Nothing on CD.

 

[Axver]

It's good. Not great, but it's good.

 

[LemonMelon]

I would have posted that in your Alcest thread, had you made one.

 

[Axver]

Well, as far as Japandroids go, the one great song that I think they have is Art Czars. I was kind of hoping there'd be more songs as awesome as that on the new album, but no. It's a huge improvement on Post Nothing, though.

 

[LemonMelon]

It is better than Post-Nothing, although I'll go to bat for Young Hearts Spark Fire any day. Classic track.

 

[Axver]

I'll agree; that's the one Post Nothing track I think is worthy of note.

 

[iron yuppie]

Yeah, I thought that the best thing about Post-Nothing was its title. This new one sounds intriguing, though.

 

[bono_212]

They're both awesome, but this one borders on amazing.

 

[martha]

I like this.

 

[IWasBored]

I like this.

I think I do, too.

 

[mikal]

thanks for the heads up on these guys. i've seen the name floating around for a while and never gave them a shot. I'll dive in further tonight.

ps. their new album still isn't on Spotify? aargh.

 

[u2popmofo]

My copy should be here tomorrow, when it releases.

 

[phanan]

Balls to the wall straight through. I like.

 

[u2popmofo]

I still really love the lead single. Album was on the porch when I got home, looking forward to it.

 

[cobl04]

ps. their new album still isn't on Spotify? aargh.

I'm listening on Spotify right now and loving it. Great stuff. The vocals are almost a little too emo for my tastes in some parts, but not a big gripe.

 

[iron yuppie]

Sounds like I need to hear this. It's getting almost as much praise as the Lotus Plaza record.

 

[u2popmofo]

When they love you, and they will
Tell 'em all they'll love in my shadow
And if they try to slow you down
Tell 'em all to go to hell

 

[agentorange]

Picked this up tonight in vinyl, since it was the same price as CD. I made a great choice by chance. There's a really nice 12" booklet included w/ lots of photos. And the sweet white vinyl is icing. My only complaint is that the photo on the cover looks pixilated in that size.

I need to see these guys live.

 

[martha]

Upon further listening, I'm wondering if I would like those shouty vocals after repeated listenings.

 

[LemonMelon]

I've been listening to them for a few years and have hardly been bothered by them. All the more reason to shout along!

 

[u2popmofo]

Upon further listening, I'm wondering if I would like those shouty vocals after repeated listenings.

After how much I like The House That Heaven Built, I was expecting to like it a bit more as well. Sorta sounds like every punk band I've been listened to over the last two decades, but with slightly more interesting guitar and considerably less interesting vocals and lyrics. I could easily be singing a different tune in a few days though, sometimes I need to be in the right mood for certain kinds of albums. I need to remember to quit listening to albums I'm still not very familiar with at the gym or while running, as I seem to always equate my feelings of exhaustion from the workout to boredom with the album.

 

[dudeman]

A lean, mean, rockin machine.

Best album of 2012 so far.

Tom Petty + Bruce + Replacements + Dinosaur jr = love it

 

[IWasBored]

Sorta sounds like every punk band I've been listened to over the last two decades, but with slightly more interesting guitar and considerably less interesting vocals and lyrics.

Which is what I think I like about it right now, but after a couple listens they'll get thrown into the same pile Titus andronicus now occupies for pretty much that reason.

 

[u2popmofo]

I don't remember what you think about Titus Andronicus now. Explain.

Ironically, I listened to A More Perfect Union immediately after a Japandroids song the other day while running.

 

[IWasBored]

I don't remember what you think about Titus Andronicus now. Explain.

Ironically, I listened to A More Perfect Union immediately after a Japandroids song the other day while running.

I got the monitor after hearing a more perfect union once, thinking it was pretty fantastic and thought the entire album was really cool the first time I listened to it because it sounded like a lot of punk rock stuff I love but with something interesting to set it apart from all the other similar sounding. Mainly, more interesting guitars (like a part of a more perfect union that oddly enough reminds me of dinosaur jr). which is exactly what I like about the japandroids songs I checked out. That's the closest thing I can get to wording what I thought when hearing those guys, although it wasn't exactly what popped into my head when I listened to it--which was exactly, "holy shit this is awesome like Titus andronicus was awesome...which means I love it right now, but give me a couple days with the album and I'm going to hate it." The second time I listened to the monitor, the civil war shit annoyed me, and all it sounded like was too many people on too long songs trying to prove they like both cocksparrer and weezer on the same record.

But I guess all this is moot because I didn't listen to the album the required number of listens to get the b& c stamp of approval on whether I can actually have an opinion.

I'll still get on the japandroids train. And ride it.

 

[LemonMelon]

I love Titus Andronicus and Japandroids.

I want to hear more aggressive (yet catchy/melodic) rock music such as this.

 

[IWasBored]

I love Titus Andronicus and Japandroids.

I want to hear more aggressive (yet catchy/melodic) rock music such as this.

Check out the ducky boys new one, chasing the ghost. I wouldn't say they sound like these bands, but I can't think of a better example of catchy rock music that comes from some form of punk rock. Three chords and the truth will always be my favorite album of theirs and I could write a novel-long essay on why and how I'd restructure the track listing of chasing the ghost, but I think for you I'd point you toward that one instead. I'm not entirely sure why, though.

 

[LemonMelon]

Sounds fun, I'll check it out. Looks like Three Chords and the Truth (U2 THIEVERY!12) is the consensus favorite too.

 

[IWasBored]

I vaguely recall remember reading an interview where Lind said it was intentionally a U2 reference. Or maybe it was a post on the defunct message board. Can't remember. But it is exactly that. Haha.