ZEITGEBER: Bands that start with Japan

This post is for Japandroids and Japanther... both cunningly creative names... if you're ten. The real reason I lumped these two together is I wanted to disguise this post a little because both bands probably don't want their stuff posted... but neener neener bitches I'm doing it anyway, STEALTH style. It's kind of funny these bands have such similar names because they have the same kind of mentality to their music. They are both a little punk/post pop-punk. Japanther are a little more of a whatever/fun loving kind of band... whereas Japandroids have more moments of sincerity and complexity to their music and lyrics.

Japanther's new album is the kind of music you want to put on when you don't have to focus... background music for a party or while you are chilling with some friends.. or while you are playing some games or something.. i dunno. They share the same attitude as their partners in crime Ninjasonik.. and if you know how crazy they are.. you can figure out why these guys would be friends with and make music with them. The music is like some new age electropunk with quirky lyrics and fuzzed out vocals. It's fun that's for sure.

Japandroid's new album "Post-Nothing" has been garnering a lot buzz from reviewers like pitchfork... and rightfully so. At first glance I thought these guys were just some plain old pop punk / alternative band. The opener sounds almost like a golden b-side from one of the old Dropkick Mrphey's records. It was kind of jarring in a oi oi punk rock sort of way... I just wasn't expecting it... but when I really listened to the rest of the record I kind of got what they were doing. It's sooooo catchy man... I can't even describe it. I would have overlooked it at first glance... but give it a few spins because now I can't stop playing this thing. By far the best lyric on the whole cd is on the second song "Young Hearts Spark Fire" .. it goes, "Oh we used to dream, but now we only worry about dying!" It signifies perfectly the departure from the innocence of adolescense and the arrival at the cold hard reality of adult life. It's a line I can very much relate to as of late. "Heart Sweats" is probably my favorite track though... I just like the progression and the beat. SOOOO freakin catchy. Damn. Oh and both of these bands could make the dynamic duo's list for sure. Check em.