Japanther x 2 (old and new)

Wazza in the hizzie? Japanther, your favorite skuzz/noise pop punk band, are BACK! I thought it would be weird and wild to see how older Japanther would compare with newer Japanther. One of my favorite older records (okay so not OLDER, but 5 years old) is Master of Pigeons. It's interesting to see how all over the place the production and songwriting is on their earlier releases compared to their more composed and focused newer releases. Arguably what makes them charming is their "who gives a shit" attitude which is most pronounced on their earlier releases. However, in their new releases, we at least see them trying to give a little cohesion to their album's sound. Their new album, Rock 'n Roll Ice Cream, is much better than most of the stuff they've done in the past 3-4 years. But honestly, every Japanther album has it's ups and downs. But that's their charm for me. If they made an album that "blew me away" they wouldn't be Japanther. Take a look at the company they keep.... fellow Brooklyn indie rappers Ninjasonik. They have this self referential, just fucking around quality to their sound as well... it wouldn't work otherwise. They aren't trying to be Jay-z and Japanther aren't trying to be Radiohead. They are just having fun, writing catchy fast paced songs with quirky/silly lyrics. Sometimes, you need to take a break from heady arty indie rock and Japanther are a nice escape. Check em both out, because... well ... both are good, stupid.




Master Of Pigeons





Rock 'N' Roll Ice Cream