Friday 21 June 2024
Edith Pike
herlovebeheadsdaisies
Widowdusk
Heanvely Blue
Febuary
Febuary are a four-piece screamo/emo band from Las Vegas, Nevada that have been active since 2023, with their debut release dropping in April of this year. This band wasn't on my radar, so thank you to Salem who sent me this, comparing it favourably to Pianos Become The Teeth and Leer. Needless to say that piqued my interest, and I'm glad it did as this is a solid album through and through. It features bright guitars that veer between melancholic chords and mathy noodles. The vocals are dynamic, often making excellent use of gang chants. At the drop of a hat, the quieter moments can pick up into genuinely heavy, frenzied, and searing climaxes that hit hard even on these raw recordings. If you're a fan of bands like Age Sixteen, Merchant Ships, Innards, or fellow Vegas natives Crochet, this is definitely something you should be listening to yesterday. Enjoy.
Friday 17 May 2024
Japandroids
Post #1200 in our 12th year. I was admittedly dragging my feet trying to figure out what band to use to mark this milestone, because I didn't another gargantuan undertaking like The Replacements and Jimmy Eat World were. Down the line both bands I was considering will still get that treatment (Sleater-Kinney and the Descendents, for the two of you wondering), but as soon as this band popped into my head, I knew I had found the perfect gateway back to posting. Like I said earlier, this blog has been running for 12 years, which coincides with the same number of summers Celebration Rock has been the soundtrack to. With the May 24 weekend upon us (hola Canada), Japandroids season is in session.
Japandroids are two-piece rock/alternative/punk band from Vancouver, British Colubmia that formed in 2006. Since their inception, their sole two members have been guitarist/vocalist Brian King and drummer/vocalist David Prowse. They self-released two EP's in their earlier years (which were later compiled as No Singles) before self-producing their debut full-length, Post-Nothing. The band almost called it quits, but thanks to the online traction that their debut picked up, they ended up embarking on a world tour following its release. It's unsurprising that their sound caught on so quickly, as their energy is positively infectious. In brief summary, they lay a base of noisy garage rock with pounding drums and huge, Hüsker Dü-esque guitars that shimmer with reverb and high-end melodies, while droning open strings to fill in the bass end. While that covers their exterior, these songs at their core take influence from the blue-collar, bleeding heart, youthful exuberance, and personal storytelling of someone like Bruce Springsteen, which is what elevates these songs to become anthems of fist-pumping hot summer nights.
While I do love their debut (try listening to "Wet Hair" without smiling), it was their sophomore release that put them in the stratosphere. The aptly titled Celebration Rock is 8 cuts of giddy euphoria, from the crackle of fireworks and anything-is-possible introduction of "The Nights Of Wine And Roses" to the hesistantly assured closer of "Continous Thunder", I've always thought that this thing takes place over the span of that one night everyone wants to re-live forever. I'm not going into it too much, but if you're unfamiliar with this band, please start with this.
Following another huge tour in the wake of their massively successful sophomore album, the band were quiet for a few years until their date (and final to date) album, Near To The Wild Heart Of Life. This one features a lot more studio and production tinkering than anything they had done before, resulting in a cleaner sound compared to their off-the-floor-style recordings of their early years. I prefer the first two albums personally, though still think this is a solid addition to expand the Japandroids canon. During the tour for this album, they recorded their show at Toronto's Massey Hall, which was released back in 2020 as a live album, and unfortunately that's the last we've heard from them. As a quick note to go complete the discography breakdown, they recently a series of singles throughout their tenure, most being album tracks on the A-side and covers on the B-side, which choices shows their wide array of influence. The only non-album single cuts are "Heavenward Grand Prix" and "Art Czars", if you're just looking for their originals. In closing, this is music meant for blaring out the car speakers, windows down on a sunny day. Nothing but an open highway around you, and all the time in the world ahead of you. Enjoy.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvufAA2Grr7XcaIA8E4yV0ouhNIxzYVS6ZIwwz9GRVvxL-ijoy90aSGj_MnK5hPq_GR2MhRBF277JUAGwZIG8cxWoKzNAMKRb6SjXNXELRbACkbaOB-Jydidjt38V92ECbTK7YdSMXGFY08n2E4CfKBJM7M4L6B1mv_FZ2_AYyjyVHaf_e0lelpb72HsA/s320/Japandroids%20North%20East%20South%20West.jpg)
Wednesday 27 March 2024
Narrow Head
Thursday 22 February 2024
Flight Mode
Flight Mode are a three-piece emo band from Oslo, Norway that have been around since 2021. They've released a succession of three EP's, all with names derived from times and places. Out the gate this band hits a nostalgic tinge, which is bolstered by the wistful music they make. Clean guitars noodle over these mid-tempo tracks, with an intentional, quivering vocals delivered with palatable vocal deliveries. It's carrying the torch that bands like Death Cab For Cutie and The Appleseed Cast did in the early 2000's, with nods to the midwest emo sound of the late 90's. Recently their three EP's were compiled and released all together by Tiny Engines, which is the essential here as their discography to date has been flawless. Enjoy.