16 March 2010

Japandroids // No Singles



No Action has quite a thing for twosomes. Something in the base brutality that seemingly only a couple can generate has resulted in healthy obsessions with The White Stripes, The Black Keys, Tiny Masters of Today, Death From Above 1979 (RIP) among many, many others.

Latest and, perhaps, greatest of these is Japandroids, whose Post Nothing LP of 2009 is a gem. The grooves of the aforementioned DFA 1979 are melded with the surging guitar soundscapes of Sonic Youth, creating a devastatingly beautiful noise-blitz on The Boys are Leaving Town and the stunning Wet Hair.

Before all this, though, came a couple of EPs; 2007's All Lies and 08's Lullaby Death Jams, kindly re-issued to us Brits as album No Singles come May. While the tracks are no match for Post Nothing, Darkness on the Edge of Gastown hints at a heavy metal Whirlwind Heat, while Coma Complacency proffers fist punching cries over a brooding base. Much to enjoy, but what's more interesting is where Japandroids are going than where they've been.

They'll be plying their trade at Islington's The Garage on 20th May after February's sold out ICA show and wowing the SXSW-ers this month.

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