Time For Celebration

When Vancouver's fuzzy, soaring punk rock duo Japandroids blew up in 2009 with their debut album Post-Nothing, released that same year on Polyvinyl Records, they instantly became one of my favourite bands - not up there with my elites like the White Stripes, Bowie, Sonic Youth or the Mountain Goats, to name a few, but definitely in my upper-tier of favourites. Hell, Japandroids were the only band whose ticket I bought in advance when they played that year's Halifax Pop Explosion.

Though Japandroids' HPE set was cut short after only a few songs due to time constraints (you can read that story here), my love for Japandroids did not waver. But some time passed, and they released a smattering of singles as well as re-issued their first two EPs together as a compilation entitled No Singles, none of which impressed me, and I eventually lost (most of my) interest in the band.

A few days ago, though, Japandroids resurfaced with the announcement that they've completed their second album, and it's ready for public consumption. The new album, due in June once again courtesy of Polyvinyl Records, is called Celebration Rock and will include a cover of one of my favourite songs by one of my favourite bands: "For the Love of Ivy" by 80s L.A. punkabilly band the Gun Club. Hearing about that cover was enough to send shockwaves down my spine. Maybe more people will hear of the Gun Club now.

Japandroids guitarist Brian King said they specifically wanted to make an album listeners could sing along to and that captured the band's and their audience's frenetic live energy. Considering how singable Post-Nothing was, I can only imagine how energetic and at least aurally uplifting Celebration Rock is going to be. And judging by its title, and the fact that King has said Celebration Rock is more lyric-oriented than Post-Nothing, aurally isn't the only way in which the new album is going to be uplifting.

I don't know if "Younger Us," previously issued as a single, is going to appear on Celebration Rock as the song is heard here or in a different form, but here's at least a small preview of the new album:


I passed on seeing Japandroids at the Waldorf Hotel for a mere $12 shortly after I moved to Vancouver (that was still during my cooling-off-on-Japandroids period) and I think even once more after that, but I'll definitely try to see them next time around. Hell, if I'm lucky, I'll be able to catch a whole Japandroids show next time, and Halifax will know what it's like to be called "No Fun City" instead of Vancouver for once.