I’ve been hearing a lot about these dudes, but hadn’t gotten around to listening. Well, I just did and their pretty awesome. Reminds me of Bob Mould’s Sugar. Enjoy.
Japandroids - “Wet Hair”
Upon the release of his seminal I Get Wet, hard-partying enthusiast Andrew W.K. told the once-reputable Rolling Stone Magazine that an artist achieves true volume power when the music sounds loud, even when the volume dial is low. In response, the Japandroids present us with “Wet Hair.” When I think about this song, the image of guitar amplifiers and drum heads on a conveyor belt springs to mind. I can see it now: The new gear arrives, the Japandroids get started, and less than three and a half minutes later, the amp has been reduced to a smoldering, foul-smelling metal-and-formerly-hard-plastic smudge on the floor. The drum heads are scattered around the room, smoking and unrecognizable. The Vancouver two-piece, clad in black and covered in sweat are still there, however. And victorious.
And why shouldn’t they be? In the time that it takes post-rock bands to get to the point, the Japandroids have already destroyed it. And with it, they’ve destroyed the cooler-than-thou pretense of most modern rock. They’ve taken the cold distance of Interpol and the audience-to-rock-god distance of the White Stripes, and reduced it to zero. With it, they say: “Come into our living room. You can jump on the furniture. Don’t mind the conveyor belts. It’s going to get loud.” Then, they proceed to shout you down about girls with wet hair, “Bikini Island” (!?), and French kisses. It sounds ludicrous until you realize that you’re right there, shouting it with them.
So give “Wet Hair” the W.K. test. Turn your speakers as low as they go and see if the band doesn’t sound like they’re trying to rip your eardrums out. I dare you.
