Going Japanese

I don't know why, but I think it is very intriguing when bands have the word "Japan" or have Japanese related things in their names. Maybe it was the fact that I used to live in the country of the rising sun during my high school days or the fact that I used to study the language made me more drawn to the word. Or maybe it's because I have been listening to Post-Nothing by Japandroids that it got me thinking about the idea. I came up with three different bands that are not really from Japan, but without looking at the band and just focusing on their names make it seem otherwise.

Japandroids

The first time I told a friend of mine about Japandroids, he looked them up and was literally surprised that they were not Japanese. True story. But actually, the guitar & drum duo, Brian King and David Prowse hail from Vancouver, Canada. When I first listened to their music, it reminded me of Death From Above 1979 except with no synthesizers, less noise and a more refined distortion sound. Their album Post-Nothing is garage rock gem that is considered one of the most noteworthy albums of this year.

Big Japan

I read about this band in the March 2010 issue of Alternative Press (#260; 30 Seconds to Mars on the cover). Adam Brody and Brett Harrison, formerly from The O.C., formed Big Japan in 2005 and recorded a album entitled Music For Dummies (it was later renamed to Untitled due to legal issues concerning with the name). Their album was surprisingly impressive, but due to scheduling differences, the band only played a handful of shows. Because of this, their album, which I'm still looking for, has become a highly sought-after collector's item.

Tokyo Police Club

Okay, their name does not have the word "Japan" in it, but you can't get any more Japanese than "Tokyo". Hailing from Newmarket, Ontario (again not from Japan), Tokyo Police Club have already established themselves as one of the most promising acts in the music scene today with their own blend of post-punk induced garage rock. With two EPs (A Lesson In Crime and Smith) and one album (Elephant Shell) under their belt the band is already gearing up for their second album, Champ, which is will be released this year.