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CMU Approved
Approved: Japanther
By Andy Malt | Published on Wednesday 10 March 2010
Although Japanther’s Ian Vanek and Matt Reilly describe themselves as “more of an art project than a band”, you shouldn’t let that put you off. Their music is so instantly likeable and so much fun that it will quell any pre-conceptions that statement brings. A heavy Ramones influence is always apparent in their work, but added layers of poetry, hip hop influence and personality set them apart from mere copyists.
Joined by singer Anita Sparrows, the band recorded their latest album, ‘Rock N Roll Ice Cream’, with producer Michael Blum, who is more used to working with artists like Madonna and Pink Floyd than New York art-punks. But while the recording is slightly shinier than previous recordings, they’ve clearly held firm to their DIY ethics, and apparently refused to use any of the fancy microphones on offer in the studio. You can hear the results of that tussle on the one track currently streaming on their MySpace page.
www.myspace.com/japanther
