Show preview and MP3: Japanther celebrates the release of 'Rock 'n' Roll Ice Cream' with a show at Mercury Lounge tonight

Japanther.

By Jake Holbrook

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

At the forefront of lo-fi punk for the last decade, Japanther persists as one of Brooklyn's most prolific acts. Drummer Ian Vanek and bassist Matt Reilly formed the band while attending Pratt in 2001. Since then they have released six LPs and at least four EPs. Live, the duo hammers out fast-paced rhythms to dubbed and manipulated cassettes while singing into telephone receivers. The result is an innovative brand of punk that is highly energetic, catchy and true to (or maybe a determining factor in) current musical trends.

Tonight, Mercury Lounge hosts a release party for Japanther's new album, Rock 'n' Roll Ice Cream, which came out Tuesday. Included on the bill is Cerebral Ballzy, a band that remind us of a time when Ian MacKaye (Teen Idles, Minor Threat and, later, Fugazi) was still underage and Henry Rollins (Black Flag) was still Henry Garfield. Their tunes are unmistakably hardcore punk, a tribute to the DIY era that spawned indie rock. Filthy Savage is also on the bill.

Below, listen to "Spread So Thin" from Japanther's Rock 'n' Roll Ice Cream. Then check out more mp3s of Japanther and Cerebral Ballzy over at The Brooklyn Night.

Japanther - "Spread So Thin" (from Rock 'n' Roll Ice Cream) [Download]