JPNSGRLS

In the first act amongst the evening showcases, Canadian act JPNSGRLS had a line down the street to try and witness their much lauded performances. Indeed, it lived up to expectation - though given the small size of the venue, the above photo shows just how close I got to the stage (not very). There was plenty of crowd surfing by the end of the show, from both band and the audience, which featured a few new tracks amongst material from their last album - The AU Review

But had that happened, we would never have witnessed the insane beauty that is JPNSGRLS. Amid the mic stand antics and hip thrusting on stage we couldn’t quite contain ourselves. And it seems neither could singer Charlie Kerr who precariously balanced himself on a safety barrier, bounced back on stage and earned himself quite a nasty looking head injury. With a blood smeared face he told the crowd “How’s this for a deal? I bled for you, you can dance for me” and off he went again with the hips, draping himself over an amp and kicking up at the tent roof.

As a parting gift Kerr told the crowd “In just two hours I’m going to turn 24 and I can’t think of any better place to be than here with you and a head trauma.” - Getintothis

"The high-octane drum rhythms, bustling basslines and scrappy fretwork on 'Brace Yourself' all point towards the sound of Arctic Monkeys' groundbreaking debut album, but in Charlie Kerr's transatlantic twang Vancouver's JPNSGRLS offer something slightly different." - NME Magazine

"JPNSGRLS are a Canadian phenomenon, fusing dancefloor energy with indie songcraft." - Clash Music

"Mushrooms is a brief but intense trip of frenetic guitar stitchery and from-the-gut melodicism." - Q Magazine

"With its knotty guitar lines, frantic half-sung/half-shouted vocals, and slightly dirty production, the album easily conjures up the sounds of Modest Mouse mixed with the dramatic sensibilities of Spoon." - All Music

"An impressive debut… Electric veins run through Circulation.” - Glide Magazine

"From start to finish, Circulation is everything one can want in a record. Kerr is locked-in, sincere and deeply absorbed in his songs; his lyrics are confessional, honest and provocative; and most importantly, the songs are engaging, anthemic and wholly riveting... Brisk, brilliant and bombastic, Circulation is easily one of the best rock albums of 2014." - Absolute Punk

And now for the main event, JPNSGRLS! Right from the start of their performance I was hooked. Unable to stand still, their music grabbed hold of me and within seconds I was almost front row centre bouncing and singing along to all the lyrics I didn’t even know. Have you ever been to a show, where you only know a couple of the bands songs, but every song they play is just so fantastic it doesn’t matter if they are brand new to you or not? This was the case for me. - Ewest

"In just the first four tracks of Circulation - the Vancouver quartet’s full-length debut (released by Light OrganRecords on 15th July) - JPNSGRLS (pronounced as “Japanese Girls”) clearly demarcate what makes them so special in this age of pristine pop hacks and artless copyists... Circulation is one of those albums, rock lovers can listen to all the way through – a rarity in itself in 2014. Bloody essential!" - Power of Pop

"From the moment you press play on JPNSGRLS’ debut LP, ‘Circulation,’ the opening guitar riff tosses you into a set of songs that makes you want to listen from start to finish… From the frenetic sounds of ‘Smalls’ and ‘Mushrooms’ to headbangers like ‘Brandon’ and ‘Brace Yourself,’ JPNSGRLS provide listeners with a collection of songs that run a range of emotions and styles. In other words, there’s something for just about everyone." - Diffuser.fm

"This LP has a strong energy that just begs you to listen to it… full of fun, danceable songs that will get you up and moving in no time... Picture the Arctic Monkeys, but still jamming out in their garage." - Performer Magazine

Divorce, the second full-length album from JPNSGRLS, continues to build upon the promise of their 2014 debut, Circulation. The sophomore album by the Canadian quartet of non-Japanese men is a frantic 32-minute blitz of unbridled rock intensity.

The album’s opening salvo, titled “Oh My God,” gives no time to catch your breath. After a few frenzied power chords from guitarist Oliver Mann, singer Charlie Kerr’s throaty scream interjects with, “Oh my God, oh my God! You’re finally calling me yours.” The rest of the band then kicks in, driving the song through a series of hard rock riffs and dramatic starts and stops.

The song showcases what JPNSGRLS does best, combining post-punk’s energy and riffing with the raw power and emotion of grunge. Divorce is an album that crams so many hooks into its short run time that comes close to relying too heavily on hooks at the expense of structure. Nevertheless, JPNSGRLS spend the album with the gas pedal firmly pressed to the floor, with the exception of the lone ballad “Circus.”

“A Girl from a Different Dimension” is one of the album’s most frenetic tracks, wildly careening through a series of riffs at different speeds, though it is most defined by Christopher McClelland’s rumbling bassline and Kerr’s falsetto in the chorus. “2009,” with its dynamic shifts from slow to fast, accompanied by Graham Serl’s rapid-fire drums and Mann’s guitar shredding, is the kind of song that can get today’s concert-goers to put away their phones and start moshing.

An album with this much energy can easily become a mindless party album, but that’s not the case here. JPNSGRLS have some serious subjects to discuss between the walls of feedback and pounding drums. “Bully For You,” for example, is an empathetic letter of sympathy for women subjected to misogyny in a male-dominant culture. “The baby’s bedroom’s blanket is pink, so she’ll politely overcome,” Kerr sings. “If only she’d been born a son.”

With the furious, sweat-soaked gusto of “19 Pound Baby,” JPNSGRLS close Divorce on a high note. Though the band now has some question marks, with Mann leaving the band and being replaced by guitarist Colton Lauro, the four-piece continues charging forward. Relentless in its intensity and deceptive in its intelligence, Divorce serves as an apt follow-up to JPNSGRLS’ critically acclaimed debut. - Glide Magazine

Hailing from Japans futuristic capital city of Tokyo, these ladies are rewriting the laws on all things J-pop. Okay, that was a slight fabrication of the truth, JPNSGRLS are in actual fact: four dudes from Vancouver that play kick ass rock music. Tours with the likes of Turbowolf and Allusondrugs tell you exactly what world they populate.

First single ‘Oh My God’ is an enthralling few minutes, kicking off with singer Charlie Kerr simply yelling ‘Oh My God’. Much like the whole album it’s stacked with pace, another feature constant throughout the record is the cleverly written and witty lyrics. On this track a standout is defiantly “Our ghosts should really hang out when we croak”, not to be outdone, in the song ‘Trojan Horse’ Kerr seems to have some top pretty ambitious life goals, “I wanna drop outta school and rap (cool), I see a real future in that”. Incredible scenes.

The conflicting styles of Arctic Monkeys (considerably less of the Sheffield-ness of course) and Chon aren’t often banded together, but with a passion for melody, power and technicality that is exactly what JPNSGRLS have done. Constantly reassessing the sound is something the listener is forced to do. Creating indie emblazoned rock n roll with balls the size of Canada seems to be an elementary exercise for JPNSGRLS.

‘Circulations’, the band’s first album, saw moderate success throughout the US and Canada, even venturing to the UK for a handful of appearances. With this album bolstering their discography with yet more infectious tunes, if these dudes don’t rise to the top pretty sharpish then there is something seriously wrong. - Punktastic

Canadian four-piece, JPNSGIRLS, are set to release their sophomore album Divorce, a thrilling record driven by the trials and tribulations of youth and memorable garage rock riffs.

The tales of isolated youth, love and lust that filled their first album, Circulation, make a welcome return, set apart from the pack by the quality of songwriting from lead singer Charlie Kerr. From the opening track ‘Oh My God’ where Kerr sings, “I was conceived in New York, two strangers planted a seed, and that was four years before their divorce, I think it had an effect on me,” it is clear this album is more personal than anything preceding it.

The social commentary seen on Circulation standouts ‘Brandon’ and ‘Mushrooms’ is even more prominent this time around. Across the 11 tracks, Kerr touches on topics ranging from male misogyny (‘Bully For You’) to the pitfalls of modern dating (‘Holding Back‘) via the unfulfilled ambitions of youth (‘Trojan Horse’), with these themes sitting alongside the alternative takes on love that dominated the first album (‘Gap Year’, ‘2009’). His songwriting captures elements of the witty social insight of Alex Turner, the sing-a-long choruses of the Gallagher’s and the honest emotion of Jesse Lacey and weaves it all together, as Kerr swings from vitriolic roar to crisp falsetto, singing with such passion that the listener cannot help but be pulled into his world.

The songwriting is complemented by the musicianship of the band and their ever expanding sound palette. JPNSGRLS – pronounced Japanese Girls – produce riffs heavy enough for Queens of the Stone Age (‘Bully For You’, ’19 Pound Baby’) and intricate math-rock rhythms reminiscent of the early work of the Foals (‘2009’,’A Girl From a Different Dimension’). The punchy and at times frenetic guitar work of Oliver Mann (now replaced by Colton Lauro) is matched by the power and drive of the rhythm section of Chris McClelland and Graham Serl, as the band produce a varied and engaging soundscape.

Production on the album was handled by Dave Shiffman (Rage Against the Machine, Biffy Clyro) and Steve Bays (Mounties, Hot Heat), with mastering from Greg Calbi (Tame Impala, Modest Mouse), providing a polished sound, whilst managing to retain a real sense of the energy of the band’s raucous live shows. This energy and spirit is also evident in the announcement video for the album, set to album opener ‘Oh My God’, a DIY video with a cops and robbers skit, and the studio teaser for new single ‘Bully For Me’, that provide insight into the humour and spark of a young band enjoying their music. Whilst JPNSGRLS continue to experiment with their sound and influences, Divorce is a testament to the bands craftsmanship and talent as they create one of the best indie rock albums of the year so far.

Divorce is released on 22 July 2016 via Light Organ Records. - FMS Magazine