Japanther

Over the course of 21 releases since its inception in 2001, Brooklyn’s Japanther has evolved its hybrid of noise rock, punk and garage rock into a mutant form of music all its own. Throw in the performance-art aspect of Japanther’s shows, and you have a unique live experience often only seen with much less accessible music. The group’s latest album, last year’s Beets, Limes and Rice, found the duo in a buoyant mood, sounding not unlike a beach-punk Ramones following a hyperactive motorik beat. Japanther’s music videos are reminiscent of something Devo or Ranaldo and the Loaf might have done in the early ’80s, giving the music yet another layer of meaning. But it’s the live show where Japanther’s covertly demented pop songs shine brightest.