It’s apparently come to this. All the good band names are taken. All permutations involving Crystal, Black, and Wolves, have been exhausted. We’re down to naming ourselves after vaguely obscure Decathalon Events. It’s only a matter of time before 110 Meter Hurdle, Shot Put, and Pole Vault monopolize the Hype Machine (in fact, this may be the opening salvo).
But don’t dismiss Javelin due to a quirk of poor nomenclature, nor because they bill themselves as “Tropical/Crunk” on their Myspace. Wasn’t sincerity supposed to be the new irony? Judging from the Williamsburg pedigree, plus beards, flannels, and thrift shop irony, Javelin seem easy to discard. Yet few albums released this year are more accurately named than Jamz and Jemz. This is nothing but–a record so diverse that you might mistake it for a great mixtape, but never so jarring as to alter its breezy affability.
Do you like The Avalanches, the first Go Team! record, RJD2′s Deadringer, and Bubble Bobble? Of course. So let’s do away with the RIYL formalities. My brethren (pronounced bredge-ran) Ian Cohen recently bestowed Javelin with the coveted Best New Track designation and hinted that further accolades are coming. They’re well deserved. In a season, when seemingly every blog buzzes with Summer Jam bombast (none more so than this one), Jamz and Jemz may be the most efficacious of the bunch. Even if sun might leave you sluggish, Javelin stay sharp–though the album should really come with a Power Pad.
Download:
MP3: Javelin-”Flicker and Flutter (Future Islands/Javelin Remix)”
MP3: Javelin-”Tell Me, What Will It Be? (Take 2)”
5 comments
Stephanie says:
July 17, 2009 at 10:01 am (UTC -7)
Javelin is amazing!!!
Nate P. says:
July 21, 2009 at 1:04 pm (UTC -7)
To be fair, Javelin could’ve potentially named themselves after the bad-as-hell American Motors muscle car.
Passion of the Weiss says:
July 21, 2009 at 1:20 pm (UTC -7)
I suppose it’s also better than Canyonero.
Passion of the Weiss » Blog Archive » Hudson Mohawke’s Purple Stuff says:
September 10, 2009 at 2:09 pm (UTC -7)
[...] of polychromatic electro-soul that sounds like an amalgam of Flying Lotus with more serotonin, Javelin, and the boogie classics channeled by Dam-Funk. With sounds sunnier than most of the lamp-less [...]
Passion of the Weiss » Blog Archive » The Education of Soda Popinski says:
October 19, 2009 at 3:52 pm (UTC -7)
[...] punch-drunk NES pugilist. Alas. Instead, we’ll have to make due with this pair of videos from Javelin’s Jamz and Jemz, which remains in heavy rotation even after their would-be summer expiration date has [...]