Japandroids Jump-Start POP Montreal With New Songs and Support From No Joy

Japandroids kicked off the 10th annual POP Montreal music festival Sept. 21 with a sold-out show filled with fans eager to hear new material from the buzz band. The Vancouver duo -- always hell-bent on filling the room with as much noise as humanly possible -- greeted the crowd gathered at the Divan Orange with a bold call to arms, "It's f---ing on!"

Promising to get the new songs "out of the way first," singer-guitarist Brian King and drummer David Prowse previewed four tracks off of their upcoming album, slated for release next year. "This is another new one, hopefully you'll know it in a couple of months," King said, prefacing each new track.

What they debuted saw the rock outfit pair frenetic guitar and drums with memorable melodies, making it clear Japandroids haven't strayed too far from the 'Post-Nothing' formula.

But, let's face it, that's not the worst thing that could happen given the critical acclaim the 2009 album won them. And judging from the room's reaction when fan favourites 'Art Czars' and 'The Boys Are Leaving Town' were pulled out (a boisterous sing-along is never a bad sign!), the fact the band seem to be in a holding pattern sonically isn't a bad thing at all.

It may have taken some time for folks to get riled up, but once they did, a mosh pit erupted, leaving bystanders scrambling aside, with some even climbing chairs to escape the sea of violent plaid.

Due to troubles at the border, opener Bass Drums of Death had to cancel their set, leaving Montreal fuzz-rockers No Joy to step in. The four-piece -- augmented with an extra player for the live performance -- rivaled Japandroids in loud, buzzing guitars but presented their own brand of Sonic Youth-meets-My Blood Valentine rock. Lead singer Jasmine White-Glutz's vocals were drowning in a wall of distortion (similar to how lshe, and guitarist Laura Lloyd, were drowning in their own long, blonde locks), but buried beneath the noise were grunge-y melodies that would make Courtney Love proud.

If, somehow, your hearing is still intact after Wednesday's POP Montreal show, consider yourself lucky. It really could have saved some eardrums had someone been dishing out earplugs given the decibel-pushing sets deliver by both Japandroids and No Joy.