Art punkers who exhibit humor are hard to find. Luckily New York’s Japanther — protectors of the tiny kingdom — keep churning out the non-hits for lovers of clever post- ... post- ... well, post-something or other. They blend metal, punk, new wave, no wave and whatever other scraps they deem worthy into a drum n’ bass musical melting pot — one with a slightly crusty bottom. Joined here by the Soviettes’ Anita Sparrows, the new trio can add “post-surf rock” to their list of ingredients — Sparrows’ voice gives Rock ’n’ Roll Ice Cream a brilliantly off-kilter, “California” vibe. Trading in the sampling and hip-hop flavors of Wolfenswan and Skuffed Up My Huffy (and the indulgent theatrics of Tut, Tut) for a cleaner, tighter Ramones-meet-the-‘60s sound, Ice Cream is made for summer fun. “She’s the One” sets the tone with crisp, buzzsaw guitars and a hooky chorus (“Spread So Thin“ and “Surfin’ Coffin” follow suit, nodding to new wave as they breeze by), and the song later morphs into an acoustic butterfly to close out under the title, “Alone In the Basement.” Tracks like the glittering disco homage “$100 Dollar Remix” deliver the Japanther surprises we love.
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