JPNSGRLS

JPNSGRLS
Also known as	The Beauties, Japanese Girls
Origin	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Genres	Garage pop, Alternative rock, Post-punk revival
Years active	2010-present
Labels	Light Organ Records (Canada)
Associated acts	Mounties (band), Hot Hot Heat, Ryan Dahle, Limblifter, Hawksley Workman, July Talk
Website	jpnsgrls.com
Members	Charlie Kerr Oliver Mann Christopher McClelland Graham Serl
Past members	Hasan Altintas (Bass) Simon Eltermon (Bass) Sam Rutledge (Drums)

JPNSGRLS – pronounced “Japanese Girls” — is a four-piece Canadian garage pop band formed in Vancouver, British Columbia in 2010. The band is comprised of Charlie Kerr, vocalist/lyricist, Oliver Mann, lead guitar, Christopher McClelland, bass guitar, and Graham Serl on drums.

History

The band members are all originally from the Greater Vancouver area. Kerr and Mann formed a core project in 2007 while still in secondary school, with McClelland joining in 2009 and Serl rounding out the final lineup in 2010. ^[1] Live shows were integral to the band from its beginning, performing in battles of the bands, and packing out any venue that would allow teenage performers and their audiences.

Prior to 2010, JPNSGRLS was originally known as The Beauties, but due to a name conflict with an existing band, changed its name to Japanese Girls. This name was chosen as a tribute to another band called Mass of the Fermenting Dregs. ^[2] However, upon realizing it caused difficulty when searching for the band online, they stylized it to the current JPNSGRLS.

The band is a fixture on the Vancouver independent music scene, and is known for its hyperkinetic live shows. While Kerr is the sole lyricist, JPNSGRLS takes a democratic approach with all members contributing to the building of the songs overall.

In April 2015, JPNSGRLS was nominated for the Sirius XM Canada Independent Music Award for 'Emerging Artist of the Year (English)'. ^[3]

Discography

The Sharkweek EP (2013)

JPNSGRLS made their debut with The Sharkweek EP in June 2013, distributed by Light Organ Records. The EP was produced and engineered by Justin Brown, and co-produced by the band. Assistant engineer was Mike Paton.^[4]

Reviewers noted the band's unique combination of syncopation, cohesion, modernity and experimentation with lyrical content, musicianship and influences.^[5]The first single and video released from The Sharkweek EP was Vancouver Grizzly, and the video for the follow-up single Monarch Butterfly debuted on Diffuser.fm in January of 2014.^[6] JPNSGRLS also played in BIME Festival in Bilbao Spain in November of 2013, in support of the EP.^[7]

Standalone single Red and Green was included on Light Organ's Christmas album Sleighed, also in November 2013, with the video released at Christmas 2014.

Circulation (2014)

For their full length debut, having now been fully signed by Light Organ Records, the band went into Vancouver's Greenhouse Studios with producer Steve Bays (Hot Hot Heat, Mounties (band)), and engineer Greg Calbi (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, MGMT, Tame Impala, St. Vincent). Circulation was recorded in seven days without a click track. The album was released in North America on July 15, 2014.

Singles released from the album in North America were Mushrooms, Smalls, Tiger, Circulation and Southern Comforting, with official full videos released for Mushrooms, Smalls and Circulation.

Overall, reviews of Circulation were positive, and called particular attention to the record's energy and how it would translate live, and vice versa - noting the uplift of the rhythm section and the contrasting darker lyrical content.^[8] Reviewers also noted that JPNSGRLS' combination of 90's alt-rock and post-punk revival created a complex modern rock sound that made it a 2014 musical peak.^[9][10] AbsolutePunk's review indicated it was 'easily one of the best rock albums of 2014'.^[11]

In dissenting reviews, Alan Ranta of The Georgia Straight stated that Circulation was 'a little inconsistent and under-developed' as a whole, but concluded that 'hooks abound...so the future holds promise',^[12] while Ride the Tempo also made mention of 'uneven' results - expressing frustration that they believed that JPNSGRLS clearly had the capacity to be 'exceptional', while also admitting that the songs were 'solid and enjoyable'.^[13]

Hit single Smalls went straight in at #1 on CBC Radio 3 Top 30 Canadian Indie Songs and held that place for 4 weeks in April/May 2014,^[14] and went to #5 on the CBC Radio 3 Playlist overall the week of May 30, 2014.^[15] It reached #24 on Mediabase's Alt Chart (Canadian Commercial Radio), and staying at between #26 and #28 for a further 8 weeks. The iconic video for Smalls, directed by Nathan Boey, and partly inspired by the film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and the stop-motion films of Tim Burton, was put into heavy rotation on Canada's MuchMusic in July 2014.

Follow up single Tiger hit #1 on CBC Radio 3 Top 30 Playlist Chart for the week of August 6, 2014,^[16] spending 8 weeks on the chart in total and even rising again to #2 the week of September 2, 2014. On the CBC Radio 3 Top 30 Indie Canadian Songs Chart, it went straight in at #7,^[17] and remained on the chart for 8 weeks.

Circulation, the album, debuted on the CMJ 200 (American College and Community Radio)) at #96 in July 2014, spending 10 weeks on the chart with highest chart position of #35 in August 2014. On Exclaim! Magazine's !Earshot National Top 50 (Canadian College and Community Radio), Circulation debuted at #34 in July 2014 with highest chart #27 in August 2014.^[18]

In the UK, BBC Radio 6 Music debuted Smalls in March 2015 with New Music presenter Lauren Laverne referring to the single as 'feisty' and remarking on the 'huge guitars'. The British press compared JPNSGRLS to their own independent music scene, with NME Radar name-checking Arctic Monkeys for comparative musicianship but making clear vocalist distinctions.^[19] Q Magazine debuted first single 'Mushrooms' as one of '5 Songs To Hear This Week', for the week of March 9, 2015, instead referencing The Strokes for comparison.^[20]

Circulation was released in the UK and Europe in April 2015.

Musical and other influences

JPNSGRLS' wide-ranging musical influences include Nirvana, Frank Ocean, Queens of the Stone Age, Tame Impala, Led Zeppelin, Franz Ferdinand, Rage Against the Machine, Phoenix, White Stripes, Death From Above 1979, Foo Fighters, Pixies, Radiohead, Modest Mouse, St. Vincent, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tokyo Police Club, Black Sabbath, Dirty Projectors, Local Native, and Gorillaz. ^[21]

The band is also highly influenced by film, and this is reflected in several lyrics, and in the band's videos.

Tour history

In 2014, JPNSGRLS toured extensively in Canada, the United States, and Asia.

Beginning as tour support for their labelmates Mounties (band) across Western Canada, the band then played several individual gigs, festivals and showcases - including JUNOFEST in Winnipeg, MB, Music Matters Live in Singapore, NXNE in Toronto, ON, Rifflandia Music Festival Victoria, BC, Canadian Indie Week, Toronto, ON, and the CMJ Music Marathon, New York City.

In March 2015, JPNSGRLS made their debut at SXSW in Austin, Texas.^[22][23]

In April/May 2015, the band is touring the UK and Europe - including the Hit the Deck Festival in Bristol/Nottingham, The Great Escape Festival in Brighton, Liverpool Sound City Festival, and individual dates in France, Germany and the Netherlands. ^{[24] [25] [26]}

References

External links

• JPNSGRLS Official Website
• JPNSGRLS YouTube
• The Beauties, Battle of the Bands Vogue Theatre, Vancouver, BC Canada, February 5, 2009, Retrieved April 3, 2015
• David and Goliath video, The Beauties August 22, 2009, Retrieved April 3, 2015