''Celebration Rock'' is the second studio album by Canadian rock duo

Japandroids Japandroids were a Canadian rock duo from Vancouver, British Columbia, formed in 2006. The band consisted of Brian King (guitar, vocals) and David Prowse (drums, vocals).Lindsay, Ca"No Fun City Rockers" ''Exclaim!'', May 2009 accessed November ...

, released on June 5, 2012, by

Polyvinyl In polymer chemistry, vinyl polymers are a group of polymers derived from substituted vinyl () monomers. Their backbone is an extended alkane chain . In popular usage, "vinyl" refers only to polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Examples Vinyl polymers are ...

. Recorded in Vancouver with ''Post-Nothing'' engineer Jesse Gander, the band aspired to capture the spirit and energy of their live shows, thus forgoing standard studio techniques such as double tracking and overdubbing, while consciously taking into account the perceived reaction of their audience to hearing the songs live in concert.Rytlewski, Eva
"Japandroids: Bottling the Enthusiasm"
Express Milwaukee. May 21, 2013 accessed January 22, 2014.Dombal, Ryan
Japandroids Talk New Album

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...

. 9 March 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2012. The album was released to widespread acclaim from critics, who praised its blending of classic rock and punk rock influences.Hermes, Wil
"Japandroids: One Part Classic Rock, One Part Punk"
''

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

'', June 6, 2012 accessed January 22, 2014.Cohen, Ia
"Reviews - Japandroids, Celebration Rock"
''

'', May 29, 2012 accessed June 7, 2012.

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...

named it the best Canadian album of 2012, while

CBC CBC may refer to: Media * Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico * Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster ** CBC Television ** CBC Radio One ** CBC Music ** ...

declared it the best rock album of the year, later ranking it #91 on its list of ''The 100 Greatest Canadian Albums Ever''.CBC Musi
"The 100 Greatest Canadian Albums Ever"
''

CBC Music CBC Music (formerly known as CBC FM, CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2) is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It used to concentrate on classical and jazz. In 2007 and 2008, the network transitioned towards a ...

'', July 28, 2012 accessed January 22, 2014. The album was also well received internationally, with

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

calling it one of ''The 10 Coolest Summer Albums of All Time'', and

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...

naming the duo ''Band of the Year''.Sheffield, Ro
"The 10 Coolest Summer Albums of All Time"
''

'', July 18, 2012 accessed January 22, 2014.Harvilla, Ro
"Band of the Year: Japandroids"
''

'', December 3, 2012 accessed January 22, 2014.

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

later recognized ''Celebration Rock'' as one of best albums of the 2010s, describing it as "the most beautiful, life-affirming rock record of the decade".

Background

Japandroids toured extensively in support of their first album, performing over 200 shows in more than 20 countries between June 2009 and October 2010. Following two New Year's shows December 31 and January 1 at Schubas Tavern in Chicago, the band decided to discontinue touring in support of ''Post-Nothing'', and return to Vancouver to begin work on a new album.Dombal, Rya
Interviews: Japandroids

. 24 May 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2012. After taking the bulk of 2011 off to work on new material, Japandroids revealed that they would tour North America with

Bass Drum of Death Bass Drum of Death is an American Garage punk (fusion genre), garage punk band from Oxford, Mississippi, United States, currently signed to Fat Possum Records. History The band's frontman, John Barrett, formed Bass Drum of Death in 2008 as a ...

throughout August and September playing primarily smaller, intimate venues in order to test out their new material prior to the recording of their second album. During these shows, the band debuted several new songs including "Fire's Highway,"", "Adrenaline Nightshift", and "Evil's Sway". Following the tour, the band temporarily relocated from

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

to continue writing. The duo cited disillusion with Vancouver, as well as the difficulty of returning to a sedentary lifestyle following two years of continuous touring, as the primary motivations for the move. Both "The House That Heaven Built" and "Continuous Thunder" were written during this period.

Recording

The album was recorded in

with ''

Post-Nothing ''Post-Nothing'' is the debut studio album by Canadian rock duo Japandroids. The album was originally released in Canada on 28 April 2009, by Unfamiliar Records. Pitchfork awarded 'Best New Music' to both the album and lead single "Young Hearts ...

'' engineer Jesse Gander. The band has said they intended for the album to capture the spirit and energy of their live shows, thus foregoing standard studio techniques such as

double tracking Double tracking or doubling is an audio recording technique in which a performer sings or plays along with their own prerecorded performance, usually to produce a stronger or bigger sound than can be obtained with a single voice or instrument ...

and

overdubbing Overdubbing (also known as layering) is a technique used in audio recording in which audio Music track, tracks that have been pre-recorded are then played back and monitored, while simultaneously recording new, doubled, or augmented tracks onto o ...

, while consciously taking into account the perceived reaction of their audience to hearing the songs live in concert. On recording the album, guitarist Brian King said "Technically speaking, the process for recording ''Celebration Rock'' was almost identical to that of our previous records: same studio, same engineer, same equipment, same techniques, etc. To me, the progression lies in the songwriting, the captured performances, and the mixing/production of the album, all of which are simply reflections of our shared knowledge and experience since recording ''

''."Stanley, Car
Louder Than War Interview: Japandroids

Louder Than War ''Louder Than War'' is a music and culture website and magazine focusing on mainly alternative arts news, reviews, and features. The site is an editorially independent publication that was started by the English musician and journalist John R ...

. October 11, 2012 accessed January 22, 2014. In an interview with

, drummer Dave Prowse cited ''

Appetite for Destruction ''Appetite for Destruction'' is the debut studio album by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, released on July 21, 1987, by Geffen Records. It initially received little mainstream attention, and it was not until the following year that ''App ...

'' as a specific influence on the album's sequencing. Rather than having a traditional ‘Side A’ and ‘Side B’ structure, ''Appetite For Destruction'' is split into ‘G’ and ‘R’ sides: the former 'Gun' side dealing with violence and debauchery (‘

Welcome To The Jungle "Welcome to the Jungle" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses, featured as the opening track on their debut album, ''Appetite for Destruction'' (1987). It was released as the album's second single initially in the UK in September 1987 ...

’, ‘

Paradise City "Paradise City" is a song by the American rock band Guns N' Roses, featured on their debut album, ''Appetite for Destruction'' (1987). Released as a single in January 1989, it is the only song on the album to feature a synthesizer. The song pea ...

’), while the latter 'Roses' side focused on love and sex (‘

Sweet Child o' Mine "Sweet Child o' Mine" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses, released on their debut studio album, '' Appetite for Destruction'' (1987). In the United States, the song was released in June 1988, topping the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 cha ...

’, ‘

Rocket Queen "Rocket Queen" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses, featured on their debut studio album, ''Appetite for Destruction'' (1987). The song incorporates moans from a woman, Adriana Smith, who was recorded having sexual intercourse with the b ...

’). As King further explained, "We had this idea of the album having two sides, where ike ''Appetite For Destruction''‘Side A’ is super-intense and ‘Side B’ is softer and poppier."

Music

The music on ''Celebration Rock'' has been described as "one part classic rock, one part punk", due to the blending of classic rock influences such as

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...

and

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the leader and frontman of the Rock music, rock bands Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch and a member of the late 1980s sup ...

, with punk rock influences such as The Replacements and

Hüsker Dü Hüsker Dü () was an American punk rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continuous members were guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer/vocalist Grant Hart. They first gained notability as a hardc ...

. Critic Steven Hyden described ''Celebration Rock'' as "taking a mighty lunge at the pantheon of great rock records," commenting that the album "addresses the teenage wasteland with the bombastic mix of fury and empathy that derives from ''

Who's Next ''Who's Next'' is the fifth studio album by the English rock band the Who, released on 2 August 1971, by Track Records in the United Kingdom and by Decca Records in the United States. It developed from the aborted '' Lifehouse'' project, a m ...

''; traffics in the same streetwise rock-patter drivel originating from ''

Born to Run ''Born to Run'' is the third studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on August 25, 1975, by Columbia Records. Co- produced by Springsteen with his manager Mike Appel and the producer Jon Landau, its recordin ...

''; has the drunkard's sentimentality of ''Let It Be'', and the tour-weary determinism of ''

''. It's a beefy, pop-conscious punk record in the mold of ''

Nevermind ''Nevermind'' is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana (band), Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991, by DGC Records. It was Nirvana's first release on a Record label#Major versus independent record labels, major label an ...

'', and it's destined to become, like ''

White Blood Cells White blood cells (scientific name leukocytes), also called immune cells or immunocytes, are cells of the immune system that are involved in protecting the body against both infectious disease and foreign entities. White blood cells are genera ...

'', an important battle in the never-ending war to end bass playing as we know it." Tyler Kane of ''

Paste Magazine ''Paste'' is an American monthly music and entertainment digital magazine, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with studios in Atlanta and Manhattan, and owned by Paste Media Group. The magazine began as a website in 1998. It ran as a print publi ...

'' assessed: "Like on their debut ''

'', Japandroids remain relentless from the get-go, infusing their pulsating anthems with epic sing-alongs as they shout out choruses that 'yell like hell to the heavens.'" King explained: "We actually tried to simulate the sound of what we ''thought'' the crowd would do during the songs. Dave and I were in the studio just screaming out as if we were in the audience at our own show." The band has repeatedly cited '' Live at Raji's'' by

The Dream Syndicate The Dream Syndicate is an American alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California, originally active from 1981 to 1989, and reunited since 2012. The band is associated with neo-psychedelia and the Paisley Underground music movement; of the b ...

as a major influence, stating that it was the record they had listened to the most during the writing and recording of ''Celebration Rock''.Murphy, To
"Brian King of Japandroids on Husker Du, the Gun Club and the lost art of album art"
, ''

Westword ''Westword'' is a free digital and print media publication based in Denver, Colorado. ''Westword'' publishes daily online coverage of local news, restaurants, music and arts, as well as longform narrative journalism. A weekly print issue circ ...

'', June 19, 2012 accessed January 22, 2014. The song "The Nights of Wine and Roses" is an homage to The Dream Syndicate song "

The Days of Wine and Roses ''The Days of Wine and Roses'' is the second record and the debut studio album by the American alternative rock band the Dream Syndicate. It was released in October 1982 through Ruby Records, a division of Slash Records. Produced by Chris D. (o ...

Lyrics

Lyrically, ''Celebration Rock'' has been described as a callback to classic rock conventions for its use of universal, mythic rock & roll language, including the use of contrasting themes such as

good In most contexts, the concept of good denotes the conduct that should be preferred when posed with a choice between possible actions. Good is generally considered to be the opposite of evil. The specific meaning and etymology of the term and its ...

and

evil Evil, as a concept, is usually defined as profoundly immoral behavior, and it is related to acts that cause unnecessary pain and suffering to others. Evil is commonly seen as the opposite, or sometimes absence, of good. It can be an extreme ...

heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...

and

hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history sometimes depict hells as eternal destinations, such as Christianity and I ...

life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...

and

death Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...

young Young may refer to: * Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents * Youth, the time of life when one's age is low, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood Music * The Young, an America ...

and old, etc. More specifically, themes explored on the album include

friendship Friendship is a Interpersonal relationship, relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague. Althoug ...

lust Lust is an intense desire for something. Lust can take any form such as the lust for sexuality (see libido), money, or power. It can take such mundane forms as the lust for food (see gluttony) as distinct from the need for food or lust for red ...

revenge Revenge is defined as committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. Vengeful forms of justice, such as primitive justice or retributive justice, are often differentiated from more fo ...

art Art is a diverse range of cultural activity centered around ''works'' utilizing creative or imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience, generally through an expression of emotional power, conceptual ideas, tec ...

, and

self-actualization Self-actualization, in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, is the highest personal aspirational human need in the hierarchy. It represents where one's potential is fully realized after more basic needs, such as for the body and the ego, have been fulfill ...

. As Ian Cohen of

noted, "Japandroids have gone from having almost none at all yricsto packing their songs with an astonishing command of

legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...

and literalism that all but dares you to feel ''something''." Regarding his use of language and themes, King stated: King has cited the novel ''

Under The Volcano ''Under the Volcano'' is a novel by the English writer Malcolm Lowry (1909–1957) published in 1947. It tells the story of Geoffrey Firmin, an alcoholic British Consulate general, consul in the Mexican city of Cuernavaca, Quauhnahuac on the D ...

'' by

Malcolm Lowry Clarence Malcolm Lowry (; 28 July 1909 – 26 June 1957) was an English poet and novelist who is best known for his 1947 novel ''Under the Volcano'', which was voted No. 11 in the Modern Library's 100 Best Novels list.

as a primary influence, inspiring him to try using more descriptive and poetic language in his lyrics: "In retrospect, the only work I can see reflected in the lyrics of ''Celebration Rock'' is ''Under The Volcano'' by Malcolm Lowry, a book I read twice during 2010-2011."

Release and promotion

"Younger Us", the second single by Japandroids, was released by Polyvinyl Record Co. on July 20, 2010. It has been later included on ''Celebration Rock''. On March 26, 2012, Japandroids announced that their second album ''Celebration Rock'' would be released by

on June 5, 2012, preceded by a limited edition 7" of the album's first single "The House That Heaven Built" on May 15, 2012. On May 27, 2012, ''Celebration Rock'' was streamed in its entirety on

NPR Music NPR Music is a project of National Public Radio, an American privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization, that launched in November 2007 to present public radio music programming and original editorial content for music ...

.Thompson, Stephen
First Listen: Japandroids, 'Celebration Rock'

. 27 May 2012. Retrieved on 05 February 2019. The album was released in the band's native Canada on May 29, 2012. On June 8, 2012, the band performed the songs "Fire's Highway" and "The House That Heaven Built" on ''

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show was the third installment of the '' Late Night'' franchise. Hosted by Jimmy Fallon,

''. On February 25, 2013, the band performed the song "The Nights of Wine & Roses" on '' Conan''. On February 27, 2013, it was announced that "The House That Heaven Built" had temporarily been named the entrance theme for the

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. The Canucks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conferenc ...

professional ice hockey team. On June 20, 2013, the band performed the song "Adrenaline Nightshift" on ''

Late Show with David Letterman ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production com ...

''.

Music video

A video for " The House That Heaven Built", Japandroids' first music video, was released in August to promote the single. The black-and-white video, directed by Jim Larson and produced by Pitchfork.tv, documented one week in the life of Japandroids on tour using footage from the east coast portion of their spring 2012 U.S. tour, including live footage from shows in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, and

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

Tour

Japandroids toured heavily in support of ''Celebration Rock'', performing over 200 shows in more than 40 countries between March 2012 and November 2013. The ''Celebration Rock Tour'' consisted of 13 individual legs across

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

, and

Oceania Oceania ( , ) is a region, geographical region including Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Outside of the English-speaking world, Oceania is generally considered a continent, while Mainland Australia is regarded as its co ...

, including numerous festival appearances:

Coachella Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music festival, music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valle ...

Bonnaroo Bonnaroo (or Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival) is an American annual four-day music festival developed and founded by Superfly Presents and AC Entertainment. Bonnaroo has taken place at what is now Great Stage Park, a 700-acre (280 ha) far ...

Sasquatch! Sasquatch! Music Festival was an annual music festival held at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington, United States. It took place on Memorial Day weekend, running for three to four days. In 2018, it was announced that the festival was ...

Firefly The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...

, Governors Ball,

Fun Fun Fun Fest Fun Fun Fun Fest (often abbreviated as "FFF" or "F3F") was an annual music and comedy festival held in Austin, Texas, United States. It featured stages that focused specifically on hip-hop / electronica, indie rock, punk / metal, and comedy. S ...

Free Press Summer Fest The Free Press Summer Festival was an annual two-day music festival held in Houston, Texas at Buffalo Bayou's Eleanor Tinsley Park. Other activities include fireworks, interactive art installations, a paint slide, music workshops, a 30-foot wat ...

, and

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

's festival

Orion Orion may refer to: Common meanings * Orion (constellation), named after the mythical hunter * Orion (mythology), a hunter in Greek mythology Arts and media Fictional entities Characters and species * Orion (character), a DC Comics c ...

in the United States,

Primavera Sound Primavera Sound (commonly referred to as Primavera) is an annual music festival held at the Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona, Spain, during late May and early June. It was founded in 2001 by Pablo Soler as "a showcase for Spanish Noise rock, noise ban ...

Optimus Alive! NOS Alive (formerly Optimus Alive) is an annual music and arts festival held in the Algés (Oeiras), Algés riverside, close to Lisbon, in Portugal. It is organized since 2007 by the Portuguese live entertainment company Everything is New. Its n ...

Paredes de Coura Paredes de Coura () is a municipality in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 9,198, in an area of 138.19 km2. The municipality is located in the district of Viana do Castelo. The present Mayor is Prof. Vitor Paulo Pereira, elected by the S ...

, Pitchfork (Paris),

OFF Off or OFF may refer to: Art and entertainment * ''Off'' (video game), a video game by Mortis Ghost. *Sven Väth, German DJ and singer who uses the pseudonym OFF * ''Off'' (album), by Ciwan Haco, 2006 * ''Off!'' (album), by Off! * Off!, an Ameri ...

Latitude In geography, latitude is a geographic coordinate system, geographic coordinate that specifies the north-south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from −90° at t ...

and

Longitude Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east- west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek lett ...

festivals in Europe,

Vive Latino Vive Latino - Festival Iberoamericano de Cultura Musical, known for sponsorship reasons as Amazon Vive Latino, is an annual music festival held in Mexico City. It is one of the most important music festivals in Mexico, featuring a great varie ...

in Mexico,

Fuji Rock Festival is an annual music festival, rock festival held in Naeba Ski Resort, in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The three-day event, organized by Smash (Music promoters), Smash Japan, features more than 200 Japanese and international musicians, making it th ...

in Japan, and

Laneway Festival The St. Jerome's Laneway Festival, commonly referred to as Laneway, began in Caledonian Lane, Melbourne, Australia, on Sunday, February 27, 2005. Beginning as predominantly an indie music event, the festival grew in popularity and expanded to f ...

in Australia.

Reception and legacy

''Celebration Rock'' was released to critical acclaim. On

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

, the album has a score of 83 out of 100, based on 33 collected reviews. ''

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...

s Kyle Ryan wrote, "Maybe it's because the songs were so hard won after that long dry spell that they sound especially lively, but ''Celebration Rock'' starts strong and stays there over the course of its eight songs and 35 minutes." Ian Cohen of ''

'' gave the album a "Best New Music" designation, writing that even though ''Celebration Rock'' was recorded the same exact way as ''

,'' ''Celebration Rock'' " .dwarf its impressive predecessor." Cohen continued: " writing about something other than the experience of being Japandroids, the duo taps into a power greater than itself to address impossibly vast and elemental topics-- friendship, lust, revenge, art, self-actualization-- with songs every bit as big." Megan Ritt of ''

Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. History ''Consequence of Sound'' was founded in Septem ...

'' felt that the band had "retained the energy that pulses below the surface of the best tracks on ''Post-Nothing'' and infused it with more focus. Where ''Post-Nothing'' melts into a hazy dream, ''Celebration Rock'' does exactly what it claims to do—it burns on and on like the best sort of party." In 2019, ''

Paste Paste is a term for any very thick viscous fluid. It may refer to: Science and technology * Adhesive or paste ** Wallpaper paste ** Wheatpaste, a liquid adhesive made from vegetable starch and water * Paste (rheology), a substance that behaves as ...

'' included the album in its list of the best indie rock releases of the 2010s. Staff member Tyler Kane wrote: "Japandroids’ eight-track, zero-percent-fat ''Celebration Rock'' is bookended by the triumphant sounds of fireworks, but the real explosions lie in the chemistry of duo Brian King and David Prowse, filling out the record with just guitar, drums and vocals. ''Celebration Rock'' exists as a testament that chant-along, simple rock songs still have a place in the greater discussion of music, and you’d be hard pressed to argue otherwise after hearing “The Nights of Wine and Roses” and “The House that Heaven Built.” Not all reviews were positive, however. ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

''s Alex Denney gave ''Celebration Rock'' a mixed review, writing "Japandroids know how to bring the ruckus. But elsewhere the power-chord pummelage gets a bit one-note — and

The Gun Club The Gun Club were an American post-punk band from Los Angeles that existed from 1979 to 1996. Created and led by singer-songwriter and guitarist Jeffrey Lee Pierce, they were notable as one of the first bands in the punk rock subculture to i ...

cover only reminds us that journeymen like these have no business dancing with the bones of

Jeffrey Lee Pierce Jeffrey Lee Pierce (June 27, 1958 – March 31, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and author. He was one of the founding members of the band The Gun Club, and released material as a solo artist. Early life Pierce was born ...

." ''

Now Now most commonly refers to the present time. Now, NOW, or The Now may also refer to: Organizations * Natal Organisation of Women, a South African women's organization * National Organization for Women, an American feminist organization * Na ...

''s Carla Gillis criticized the album's repetitiveness, writing " .the band's refusal ever to let up on volume, bombast, group-shouted vocals, fast-strummed chords or smashing drums makes ''Celebration Rock'' an exhausting sonic assault in need of variety."

awarded the song "Younger Us" a 'Best New Music' designation, and ranked it #42 on its list of top 100 singles of 2010. The album peaked at number 37 on the ''Billboard'' 200.

Accolades

''Celebration Rock'' was nominated for the

Juno Award The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...

for Alternative Album of the Year. On June 14, 2012, the album was named as a long-listed nominee for the

2012 Polaris Music Prize The 2012 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 24, 2012Feist's 2011 album ''

Metals A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. These properties are all associated with having electrons available at the Fermi level, as against no ...

''. ''Celebration Rock'' appeared on many critics year-end best-of lists: *#1 –

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

's 20 Best Albums of 2012 *#1 –

's Albums of the YearWheeler, Bra
"Best Canadian album of 2012? Japandroids’ Celebration Rock"
''

'', December 16, 2012 accessed January 22, 2014. *#1 –

's Top Rock Albums of 2012Shuymka, Dav
“Top 5 Rock Albums of 2012”
''

'', December 17, 2012 accessed January 22, 2014. *#1 –

BuzzFeed BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet mass media, media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John Seward Johnson III, John S. Johnson III to ...

's Top Rock Albums of 2012 *#2 – ''

''s Top 25 Albums of 2012 *#2 –

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

's Top Albums of 2012 *#2 –

Insound Insound was an online music store. Insound carried CD, vinyl, hard to find items, music accessories and merchandise. The company was located in New York, New York. History Insound was founded in 1998 by Christian Anthony, Matt Wishnow and Ari ...

's Top 50 Albums of 2012 *#3 – ''Spin''s 50 Best Albums of 2012 *#4 –

Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Ma ...

's Top 25 Albums of 2012 *#4 – ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...

''s Top 30 Albums of 2012 *#5 –

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

's Best Music of 2012 *#5 –

's Top 50 Albums of 2012 *#5 –

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...

's The 75 Best Albums of 2012 *#6 –

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

's Top 10 Albums of 2012 *#7 –

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awar ...

's Top 50 Albums of 2012 *#7 – ''Paste'' Magazine's 50 Best Albums of 2012 *#9 – ''

''s 50 Best Albums of 2012 *#11 – ''

''s Top 50 Albums of 2012 *

's 50 Favorite Albums of 2012 Metacritic lists the album as #5 on its ''2012 Music Critic's List'', which collects and tallies the individual year-end Top Ten lists published by major music critics and publications.Metacriti
"2012 Music Critic Top Ten Lists"
, ''

'', December 4, 2012, accessed January 22, 2014. In Canada,

(Canada's

newspaper of record A newspaper of record is a major national newspaper with large newspaper circulation, circulation whose editorial and news-gathering functions are considered authoritative and independent; they are thus "newspapers of record by reputation" and i ...

) named ''Celebration Rock'' the best Canadian album of 2012, while

declared it the best rock album of the year, later ranking it #91 on its list of ''The 100 Greatest Canadian Albums Ever''. The album was also well received internationally, with ''

'' listing it as one of ''The 10 Coolest Summer Albums of All Time'', and ''

'' magazine calling it the third best album of 2012, later naming

2012's ''Band of the Year''.

Track listing

Singles

* " The House That Heaven Built" (May 15, 2012) ** 7" single b/w: "Jack The Ripper" ( Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds cover)

Personnel

;Japandroids * Brian King – guitar, lead vocals * David Prowse - drums, backup vocals ;Technical * Jesse Gander - Engineering, Mixing, Production * Alan Douches - Mastering ;Photography *Reiner Asscheman *Brian Banks *Annika Berglund *Christian Bobak * Simone Cecchetti *Andy Collins *Sam Cowling *Geoff Hargadon *Andy Mueller *Tom Øverlie *Leonardo Solis Varela *Maryanne Ventrice *Charlotte Zoller

Charts

References

{{Authority control 2012 albums Japandroids albums Polyvinyl Record Co. albums