[Watch] Japandroids Tear Up the Ed Sullivan Theater, Performing "Adrenaline Nightshift" on Letterman

Rowdy Vancouver rock duo Japandroids gave the Late Show with David Letterman a shot of adrenaline, performing their Celebration Rock track "Adrenaline Nightshift." The Ed Sullivan Theater echoed with the sounds of rock and roll. Paul Shaffer even cracked a joke about the band being Japanese (haha). Check out their performance below.

[Sasquatch! 2013] Recap: Day One

Sasquatch! 2013 came and went this past weekend, four days of incredible music, memorable friendships and drug addled debauchery. There is no better reason to navigate the beauty of eastern Washington state towards the gorgeous sights of The Gorge Amphitheatre. Graced with the winding currents of the Columbia River, the panoramic views are equalled only by the performances taking place there. Day one, Friday the 24th, saw a headlining performance from Seattle hip-hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, representing their home state, as well as fantastic sets from Arctic Monkeys, Vampire Weekend, Father John Misty, Japandroids and more. Kicking off the festival, there were memorable moments but also disappointing ones. See our recap of the first day below.

Photo by Matthew Lamb.

Day one of the festival was off to a rocky start. After trekking from Vancouver to The Gorge, our group arrived at the festival grounds at 2:30am to the sight of a lengthy lineup. Fast forward to 6am and we finally began setting up our tents, exhausted by the drive and lack of sleep, dizzy from the numerous beers consumed. As the rain began to pour down, we laid back for a much needed sleep. After six hours of rest, I wandered the campground, running into friends and soaking in the festival atmosphere. There was excitement in the air and I couldn't help but feel the same way. Sasquatch! had begun.

After hours of drinking, my girlfriend and I made our way to the festival grounds. Once our media bracelets were secured we headed in, ready to catch ScHoolboy Q & Ab-Soul at the main stage. The crowd was packed in front of the Sasquatch stage, but to our and everyone else's disappointment ScHoolboy and Ab-Soul never showed up. People in the crowd muttered things along the lines of, "Oh, they must have gotten too high," but that's no excuse. Kush coma or not, it was a disheartening start to the festival.

On a more positive note, the absence of ScHoolboy and Ab-Soul did give us the chance to see Japandroids at the Honda Bigfoot stage. Saying "fuck you" to scheduling conflicts, we made our way to an energetic View from the crowd of Japandroids. Photo by Christopher Nelson.crowd cheering for the Vancouver duo. Their performance brought to light one of the biggest issues I had throughout the festival: the sound at the Honda Bigfoot stage (more on this later). Despite this, Japandroids' loud sound overcame these problems and led to a rowdy crowd and a great performance. The crowd-surfing was already in full swing.

Father John Misty followed Japandroids at Honda Bigfoot, bringing his eclectic folk stylings to the The Gorge crowd. He and his band brought a colorful backdrop, complete with an overarching rainbow. J. Tillman and co. tore through their debut album Fear Fun, delivering fantastic performances of "Nancy From Now On" and more. Thankfully, the band's gospel folk sound was not victimized by any sound problems. Rather they gave fans an energetic and memorable set, continuing the tone that Japandroids set before them.

Father John Misty. Photo by Matthew Lamb.Making our way from Honda Bigfoot to the main stage, all I could do was bask in the beauty of the scenery. Sweeping vistas and carving river canyons, it's impossible not to feel lucky being at Sasquatch!.

Approaching the rising hill of the Sasquatch stage, it was clear that UK outfit Arctic Monkeys had amassed an incredibly eager crowd. Sitting comfortably atop the hill with a beer in hand, I watched impressed at every minute of their performance. Dressed in a dapper suit, frontman Alex Turner was in top form, driving forward with boming vocals backed by Jamie Cook on lead guitar, Nick O'Malley on bass and Matt Helders on drums. The Brit rockers have such a polished live sound, and it showed when they broke out renditions of "R U Mine?" and "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor." If the crowd on the hill was excited, then the people in front of the stage were going absolutely insane. Swaths of fans swayed and danced in unison, arms in the air ready to move or clap whenever called upon by Turner.

For a festival experience that started off with some disappointment, the three bands I did see more than made up for it. Japandroids were loud and energetic. Father John Misty was unique and put his all into hyping up festival goers. Arctic Monkeys simply killed it. Unfortunately, the cold weather and some poor clothing choices on my part, day one ended early. I missed Vampire Weekend, but it wasn't the end of the world. I heard Macklemore & Ryan Lewis gave an outstanding performance, appreciative of a headlining spot and such dedicated fans, but I wasn't torn by the thought of skipping it. In the end, turning in early turned into a night of drinking with friends and a delicious meal at our campsite. After all, Sasquatch is more than just a festival, it's camping, getting dirty, drinking, smoking, and generally enjoying the time you spend with those around you. While I didn't see a ton of bands the ones I did see were great, and overall Friday set the perfect tone for the days to come.

Sasquatch at night. Photo by Christopher Nelson.

Day two will be published on Monday, with thoughts on Nick Offerman, Holy Ghost!, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Bloc Party, The xx and more.

By Adrian McCavour

[Sasquatch! 2013] Our Most Anticipated Artists of the Festival (Day One and Two)

Only two days left until Sasquatch! begins. Tomorrow and the next day will see thousands of avid music fans journeying to The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, WA, prepping their campsites, stocking up on alcohol and drugs in anticipation of dozens of amazing performances. This year's lineup boasts some fantastic talent, such as The xx, Vampire Weekend, Sigur Rós, The Postal Service, Disclosure, Arctic Monkeys, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros and many, many more. It's a lineup worth salivating over.

As the festival quickly approaches, I've put together a list of some of the best acts playing each of the four nights. Each band comes with some recommended listening, because there is no better way to prepare for a festival than sampling what each band has to offer, whether you know them or not. Check out our most anticipated artists for days one and two below, with days three and four to follow tomorrow.

Day One (Friday):

Japandroids - 6:05-7:05pm @Honda Bigfoot

This Vancouver duo knows how to get a crowd moving. With their raucous, anthemic sound, Japandroids are sure to get the party started right.

Recommended Listening:

Father John Misty - 7:30-8:30pm @Honda Bigfoot

Former member of Fleet Foxes and Saxon Shore, J. Tillman now performs under the moniker Father John Misty. His soulful folk ballads would be perfectly paired with a beer in one hand and a joint in the other. Don't forget your lighter for this one.

Recommended Listening:

Arctic Monkeys - 8:30-9:45pm @Sasquatch

The Sheffield four-piece are no strangers to the big stage. They'll be rockin' it out on the main stage for an hour and fifteen minutes, plenty of time for you to get fucked up amidst a rowdy crowd. There's no doubt a mosh pit will start during their set.

Recommended Listening:

Youth Lagoon - 8:30-9:45pm @Yeti

Trevor Powers will bring his dreamy, weird soundscapes to the Sasquatch! crowd on Friday night. If you're not in the mood for Arctic Monkeys, this one will surely attract a more experimental crowd. Don't freak out if you come across a few people on mushrooms.

Recommended Listening:

Vampire Weekend - 9:45-11:15pm @Honda Bigfoot

With Modern Vampires of the City now out, Vampire Weekend will have three albums worth of material to unleash on festival goers. Expect more than just ivy league ballads, as the New York outfit have expanded their sound in a fantastic way.

Recommended Listening:

Day Two (Saturday):

Andrew Bird - 5:55-6:55pm @Sasquatch

While his last album Hands of Glory wasn't his best, we can expect he'll dish out tracks from throughout his career, including last year's amazing Break It Yourself. Relax on the hill, drink and smoke merrily, and let Andrew Bird usher in a beautiful sunset at The Gorge.

Recommended Listening:

Holy Ghost! - 6:50-7:50pm @Honda Bigfoot

Nick Millhiser and Alex Frankel proudly carry the DFA torch, bringing the classic nu-disco style defined by LCD Soundsystem to the west coast. I've seen these guys before, and they know how to get a crowd dancing. They're also releasing a new album later this year, so expect them to perform new material.

Recommended Listening:

Bloc Party - 7:25-8-25pm @Sasquatch

Bloc Party is one of those bands that lives on through a certain nostalgia. Every fan has that one album that they clung to during the angsty teenage years, or that first time you saw Kele Okereke and co. live and couldn't hold back your excitement. They strive off it, but it doesn't hold them back. Their latest album Four was aggressive, loud and overall really fucking good. If you haven't seen these guys perform before, you're in for a treat.

Recommended Listening:

Porcelain Raft - 7:40-8:40pm @Yeti

Mauro Remiddi's debut album Strange Weekend is a highlight amongst the often tiresome dreampop genre, an LP that is so mesmerizing that it refuses to become stale. It's so catchy and unique, and hopefully that translates to a great live show.

Recommended Listening:

Divine Fits - 8:15-9:15pm @Honda Bigfoot

How can you go wrong when you bring together talent from Spoon, Wolfmother and Handsome Furs? Divine Fits pulls the best aspects of those bands, yet brings something more. It's raw and experimental, combining rock 'n' roll and synthesized elements that never overpower one another. Every instrument and sound complements each other perfectly, something that will surely shine during their live performance.

Recommended Listening:

The xx - 9:00-10:15pm @Sasquatch

Atmosphere is all you need to know about The xx. Their moody, minimalist approach is enough to turn the rowdiest of crowds into a mass of hypnotized converts. Don't miss this performance. 

Recommended Listening:

Sigur Rós - 11:00-12:30am @Sasquatch

Much like The xx, Sigur Rós strives on the atmosphere they create. Their ethereal sound is simply beautiful, something you can so easily become lost in. The band is also releasing a new album next month, so make sure to pay attention for new material.

Recommended Listening:

Tame Impala - 10:00-11:00pm @Honda Bigfoot

This Australian outfit is damn good live. Like, damn good. Their brand of psychedelic rock is fantastic no matter the setting, and a warm summer night at The Gorge sounds like the perfect place. Unfortunately, the band's bassist Nick Allbrook said farewell earlier this week, being replaced by Pond member Cam Avery. Don't expect Tame Impala to sound any less amazing, though.

Recommended Listening:

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - 10:30-11:30pm @El Chupacabra

Despite his name coming across as that of a stately professor, Orlando Higginbottom owns the dancefloor with his bass-heavy beats. He is a highlight in this year's crop of electronic artists, bringing a unique brand of synthesized flavor to the El Chupacabra dance tent. If you're in the mood for dancing, this is the right artist for you.

Recommended Listening:

Empire of the Sun - 12:30-1:30am @Honda Bigfoot

Capping off Saturday night is the flashy and theatrical Empire of the Sun. Slipping into the early hours of the morning, this show will no doubt keep you awake and ready to party. If their recent performance of "Alive" is any indiciation, this show will be weird, bright and extremely awesome.

Recommended Listening:

[Watch] Japandroids - "The Nights of Wine and Roses" Live on Conan

The bloody wonderful noisy duo known as Japandroids hit up the late night TV circuit last night with a visit to the studio of Conan. Performing with all the energy you'd expect from the two-piece they rocked out a version of "The Nights of Wine and Roses" from the still brilliant sounding Celebration Rock. 

If you missed the show last night or maybe you just wanna get your rock on with the Canadian band, check out the clip of them at the top.

[Watch] Japandroids - "The House That Heaven Built" (Official Video)

Japandroids have just dropped their first video and they've picked a great track to do it for, "The House That Heaven Built" is a soaring arena rock anthem that will have you punchign the air in excitement. The video manages to put across the energy the duo put into their live sets with it perfectly framing them in this monochrome clip performing and partying. Check it out at the top and be sure to pick up their album Celebration Rock which is out now.

[Watch] Japandroids Return to Fallon

Over two years after first appearing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Vancouver punk-rock duo Japandroids have returned to the show to perform two tracks from their new LP Celebration Rock. During the show, they performed "Fire's Highway," which you can watch above, while their live rendition of "The House That Heaven Built" is a web-exclusive. On the latter performance, The Roots' guitarist "Captain" Kirk Douglas even joined in. Check out their performances above and after the jump.

[Listen] Stream New Albums from Neil Young, Japandroids, and Liars

On June 5th, three fantastic albums will be released by three separate artists from across the spectrum. The first is Neil Young & Crazy Horse, who will be releasing Americana, their tribute to the old-timey American songbook of the same name. The entire album is available to stream on Soundcloud. As well, Jonathan Demme's third concert film of the prolific Canadian musician, titled Neil Young Journeys, is set for release on June 29th, exactly one month from today.

Next on the docket are Japandroids, the Vancouver punk rock duo whose sophomore LP Celebration Rock has been a long time coming. The long awaited follow-up to Post-Nothing is now available to stream in full on NPR.org.

Yet another June 5th release is the sixth studio album from Liars, titled WIXIW. Give the full album a listen over at Pitchfork.

[Listen] Japandroids - 'Celebration Rock' (Full Album Stream)

The Canadian duo Japandroids are set to release their sophomore LP Celebration Rock next week and it's a bloody great album. Fist pumping garage rock to shake your tail feather to. The good people at NPR First Listen have the album streaming in full so what are you waiting for? Go shake your tail feathers already!

Celebration Rock is set to drop on the 5th of June via Polyvinyl.