More happy music for you happy people out there. Javelin have been going for a couple of years already but I only just got into their stuff - they base their material around samples from music shop bargain bins and the results remind me of the Avalanches, Kid Koala and Freddy Fresh from back in the late 90s. Not that either of these sound dated mind you, 'No Màs' was their debut that landed in 2010 and the 'Canyon Candy' EP followed a year later. 'No Màs' is the stronger of the two, 15 tracks of bright and bubbly electro sunshine with plenty of variety in the mix. They wisely let the samples do the talking for the most part, although vocal interludes like the Chipmunks rap on 'Oh Centra' and the indie crossover gem 'Moscow 1980' show that they aren't just two blokes hiding behind the mixing console. The results are more than just a sum of their parts too - like fellow second hand enthusiasts Holy Fuck, Javelin combine their nerdy love for spare parts with a genuine talent for crafting catchy pop gems and not laying in on too thick - this is lightweight in the good sense, one to put on as you get ready to go out in the Sunday sunshine, totally fresh and full of life. The Wild West themed EP 'Canyon Candy' focuses more directly on samples from Western flicks and old Country & Western vinyl, producing similar results but with less of the range. It's cool to hear them warp the guitar sounds on those old records (again, this kinda reminds me of Kid Koala) but back to back with their debut this EP sounds like more of an experiment than a fully-evolved release. They chop some of the tracks a bit too short, sometimes cutting things off mid-flow which, whilst it might be a way of keeping pointless noodling at bay, stops the record from picking up any kind of a rhythm. It's good, but their debut is better. Thrift store cast-offs moulded into something dazzling, these are both good examples of why Javelin are well worth keeping your eye on to see what they come up with next.
Check out : I can't choose between the aforementioned 'Oh Centra' and 'Moscow 1980' so give them both a whirl. From 'Canyon Candy' try 'Estevez' complete with Young Guns tribute vid.
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