Tuesday, August 14, 2007

New Music Tuesday - Junior Senior

Straight outta Denmark, Junior Senior crashed the pop world's party with their 2003 debut album D-D-Don't Don't Stop The Beat. The hit single Move Your Feet and the rest of the LP were filled with catchy electro-disco pop songs about the joys of dancing and singing. Ultra cheesy yet undeniably catchy, it was the ultimate throwaway summer fun record, filled with '80s synths and nods to everyone from ABBA to KC and the Sunshine Band. It also had a tendency to get a little annoying after a while. I drove my co-workers crazy with it, and then it hit the shelf. In 2005 they followed it up with Hey Hey My My Yo Yo. The only problem was that it didn't make it out here in the US - until today. Rykodisc has issued a cool 2 disc version, compiling the original LP plus the new Say Hello, Wave Goodbye EP - if you didn't get it already, those titles are "borrowed" from Neil Young and Soft Cell! This is kind of a clue to the diversity of influences - disco, funk, rock, Motown girl groups and '8os electro and rap are all stirred into the mix. Or think Jackson 5 meets Go!Team. The new album picks up where they left off, but this time around they've transcended the annoying aspects of their debut. They deliver a cohesive, 35 minute set of catchy, humorous and highly danceable pop songs. They also add a bunch of great guest chick vocalists - Le Tigre sing backups and lead on 3 or 4 songs, as do '60s Motown legends the Velvelettes. And then there's Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson from the B52s on Take My Time. If you're looking for serious muso stuff, keep on moving. But if it's a party starter you need, you've come to the right place, and just in time for the dog days of summer and cruising with top down. Take My Time is the track featuring the B52 girls, and it is a glorious slice of sing song pop. Itch U Can't Skratch is groovy bit of '80s pop-rap that features vocals by Johanna (from Le Tigre) and one of the Velvelettes, and Simple Minds Do Simple Things Part 2 is an '80s pop flavored remix from the bonus EP. A fun record that deserves as much attention as it's predecessor.

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