Sun Aug 31
Waterfront Park
If you only listen to one Danish pop/ punk duo this year, make it Junior Senior, whose CD d-d-don't don't stop the beat is jam-packed with perfect party anthems. For those who've missed the media blitz, this happy-go-lucky duo is comprised of a skinny straight guy, a porky gay guy, and a pure love of dancey power pop that's making the world cream its jeans. Their infectious hit "Move Your Feet" is backed by a hilarious video paying tribute to the pixilated art of the Gameboy; while disco-tinged bells ring, Junior and Senior exhort the crowd to dance as an animated squirrel goes on a drunken--and ultimately world-ending--rampage.
Junior Senior is a group that has no trouble meshing optimism with dancey hooks and a jolt of sexuality--Senior (so named because he's one year older than "Junior") is said to have a particular penchant for actor Burt Reynolds, but Junior denies such a specificity. "It's not just Burt," Junior corrects. "He's into the whole '70s mustachioed porn star archetype. It's his 'flavor,' so to speak."
The music of Junior Senior literally squirts with "flavor," as in the song "Shake Your Coconuts," where they beg the listener to "Shake your coconuts/Coco BOYS!/ Until the nut comes out/ Coco GIRLS!" This innocent sexuality is then folded in with countless "tributes" to their musical influences; Rolling Stones, New York Dolls, Beach Boys, disco diva Gloria Gaynor and untold others are crammed into 13 joyous tracks. But is there a band they rely on more heavily than others? "You mean, who do we rip-off the most?" Junior laughingly asks. "A lot of people say the B-52s, but we like to start with something we know, and take it somewhere else."
Junior Senior play rock 'n' roll as if it were only invented yesterday; packed with raw innocence, non-sensical lyrics and without a trace of irony. The question is, how do you top such a fun-packed debut? "I'm definitely looking for something new to spark a flame," Junior says. "But something not too different from the vibe of what we already do--exploring the territory of the new/old."
