2008 Woodie Awards
View print edition front page as a PDF
The Scene
Junior Boys back in D.C. with set that warrants hype
By Cameron Conway on 4/19/07
Junior Boys' recent stint in D.C. appeared to be more of a three-band concert rather than a headliner with two openers, as many of the attendees had refreshingly come for the first two bands.
The first band to hit the stage was Youth Group. Although at first glance the lead singer appeared to be sporting the lead singer of Wolfmother's curly blonde afro, the only similarity that the two Australian bands share is hair-related. Youth Group presented an interesting combination of the stylistic sensibilities of Death Cab for Cutie and Oasis, combining the emotional tones of the former with the major chord patterns of the latter. The band had an interesting control of dynamics uncharacteristic of its genre and were hardly shy of venturing into Mogwai-styled noisiness.
The second band to play, Aqueduct, wasn't quite as up-to-snuff. To give it credit, you really can't beat the fabulous opening song, in which the lyrics are primarily made up of "Hello, Washington D.C.! We are Aqueduct!" and similar silliness. The few songs that followed showed a comparable level of wacky inspiration, but the well apparently went dry as the set turned to increasingly bland material and an overreliance on prerecorded synth lines. Uninteresting music's worst enemy is mediocre lyrics and unfortunately in this case, they were awkward and shiver-down-your back awful.
Despite a bit of a bump in the road, Junior Boys saved the night by astounding the audience in the subtlest way possible. The Canadian electronica duo broke out of relative obscurity in 2004 with its "Last Exit" LP, which presents a distinctly Canadian take on Depeche Mode-style synth pop. The record is successful in combining both modern and vintage aesthetics, forging a sound that is both articulate and deliberate in its expression. Johnny Dark's drum machine beats on the record are ornate but refined and only present when absolutely necessary. Multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Jeremy Greenspan uses combinations of bass/guitar and synth to create beautiful atmospheres that compliment Dark's rhythms perfectly.
The first band to hit the stage was Youth Group. Although at first glance the lead singer appeared to be sporting the lead singer of Wolfmother's curly blonde afro, the only similarity that the two Australian bands share is hair-related. Youth Group presented an interesting combination of the stylistic sensibilities of Death Cab for Cutie and Oasis, combining the emotional tones of the former with the major chord patterns of the latter. The band had an interesting control of dynamics uncharacteristic of its genre and were hardly shy of venturing into Mogwai-styled noisiness.
The second band to play, Aqueduct, wasn't quite as up-to-snuff. To give it credit, you really can't beat the fabulous opening song, in which the lyrics are primarily made up of "Hello, Washington D.C.! We are Aqueduct!" and similar silliness. The few songs that followed showed a comparable level of wacky inspiration, but the well apparently went dry as the set turned to increasingly bland material and an overreliance on prerecorded synth lines. Uninteresting music's worst enemy is mediocre lyrics and unfortunately in this case, they were awkward and shiver-down-your back awful.
Despite a bit of a bump in the road, Junior Boys saved the night by astounding the audience in the subtlest way possible. The Canadian electronica duo broke out of relative obscurity in 2004 with its "Last Exit" LP, which presents a distinctly Canadian take on Depeche Mode-style synth pop. The record is successful in combining both modern and vintage aesthetics, forging a sound that is both articulate and deliberate in its expression. Johnny Dark's drum machine beats on the record are ornate but refined and only present when absolutely necessary. Multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Jeremy Greenspan uses combinations of bass/guitar and synth to create beautiful atmospheres that compliment Dark's rhythms perfectly.
Be the first to comment on this story