Canadian duo Woodhands opened for Junior Boys at Cat's Cradle (10/29/09). They have definite potential and they put on an energetic show, but nothing really sets them apart from other electronic-indie music. Scratch that, there was one thing--Dan Werb plays a really sweet keytar.While Woodhands can easily be classified into the "electro-pop" genre, Junior Boys transcends any electronic music classification with their unprecedented style. Jeremy Greenspan breathes lyrics into the microphone, making them barely audible over the array of synthesizers and percussion. Pair that with R&B sounds and smooth synthlines and the result is a perfect blend of elegant, groovy melodies.
They played the popular and more uptempo "In the Morning" and a couple of songs from their latest album, Begone Dull Care (2009) which are also a bit more upbeat than previous albums. Could be a result of their inspiration? Junior Boys say Norman McLaren's short film Begone Dull Care (1949) influenced the album as a whole. It's a visual music animated film set to Oscar Peterson's jazz music, with animation painted and scratched directly onto the film. I found it quite enjoyable. Take a look:
