The last time indie-electro outfit Junior Boys played in South Florida was during Winter Music Conference 2007 at Poplife's awkward temporary venue Post, a restaurant/lounge located on the edge of Brickell. The duo was no stranger to Miami's hipsterati set; Junior Boys had easily found success at the height of the blog-house era with the track "In the Morning," a glitchy, hook-laden production that seemed sweet and aggressive at the same time. Accompanied by a promo video that was heavy on special effects, the song's success via the internet was assured.
With the release of Begone Dull Care earlier this year, Junior Boys have embarked once again on a North American tour that surprisingly brings them south of Atlanta to the Vagabond. The new album isn't much of a departure from their 2006 sophomore effort, So This Is Goodbye, but it's definitely a step forward. The sound is still cool and elegant, but the boys have incorporated funkier beats. Tracks like "Bits & Pieces" and "Sneak a Picture" could fit neatly in Prince's catalog, while "Parallel Lines" features an industrial-like stomp that keeps its sex appeal.
With the Miami date being close to Halloween, Junior Boys decided to inject a bit of playful fun into the tour. Fans are encouraged to come dressed in costume and compete for CDs and T-shirts.
"Part of being a young Jewish kid to me was directing all of your excitement that should've been for Christmas towards Halloween," says Jeremy Greenspan, one-half of Junior Boys. "When it came about that we would be touring around the release of our single called 'Bits & Pieces' during October, all sorts of Halloween fantasies started churning up in my mind. So although we couldn't quite afford full-on GWAR-style theatrics, we are hoping that people come to the shows in a Halloween kinda mindset and attire and help us ring in Samhain all month long."
With German DJ/production duo Modeselektor tapped to give "Bit & Pieces" an extra boost of electro, it's pretty much a guarantee Junior Boys will burn up dance floors across the globe well beyond 2009.