Cool Hunting

Brooklyn-based duo Project Jenny, Project Jan (PJPJ), like many great musical partnerships, is an opposites-attract kind of pairing. Vocalist Jeremy Haines spits lyrics with frenetic energy that fluidly moves from a David Byrne deadpan style to a dancehall-inflected growl. Over Sammy Rubin's crunchy, bass-heavy beats with sampled tablas, cow bells and big band horns the eclectic result is the kind of music that's irresistibly danceable and always brings the party.

Like another young Brooklyn band that's often compared to the Talking Heads, PJPJ's lyrics often reference the experience of living in New York City—though in this case the mix unfortunately is a little too clean to obscure some slightly juvenile tendencies. What they lack in sophistication, they make up with giddy nonsense; a chorus of "blah blah blahs" anchors the track called "Negative."

If you're in the New York area, you can catch PJPJ at Joe's Pub on 31 January 2007 as part of a show called Sxip's Hour of Charm starting at 7:30pm. Also look out for a remix of a track called "Present" by another NYC band called Pela. Their debut EP is available for purchase from their site.