photo by Alex Crick (view more)
If you name your band after one of the most famous and beloved NASCAR drivers of all time, your music’s either gotta suck or appeal to the common denominator of middle America, right? Not so, as proves the Detroit pop duo Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. Although musical partners Joshua Epstein and Daniel Zott dress up in sponsored racing gear (Epstein in Lysol and Zott in Cheerios) to perform on-stage, their sense of fun is neither cynical nor overly silly. Pure pop songs like “Vocal Chords” and “Simple Girl” are insanely catchy and immediately likable and are nothing like the racetrack fare you might expect. Whether Dale himself would approve of his imaginary progeny is hard to predict, but there’s little doubt Zott and Epstein will come through as winners when critics compile their best-of lists of 2010. Check out the videos from their stars and stripes-loving session here:
