Casimer & Casimir is the collaboration of Casimer Pascal, the brainchild of Detroit pastoral indie pop purveyors Pas/Cal, and his similarly named nephew, VJ Casimir Caruso. Now based in Chicago, the duo plans to release an album's worth of songs one at a time. The twosome offers precious, summery sounds with a touch of whimsy, typical of Pascal's previous work, combined with electronic flourishes, landing in a sonic orbit not far from Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. (also, incidentally, a duo with Detroit roots). Their first taste arrived in September 2011, an English-language version of "Anne Cherchait l'Amour," a French song composed and originally performed in 1979 by the duo Elli et Jacno and popularized by playful Europopsters Nouvelle Vague. They followed up in January 2012 with their take on the Walkmen's evocative "In the New Year." ~ Chrysta Cherrie