Reveille: Do you see Koo Koo Kanga Roo as primarily a music act or a comedy act? Is it more important for you to get people dancing or get them laughing?

Neil Olstad: Dancing is always number one. Always. If the crowd is not moving we are not having a good time. When we write songs we think about how we can make the most catchy, danceable music possible. As far as comedy goes, it’s really just a product of us being really carefree and laid back. We want to have fun, and I think it comes through in the songs.

What can people expect from a Koo Koo Kanga Roo live show? I can imagine listening to this music on headphones is a far different experience from going out to see you guys at the Nomad.

Koo Koo Kanga Roo IS live entertainment. That is part of the reason why our record is available on our website to download for free. The songs are there so we can perform them live. We want you to download, dance to, and enjoy our music, but the live show is where we focus our energy and is where we want to excel.

Musically you tend to sway just as much toward synth-pop as you do dance or hip hop. What do you guys tend to identify with the most? What did you grow up with the most?

The record we have created and what we are striving to achieve with Koo Koo Kanga Roo is based on a few local bands, namely Dance Band and Zibra Zibra as well as bigger national acts such as Girl Talk and Dan Deacon. Basically we saw that a lot of people want to get out and dance along with live party acts. We were inspired to give it a shot.

Much of the vibrancy of the Minneapolis/St. Paul local music scene is due to the tight knit community of musicians that connect and help each other out. What ties do you have around town? Any others you can suggest with the sense of humor you guys bring to the local scene?

Bryan and I have been playing in a folk/pop-rock band called Bookreader for a few years but decided it was time to try something different, so we had gotten a taste of the scene that way. Both of us are always at shows around town plus I have a degree in Music Industry, so there has been a lot that contributes to our ties. Being a part of the Minneseries at the Nomad has been wonderful because we have gotten the chance to befriend so many great new local artists. The scene is in a really great place right now; everybody is helping each other out and producing some amazing things. We don’t want to pick favorites, but as something with a sense of humor like ours, we love the Nancy Drew Crew. They are hilarious and have songs about deodorant.

The closest you come to getting serious on your album Animal Death ... is on the track "Church and State," thought it still has a playful vibe. What was the motivation behind that? Will we see more of it the future from you guys?

“Church and State” came about in school in Winona actually. Bryan and I were both in a class where we were studying Alexis De Tocqueville's Democracy in America and our professor had just assigned a project where we had the option of writing a song instead of typing a paper and Bryan turned to me and sang that chorus. You will see more of that in the future IF it is catchy enough to make the cut. I seriously can’t stand the fact that our liquor stores are closed on Sundays.

Okay, enough seriousness. The song "Celine Dion"—ironic and mocking or a true mad crush? How do you feel about her slowly fading into obscurity?

Celine Dion is the best diva that has ever graced the stage of VH1's "DIVAS LIVE!" There will never be any other diva who comes close to matching her natural beauty and stunning vocal strength. Celine always keeps you guessing and when you are in a pinch, can get you through the day. Ever heard the song "Tell Him"? Yeah try that one on and come back to me.

Many of your songs center around animals. So give us the dirt: what are your favorite animals? Do you own any that are wacky in color, behavior, or nomenclature, as they do on the album?

While we have been known to frequent the Como Zoo, we are quite picky about which animals we enjoy and which ones we don’t. We don’t hate ALL animals, simply the ones who think they are better than us, i.e. cats. Dolphins are nice and graceful, always a treat, and otters are adorable yet stinky. We are capable of loving animals despite our musical threats. If I had to pick a favorite animal I believe I would choose the duck-billed platypus. I did a project on them in third grade. They have spurs. Awesome.

Speaking of animals, a Reveille staffer recently conducted a fake brawl between all the animal band names that are floating around nowadays, with Wolf Parade being declared the ultimate vicious animal band name. Can you make a case for Koo Koo Kanga Roo totally owning the almighty Wolf Parade?

This parade of wolves, while terrible sounding, really cannot be as vicious as it sounds. Parades have a certain sense of conformity to them. Why are all these wolves submitting to such an institution? When I picture a Wolf Parade I see a few dozen frail, elderly wolves plodding along, marching in time to the command of some parade leader. Weak. As for this Kangaroo, this is no ordinary marsupial, he has gone KOO KOO! Do I need to tell you what a crazed, unstable beast such as a KOO KOO KANGAROO could do to this sad bunch of marching wolves. Let your mind do the rest and spare me the gory details.

Do you actually have a roadie named "Cody," as your song suggests? If so, how coyote-esque is he? Will he attack me if I attend one of your shows?

Cody is a good guy. His job entails making sure our iPod makes it to the next show and ... other things ... Just because he is in fact a coyote, doesn’t mean he can’t do his job just as well as a human roadie.

This isn't so much a question as a plea regarding your song "Feline Fire," but feel free to respond to it to quell my fears: please don't burn my cats so you can make your feline fire burn "higher, higher, higher." That would make me sad and not like you anymore.

Ever seen a Fancy Feast commercial? As long as that is not your cat with the diamond bowl, we will not harm your cat in any way. Treat animals like the beasts they are, not like your children. Easy enough right?