It’s Chromeo! Bitches!

By: Kendall | in: Music |

Ok. I have been in arguments with Mr. D. Thompson about the 80’s. I tend to share a lot in common with him too. Normally I don’t argue much with Charbarred about music. We have some differences, which is fine, but I’m out to prove a point over our current dispute. There are so many bands that are pulling the 80’s vibe, that it has become obvious they have made a decent enough comeback. We’ve seen the darkness, we’ve seen New Rave, we’ve seen indie synth pop with the stale dance beats behind them. But I want 80’s dance-funk dammit. Only one band has brought be there so far, and I can’t put their new album down. It’s Chromeo. It’s been out for a couple months now, but I was a little late on picking it up. For this I’m sorry.

Chromeo is made up of two childhood friends out of Montreal Canada. Davie 1 and P-Thugg. I know, sounds ghetto, right? Well it is NOT. Dave one is a nerdy Jewish white boy, and P-thug is of Arab descent the lover of analog keyboard and the grooves they bring. If you love analog keyboards, you are about to get tongue kissed. And no, I’m not insinuating they are gay. Self described “walking hip-hop encyclopedias”, this unlikely pair bring it back to the days of Double Dutch Buss, Cameo, and guitar solos with a machismo flair. This, my friends, is funky fresh at it’s best and most unapologetic. When their first album She’s In Control came out in 2004, I couldn’t tell if these two were joking or if this was serious Business. With the follow-up Fancy Footwork, my questions have been answered, and my workday has just been blessed.

The intro to the album hits the ground running and you should know exactly what you are about to get slapped with. From the first keyboard chirps to the “Oh -ee -OH” chant, you are in on the non-joke. “Tenderoni” is the appropriately named 2nd track, bringing back to the days before the word lost it’s status as the word of choice for girlfriend. Bobby Brown! We haven’t forgotten! Dave 1 seems to be either in love, or in a fight with a lover almost constantly but always seems to remain calm. In “My Girl is Calling me A liar” he states, “I was an Ok Guy, I’m just left here wondering why. That girl is calling me a liar. The girl is calling me a jerk” It could be the fact that there is actually a song described as an autobiography entitled “Mamma’s Boy”. That might answer a few questions. In “Fancy Footwork” Dave one states “You think this is all for show, but this is the only way I know.” This may be true for most of Chromeo’s music. They offer no apologies. They show little remorse, and they take you to a place that you want to go. Feel guilty about it if you want, try to fight it, but the hooks that infect Chromeo’s body of work will reel you, slap you with a nasty analog synth line, and chew you up with a mouthful of vocoder before they spit you out! These are well crafted pop songs, well honed both in composition, and musicality.

Needy Girl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXuESUaESHY

Bonafied Lovin’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xew85L1xyC8

Tenderoni

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnyxgE3vmao

I am Somebody (DJ Mehdi feat. Chromeo)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc7ND4Qrd3I

Look! Even Van Damme loves Chromeo!
[youtube]XdA4pUAJjrk [/youtube]

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Posted on October 19, 2007

Comments

6 Responses to “It’s Chromeo! Bitches!”

Charbarred on October 19th, 2007 6:21 am

I believe the technical term on your side of the pond is “Uncle”…You are the master Kendall and these guys rock!
And the Van Damme video deserves its own post. Hell, it deserves a whole site dedicated to how horrific it is

Kendall on October 19th, 2007 6:57 am

For those of you that don’t know, (and it’s even listed on Van Damme’s IMDB page), Van Damme was in the movie Breakin’ as an extra. And if you thought watching him get down with Chromeo was bad, you should watch THIS!!!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3cuLcCPVYLc

Charbarred on October 19th, 2007 7:41 am

I think there are actual scars on my eyes now. Thank you for that!

DThompson on October 19th, 2007 11:15 pm

Yeah, like most faux 80’s music, these guys do a good enough job recreating the sound of an era well gone by. But, does their dance funk have to be so FUNKLESS?
I mean, listen to some real 80’s dance funk and the first thing that strikes you is “Who put all this funk in my face?” I mean, Afternoon Delights’ ‘General Hospi-tale’ and Junior’s ‘Mama Used To Say’ and EU’s ‘Da Butt’ and The Gap Band’s ‘You Dropped A Bomb On Me’ and The Bar Kay’s ‘Freak Show On The Dance Floor’… Any ONE of these songs has more funk per square inch than all of Chromeo’s tunes put together.
However, I must say, “Chromeo” is not only a freakin’ funktastic name it’s also very very 80’s dance funk band.
And, the air brush painting panel van in that video is making me nostalgic for my youth.
Plus, they are funkier than Shalamar. I’ll give them that.