The Band That Everyone Should Be Listening To

Chromeo describes itself as “the only successful Arab/Jewish collaboration since the beginning of time.” That type of humor is typical for Dave 1 (David Macklovitch) and P-Thugg (Patrick Gemayel), best friends since childhood. They are perfect musical compliments for each other. Dave 1 plays guitar and sings lead vocals while P-Thugg rocks the keyboards, synthesizers, and harmonizes with Dave 1 through his talk box. At first glance, one would find it hard to believe that the lanky and stylish Dave 1 is an undergraduate professor at Columbia (with a Ph.D. in French Literature) and that the chiller than chill Thugg is an accountant. However, when night rolls around, these two French-Canadian electro-funk wizards put on their gear (Thugg: gold grill; Dave: leather jacket) and bust out some of the hardest, funkiest grooves known to man.

The pair released their debut album, She’s In Control in 2004, which gave us the first sweet taste of synth-pop, infectious hooks, witty sarcasm, and an intoxicating brew of Madonna, Prince, and Rick James. The introductory track, “Me & My Man” sums up their intent: “this is the new sound, we came to get down, our name is Chromeo, and we are in control.” They sum up the importance of not living too seriously: “I want to get away, from the problems of the world today, me and my man on a plane, fly away to a better place.” That “better place” is surely the dance floor of a club or Dave 1’s bedroom. The lyrics also suggest that one of them was at the wrong end of a nasty breakup, but never before have breakups been so easy on the ears. “Rage” and “Needy Girl” call out past lovers, but glisten and sparkle with intense, layered synthesizer riffs and driving beats that groove to the core. Yet, despite the indulgent appeal of She’s In Control, there is a lack of emotional control and album coherence. The dark and heavy beats feel confined and calculated, and the instrumental tracks don’t contribute to any coherent theme.

CHROMEO: Needy Girl (Wide HQ) from Freedom Factory on Vimeo.

Chromeo’s sophomoric effort, Fancy Footwork, was released in June 2007. The guys take things in the direction of techno-pop, smoothing out their hooks and opening up their beats, which gives the album a funkier, more danceable feel. Instead of being distorted or nonexistent, Dave 1’s voice takes center stage, giving the music a personality that was lacking on many of the tracks on their previous album. It’s clear that Chromeo wants to keep the music as light-hearted as possible. Fancy Footwork is full of novelties. This is evident when Dave 1 calls P-Thugg for advice in an exchange at the end of “My Girl Is Calling Me (A Liar),” and a frustrated girl tries to remember a phone number during a break in the song “Call Me Up.” Chromeo still find discussing breakups necessary (“100%”), but insist on giving a woman the treatment and satisfaction she deserves (“Bonafied Lovin’ (Tough Guys)”). The band has a notable dedication to perfection on this record, not unlike Steely Dan or Hall & Oates (not coincidentally Thugg’s favorite bands).

Chromeo - Tenderoni from Vice Records on Vimeo.

Chromeo does not suffer from a sophomore slump. They use She’s in Control as a stepping-stone in the construction of their tightly crafted sonic experience, fashioned out of the legacies of their 70’s and 80’s funk and soul forefathers. Fancy Footwork is not going to be remembered in the books as a musical milestone, but it makes you want to get up out of your chair and dance until your feet get sore, which I think is a greater musical achievement.

I Told You I Was Freaky

Our favorite Kiwis are finally back with their bold sophomore effort, I Told You I Was Freaky. As the title suggests, Brett and Jemaine put aside their acoustic guitars and venture away from the world of folk that had distinctly colored their eponymous debut album. Flight of the Conchords emerge from the musical closet in an eclectic flurry of styles and attitudes, but remain their same likeable, awkward selves.

Flight of the Conchords was formed in 1998 by flatmates studying theater and film at Victoria University of Wellington, Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. The two built up a cult following in their native New Zealand and by 2004, were well known on the island, but not the rest of the world. The first taste of success in the wider world came with the release of their debut EP, The Distant Future, which would go on to win a grammy for 'Comedy Album of the Year.' The quirky comedy group broke through on the HBO program One Night Stand in 2005. The performance was so impressive that HBO offered them a show of their own. The plot of the self-titled show, which premiered in 2007, revolves around Bret and Jemaine's quest for success in New York City with the help of their inept manager, Murray. Their first full length album features songs from the first season of their television show. Its quirky, observational humor was a big hit, as the critically acclaimed album reached number 3 on the US music charts.

Following such a well-developed first album was a tall order for the dynamic duo. They take their humor and music in a different direction on I Told You I Was Freaky. At first glance, the departure from the acoustic folk genre seems to have led to a dip in the overall quality of the songs. However, 'different' doesn't always mean 'worse,' especially with a band as creative as the Conchords.

The majority of the songs from the first album had been in the band's repertoire for years, which means they had the benefit of years of fine-tuning. Take 'Ladies of the World,' for example.

First Televised Performance:


Recently released music video:


Going into the second season of their show on HBO, the Conchords faced the task of writing an entire album's worth of material in a relatively short period of time, while concurrently incorporating one or two of these songs into a scene in each episode. Every song becomes part of the storyline. Viewed in this light, I Told You I Was Freaky is an impressive musical achievement, with no room for filler or repetition. In fact, the Conchords stay fresh and put their own spin on well-known musical ideas without looking like a couple of posers.

It's obvious where the ideas for some songs originated, like 'You Don't Have To Be a Prostitute,' Bret's advice to Jemaine on the subject of male prostitution, inspired by The Police's 'Roxanne,' or 'Sugalumps,' an ode to the eroticism of a certain two-pieced part of the male anatomy that could be a retort to 'My Humps.' Others are more subtle and vague imitations of popular music styles. Bret's definition of gangster is refusing to settle for wearing a women's wetsuit in the decidedly un-gangster 'Hurt Feelings,' and Jemaine expresses his discontent with the unbalanced 'dancefloor bro-ho ratio' in the electro-pop 'Too Many Dicks (On the Dance Floor).' A few songs even ring of the classic 'Conchordian' sound. 'Carol Brown' and 'Rambling Through The Avenues of Time' return to the flow-of-consciousness humor that characterizes their live shows.

Although the instrumentals give plenty of cheap thrills, the witty lyrics make this album comedy gold. I Told You I Was Freaky is a must listen, and set The Flight of the Conchords apart as "New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo."

Fake Plastic Fleas

As the Red Hot Chili Peppers dive into the recording process, Flea and Chad Smith have jumped headfirst into side projects. The award for most awesome, well, everything goes to Chad Smith's new band, the Bombastic Meatbats. I mean, c'mon; doesn't it make you feel good just saying that? Here's the tracklisting for their debut album, Meet the Meatbats:

1. Need Strange
2. Battle for Ventura Blvd.
3. Oh! I Spilled My Beer
4. Tops Off
5. Death Match
6. Night Sweats
7. Pig Feet
8. Lola
9. Bread Balls
10. Into the Floyd

The instrumental funk jam sessions are nothing to write home about. The actual music plays second fiddle to the gut-busting song titles. The audaciously-titled 'Oh! I Spilled My Beer' is no masterpiece, just a firm reminder that Chad Smith's striking resemblance to Will Ferrell may be more than just skin deep. I might just download this album to brag to my friends when I'm listening to 'Bread Balls' or 'Night Sweats.'

Now, one would usually try to change the mood to something more somber and emotional to introduce this next bit of news on the Radiohead frontman, Thom Yorke, but not today, my good readers. These days, Yorke's funky bone has been hot-wired by the freak from down under, Michael 'Flea' Balzary. Yorke recruited an all-star band to bring the sounds of his solo album from the studio to the stage. The duo were accompanied by the skilled and styled Beck/R.E.M. drummer Joey Waronker (need some evidence? He plays drums on Modern Guilt's 'Chemtrails'), Mauro Refosco on percussion, and Nigel Godrich, acclaimed producer of many Radiohead and Beck albums. This eclectic clash of musical forces makes for some unusual, but often intriguing results. It's very much like Thom Yorke's music has been injected with a maximum dose of grooviness, but no one can tell what the side effects will be. In their first live performance, he shook about on stage like an epileptic in what seemed to be an attempt to look funky. If the band sparks together and outlasts their first few performances, they will be a musical force to watch out for.

Hiatus of Champions

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of the biggest bands in the world. If they were to have a tour right now, every venue they would play at would sell out, however large. Speaking from personal experience, I haven't met a single person who didn't like this band. And the coolest part is that they appeal equally to the genders. Their funk rock is masculine enough for men and their harmonic vocals and polished sound are feminine enough to reach out to women. That's not to say there aren't many many exceptions to that rule; it's just an overall trend among women and men. I think it's fair to say that Metallica concerts are sausagefests, while Enrique Iglesias concerts would seem wholly unappealing to most men. That may not be the perspective of a psych major, but I call 'em how I see 'em.

Well, good news, ladies and gents. The Red Hot Chili Peppers got their butts back into gear and into the studio as of October 12th, breaking a painfully long, two year hiatus. Their last album of material was Stadium Arcadium, a hodge-podge of jams with an injection of Anthony Kiedis's increasingly bizarre lyrics. That's not to say the album has its many merits, but it could've been greatly improved if the material was trimmed down to a single album, and the remaining 25 songs were released on a bonus disc or on a deluxe version of the album. Not only that, but whoever mixed and mastered the tracks deserves a healthy slap in the face. RHCP: You proved to us that you could write a boatload of above average songs, but we all know you can up the substance meter for the next album, at the expense of a few trashed songs. I blame Rick Rubin. That said, in my honest opinion, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, One Hot Minute, Californication, and By The Way were all musical masterpieces in their own quirky ways.

One could sense the tension in the band after the extensive recording, promoting, and touring process that accompanied Stadium Arcadium. Chad Smith was, as usual, the glue holding the band together, solid as a rock. Flea, having nearly quit the band after By The Way, was a stabilizing force. The real bitterness was between Kiedis and John Frusciante. Now, keep in mind that most of this is subjective. Ever since he cracked and left the band after Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Frusciante has maintained an artificially boosted ego. As a teenager getting the dream job of joining his favorite band, he was submissive to the dominant personality of the bunch, Kiedis, to whom Flea had already taken a similar relationship. John found himself increasingly under Kiedis's thumb, and without heroin, started growing numb to the fame, the girls, and disillusioned with his egomaniacal bandmate. John's reaction was to quit the band and reject every aspect of the hedonistic lifestyle that tied into music. Heroin made this process easy for him. To this day, he stands by those dark years as a necessary period of growth and soul-searching (admitting no mistake). Rejoining the band in 1998 allowed him to quietly reestabish himself in cooperation with the other talents. His musical abilities and songwriting prowess flourished, but it's clear that Kiedis is still under his skin. In an interview of the band doing a song-by-song analysis of Stadium Arcadium, Frusciante expressed frustration that Kiedis "borrowed" his lyrics for "Wet Sand." Also, Frusciante was initially excited with the jam on "Storm in a Teacup," but lost all interest in the song after Kiedis added his ridiculous lyrics. At the moment, every member but Frusciante has confirmed the date of the first recording session. He seems to be under the impression that his solo material is superior to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but in that judgment, he's sadly mistaken. Like most bands, the Red Hot Chili Peppers are the sum of their parts; take away one member and he will fail to reach the same musical heights. Let's hope he comes to; every album featuring Frusciante is fantastic. Yet, perhaps a change of pace, a new guitarist, is in the cards...

Phoenix Rises From the Ashes

I'm definitely behind the ball on this one, but y'all might've caught a glimpse of the rather colorful album cover for Phoenix's 'new' extravagent LP Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Don't let it fool you; each and every song is carefully-crafted, fun-loving, dance-inducing pop-rock. Phoenix knew that they had a gem on their hands after the recording process. Phoenix first appeared on my radar after 'If I Ever Feel Better' (album: United) accompanied the credits after an episode of the hedonistic (but awesome!) series Entourage. However, much of the American public doesn't have the luxury of access to HBO. So, through a heavy marketing campaign which included appearances on Saturday Night Live, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with David Letterman, and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, the french rockstars have finally broken through in the United States (four albums and nine years later), and will be welcomed into the country with a sold-out tour. This is one effort that won't be avoided by the even the most passive mainstream music fans.

Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is an exciting installment of feel-good rock, infused with smooth electronic grooves and the buoyant vocals of Thomas Mars. Although excursions into the world of synth aren't unknown to the band, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix uses that as its singular focus. The singles, 'Lisztomania' and '1901' are classic, catchy Phoenix: pleasing to the ear if played on repeat. The band was never much for the raw sound, like the Fratellis or the Hives, but neither are they Daft Punk imitators (although guitarist Laurent Brancowitz was once in a band with the two members of Daft Punk). Instead, Phoenix finds itself torn between the frenetically energetic alternative rock of bands from the UK and the deep-seated electronic legacy of France. The resulting is a hybrid album that is innocent fun from start to finish, the perfect soundtrack for a road trip on a sunny day or a late-night dance party in a dorm room.

Them Crooked Vultures

The twentieth century has given rise to an extremely popular trend among established musicians seeking to revitalize their careers: the rock supergroup.

Slash and a couple non-Axl Rose members of legendary hard rock group Guns 'n' Roses, having departed from the band in the mid-90s, formed Velvet Revolver with former Stone Temple Pilots lead singer Scott Weiland in 2002. VR succeeded in bringing Slash and his bandmates out of the rock history closet and into the present. Turns out they were just as dysfunctional in their new band and are currently without a lead singer. But let's all hope that a revival happens soon.

Chad Smith, drummer from Red Hot Hiatus Peppers, formed Chickenfoot this year with cult guitarist Joe Satriani, Cabo Wabo inventor Sammy Hagar, and Eddie Van Halen-condemned Michael Anthony on bass (in the upcoming Guitar Hero: Van Halen, neither Hagar nor Anthony receive mention). Their eponymous debut thundered with classic rock power.

Now for the exciting part. Josh Homme is the brilliant and demented mind behind the industrial sludge rock of Queens of the Stone Age. Dave Grohl is the multi-talented former Nirvana drummer and current singer and guitarist for the Foo Fighters. And of course, everyone knows John Paul Jones, the man, the legend, the bassist for the greatest rock group of all-time, Led Zeppelin. These three titans of rock have secretly been playing together and recording material for an album that is sure to melt the ears off any mere mortal. Words have reached their limit of description. Pop this 14-second audio pill and see where it takes you.

Surely, there will be more where this came from.