If you’re wondering who to thank for all the attention soft rock icons Hall and Oates have been getting lately, talk to Montreal/New York duo Chromeo. The band has been espousing the greatness of the 80s pop group for years and they’re not about to stop.
“When we started doing interviews we would talk about Hall and Oates and now they’re a Pitchfork band,” says Dave Macklovitch, who goes by the moniker Dave 1. “Daryl Hall would be the first to tell you that we get partial credit for that.”
Thanks to all that talk, and the band’s soft rock electro sounds, many thought the group (which also includes Patrick Gemayel, or P-Thugg) were a joke band. But now, with their third disc, it’s clear they’re serious about the sounds they make.
Macklovitch admits that it was a challenge to get their music across at first, but thanks to the White Stripes they didn’t give up.
“I learned that you had to stay consistent,” he says on the phone from San Diego. “No one thought Jack White was ironic, but he’s just as retro and cheeky as we are. He blew up by doing exactly the same thing, staying super consistent and with longevity came mass acceptance.”
It doesn’t hurt that their new record, Business Casual, is an excellent collection of soft rock tunes. The Lionel Ritchie-like Don’t Turn the Lights on would have been a huge hit 25 years ago, while the rest of the album stays within 80s dance rock territory. It’s their most musical album yet, and that’s intentional.
“We wanted to conquer new musical territory,” says Macklovitch. “It’s not just about the catchy tunes, it’s also about some real musical s—.”
Macklovitch admits there are still some people who don’t get the band. But that doesn’t bother him — they’re playing sold out shows, creating ambitious music videos and, most importantly, helping people procrastinate. “We’re making something that will make you smile,” he says. “It makes procrastination worthwhile.”
