These days, you can’t read an article about Hall and Oates without also reading about Chromeo. But it works both ways, as you can’t read about Chromeo without their soul-pop predecessors either. The two bands are eternally linked, thanks to the young electronic duo frequently referencing Hall and Oates.
Dave One, half of Chromeo, remembers when standing up for the ’80s came with a razzing.
“When we started name-checking Hall and Oates, people used to laugh at us. And now they’re the coolest band in the universe,” he says, adding that the two bands will eventually write music together when they can find the time.
Chromeo have been trying to reclaim some other bands they feel pop culture has unfairly dissed, especially with their latest effort, “Business Casual.”
“We just keep digging up new references that people are, quote-unquote, sleeping on and not realizing how great they are,” says Dave One. “If it was up to me, every new band would sound like Eddie Money. He’s not cool yet to reappropriate; and in a way, that’s our job.”
Gotta cut footloose?
Who else should be getting another hurrah? Kenny Loggins. But don’t expect a Chromeo cover of “Danger Zone” any time soon.
“Those things have to happen organically,” Dave One says of collaborating with his musical heroes. “You can’t force it. And when you do, it just sounds phony — and I think that’s why our collaboration with Daryl was so big and so well received. You could really see that all the spontaneity and admiration was there intact.”
