Dave's the 1

What's the word on Chromeo, the Montreal/New York duo that'll headline today's Starbucks Mixed Media Music Series at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston? Musically speaking, they could've come from the early '80s. "Our music…doesn't sound like all the other dance music that's out right now," says vocalist and guitarist Dave 1. "We're from another era."

Dave 1 and his musical partner, Pee Thug, have been playing funk music since they were teenagers. The foundation for Chromeo took shape when fellow Montreal DJ Tiga asked them to do a record. "He liked my hip-hop beats, so he knew I was going to be fresh or whatever," says Dave 1. "He didn't know I knew how to play guitar or wanted to sing about chicks." The duo eventually snagged a deal with Vice Recordings, who put out their release She's in Control in early 2004. The album is layered thick with Pee Thug's analog synth bass lines and robotic-sounding talk box, coupled with Dave 1's wailing guitar solos and sensitive confused-about-love lyrics. And there's the occasional sax solo. "I can't think of another band that does this, so why change?" says Dave 1. "You want schmaltz, we got schmaltz." Chromeo follows Houston indie popsters Spain Coloured Orange, Waxploitation DJs, Ceeplus and Prince Klassen.
Sat., July 8, 8 p.m.