Chicros
The Chicros (or Los Chicros) are a four-men-band from Paris, which started in 2003 when one of their songs featured on a compilation by French label Record makers (Air, Sébastien Tellier...).
The band is known for playing sophisticated songs with exquisite arrangements and complex vocal harmonies to boot with cheap, vintage gear. As a result, the press compares them to the Beach Boys or the Zombies when the journalist is old, and to Grandaddy, Weezer or Wire when the journalist is young. But other names are mentioned, such as Neil Young, Robert Wyatt, Air, The Byrds, The Beatles, Phoenix, The Apples in Stereo, The Boo Radleys... Confusing.
In 2004 the band released their first single, Back in the Wild'', which was later remixed by American band Greenskeepers and played on the TV show Grey’s Anatomy. A short time later, the band released their first EP aptly namedToo Cool For School'', and then went on tour.
The band has opened for many bands such as Tahiti 80, Test Icicles or The Buzzcocks and more recently for The New Pornographers, The Rakes, The Besnard Lakes and soon Sebastien Tellier.
But meanwhile, they wrote and recorded their first LP, Sour Sick Soul, which came out in February 2007 in France and Japan. Produced by France’s Yann Arnaud (who worked with Phoenix, Syd Matters…) and more “mature” (meaning there are strings and horn arrangements, alcoholic-guilt-ridden lyrics and many layers of melodic counterpoints), it was met by rave reviews, got radio airplays and TV coverage.
Now they are working on their next album, Radio Transmission, a concept-album based upon a fictive FM radio, which will soon be ready for a European release in October 2008!
Discography
Albums
- 2005 Too Cool For School
- 2007 Sour Sick Soul
EPs
- 2004 Back In The Wild (featuring a remix by Greenskeepers)
Singles
- 2006 Diskonoize
- 2008 What's new today on TV? (taken from forthcoming album Radiotransmission)
Other Releases
- 2002 Walking Backwards (I Hear Voices compilation released by Record Makers)
- 2004 Back In The Wild (Les Inrockuptibles CQFD compilation)
- 2007 Changes (cover from David Bowie for Bowiemania compilation)
External links
fr:Los Chicros