I'm dropping my anchor and hopping onboard the SSS Chester French. These guys are my favorite new band. I tend to get excited about StarTrak's artists and Chester French are no exception to this phenomenon. I've been jamming to their brilliant Jaques Jams mixtape and I copped the "She Loves Everybody" Ep from iTunes.
The quick backstory on these two is that they're two white kids from Harvard (named DA and Max) who cobbled out a sound that's equal parts Beatles and equal parts Outkast (Andre 3000 "The Love Below" Outkast, not Aquemini Outkast). They put out a demo which then incited a bidding war for the band between Kanye, Pharrell and JD's vanity labels. Pharrell won, and Chester French have made their home on Star Trak. "She Loves Everybody" is the lead single from their anticipated debut LP, "Love the Future" and the video has turned heads for its....aggressive images.
The guys have an image that they're working of being geeky and cheeky. That means they use lots of sarcasm, lots of feigned indifference and lots of double-entendres. Watch this interview of the guys while on tour with Lady Gaga and you'll see what I mean.
The big question is whether Chester French will be able to make a home on the pop charts. Kenna, despite his musical gifts and brilliance, wasn't able to and neither has N.E.R.D. despite having Pharrell as a frontman. Selling rock music to a pop audience these days ain't easy. But I think Chester French at least has a good shot at making it.
