Art Brut's Eddie Argos Reimagines Pop Hits With New Band

Posted on Feb 9th 2010 2:30PM by Mike Ayers
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As the charismatic frontman for Art Brut, Eddie Argos has a lot of experience starting bands -- it was even chronicled in the group's first single, 'Formed a Band.' Now, along with his girlfriend and keyboard player Dyan Valdes of the Blood Arms, Argos has started another act: Everybody Was in the French Resistance ... Now!

"We were talking about how a history teacher used to say people would alter history," Argos tells Spinner. "So it made sense that we'd want to try ourselves. We're trying to be a pop band and we wanted these pop songs that weren't meant to be funny. Sometimes it's hard to find the anchor though and not write about myself for a change."

Speaking of altering history, each new song is what Argos describes as a "reply track" -- not a diss track per se, but something of a rebuttal to already established pop songs. For example, lead song 'Creeque Allies' is a response to the Mama and the Papas' 'Creeque Alley' and 'The Scarborough Affaire' is, you guessed it, a response to the traditional ballad 'Scarborough Fair.' They also take on Elastica via 'Superglue,' Michael Jackson on 'Billie's Genes' and Avril Lavigne on 'G.I.R.L.F.R.E.N (You Know I've Got A).'

But the most auspicious and daring is the response to Kanye West's smash single 'Gold Digger,' which Argos calls 'Coal Digger.' "What I found offensive was that the fact that he worked in a chip shop," he says in reference to the line "this week he's moppin' floors, next week it's the fries."

"That's a bit mean. I've worked in chip shops, you know. In my head, the guy's working hard, mopping floors, but at night, he's writing songs. People working hard shouldn't be sneered at in songs."

Everybody Was In The French Resistance ... Now!'s debut album, 'Fixin' The Charts, Volume 1,' is out Feb. 16 on Cooking Vinyl.